Thursday: The Law as God’s Promise for Us
Daily Lesson for Thursday 21st of August 2025
Read Romans 3:20-24. Though Paul is very clear that we cannot be saved by keeping the Ten Commandments, how then should the commandments function in our lives?
The Hebrew meaning of the term dabarim, used in the writing of Moses to describe the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 4:13, Deuteronomy 10:4), does not literally mean “commandments,” but “words.”
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This “word,” dabar (singular), can have the meaning of a “promise.” That is why, in numerous places (1 Kings 8:56; 2 Chronicles 1:9; Nehemiah 5:12-13; Deuteronomy 1:11; Deuteronomy 6:3; Deuteronomy 9:28; Joshua 9:21; Joshua 22:4; Joshua 23:5), dabar is translated either in a noun or verb form expressing the idea of promise.
Ellen G. White offers an insight into the function of the Decalogue: “The ten commandments . . . are ten promises.”—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1105. The Decalogue should be understood as promises from God that will guide us on the right path so that He can do wonderful things for us. But we must obey them.
Read Romans 10:4. How should we understand Paul’s statement that Christ is the “end” of the law?
Paul states that Jesus Christ is the telos of the law, but not in the sense that Christ abrogates the law or does away with it. Instead, this means that Christ is the goal and intent of the law; it does not mean that His atoning sacrifice terminates the validity and perpetuity of it.
On the contrary, Paul speaks about the importance of the law, about its legitimacy, and about its enduring authority (Romans 3:31, 1 Corinthians 7:19, Galatians 5:6). The meaning of the word telos is primarily purposeful and goal-oriented, not time related. Christ is the key to unlock the true meaning and purpose of God’s law. Thus, it would be incorrect to state that Christ invalidated, superseded, or abrogated the law. Christ is the goal of the law, the One to whom it points.
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How does the law point us to Jesus? That is, what does the law reveal to us about ourselves that would indeed point us to Jesus? |
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While The Ten Commandments remained pivotal in Hebrew religion, even during the Exodus it was expanded and interpreted, and ultimately recorded in the Torah. And, the expansion and interpretation did not end there either. A commentary developed as the scholars sat in committee meetings and debated the points of law over centuries, passing their findings and determinations down orally to the next generation. Around 200 BCE, Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi compiled and simplified this oral tradition into what we now call the Mishnah.
One would think they would be satisfied and exhausted the topic but, they continued to dissect and expand the law in the rabbinical period. There were two main centres for this. Jerusalem of course, but also Babylon. (Remember that many Jews did not return to Palestine after their captivity and remained in Babylon where they set up their own rabbinical schools.) These additions and interpretations were finally collected and formed what is called the Gemara. Collectively the Mishna and Gemara form the Talmud. The Babylonian Talmud is widely regarded as the most complete and authoritative of the two.
You may think that such detailed study over several centuries would have distilled the very essence of the law for all to understand and appreciate the law of God more fully. However, when we read of both Jesus’ and Paul’s interactions with the Jews you are left with the impression, they got it wrong. Why was that?
I think the simple answer is that in the process, they lost the plot. Jesus summarised the issue neatly:
Are Seventh-day Adventists any different today? I have piles of documents on my shelves from Bible study committees wrestling with such topics as the edges of the Sabbath in Arctic regions. It reminds me that we can lose the plot too. It was never God’s intention to start a law school.
True!
Thank you for this informative post. I agree that it’s easy to “lose the plot” when we focus too heavily on the minutiae of the law, as you’ve outlined with the development of the Talmud. However, I’d like to consider the possibility of nuance in the last sentence about God not intending to start a “law school.”
While overemphasizing details can lead to legalism, as Jesus critiqued (John 5:39), thoughtful discussions about applying the commandments can still be valuable. As per your example in Arctic regions, where polar night can make days last months, determining when the Sabbath begins and ends poses unique challenges. Similarly, when Samoa shifted the International Date Line in 2011, it raised questions about how to observe the Sabbath consistently. In such cases, discussion and consensus-building seem necessary to honour God’s commandments in such complex contexts.
