davidbu@tekigm2.men.tek.com (David Buxton) (09/29/89)
How many commandments are contained in the Ten Commandments - 10, 94 or
110? Are the Ten Commandments a part of the ceremonial law of Moses? Can
it be shown that the ten commandments are of a permanent, perpetual nature
while the ceremonial law of statutes and ordinances came to an end when
Jesus died? Indeed there is abundance of evidence to answer these ques-
tions with a resounding yes!
God made known the distinction to Moses, and Moses explained it to the peo-
ple at Mt. Horeb.
"And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to per-
form, even Ten Commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of
stone. And the lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes
and judgements, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over
to posses it" (Deut. 4:13, 14)
Please notice how Moses clearly separated the ten commandments, which "He
commanded you," from the statutes which "He commanded me" to give the peo-
ple. The big question now is whether those statutes and judgments, which
Moses passed on to the people, were designated as a separate and distinct
"law."
God answers that important question in such a way that no doubt can remain.
"Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which
I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that
I have commanded them and according to all the law that my servant Moses
commanded them" (II Kings 21:8). Here we are assured that the statutes
which Moses gave the people were called a "law." Clearly two different
laws are being described. God speaks of the law "I commanded" and also the
"law . . . Moses commanded."
Daniel was inspired to make the same careful distinction when he prayed for
the desolated sanctuary of his scattered nation.
"Yea, all Israel have transgressed Thy law, even by departing, that
they might not obey Thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us,
and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God,
because we have sinned against him" (Daniel 9:11)
Once more we see "thy law" and "the law of Moses", and this time the two
are recognized as different in content. There are no curses recorded in
the ten commandments that God wrote, but the law which Moses wrote con-
tained an abundance of such curses and judgements.
The major point of difference between the law of God and the law of Moses,
though, lies in the way they were recorded and preserved. We have already
cited Moses' statement that God "wrote them (the ten commandments) upon two
tables of stone" (Deut. 4:13). Compare that with Exodus 31:18, "two
tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God."
Here is how the mosaic law was produced:
"And Moses wrote this law . . . And it came to pass, when Moses had
made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they
were finished, That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of
the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this book of the law, and put
it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that
it may be there for a witness against thee" (Deut 31:9,24-26)
This book of statutes and judgements which Moses wrote in a book was placed
in a pocket in the side of the ark. In contrast, the law written by God on
tables of stone was placed inside the ark of the covenant.
"And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give
thee" (Ex. 25:16)
In summary we can note several distinctions in the two laws. They had dif-
ferent authors, were written on different material, were placed in dif-
ferent locations and had totally different content.
Adapted from a pockett book by Joe Crews of Amazing Facts.
P.O. Box 680 Frederick, Md. 21701
Dave