WRITTEN WITH THE FINGER OF GOD
Kevin D. Paulson
The subject we are going to address tonight is not very popular in many Christian circles.
That may sound surprising, because chances are, if you were to ask folks on the street the question, “What is a Christian?” one likely answer would probably be, “Someone who obeys, or at least upholds, the Ten Commandments.”
But the fact is, much of the Christian community, at least in the few hundred years since the Protestant Reformation, has had some serious problems with the law of God as it is presented in the Bible.
We’re going to speak at length about this in the next few meetings. And we’re going to find in our study of Scripture that unless we understand the claims and importance of the divine law, the subject of salvation loses all meaning.
Now why is this?
The apostle Paul tells us:
Rom. 3:20:
“By the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Gal. 3:24:
“The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
The Bible defines sin very concisely in another verse:
I John 3:4:
“Sin is the transgression of the law.”
Elsewhere we find this statement:
Rom. 5:13:
“Sin is not imputed where there is no law.”
This makes sense, of course. If there is no speed limit on a particular road, can a police officer give you a traffic ticket?
Without a law, there is no sin, no crime.
And without sin, there need be no Savior, and no salvation.
There’s no sense in talking about salvation unless we understand what we need to be saved from.
And what does the Bible say we need to be saved from?
Matt. 1:21:
“Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”
And once again, what does the Bible say sin is?
I John 3:4:
“Sin is the transgression of the law.”
So unless we know what the law is, and what it says about us, we can’t possibly understand what sin is, or what it means to be saved from sin.
Now let’s take a look at the Ten Commandments. We’re going to read them together.
There are two places in the Bible where they are listed, but we’re going to turn to Ex. 20:3-17:
I. Written With the Finger of God
Now who actually wrote the Ten Commandments?
Most of the Bible, according to what Scripture tells us, was written by human beings inspired by the Holy Spirit.
II Peter 1:21:
“Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
But the Bible tells us that God Himself, with His own finger, wrote the law of Ten Commandments.
Ex. 31:18:
“And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, two tables of stone, written with the finger of God.”
After Moses had destroyed this first set of tablets, at the time of the golden calf apostasy, we read as follows:
Ex. 34:1,28:
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and I will write upon those tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest. . . .
“And he (Moses) was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread nor drink water. And He (God) wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.”
Why did God give His people these commandments?
Deut. 6:24:
“And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always.”
Have you ever thought of how simple life would be, if men and women just kept those Ten Commandments?
Would we have to lock our doors at night?
Would there be divorce or broken homes?
What kind of government would we have?
What kind of entertainment would be on television?
- Can God’s Law Be Changed?
Remember we saw how God describes the words of the Ten Commandments:
Ex. 34:28:
“the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.”
What does God say about this covenant?
Psalm 89:34:
“My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips.”
And where did the Ten Commandments come from?
Ex. 20:1:
“And God spake all these words, saying [and then we read the Ten Commandments].”
Jesus said the same thing about the law:
Luke 16:17:
“It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.”
III. God’s Law is His Character
The reason God can’t change His law, is because He can’t change His character.
Notice how the same language used for God in the Bible, is also used for His law:
God is:
Good: Luke 18:19
Holy: Isa. 5:16
Perfect: Matt. 5:48
Pure: I John 3:2-3
Just: Deut. 32:4
True: John 3:33
Spiritual: I Cor. 10:4
Righteousness: Jer. 23:6
Faithful: I Cor. 1:9
Love: I John 4:8
Unchangeable: James 1:17
Eternal: Gen. 21:33
The Law is:
Good: I Tim. 1:8
Holy: Rom. 7:12
Perfect: Psalm 19:7
Pure: Psalm 19:8
Just: Rom. 7:12
True: Psalm 19:9
Spiritual: Rom. 7:14
Righteousness: Psalm 119:172
Faithful: Psalm 119:86
Love: Rom. 13:10:
Unchangeable: Matt. 5:18
Eternal: Psalm 111:7-8
IV. Misconceptions About God’s Law
Now we’re going to discuss for a moment a couple of key misconceptions which many Christians have, regarding God’s law of Ten Commandments.
One of these is the idea that the law of Moses and the law of Ten Commandments are one and the same.
But we’re going to see from Scripture the contrast that is drawn between the law of Moses, which was the ceremonial law of sacrifices and ordinances pointing forward to Jesus, and the law of Ten Commandments.
Moses’ Law
Called “the law of Moses” Luke 2:22
Called “the law contained in ordinances”
Eph. 2:15
Written by Moses in a book II Chron. 35:12
Placed in the side of the ark Deut. 31:26
Ended at the cross Eph. 2:15
Added because of sin Gal. 3:19
Contrary to us, against us Deut. 31:26
Col. 2:14
Judges no one Col. 2:14-16
Carnal Heb. 7:16
Made nothing perfect Heb. 7:19
God’s Law
Called “the law of the Lord” Isa. 5:24
Called “the royal law” James 2:8
Written by God in stone Ex. 31:18; 32:16; 34:28
Placed within the ark Ex. 40:20
Will stand forever Luke 16:17
Points out sin Rom. 3:20; 7:7
Not grievous I John 5:3
Judges all people James 2:10-12
Spiritual Rom. 7:14
Perfect Psalm 19:7
I hope we can see clearly how in the Bible, Moses’ law and God’s law are two different things.
The apostle Paul draws a clear contrast in his own writings between the ordinance of circumcision on the one hand, which represented the Mosaic law, and on the other hand, the keeping of the Ten Commandments.
Listen to how the three following verses explain the contrast between the law that no longer matters, and the one that still matters:
Gal. 5:6:
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but that which worketh by love.”
Gal. 6:15:
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”
I Cor. 7:19:
“Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.”
Another popular misconception about the Ten Commandments is that Jesus came to abolish this law through His death and His grace.
But the Bible teaches no such concept.
Jesus Himself said:
Matt. 5:17-19:
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Rom. 3:31:
“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.”
Rom. 6:14-15:
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
“What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”
And again, what is sin?
I John 3:4:
“Sin is the transgression of the law.”
To not be “under the law,” as Paul is using the term here, is to no longer be under the law’s condemnation. But the Christian, under grace, is still under the law’s authority.
The reason grace-empowered Christians are no longer under the law is because, through His grace, they are now obedient to the law.
That’s why the verse says:
Rom. 6:14:
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
We are no longer under the law because, through God’s grace, we are now obedient to the law.
- God’s Law the Standard of Judgment
According to the Bible, God’s Ten Commandment law is the standard by which all will be judged.
Eccl. 12:13-14:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
James 2:10-12:
“For whosever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
“For He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
“So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.”
- God’s Law Written in the Heart
According to the Bible, in order for God’s law to be obeyed, in must be inscribed within the human heart.
This means it must become the genuine motivation of the life, not merely a standard to which we comply on the surface.
Deut. 30:14:
“For the word is nigh unto thee; it is in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.”
Psalm 119:11:
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”
Elsewhere the Bible calls this relationship the new covenant:
Jer. 31:33:
“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
This promise is repeated in the New Testament by the apostle Paul:
Heb. 8:10:
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people.”