The covenant that God made with Israel at Sinai was meant to be an example of God’s grace that all would see who came into contact with His people. The covenant defined Israel’s relationship with God. It also provided parameters within which Israel could work and live that would best spread God’s message.
Part II: Commentary
Examples of Yahweh’s reaching other nations before Israel’s election rest on earlier passages such as Genesis 20:3–6 and Genesis 21:32. Is it not striking to discover, in response to Yahweh, King Abimelech, a Philistine, referred to his Hamitic nation as “a righteous nation”?
“Yahweh has always been in contact with non-Hebrews and chose to make ‘heathens’ His representatives and agents, even priests according to His will. . . .
“Yahweh uses Jethro the Kenite, who was familiar with the name Yahweh before Moses, and, in fact, helped him to understand it, to facilitate His plans and purposes for humankind. . . . Here we have a so-called heathen, Afro-Asiatic people preserving this vital intelligence before the Hebrews came on the scene!”—Charles E. Bradford, Sabbath Roots: The African Connection, p. 36; emphasis supplied.
The Election of Israel
Likewise, a Hebrew nation had been carved out from an Abrahamic lineage. Ancient Israel sprang from divine providence in order to sprinkle its God-ordained witness to surrounding nations. Thus, the connection between Israel’s election and Yahweh’s cosmic law merits explanation: “The giving of the law is as much an act of grace as God’s gift of election. The giving of the law is as much an act of mercy as the deliverance from Egyptian slavery. The gift of law is as much an act of God’s love as the making of the covenant to which the law belongs. The law thus becomes an instrument defining all relationships within the covenant and the covenant community.”—Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, p. 72.
Law Within the Covenant
“The Hebrew word law (tôrāh) appears in the Old Testament no less than 220 times. It must not be taken to mean ‘law’ in the Latin sense of lex, meaning law of the empire. Nor is it to be understood as the Greeks understood their word for law (nomos), namely, that which had always been done. In the Hebrew language the term tôrāh comes from the word hôrȃh, meaning ‘to point out,’ ‘to teach, or ‘to instruct.’ Accordingly, the noun tôrāh means in its broadest sense ‘teaching’ or ‘instruction.’ In this sense, the word law signifies all the revealed will of God, or any part of it.
“God gave Israel this instruction, this tôrāh, in terms of ‘statutes and ordinances’ (Deuteronomy 4:14, RSV) or ‘the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances’ (verse 45, RSV) to regulate the life of Israel. Tôrāh is used in this sense frequently. Thus law could be a comprehensive kind of ‘instruction’ that included all the laws: moral and ethical, civil and social, sacrificial and worship, and hygienic and health.
“In other instances, law (tôrāh) can be used in a very narrow sense, meaning only the Ten Commandments or Decalogue.”—Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, p. 73.
The Stability of the Law
The psalmist sings: “The law of Jehovah is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of Jehovah is pure, making the simple wise. The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart; the commands of Jehovah are clear, giving light to the eyes. . . . The judgments of Jehovah are true, they are righteous altogether. They are more precious than gold, . . . and sweeter than honey and drops from the honeycomb.”—The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible, vol. 2, p. 1400. (See Ps. 19:7–10.)
We should ever be mindful of the fact that our need of God’s law is linked to the lawless condition of the human psyche, and not simply our need to rectify sinful actions. Only Christ is able to incorporate His serenity and stability within humankind, and He does this by pointing us to Himself (see Isa. 26:3, Matthew 12).
At the same time, the law had been given, and still remains, for our benefit. Who hasn’t suffered, or seen others suffer, from disobedience to God’s law? Think of how much better our world would be if people obeyed God’s law. Think of how much better it would be if people obeyed even just the last six commandments!
Meanwhile, Paul tells us the following: “But now He reconciled in the body of His flesh, through death, to present you holy and without blame, and without charge before Him, if you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and not being moved from the hope of the gospel.”—The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, vol. 4, pp. 542, 543; emphasis supplied. (See Col. 1:21–23.)
