In The Glory Of The Law

by Bishop, A. C. | Category: The Eternal God Revealed | Feb 1994

"Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? asked Zophar (Job 11:7).

The Bible indicates that man can only go so far in his search for an Intelligence that might account for natural things or give purpose to his own existence. Aristotle's idea of a passive God who can be discovered by human reason does not correspond with the biblical view that God must disclose Himself if He is to be known. Last month's article showed that natural things bear witness to a Creator, though not so compellingly that man's only course is to believe. The statement that "... he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that seek after Him" (Heb. 11:6) implies that faith plays an important part in seeking God.

This article focuses on the revelation of God in the Law, and it is necessary first to clarify what is meant by the Law.

What is the Law?

Law is a word that is used flexibly in Scripture. In places it denotes the whole of the Old Testament, for instance in Romans 2:17-27 and 3:19. The Lord Jesus Christ used the word similarly in Matthew 5:18 and John 8:17. It can also refer to part of the Old Testament, usually in the expression "the law and the prophets" (see Mat. 5:17; Luke 16:16; Acts 13:15).

Luke 24:44 is important in that the Lord distinguished between "the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms". The law of Moses here refers to the five books of Moses, and it is this usage that is adopted in this article. The Law, therefore, encompasses God's revelation not just to Moses, but also to the Patriarchs.

What is revelation?

The nature of divine revelation has long occupied the human intellect. Some have thought that God is known only by means of personal encounter, but while the reality of personal revelation is not denied - for example, God's revelation to Moses described in Exodus 3 - the biblical view is that revelation is primarily verbal. Revelation is the unveiling of what was previously hidden so that, the Bible declares, God actively discloses Himself, unveiling something of His character, power and glory; His ways, His will, and His purposes. God reveals Himself, not in order to satisfy man's curiosity, but to evoke a response; the obligation on man's part is to trust and be obedient to what has been revealed.

The Need for Revelation

The biblical position is that man cannot really know God unless He reveals Himself. Zophar's question is necessarily answered in the negative, for God is transcendent. Being infinitely superior to man, He can neither be seen (Ex. 33:20), nor His thoughts discerned, nor His ways discovered solely by the power of human intellect (Ps. 139: 1-6; Is. 55:8,9). The necessity of divine revelation is mentioned in places in the Old Testament (e.g. Jer. 31:33,34). Man needs first to understand his position in relation to God in order to find forgiveness through the redemptive work of Christ who, as the living Word, fully revealed God (John 1:18). Spiritual enlightenment in the form of a revelation of God's holiness, righteousness and justice was needed before man could grasp the significance of God's revelation of Christ as Saviour and Redeemer.

What was Revealed in the Law?

1.To the Patriarchs. God's revelation of Himself is progressive; each step builds upon what had gone before. Thus, although the regal nature of the covenant with Israel is made explicit at Sinai, God's earlier covenants were the essential precursors of this fuller revelation. Noah, for example, learned of God's sovereign grace by the covenant made with him (Gen. 6:18). Noah's obligation was to trust God and enter the ark. God's covenant with Abram in contrast to that made with Noah after the Flood (Gen. 9:9-11), is restricted to Abram and his progeny. God declares that He was personally concerned with him (Gen. 15:1,7). Abram later learned more of God's greatness as El Shaddai, God Almighty (Gen. 17:1-8) in having the covenant confirmed to him; the obligation to obedience being this time accompanied by a change in his name. God also revealed Himself as El Shaddai to Jacob (Gen. 35:9-12) whose name was then changed to Israel.

2. At Sinai. About 400 years passed before God's next significant revelation, which was to Moses at the burning bush (Ex. 3:1-15). It is interesting that it is here assumed that Moses knew the Name of his fathers' God (Ex. 3:6) and, in response to his enquiry, God did not reveal a new Name, but rather gave Moses a deeper insight into the Name with which he was already familiar. It was now time for the deliverance of Israel and their establishment as God's people and, in preparation, God expounds His Name so that Moses and the people would be assured of His presence and power. The Name Jehovah is stressed in Exodus 3:15 and 6:2-5. In the latter incident Moses is in Egypt and God reminds him of the covenant made so long before with Abram. The Name Jehovah is repeated, supplementing El Shaddai in order further to assure Moses of God's personal presence.

