Saturday, February 14, 2009

Seven Editions of the Divine Law

According to the Bible, God has a method of gradual revelation and publication of his law. It was first written on nature, next on man, then the fundamental principles on the tablets of stone. In due time, Jesus appeared as the perfect embodiment of the truth, which he illustrated in his own sinless life. Later came the entire Scriptures, the larger and completed written edition. It was God's purpose that his law should also be written in the hearts of his people, with its precepts able to be "read" in their outward lives.

1. First Edition: Written on Nature - Psalms 19:1: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork."
2. Second Edition: Written on Conscience - Romans 2:15: "Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another."
3. Third Edition: Written on Tablets of Stone - Exodus 24:12: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them."
4. Fourth Edition: Christ the Living Word - John 1:14: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
5. Fifth Edition: The Entire Scriptures - Romans 15:4: "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
6. Sixth Edition: Written on the Heart - Hebrews 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."
7. Seventh Edition: Christians as Living Epistles - 2 Corinthians 3:2-3: "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."