That said, I share your concern about missing the essence of God’s law. Jesus emphasized that love for one another is the defining characteristic of His disciples (John 13:34-35), not uniform agreement. Could it be that God allows disagreements over applying the commandments to serve as a “caldron” for developing this love? How do we balance honouring the law’s intent with showing grace to those with differing perspectives? These questions remind us to keep love at the centre, even as we wrestle with the details.
The week's theme is Covenant at Sinai , and within the memory text are powerful words, written:
From the first day of our study to "the Gift of the Decalogue", we were able to establish what we found in the text above - that God initiates a Covenant with Abraham to build a relation and a nation that represents His loving nature - His Character (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:1-21). The words say a lot about how God deemed this covenant, with a simple condition for Israel - or us - to meet, and I quote,
God's covenant may seem complete and ready already, but it only required Israel to do one thing - obey (Deuteronomy 5:32-33, 6:1-9). God had brought Israel to Himself as a testament and example to the world that through Israel, God's love and providence could be seen (Exodus 19:4, Deuteronomy 4:5-8). The relation was "God wanted a relationship that could tell the world about God in character and action", but all He needed in return after all His providence is our obedience (1 Samuel 15:22, John 14:15).
At this juncture, the Covenant at Sinai was more about telling God's Character as His "chosen generation", His royal priesthood, and His holy nation - His special treasure (1 Peter 2:9, Exodus 19:6). It was about God's character and not our salvation. It began as God bringing us to Himself, and if you look at the two days at the end, the law pointing us to Christ does exactly that - "the Decalogue places a set of character development that point to Jesus Christ" (Romans 3:31, Galatians 3:24). God brings us back to Himself through the law.
Ours is just to obey so as to represent Him well to the world as emblems (Matthew 5:16, Philippians 2:14-16). The law points us towards salvation through faith in Christ, to be part of the body of Christ through Christ (Romans 3:24-25, 2 Corinthians 5:21). The law, faith, and obedience portray God in character; Christ in us and Christ for us, and Christ around us; which is truly where salvation rests - God bringing and bridging us to Himself (John 14:6, Ephesians 2:18).
“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, NKJV).
God’s moral law was in existence before Mount Sinai. Why did God decide to codify it at this particular time and hand it over to these pilgrims (Israelites)?
Like all countries of the world, upon gaining their independence, they write a new code of law or write a new constitution to govern them. As a newly liberated people who were in the process of forming a nation, God wanted the 10 commandments to be the basis of their identity and nation-building. Therefore, God gave these pilgrims a promise of great outcomes (wonderful blessings) if they became obedient to His laws. By being obedient to His laws and statutes, God promised to bless them with rest, peace, stability, security, and prosperity (Joshua 21:44, 1 Chronicles 22:9, Deuteronomy 6:10-11, Deuteronomy 28:1-14).
“He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land… You will be blessed more than any other people.” (Deuteronomy 7:13–14).
God wanted the Israelites to be a beacon of light to the world (Deut. 28:10). By extension, God is giving the same promises He gave to the Israelites to us if we keep his commandments (Matthew 11:28-29, Hebrews 4:9–10). More than anything else, God is promising us a wonderful rest in Christ Jesus if we become obedient children of God.
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” (Rev.22:14, NKJV).
Everybody is "under sin" - or "in bondage to sin", regardless of age, gender, nationality, or self-perception - whether we see ourselves as saints like Mother Teresa, or leaders like Gandhi. Without an objective, absolute standard defining sin, then we fall into subjective chaos shaped by personal, or cultural influences leading to conflict.
This is why Torah specifically says that "God spoke" the words (Exodus 20:1) and not Moses. These statements are not the result of human devising, but divine revelation - for some very important reason! This prompts critical questions: Why did God reveal the law in this way, at this time, and to this people? Are we missing something essential about our condition?
