Are God's Laws Jewish?
by Lani W. Finley 

One of the chief reasons why mainstream Christianity feels it is not subject to the laws of God, is the belief that God’s laws are “Jewish,” and therefore, do not apply to New Testament Christians.  The entire foundation for this doctrine is based upon the belief that the Ten Commandments did not exist before the Lord appeared to the nation of Israel, on Mt. Sinai.  However, the scriptures tell us to “prove all things” and to “hold fast that which is good” (1 Thes 5:21).  Therefore, it is necessary for us to test this doctrine against the Word of God and see if the Bible agrees with this belief.    

The conviction that God’s laws are only meant for the Jews, runs into problems when one begins to research Biblical history.   It is important to understand that the Jewish people originated from three different children of Jacob, which were named Levi, Judah and Benjamin (Gen 29:31-35 and Gen 35:16-18).  This is vitally important information for Believers to understand.  For if the Bible reveals the existence of God’s laws prior to the existence of the Jewish people, then the commandments cannot possibly be Jewish in nature, or origin. 

Did God’s Laws Exist Before Man? 

It may be surprising for some to learn that God's laws actually existed before the creation of man.  Most people have come to believe that the laws were created, and revealed to mankind at Mt. Sinai.  However, this belief does not coincide with other information disclosed within the scriptures.  All of the laws, with exception of the Sabbath and the command to “honor your father and mother” were in force before the creation of human life.  We must keep in mind that the Sabbath was created for mankind, and was “hallowed” at the end of what has been commonly referred to as, The Creation Week. It was created especially for the human race (Mk 2"27).  

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.  2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.  3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done (Gen 2:1-3 NIV).           

And He was saying to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  28 "Consequently, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27-28 NAS).

The command to “honor your father and mother” was also added for man’s benefit and is the only commandment that includes a promise of a long mortal life. 

Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)  3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth (Eph 6:2-3).

Having identified these commandments that were added for the welfare of man, how can we come to the conclusion that God’s laws pre-dates mankind?  By simply applying the Bible's definition of sin to other events, which are revealed within the Word of God. 

Both the Apostle John and the Apostle Paul make statements about God’s laws, which prove they existed before, and after,  the creation of Adam and Eve.   

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law (I Jn 3:4). 

And

...for where no law is, there is no transgression (Romans 4:15). 

If we believe these Bible verses, then we must conclude that sin can only be present, where the law is active and in force.  So, how does this help prove the existence of the law before the creation of humanity?  By allowing the Bible to identify the guilty party, who is responsible for committing the very first sins, and the time-frame in which these transgressions took place. 

The following scriptures reveal that it was Satan, who was responsible for committing the “Original Sin.”  

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 (Ezek 28:14-15).  

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning." (I Jn 3:8)  

 The Barnes' Notes makes an insightful comment regarding John’s statement about the origin of the “Original Sin.   

[For the devil sinneth from the beginning]The beginning of the world; or from the first account we have of him. It does not mean that he sinned from the beginning of his existence,for he was made holy like the other angels. The meaning is,that he introduced sin into the universe, and that he has continued to practice it ever since."                 

Based on these statements of John and Paul, it would have been impossible for the Devil to be accredited with introducing sin into the universe, if there were no laws for him to have transgressed.  ...“for where no law is, there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15). 

The laws, which Satan violated, include such transgressions as:

§         Placing another “god” before God:  He became profane and tried to make himself God.  "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isa 14:14 NAU)

§         Covetousness and attempting to Steal:  He desired the power and possessions of God.  "But you said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north”  (Isa 14:13 NAU) .

§         Lying:  Jesus confirms that the Devil is also the father of lies. “Ye are of your father the devil, …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). 

Each one of Satan’s sins were the results of transgressing God’s laws, which are outlined in the Ten Commandments.  

                          Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

                          Thou shalt not steal.

                          Thou shalt not bear false witness…

                          Thou shalt not covet…

I do not believe that anyone would be so absurd as to suggest that Satan was Jewish.  Yet, God’s commandments still applied to him and the angelic world.  Armed with this information, a sincere and enlightened Believer must conclude that the Laws of God were in force before Adam, and are not limited to the Jewish community.  

Adam and Eve Weren’t Jewish? 

Adam and Eve were created thousands of years before the birth of Levi, Judah and Benjamin and were certainly not Jewish.  Yet, Adam and Eve were condemned to death for violating some of the same commandments that Satan had transgressed (Gen 3:19).   They too, were guilty of breaking the following commandments: 

§         Placing another “god” before God:  The true depth of their sin was that they had violated the first and great commandment "You shall have no other gods before me."  They obeyed the lies of Satan and put him in the place of God. 

