The Law of
God in the Patriarchal Age
Sin and the
Law
Can there be sin
where there is no law?
“Because law
brings wrath. And where there is
no law, there is no transgression.”
Romans 4:15, 5:13.
Through what is the
knowledge of sin obtained?
“Therefore no one
will be declared righteous in his
sight by observing the law; rather, through
the law we become conscious of
sin.” Romans 3:20; 7:7.
Was sin in the
world before the law was given on
Mount Sinai?
“For before
the law was given, sin was in the
world. But sin is not taken into
account when there is no law.”
Romans 5:13.
Adam
and His Sons
When
did sin and death enter the world?
“Therefore, just
as sin entered the world through one
man [Adam], and death through sin,
and in this way death came to all
men, because all sinned.” Romans
5:12.
What
shows that God imputed sin to Cain?
“If you do what
is right, will you not be accepted?
But if you do not do what is right, sin
is crouching at your door; it
desires to have you, but you must
master it.” Now Cain said to his
brother Abel, “Let’s go out
into the field. And while they were
in the field, Cain attacked his
brother Abel and killed him. Then the
Lord said to Cain, “Where is
your brother Abel?” “I
don’t know,” he replied.
“Am I my brother’s
keeper?” The Lord said,
“What have you done? Listen!
Your brother’s blood cries out
to me from the ground. Now you are
under a curse and driven from the
ground, which opened its mouth to
receive your brother’s blood
from your hand.” Genesis 4:7-11.
What
was the difference from Cain and
Abel?
“Do not be like
Cain, who belonged to the evil one
and murdered his brother. And why did
he murder him? Because his own
actions were evil and his
brother’s were righteous.”
1 John 3:12.
Note – It is the
law of God that distinguishes between
right and wrong. Therefore, the law
of God must have existed at that
time.
“1. God gave to
Adam a law, as a covenant of works,
by which he bound him and all his
posterity to personal, entire, exact,
and perpetual obedience; promised
life upon the fulfilling, and
threatened death upon the breech of
it; and endued him with power and
ability to keep it.
“2. This law,
after his fall, continued to be a
perfect rule of righteousness; and,
as such was delivered by God
[Michael/Jesus] upon Mount Sinai in
Ten Commandments, and written on two
tables; the first four commandments
containing our duty towards God, and
the other six our duty to man.
The
Days of Noah
What situation upon
the earth led God to destroy it by a
Flood?
“So God said to
Noah, “I am going to put an end
to all people, for the earth is
filled with violence because of them.
I am surely going to destroy both
them and the earth.” Genesis
6:13.
What
is Noah called?
“If he did not
spare the ancient world when he
brought the flood on its ungodly
people, but protected Noah, a
preacher of righteousness, and
seven others.” 2 Peter 2:5.
Note – Noah must
have preached repentance and
obedience of faith that brings the
life into harmony with the law of
God.
The
Time of Lot and Abraham
Why did God make
His promise to the seed of Abraham?
“Because Abraham
obeyed me and kept my
requirements, my commands, my decrees
and my laws.” Genesis 26:5.
Note – Then
God’s laws existed in
Abraham’s time.
Why
did the Lord destroy Sodom?
“Now the men of
Sodom were wicked and were sinning
greatly against the Lord.”
Genesis 13:13.
What
was the character of their deeds?
“And if he
rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was
distressed by the filthy lives of
lawless men (for that righteous man,
living among them day after day, was
tormented in his righteous soul by the
lawless deeds he saw and
heard).” 2 Peter 2:7,8.
Note – Their
deeds would not have been unlawful
had there been no law then in
existence. Unlawful means “contrary
to law.”
What
did God say concerning the Amorites?
“In the fourth
generation your descendants will come
back here, for the sin of the
Amorites has not yet reached its
full measure.” Genesis
15:16.
Note – Ahab
“did very abominably in following
idols, according to all the things as
did the Amorites, whom the Lord
cast out before the children of
Israel. 1 Kings 21:26. “You must
not live according to the customs of
the nations I am going to drive out
before you. Because they did all
these things, I abhorred them.”
Leviticus 20:23.
The statement that
“they committed all these
things’ refers to what had been
previously forbidden to the
Israelites. Among these things was
idolatrous worship (Leviticus
20:1-5), showing that the Gentiles,
as well as the Jews, were amenable to
the law of God, and were abhorred of
God for violating it.
Joseph
and Moses
What
did Joseph, in Egypt, say when
tempted to sin?
“No one is
greater in this house than I am. My
master has withheld nothing from me
except you, because you are his wife.
How then could I do such a wicked
thing and sin against
God?” Genesis 39:9.
Before giving the
law at Sinai, how did God rebuke the
people for going out to gather manna
on the seventh day?
‘Then the Lord
said to Moses, “How long will
you refuse to keep my commands and my
instructions?” Exodus 16:28.
Had
the Lord previously spoken of the
Sabbath?
“Tomorrow is
to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath
to the Lord.” Verse 23.
Before
the encampment at Sinai, what had
Moses taught Israel?
‘Whenever they
had a dispute, it was brought to me,
and I will decide between the parties
and inform them of God’s decrees
and laws.” Exodus 18:16.
Note – All this
shows that the law of God existed
from the beginning, and was known and
taught in the world before it was
proclaimed at Sinai.
