The Law of God From Everlasting to Everlasting

Ezekiel 28:12-15, Tells us about Lucifer in the representation of the king of Tyre, “Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone [was] thy covering,… the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou [art] the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee [so]: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou [wast] perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. Iniquity is a type of sin that involves making a conscious decision to hurt someone else or to rebel against God’s law. Being full of wisdom we can be sure Lucifer knew the Law.

It is by Lucifer’s violation of the Law that iniquity was found in him, his measure was no longer perfect. Lucifer was before the creation of man, from this we understand that the Law existed in Heaven prior to man’s creation.

When speaking to the Jews Jesus said, “Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it,” John 8:44. Sin began with Lucifer. The Bible defines sin as the breaking of God's Law, 1 John 3:4.

The Bible tells us how the work of rebellion entered the earth. Revelation 12:7-9, “There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. This is where sin began. The rebellion began in Heaven with Lucifer, he was cast to the earth where he carried on his transgression and rebellion.

The Bible record declares, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them,” Genesis 1:26, 27.

What does it mean to be created in the image of God? This is what the Bible says about God: Deuteronomy 32:3-4, “Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. [He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right [is] he.

So, Adam, the work of God was created in God’s perfect image, no iniquity, or sin was in him. Just as Lucifer was created perfect so was Adam. In Genesis 2:19, God tests Adam's knowledge, "And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought [them] unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that [was] the name thereof. Adam did not name the animals but he knew their names. His knowledge was perfect.

God gave Adam and Eve a direct command. Both of them had perfect knowledge and understanding: “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die, Genesis 2:16, 17.

Genesis 3:6, “And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. Both willfully made a decision to disobey the direct command of God, this is iniquity. They both knew they had done wrong; this is why they hid. If they had no knowledge of the Law they would not have been conscious of any wrongdoing. Adam and Eve as well as Lucifer were aware of God's Law.

After sin, as a part of man’s worship service, God instituted a sacrificial system, a blood offering, it was to point their minds forward to the coming of Christ and his sacrifice on Calvary’s Cross for the sin of man.

Cain also was aware of God’s Law. Cain and Abel brought their offering before God. This action indicates that both knew God’s requirements for worship. As written in Genesis 4:3-15, Cain brought the fruit of the ground in disobedience to the command of God for a blood sacrifice. Abel brought the firstling of his flock and the fat, just as God commanded. God accepted Abel’s offering but refused Cain’s offering.

In verse 6, God asks Cain why is he angry and assures him, “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door,” Genesis 4:7. Cain brought an offering of his own choosing. He did what was right in his own sight, but not what was commanded by God. Many follow Cain’s example by worshiping in a manner they feel is right but it is not what God commanded. God says, “In vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men,” Matthew 15:9. God does not accept an offering of disobedience.

When reproved, Cain became so angry that he killed Abel. The first murder in the world was over how to worship, think about that. When God asked Cain about the whereabouts of his brother, “He said, I know not: [Am] I my brother's keeper? Genesis 4:9. Cain added lying to his act of disobedience. Cain knew in both instances he had willfully violated God’s Word, and broken the Law.

“Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment [is] greater than I can bear,” Genesis 4:13. Cain felt by him being a murderer and fugitive everyone would want to kill him. In God’s love and mercy, God placed a mark upon Cain so no one would kill him. God’s mark allowed Cain time so that he might realize his error, repent and turn back to God. Cain did not repent he chose to bear the penalty of sin which is death, rather than honor God.

Abraham had knowledge of God’s Ten Commandment Law. God said in Genesis 26:4-5, “And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” In verse 5 God tells Abraham why he is going to bless him. God says, “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

This verse is especially significant because it shows that Abraham obeyed God’s voice and kept His commandments hundreds of years before Moses was born. So the Ten Commandment Law of God was in existence and was obeyed before they were given at Mount Sinai.

Even though the Law was already known and was being obeyed, God has a purpose in His reiterating his Law at Mount Sinai. The sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, [was] four hundred and thirty years, Genesis 12:40. The Israelites had been in captivity in Egypt for 430 years. Egypt was a heathen nation and worshiped many gods. During this time, the Israelites were practicing idolatry and worshiping idol gods as well. As slaves, they had become accustomed to idol worship. They had forgotten about the true and living God. God called them out of Egypt so they could serve him; worship him, the only true God. “Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me,” Genesis 9:1. When they came out of Egypt God had to re-educate them in true worship and obedience.

Moses writes, “The LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them [was written] according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly," Deuteronomy 9:10. A correct knowledge of the Law was so important God wrote it Himself.

The Ten Commandments are is still binding for us today. In Matthew 5:17-19 Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Jesus specifically says that he did not come to earth to destroy or put an end to the Law of God or what the prophets taught. Rather He came to fulfill the Law and the Words of the prophets. Jesus came to show us that the Law of God can be obeyed. He left us His great example of obedience and trust in the Father.

“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Jesus is declaring the strength and endurance of the Law. As long as heaven and earth exist not one word of the Law shall be removed; it will be fulfilled, obeyed.

“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” It is honorable to teach the truth and obedience to the Law.

James tells us, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all,” James 2:10. The Law is so greatly linked, if we disobey God in one precept we shall not have trouble in disobeying him in any other areas. We saw this decline in the life of Cain. As he disobeyed God’s command in the worship sacrifice, he then lied about knowing where his brother was. Cain had a continual descent in his morals as he continued in disobedience. His disobedience climaxed in the murder of his brother.

What will be the character of those saved in God’s kingdom? “Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus,” Revelation 14:12. Jesus’ words to his people are, “If you love me keep my commitments,” John 14:15. Obedience is a test of love. It is the distinction between those that love God and those that love him not.