Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, "The Law Given to Israel," pp. 303-310, and "Satan’s Enmity Against the Law," pp. 331-342, in Patriarchs and Prophets.

"God purposed to make the occasion of speaking His law a scene of awful grandeur, in keeping with its exalted character. The people were to be impressed that everything connected with the service of God must be regarded with the greatest reverence."—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 303.

This principle of reverence is valid today. It springs from an understanding of God’s greatness, transcendence, and majesty. Seeing God’s glory creates gratitude in our hearts and humbles our pride. The closer we see God’s holiness, the more imperfections we will discern in our lives, leading us to thirst even more for His transforming Presence and to desire to be more like Him.

And, too, knowing what we are in contrast to Him and to His holy law makes us totally dependent upon Christ’s substitutionary death for us.

At the same time, Jesus made it clear that, if we humbly accept God as our Lord and King, His commands are not difficult to obey (Matt. 11:28-30). Christ made it plain that the divine law has permanent validity (Matt. 5:17-20). When we keep God’s laws out of love and gratitude to Him because of the salvation He has freely bestowed upon us, we can experience the fullness of a saving relationship with Him. While enjoying the great advantages of keeping the law (after all, look at the pain and hardship that violating it brings), we can also enjoy the assurance of knowing that our salvation is found in Jesus, not in our law-keeping.

1. The preparation for receiving the law helped the people understand the sense of reverence they needed. Today, in our church and church life, where is there a similar sense of reverence and awe before God? Or have we slowly and somehow lost it?
2. Dwell more on this covenantal formula: "I will be their God, and they will be my people." What does this mean to us today, and how should it be revealed both individually and as a corporate people?
3. What God commands us to do, He enables us to do. Ellen G. White states that "all His biddings are enablings."—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 333. How does one put this promise, this dabar, into practice?
4. How are we to respond to the common argument we hear, that after the cross, the law has been done away with? In most cases, what are they really saying has been done away with?

Discussion Questions: