Sabbath: Living the Law
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 23rd of August 2025
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Exodus 21:1-32, Exodus 22:16-31; Exodus 23:1-33, 2 Kings 19:35, Matthew 5:38-48, Romans 12:19, Matthew 16:27.
Memory Text:
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: “You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves” ’ ” (Exodus 20:22-23, NKJV).
God desired His people to be different from the surrounding nations. He wanted them established as a devoted community of faith who would live under His leadership and authority. Everyone would be subject to His law. Judges were to be appointed as administrators of the law, and the priests were to teach it. Parents also played a crucial role.
In any culture, the laws reveal the ideals, goals, intent, and character of the lawmaker. For example, when Pharaoh ordered every Hebrew male baby killed, this law revealed what he was like: evil. In contrast, if a king made a law that every 18-year-old in the kingdom would be awarded a free higher education, many would consider this evidence of the king’s generosity and desire for his country to prosper.
God’s law reveals Him, that is, His goodness, love, values, righteousness, and His restraints against evil. As the law is holy and just, so is God. While creating space for an abundant life, the law also helps protect us from dangers and calamities. Respect for God, for each other, and for life’s values were the basis of His legislative system.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 30.
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Most of us don't think about the law of gravity. It just happens, naturally. We are standing in it and stick to the earth. We throw a ball in the air, and it comes back down. We send satellites into space and they circle the earth, naturally. We circle the sun, without even thinking about it. We cannot break the law of gravity. We cannot say, today I will break the law of gravity and throw a rock in the air that does not come back down,
I wonder if the moral law was like that before the fall.
I wonder it is will be like that after the restoration.
I wonder if Christians could live like that now.
Dear Maurice - YES!
My Friend James, once worked for an apple orchard that sold fruit across the region. As a sales representative, he often had to take displays of their apples to shows. Many times, however, they weren’t allowed to hand out real fruit. Instead, he carried trays filled with stunningly polished “mock” apples- plastic models that looked delicious and real.
Even though a sign clearly labeled them as “not real” and “not for human consumption,” people would every so often sneak a bite. To their surprise, they discovered they had bitten into hollow plastic. What amazed James most was that some people insisted the fake apples were real. In much the same way, the Pharisees thought they held the real thing by clinging to every letter of the law. They believed the law itself was the full story. But in doing so, they missed the truth standing before them. As Jesus said in John 5:39–40, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
The law was never meant to replace a living relationship with Jesus Christ. Sadly, it has for many individuals!. At funerals, it grieves me to hear people celebrate the works of a life without mentioning whether that person truly knew Jesus. A tree may look healthy, but as Jesus warned in Matthew 7:17–18, “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” The truth must be spoken: the law does not save, good works do not save – only Jesus Christ saves. Plastic apples may look appealing, but they cannot nourish. Only the true fruit of faith in Christ brings eternal life.
“You saw for yourselves that I spoke to you from heaven” (Exodus 20:22, NLT).
The 10 commandments were delivered by God to the Children of Israel audibly and visibly. Nobody could claim ignorance. Knowing God should lead to obedience. The people who saw and heard God, were expected to do the law. Doing is not mere information, but transformation. They were expected to resist idols that they were used with in Egypt. Knowing the law and not doing it, make it a witness against us. Jesus emphasised the importance of doing the law (living) in the following passage.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27, NIV).
When you look at these words:
It is clear that God's laws are a responsibility for all of us at our individual levels. Living the law is the topic of this week. There will be much to learn and study. As we enter the study this week, it may be time to unlearn what we think we know. Start by relating to the past week about God bringing us to Himself, as it is written, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8).
We have so far established that God's character is what the law is all about. If we can start from here, we then have a chance to appreciate why we should be emissaries and messengers for God. It has to start with us being living examples of the character represented in the law. The laws of God reflect God's character, and as we study and apply them, we can become God's representatives, "who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14).
The Law of God is a map—a simple direction toward life, a happy-living manual.
(1) God desired His people to be different from the surrounding nations.
The name “Pharisee” means “separate”. What did they misunderstand about being different? How are we to be different than those around us? The lesson mentions “a devoted community of faith”. Imagine if mid-week prayer gatherings were so large we needed traffic attendants to help direct parking and flow! All there are only to pray! (Acts 1:14; 2:1-2) And then imagine if through that same group of people fully in love with Jesus/God and filled with His Spirit, all sorts of miracles of healing and rejuvenated life started happening…
(2) While creating space for an abundant life, the law also helps protect us from dangers and calamities.
“Creating space for an abundant life” stands out to me. In the sermon at church today, the pastor was saying that the 10 Commandments are the bare minimum of what God is imagining and requires when it comes to loving Him and loving our neighbor. In other words, not killing and not stealing and not gossiping, etc. are the lowest bar for showing love. They are just the fence of where not to go. So this idea of space… what TO DO to show our love for God and each other is limitless! There’s an eternity of creative ways to do this. That’s very exciting. We’ve heard about the “five languages of love“, but there are probably endless languages of love. Certainly as many as there are people alive, or who ever have lived, or will live. Every moment presents new unique opportunities to love…. to let God love through us.
How are we to be different than those around us? Good question.
We aren’t ashamed of our profession of Christ. Yes sometimes we are more timid than we should be. I am not saying we go out and blurt our love in Christ to everyone, but be ready to be accountable for our faith.
We are kind, long suffering, forgiving, do not envy or boast, patient with our brothers and sisters, and do not rejoice with wrongdoing, rather rejoice with the Truth.
We will answer the question this week; why is it so important to live out the law if we are saved by grace?
While creating space for an abundant life, the boundaries was explained last week, which apply to the laws of living more abundantly. The law creates a boundary around us to keep us from danger. Are we to live lives in isolation? No. We rejoice in Christ rather than in wrong doing, cause He keeps us from wrong. He has promised the power from Him.
His grace empowers us to "live out the law"
Let's always obey his laws.
For in him we live and move and have our being.
Acts 7:28.
Thanks.