For the believer, spiritual maturity in Colossians is not summed up in a moment. Growth in grace had been perceived by Paul as a regenerative lifetime process. Hence, this Pauline account restated the conditional terms of the covenant of grace as Yahweh had established with ancient Israel. (Study Exod. 19:5; Lev. 26:3, 4, 14, 16; Deut. 5:33; Deut. 6:5; Deut. 10:12; Deut. 11:1, 13, 22; and Deut. 13:3, 18.)
“Thus it is evident that the way of salvation in the Old Testament and the way of salvation in the New Testament are the same—both being salvation by grace through faith, which results in obedience.”—Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, p. 78.
On the other hand, it is just as important to keep in mind the sheer impossibility of repentance, apart from Christ, in the arena of sanctification: “You cannot have a thought without Christ. You cannot have an inclination to come to Him unless He sets in motion influences and impresses His Spirit upon the human mind.”—Ellen G. White, Faith and Works, p. 73. (Study John 14:15, John 15–17, Acts 5:32, Rom. 2:4, 1 Corinthians 13, Gal. 5:14–26, Eph. 2:8–10, Ephesians 5, 1 John 4:7–21, 1 John 5:1–3, and Rev. 22:14.)
Part III: Life Application
For Reflection: William Barclay said that to be truly religious is to love God and to love the ones whom God made in His own image. This love is not some vague, nebulous sentimentality but a full commitment to God that issues forth from the heart in practical service toward our fellow humans.
1. Read Deuteronomy 6:5.This verse is part of the “Shema,” Judaism’s creed. Every religious service opens with this sentence. Every Jewish child memorizes it before anything else. It is a constant reminder that our love to God must come before everything else. Read Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:34–40. How are we like the Pharisees pictured here? How does the new covenant emphasize the application of love?
2. God gives us His law within the realm of His unfathomable love. Compare the relationship between God and humanity with the relationship between a parent and child. What is the purpose of law in a love relationship? How do boundaries and spoken expectations enhance a relationship? What do God’s laws and boundaries teach us about His character?
3. Name two or three specific incidents from Jesus’ life that are examples of how He truly loved His neighbor as Himself. What if Jesus were to walk the streets of your town today? How would He show love for your neighbors, and why? When you break part of God’s law, His grace comes to the rescue. Does this mean that grace nullifies the law? Explain.Think of instances in which you have appreciated boundaries set by the Bible, the church, or society. Share an example with your class.
4. The old covenant played an important role in Israel’s exodus from Egypt. This covenant was a sign of God’s protective love and care. In your spiritual life, how does the covenant translate into signs of God’s love and care? What is your role in the process of experiencing what it means to live in a covenant relationship with Christ?
5. Read, again, the thought above from William Barclay in the For Reflection section.Think of specific ways we love God and humanity with “nebulous sentimentality.” What can you do in your local church to encourage one another to be more sincere in your love to God and your neighbor? Name things, issues, and circumstances that interfere with your attempts to be sincere. How can you protect yourself from these interferences?
6. As noted, God’s law as given to the Israelites was almost painfully specific. Why might God be so concerned about how His children conduct their lives? Is it for our own good or His? Discuss. Can God be impacted by our choices? Explain.
7. Both Israel and the church, as the elect of God, were, and are, in possession of something the world at large needed and still needs but of which it was and is mostly unaware. For the most part, Israel did little to change this. Is it possible that we today run the risk of making ourselves ineffectual or irrelevant? Explain.
8. One occasionally hears the quip that the Ten Commandments have today become the Ten Suggestions. Do we, in fact, sometimes act as if that were the case? Explain. How can we distinguish between freedom and license in our own lives?
9. Is obedience to the law a condition of having a relationship with God? If so, is it an error to say that God’s gift of eternal life and His continuing presence are in some sense unconditional? Explain. Do we have any basis for believing in the unconditionality of God’s love? Why, or why not?
10. In thinking about the issue of obedience, we tend to think of it as something that we do. Is it not equally true that it could be a description of what we are when we choose to associate ourselves with God? Explain.
