Are the Ten Commandments the Law of God?

MANY who claim that the ten commandments have been abolished, have the temerity to affirm that there is no text of scripture in which these commandments are called the law. Because they are called God's "covenant which he commanded," (Deut. 4:13) they boldly say that they are the "old," or "first" covenant, affirming that the Scriptures call them so, which is entirely false; but claim that they are not called the law in all the Bible. Elder Miles Grant says, "We find no place in the Scriptures where 'the law' means the ten commandments." "We do not find any scripture that shows the law ever means the decalogue." In Ex. 24:12 we read, "And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there; and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them." Now as the ten commandments, written in tables of stone, are the only code of law or commandments ever given in the handwriting of God, our point is proved; for he says, "I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written." But what did God give to Moses in fulfillment of his promise? Ex. 31:18: "And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." If this is not the fulfillment of the promise, it has never been fulfilled; hence, when God gave to Moses the tables of stone, he gave him the promised law. Ex. 32:15: "And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand, the tables were written on both their sides on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables." The writing upon the tables is called commandments, law and testimony. Hence when an appeal is made "to the law, and to the testimony," (Isa. 8:20) reference is made to this very code.

In Ps. 78:5 we read, "For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children." Verse 7, "That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments." The Sabbath of that law was given for the express purpose that men might not forget the works of God. So long as they should "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," they would not forget the fact that "in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day."

This "testimony in Jacob" and "law in Israel," God "commanded our fathers," says David, "that they should make them known to their children." Go back to Deut. 5, and we find the ten commandments rehearsed in substance, and in chapter 6, after announcing the great principle upon which the first four commandments are founded, he says, "And these words, which I commanded thee this day, shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children," etc. This shows that these commandments were "law in Israel."

In Ps. 119:142 it is said, "Thy law is the truth" and in verse 151 it is said, "All thy commandments are truth." This makes the commandments of God and his law identical; for the truth is one. These commandments—this law—were delivered by the mouth of God from Sinai. Neh. 9:13. "Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, [margin, Heb. laws of truth], good statutes and commandments." God spoke the ten commandments, and them alone, from Sinai. See Deut. 5:22. Hence these are the right judgments, the true laws, the good statutes and commandments. These are what he spake from heaven with his voice. But these are just what Abraham obeyed, hundreds of years before. Gen. 26:5. "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."

Come to the New Testament. Says Paul, "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." Rom. 7:7. That code that says, Thou shalt not covet, the apostle calls the law. Says James, "But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors." "For he that said, [margin, that law which said], Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill." James 2:9, 11. What law is that? The ten commandments. Are not the ten commandments called the law in both Testaments?

It is fitting to close this writing with the words of the Son of God concerning this law. Said Jesus, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 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. 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." Matt. 5:17-19.