§         Covetousness:  They lusted after the possessions of God.  “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”…(Gen 3:6).

§          Stealing: They took fruit that did not belong to them.  …“she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. Gen 3:6 

The scriptures tell us that God is …“the same yesterday, and today and forever” (Heb 13:8).  The Word of God is also the only source of spiritually revealed truth available to mankind.  Therefore, if Adam and Eve were guilty of sin, then they were guilty of breaking God’s laws …“for sin is the transgression of the law.” 

Adam and Eve were not Jewish, but violating God’s commandments cost them their lives, and also the lives of their future descendants.  “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom 5:12).  This verse does not say, “all Jews have sinned.”  Rather, “for that all have sinned.” 

These scriptures should convince anyone, who sincerely desires to know the truth, that God’s commandments pre-date the Jewish race and applies to all humanity. 

What About the “Father of the Faithful? 

Abraham lived hundreds of years before the Lord appeared on Mt. Sinai.  Yet, he was a man who knew God laws and commandments, and zealously kept them. 

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; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws (Gen 26:4-5). 

Abraham was not only obedient to God‘s command to sacrifice his son, Isaac.  He was also obedient to all of God's laws and statues.   That is the reason why God continued to visit Abraham and develop a personal relationship with him.  Abraham walked in concert with God's will and principles. 

Millions of pastors have shared the story of Abraham’s great faith with their congregations and encouraged them to become more like Abraham.   Maybe its time pastors told their followers the rest of the story, and also encourage them to obey God’s laws - just like “Faithful Abraham.” 

Abraham was not a Jew.  Yet, the Apostle James referred to him as the “Friend of God.”  Mainly, because he was willing to prove his faith, by his works (Jas 2:21-24).   

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  22  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.  24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only (James 2:21-24). 

If modern Believers want God to know them as His Friends, then they too must be willing to obey His commandments, statutes and laws.   

The Truth About Mt. Sinai 

Most people are familiar with the account of how God wrote the Ten Commandments in the stone tablets with His own finger (Deut 9:10).  And this is where most of the confusion about God’s laws begins.  Many Believers have mistakenly assumed that this event signified the initial creation of the Ten Commandments.  However, this conclusion is not Biblically correct.  The Ten Commandments were not originally created by God on Mt. Sinai; it was simply the location where God re-introduced His laws to the nation of Israel.  This can be proven by understanding the heritage of the nation of Israel. 

As we have shown, God’s commandments existed before the creation of man, were known to Adam and Eve and obeyed by the patriarch Abraham.  Abraham was the father of Isaac and the grandfather of Jacob.  God assured Abraham that He would fulfill His promises through a covenant with Isaac.  

But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year (Gen 17:21).

One can be assured that Abraham taught Isaac the laws of God and Isaac handed them down to his son, Jacob.  In turn, Jacob also taught God's laws to his many sons, which included Joseph, Levi, Judah and Benjamin.  However, due to a great famine, Jacob moved his family to Egypt, where the children of Israel increased in population, and eventually became involved with the religious customs of the Egyptians.     

Over time, and influenced by the pagan religious system in Egypt, the Israelites lost the knowledge of the true God and His commandments, statutes and laws.  During their four hundred year stay in Egypt, they came to love and worship the blasphemous idols and pagan deities of the Egyptian religious system.  Even after their divine release from Egyptian slavery, and witnessing the many miracles of God, the Israelites still trusted and longed for the pagan gods of Egypt.  This fact is verified in the Books of Exodus and Acts.  

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.  3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.  4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt (Exod 32:1,4). 

This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:  39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,  40  Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him (Acts 7:38-40). 

These scriptures prove that the hearts and minds of the Israelites had become so entrenched into the Egyptian religious system that they had rejected and lost all knowledge of God and the wisdom of His ways.  This is the reason why the Lord had to “re-introduce” His laws and commandments to Israel on Mt. Sinai.  Four hundred years of captivity had corrupted their hearts and turned them from the precepts of the only Living God.   

Israel’s fall into the darkness of idol worship may seem strange to many people.  However, we must remember that they were influenced by this pagan society for over four hundred years.  This may not seem relevant, until we take a serious look at our own society and its history.  Just look how far our nation’s morals and religious customs have fallen in just over two hundred years.  It is truly frightening to speculate how far they may continue to decline, over the next two centuries.

In the light of this information, we must conclude that God’s laws existed before and after man’s creation.  This fact alone, eliminates any credibility toward the falsehood that the laws of God are Jewish in origin.  No, God’s laws are not Jewish – but they are eternal and an important aspect of every Christian’s walk with God and the Lord, Jesus Christ.