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Study Focus: Deuteronomy 7:9
Part I: Overview
The covenant that God made with Israel at Sinai was meant to be an example of God’s grace that all would see who came into contact with His people. The covenant defined Israel’s relationship with God. It also provided parameters within which Israel could work and live that would best spread God’s message.
Part II: Commentary
Examples of Yahweh’s reaching other nations before Israel’s election rest on earlier passages such as Genesis 20:3–6 and Genesis 21:32. Is it not striking to discover, in response to Yahweh, King Abimelech, a Philistine, referred to his Hamitic nation as “a righteous nation”?
“Yahweh has always been in contact with non-Hebrews and chose to make ‘heathens’ His representatives and agents, even priests according to His will. . . .
“Yahweh uses Jethro the Kenite, who was familiar with the name Yahweh before Moses, and, in fact, helped him to understand it, to facilitate His plans and purposes for humankind. . . . Here we have a so-called heathen, Afro-Asiatic people preserving this vital intelligence before the Hebrews came on the scene!”—Charles E. Bradford, Sabbath Roots: The African Connection, p. 36; emphasis supplied.
The Election of Israel
Likewise, a Hebrew nation had been carved out from an Abrahamic lineage. Ancient Israel sprang from divine providence in order to sprinkle its God-ordained witness to surrounding nations. Thus, the connection between Israel’s election and Yahweh’s cosmic law merits explanation: “The giving of the law is as much an act of grace as God’s gift of election. The giving of the law is as much an act of mercy as the deliverance from Egyptian slavery. The gift of law is as much an act of God’s love as the making of the covenant to which the law belongs. The law thus becomes an instrument defining all relationships within the covenant and the covenant community.”—Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, p. 72.
Law Within the Covenant
“The Hebrew word law (tôrāh) appears in the Old Testament no less than 220 times. It must not be taken to mean ‘law’ in the Latin sense of lex, meaning law of the empire. Nor is it to be understood as the Greeks understood their word for law (nomos), namely, that which had always been done. In the Hebrew language the term tôrāh comes from the word hôrȃh, meaning ‘to point out,’ ‘to teach, or ‘to instruct.’ Accordingly, the noun tôrāh means in its broadest sense ‘teaching’ or ‘instruction.’ In this sense, the word law signifies all the revealed will of God, or any part of it.
“God gave Israel this instruction, this tôrāh, in terms of ‘statutes and ordinances’ (Deuteronomy 4:14, RSV) or ‘the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances’ (verse 45, RSV) to regulate the life of Israel. Tôrāh is used in this sense frequently. Thus law could be a comprehensive kind of ‘instruction’ that included all the laws: moral and ethical, civil and social, sacrificial and worship, and hygienic and health.
“In other instances, law (tôrāh) can be used in a very narrow sense, meaning only the Ten Commandments or Decalogue.”—Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, p. 73.
The Stability of the Law
The psalmist sings: “The law of Jehovah is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of Jehovah is pure, making the simple wise. The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart; the commands of Jehovah are clear, giving light to the eyes. . . . The judgments of Jehovah are true, they are righteous altogether. They are more precious than gold, . . . and sweeter than honey and drops from the honeycomb.”—The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible, vol. 2, p. 1400. (See Ps. 19:7–10.)
We should ever be mindful of the fact that our need of God’s law is linked to the lawless condition of the human psyche, and not simply our need to rectify sinful actions. Only Christ is able to incorporate His serenity and stability within humankind, and He does this by pointing us to Himself (see Isa. 26:3, Matthew 12).
At the same time, the law had been given, and still remains, for our benefit. Who hasn’t suffered, or seen others suffer, from disobedience to God’s law? Think of how much better our world would be if people obeyed God’s law. Think of how much better it would be if people obeyed even just the last six commandments!
Meanwhile, Paul tells us the following: “But now He reconciled in the body of His flesh, through death, to present you holy and without blame, and without charge before Him, if you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and not being moved from the hope of the gospel.”—The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, vol. 4, pp. 542, 543; emphasis supplied. (See Col. 1:21–23.)
For the believer, spiritual maturity in Colossians is not summed up in a moment. Growth in grace had been perceived by Paul as a regenerative lifetime process. Hence, this Pauline account restated the conditional terms of the covenant of grace as Yahweh had established with ancient Israel. (Study Exod. 19:5; Lev. 26:3, 4, 14, 16; Deut. 5:33; Deut. 6:5; Deut. 10:12; Deut. 11:1, 13, 22; and Deut. 13:3, 18.)
“Thus it is evident that the way of salvation in the Old Testament and the way of salvation in the New Testament are the same—both being salvation by grace through faith, which results in obedience.”—Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel, The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant, p. 78.
On the other hand, it is just as important to keep in mind the sheer impossibility of repentance, apart from Christ, in the arena of sanctification: “You cannot have a thought without Christ. You cannot have an inclination to come to Him unless He sets in motion influences and impresses His Spirit upon the human mind.”—Ellen G. White, Faith and Works, p. 73. (Study John 14:15, John 15–17, Acts 5:32, Rom. 2:4, 1 Corinthians 13, Gal. 5:14–26, Eph. 2:8–10, Ephesians 5, 1 John 4:7–21, 1 John 5:1–3, and Rev. 22:14.)
Part III: Life Application
For Reflection: William Barclay said that to be truly religious is to love God and to love the ones whom God made in His own image. This love is not some vague, nebulous sentimentality but a full commitment to God that issues forth from the heart in practical service toward our fellow humans.
1. Read Deuteronomy 6:5.This verse is part of the “Shema,” Judaism’s creed. Every religious service opens with this sentence. Every Jewish child memorizes it before anything else. It is a constant reminder that our love to God must come before everything else. Read Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:34–40. How are we like the Pharisees pictured here? How does the new covenant emphasize the application of love?2. God gives us His law within the realm of His unfathomable love. Compare the relationship between God and humanity with the relationship between a parent and child. What is the purpose of law in a love relationship? How do boundaries and spoken expectations enhance a relationship? What do God’s laws and boundaries teach us about His character?3. Name two or three specific incidents from Jesus’ life that are examples of how He truly loved His neighbor as Himself. What if Jesus were to walk the streets of your town today? How would He show love for your neighbors, and why? When you break part of God’s law, His grace comes to the rescue. Does this mean that grace nullifies the law? Explain.Think of instances in which you have appreciated boundaries set by the Bible, the church, or society. Share an example with your class.4. The old covenant played an important role in Israel’s exodus from Egypt. This covenant was a sign of God’s protective love and care. In your spiritual life, how does the covenant translate into signs of God’s love and care? What is your role in the process of experiencing what it means to live in a covenant relationship with Christ?5. Read, again, the thought above from William Barclay in the For Reflection section.Think of specific ways we love God and humanity with “nebulous sentimentality.” What can you do in your local church to encourage one another to be more sincere in your love to God and your neighbor? Name things, issues, and circumstances that interfere with your attempts to be sincere. How can you protect yourself from these interferences?6. As noted, God’s law as given to the Israelites was almost painfully specific. Why might God be so concerned about how His children conduct their lives? Is it for our own good or His? Discuss. Can God be impacted by our choices? Explain.7. Both Israel and the church, as the elect of God, were, and are, in possession of something the world at large needed and still needs but of which it was and is mostly unaware. For the most part, Israel did little to change this. Is it possible that we today run the risk of making ourselves ineffectual or irrelevant? Explain.8. One occasionally hears the quip that the Ten Commandments have today become the Ten Suggestions. Do we, in fact, sometimes act as if that were the case? Explain. How can we distinguish between freedom and license in our own lives?9. Is obedience to the law a condition of having a relationship with God? If so, is it an error to say that God’s gift of eternal life and His continuing presence are in some sense unconditional? Explain. Do we have any basis for believing in the unconditionality of God’s love? Why, or why not?10. In thinking about the issue of obedience, we tend to think of it as something that we do. Is it not equally true that it could be a description of what we are when we choose to associate ourselves with God? Explain.