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 LAWS BEFORE SINAI.

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LAWS BEFORE SINAI.

The existence of Laws in the book of Genesis and Exodus is evident, though there is no formal record of their delivery.  Cp. Ex. 18:16.  Doubtless some were made known to mankind, as such, by God, e.g. 

  • The Law of the Sabbath (Gen. 2:3).
  • The days noted in connection with the flood are all sabbaths except one, Gen. 8:5.  See note on gen. 8:10, 12, 14. 
  • The law of the place to worship (Gen. 4:3, 4, 16). 
  • The law of offerings (Gen. 4:4)

But, side by side with these special Divine communications, the Babylonian laws were codified in the age of Abraham.  In A.D. 1901, the Code of Amraphel (Khammurabi), Gen. 14:1, was discovered in Susa by M. J. de Morgan.  The latest date for this code is 2139 B.C.  Eight hundred years before Moses, these laws governed the peoples from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea, and from Persia to the Mediterranean, and were in force throughout Canaan.

This discovery overthrew the two main pillars of the “higher critics”, one of which was that such writing was unknown before Moses; the other, that a legal code was impossible before the Jewish kings. Hence, we have now before us both codes; and are in a position to answer Jehovah’s question in Deut. 4:8, “What nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?”

Khammurabi calls his laws the “judgments of righteousness”, but some of them, at least, are both unrighteous and unequal.

BOOK: Galatians: Discovering Your Freedom in Christ

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Galatians
Galatians: Discovering Your Freedom in Christ

This commentary on Galatians shows the uniqueness of Paul’s Apostleship and his gospel. Dr. Blue proves that salvation could never be attained by the works of the Law, and that men were declared righteous by faith long before there was a Jewish nation, the Law or the temple.

The book of Galatians is the most helpful book in the Bible concerning the freeness of our salvation and our liberty in Christ. Every religion on earth, except Biblical Christianity, teaches that works are necessary for eternal life. Galatians was written to correct that very error. Dr. Ken Blue shows from Paul’s letter that salvation was a free gift hundreds of years before there ever was a Jewish nation or the Ten Commandments. The reader will see that all believers are free from the Law and are to walk in the perfect law of liberty in Christ.

The Law was given to reveal the true condition of the human heart. It was not given as a means of salvation. When Jesus Christ died, the Law was nailed to the cross with Him and its demands were fulfilled. All who accept the death; burial and resurrection of Christ for their sins are forever delivered from the curse of the Law and are made FREE in Christ. Paul admonishes the Galatians and all believers to “stand fast” in that liberty and not return to the bondage of the Law.
Every believer should read this book; especially new Christians!

SWEET WATERS AND SECRET BREAD

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SWEETNESS OF THE FORBIDDEN
sweet

By Ken Blue

“Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” Proverbs 9:17.

Adam and Eve were told not to eat of the tree and were warned that death would follow disobedience. They ate anyway, and both died. What was it that blinded them to abandon all reason and go against common sense? Two attractions came into play. Satan convinced them that eating the forbidden fruit would open their eyes and make them as the gods, knowing good and evil. Secondly, they were given a free will to choose; and the thrill of taking the forbidden was greater than their thoughts of the consequences.

Israel had hundreds of laws resulting from the Ten Commandments. Yet, no nation was more rebellious than Israel. The story in Proverbs, sets before Israel, the choosing of God’s wisdom or the wisdom of the world. One choice leads to life, the other leads to death. Israel chooses death. Again, we ask, why would they do that? The answer is in our text.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The purpose of the Law was to show man his own wickedness and inability to keep it.[/perfectpullquote]

A herd of wild horses may look tame and normal at a distance, but put a bridle and a saddle on them, and you will discover just how wild they are. Their latent nature comes to the surface. They will kick, bite, buck, and rebel. So it is with a man. A series of messages on “thou shalt not…” will not change the nature or the behavior of man. It will only make his sin nature come alive and expose what is in his heart.

The purpose of the Law was to show man his own wickedness and inability to keep it. “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.” Romans 4:15. (It didn’t say, there was no sin; it said, “there was no transgression!) “…I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.” Romans 7:7-11.

Once the Law has done its work in “slaying” all personal hopes and self-righteousness for salvation, the sinner must then flee to God for mercy and His saving grace. That is its purpose! We must set before people the way of life and the way of death. Wisdom cries in the high places, “There is salvation in the cross of Christ!” The wisdom of the world cries, “There is sweetness and pleasure in secret sin.” Both are true. But, sin’s customers are unaware that her basement is filled with the corpses of her previous guest.

This was Israel’s warning; they could listen to God and be saved, or join with the idolatry and immorality of the land and be destroyed. Israel choose the “stolen waters and the secret bread.” However, secret sins are never secret; God sees everything, and the sweetness doesn’t last.

“Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.” Proverbs 20:17.