Paul contrasts "the righteousness of God" with human attempts at righteousness through "the deeds of the law" (Romans 3:20). Our "deeds of the law", which we might believe "justify us" in some way will produce righteousness, but not the "righteousness of God", rather our own righteousness which Isaiah describes as "filthy rags" - literally, rags defiled by menstruation, a vivid image of impurity. If that's our righteousness, we certainly need another! This is where "the righteousness of God" is made available "through faith IN Jesus Christ" (Romans 3:22) which results in "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is IN Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23).
Paul highlights the forgotten or subordinated function of law - describing what sin is (Romans 3:20). We need the objective definition, the subjective application and scrutiny via the community of believers, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit to recognise our real condition and desperate need of a saviour. This process represents a never ending spiral that ever draws us to the centre - which is Jesus Himself (see John 12:32).
Steps to Christ, P 64, 65 – “The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes... [which] drives us to Him who can pardon [who reveals] Himself in power.” The last three paragraphs of the chapter brilliantly describe this principle in action.
The lesson asks, "How does the law point us to Jesus? That is, what does the law reveal to us about ourselves that would indeed point us to Jesus?"
The Law shows us God’s holiness, our sinfulness, and our inability to save ourselves. This drives us to Jesus, who alone can cleanse us from sin, give us His righteousness, and write the Law on our hearts (Hebrews 8:1
Are we still trying to explain the spiritual by and with the physical? Is this not the outcome of the curse, when desiring to know ‘right and wrong’ without the help of the Spirit, only now relegated to using only his own mind, though not mindful of our condition? William Earnhardt’s post: “What was really wrong with the Sinai Covenant?” highlights this dilemma perfectly, and to our dismay, it is still present within the community of believers.
Understanding ‘Hagar’ as a symbol to depict that which is designed by man versus that which is of God’s design, helps us recognize the danger when attempting to justify the means when achieving a desired outcome. Man’s means of conduct – his ‘ways’ - do not contain or fulfil the spirit’s purpose; they interfere.
Sarah's and Hagar’s ‘readyness to act’ depicts the disposition of fallen man using his own will to bring about God's promise with/by following our own understanding. But our God fulfills His promises by the work of His Spirit, requiring the application of our faith.
“The Law of God’s Promise” – are we satisfied with it, or do we hijack God’s agenda by continuously ‘arguing our points’ with Him in order to establish a more ‘satisfying’ outcome of His Will and purpose in our life? Or do we follow Him because we love Him, using ‘simple’ – child-like faith?
Do Christians desire a degree vouching they graduated from the ‘University of Grace and Mercy’? Are we becoming scholars full of the knowledge of the words of the ‘Law and its promise’, but neglectful in identifying our personal, spiritual kinship with our Creator? Our life is in the Spirit of His living Word, and remaining within Him is essential.
I believe we need to be incredibly careful in always seeking to hear the voice of God’s Spirit for directing our path. If we are not careful, the voice of the adversary of God is ready and willing to whisper his lies into our hearts and minds just as it was at the Beginning – Prov.3:5-6; 2 Peter 3:18;
Very appropriate, the idea that the ultimate purpose of the Ten Commandments is Jesus. Jesus is all, and will never contradict principles, even with time changes. He is the same and has no beginning or end. Thus, His Commandments reflect His character, which is essentially LOVE.
Looking at the picture posted today of us in the quagmire of sin, and Christ extending his arm to pull us out through His sacrifice on the cross. Reminds me of the statement in the desire of ages pages 175-176. Then just how are we saved from sin? The answer it is by putting our hand on Christ that we are appropriated the merits of the One who died for our sins. And more detailed of our redemption process is:
The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God.” Psalm 40:8. DA 175.5
Now that we delight to do Gods will we are overcomers by the power invested us by holding on to Christ, with a firm grasp. 1 John 5:4. Hebrews 3:14.