The redemption of Israel from Egyptian slavery made them aware of God's power. Three months later, at Sinai (Ex. 19:1-6), God made the covenant with them that established their unique nationality, accompanied by an awesome display of the divine presence (Ex. 19:17-25; 20:18-21).

Israel acknowledged God as their Sovereign and the laws of the covenant were then promulgated through Moses. These laws were written initially by God Himself in the summary form of the decalogue but eventually the entire code was written by Moses at God's command (Ex. 34:28; Deut. 31:9, 2-26). The written law was the definitive disclosure of God's will for His people, and the priests were responsible for teaching it to the people (Deut. 31:9-11; Mal. 2:7).

The Law's chief emphases concerning God are:

(a)His unique character as Creator and Ruler of all things,

(b)His holiness,

(c)His faithfulness, patience and mercy.

(a)God's Character. God revealed to Israel His triune Nature in

the frequent use of the plural form Elohim and by the use in Deuteronomy 6:4 of the phrase "Jehovah our Elohim is one Jehovah", stressing that, although the plural Elohim is used, God is a single Entity. The triple form of the High Priest's blessing in Numbers 6:24-26 would reinforce this. Israel knew God as Creator and Lord of all (Gen. 14:19; Ex. 9:29; 19:5; 31:17) and His Name was to be revered among them Ex. 20:7); Num. 6:22-27) for, as the transcendent God, He is incomparable.

(b)God's Holiness. Holiness is integral with Deity. The word holy is first used in Scripture in connection with God's revelation at the burning bush (Ex. 3:5). Thereafter the Pentateuch is replete with references to God's holiness which carry also the obligation that His people were expected to be holy Ex. 19:6; Lev. 11:45; Deut. 7:6). The Law which governed the worship and the daily life of Israel stressed that God's holiness could neither be lightly regarded nor compromised. The sacrifices and offerings daily reminded the people of their own shortcomings and of the purity of their God. The stone tablets that bore the summary of the Law the testimony Ex. 25:16) - were kept in the ark in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle. These laws were broken daily by Israel but they remained inviolate in the Sanctuary, in anticipation of the time when the living Word would come to earth and keep the Law (Ps. 40:8).

(c)God's Faithfulness. God, although great, holy, and just, is also compassionate, patient, gracious and merciful (Ex. 34:6; Num. 14:18). God's revelation showed Israel both the light of His character and presence and also the glory and wonder of His love. Yet, surprisingly, mention of God's love is wanting in the first four of Moses' books, though it is clearly implicit there. Only in Deuteronomy is the love of God explicitly stated. Deuteronomy 4:37 indicates that God loved the Patriarchs and, once expressly stated, His love is frequently repeated (e.g. Deut. 7:7,8,13, 23:5). There is an interesting parallel in the New Testament. God's love is not mentioned in the synoptic Gospels despite it being their theme. The Spirit leaves John to declare God's love and, once done (John 3:16), the ensuing scriptures are full of it. As in the matter of holiness, the revelation of God's love carried the obligation of expression in the lives of His people. The Lord Jesus made this clear when He answered the lawyer's question about the great commandment in the Law (Mat. 22:36) by telling him of the dual requirement to love God and one's neighbour for, He said, "On these two commandments hangeth the whole law, and the prophets" (Mat. 22:40). The obligations under the New Covenant are no less than those under the Old: the onus is, in fact, greater, for God has now revealed Himself in His Son (Heb. 1:1,2).

The Great Revelation

When Moses had finished writing, Israel had not only experienced at first hand the power and providence of their God, but through the medium of the Law, had also learned much of His character. Henceforth prophets and poets expounded and expanded the revelation. The great revelation was still to come, when God would be "manifested in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3:16). Christ came to fulfil the Law and so completely to keep its precepts that He said to Philip "he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). This great revelation will, in the will of God, be taken up in further articles.

Bishop, A. C. | Feb 1994
The Eternal God Revealed