Sabbath School Lesson for November 6-12, 2021
Overview of Lesson 7
We see the law, in relation to grace, in several distinct ways in the book of Deuteronomy. It helps to know…
- that law exists, even in heaven (Sunday)
- that obedience to the law was their response to grace (Monday)
- that the law was given for their good (Tuesday)
- that redemption (grace), as well as Creation (law), is revealed in the Sabbath commandment (Wednesday)
- that they could never keep the law through their own righteousness (Thursday)
Paul and other Bible writers and prophets understood the connection of law and grace. We find this theme all through the Bible. There is understandably tension, as humanity tries to grasp how to fulfill the requirements of the law. As humans, we constantly struggle with knowing the reason the law exists and why we have to keep it.
Grace is easily seen as the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8), but what we often fail to see is how the law is also a gift. And that we can only keep it through His grace. His grace gives us the motive and power to keep it.
Memory Text: ” ‘I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.’ ” Galatians 2:21 NKJV
The law is God’s standard of righteousness, the guideposts that lead us to His righteousness. Keeping the commandments do not make us righteous. If that were so, then why would we need Christ’s sacrifice? He would have died in vain if obedience to the law could save us.
Sunday: Law in Heaven
We don’t often think about there being a law in heaven. But surely, with natural laws meticulously governing the operation of physical planets, we imagine that there has to be a moral law of some kind to gauge the behavior of celestial beings, just as here on earth. The principle of love, for instance, has been present in some form throughout eternity. God is love, we are told by the apostle John (1 John 4:8). And He is everlasting.
There’s a passage in Ezekiel that mentions a covering cherub, who though created perfect, was found sinful (breaking the law) and was banished from heaven (Ezekiel 28:14-16). Other verses point to this angelic cherub as a reference to Lucifer, son of the morning, who later became God’s archenemy, Satan (Isaiah 14:12). Revelation also describes this war in heaven resulting from sin that was found in a third of the angels (Revelation 12:4, 7-9).
These verses combine in a way that naturally makes us believe that the angels also have a law of love to observe in heaven. Although we don’t know precisely how it has been presented to them, they must observe it, in order to remain in God’s presence.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
1 John 4:8 and Matthew 22:37-40
- How do we humans show love?
- How might a law of love be observed by heavenly beings? What commandments might they have?
Ezekiel 28:14-16, Isaiah 14:12, and Revelation 12:7-9
- How do these verses make us know that there is a law in heaven?
Monday: Law in Deuteronomy
The commandments on tablets of stone, presented to Moses, embody God’s love. These ten precepts show us, in a form understood by humans, what love looks like in the life of a follower of God here on earth. In simple terms, we realize how we can return love to a God who has always loved us, no matter how far we are from His kingdom.
Moses did not just repeat the law in Deuteronomy. He repeated examples of grace that God had shown His people. Just as He miraculously liberated the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery, He continues to show us unbounding grace, no matter how we disappoint Him. No matter how we are enslaved by the tight hold of sin.
Our response should be to embrace His commandments, exemplify the love defined there, and recognize that it is God’s grace that enables us to obey. This is why Moses many times pointed them to the law. Hearing it, and then obeying it, was their only way to show their love to God and others. It meant life, not only for their nation, but for each person who followed God’s instructions.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Deuteronomy 17:19, 30:10, 31:12, 32:46
- Why was Moses so insistent when it came to obeying the law of God?
- How would they benefit from keeping the law?
- How do we, as individuals, benefit from obedience to the law?
Tuesday: Le tov Lak
Human lawmakers are often accused of being distant from people and not understanding the true needs of ordinary citizens. Some laws of human governments are thus enacted that may do more harm than good.
But with God, we can be assured that His law is precisely what we need to prosper and live a happier, healthier life. After all, He is the one who made us, sustains us, and wants us to have the very best life possible. This includes spending eternity with Him in heavenly places more beautiful than we can imagine.
The Hebrew expression, Le tov lak, “for your good”, should be in our minds, as we examine God’s requirements. As parents, we often use this reminder, when obedience is needed from our young ones. “It’s for your own good…”
Moses reminded them of the same thing, as he repeatedly promoted the keeping of God’s law. Every requirement of God was to their advantage to follow. The blessings of God depended on their compliance with these love-filled laws. It made no sense to ignore His counsel. Someone would always suffer from disobedience, if that was their choice.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Deuteronomy 10:12, 13 and 6:24
- How would keeping the law give them life?
John 10:20
- What kind of life does God want us to have?
- How was Jesus involved with the law?
Wednesday: A Slave in Egypt
Moses never missed a chance to remind the Hebrews that they were once slaves in Egypt. Their deliverance and exodus from that frightful life was nothing but an example of God’s grace. The theme of the exodus continued throughout the Old Testament (Micah 6:4) and even spilled into the New (Hebrews 11:9). Grace has always been a feature of God He wants us to notice.
When Moses repeated the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5, he made sure to include another mention of their deliverance from Egypt in the very center of God’s holy law. The Sabbath commandment is not just about creation; it is very much about our redemption from sin. God, through His powerful grace, makes us all over again. Jesus called it the “new birth”.
When we keep the Sabbath, we are honoring a symbol of God’s grace. The purpose of the Sabbath is to be a constant reminder of God’s love in creating and re-creating us, allowing us to be “born again”.
What God has done for us should be repeated and done for others. His grace can be demonstrated by our faithful observance of all His commandments. His law and His love are visible in the life of a Christian, full of God’s grace and mercy. We can be lawful and graceful at the same time, just as shown by the life of God’s own Son here on earth.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Exodus 20:11, Deuteronomy 5:15 and 26:8, 9
- What two events does the Sabbath memorialize?
- What do you think was God’s purpose for including the Sabbath in His law? Why is it needed?
Thursday: Not For Your Righteousness
The Hebrews had no righteousness of their own that would allow them to become a holy nation. Compared to God’s righteous and holy nature, man will always fall short. It’s only when we see our nothingness that we can be prepared to receive His righteousness.
Deuteronomy 9:1-6 makes clear that they had nothing to commend them to God. Moses even called them “stiff-necked”. In other words, their stubborn characters were incapable of seeing anything to the right or left of them. They were not going to grow in righteousness if they remained in that unholy state of mind and refused to see the availability of God’s grace to conquer and occupy Canaan, the land they were promised to receive.
We, too, have many flaws and make many mistakes in life. But with God’s law in our hearts, with His Spirit empowering us to keep it, we can eventually overcome our unholy tendencies. God’s righteousness will even cover our clumsy efforts to achieve righteousness. Humility and love for God will get us to our final destination–that heavenly Canaan, an eternity in God’s presence.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Genesis 15:6 and Romans 4:2, 3
- What did both the Old and New Testaments say about how we are counted righteous?
- Whose righteousness can we count on?
Deuteronomy 9:1-6
- How wicked must the pagan tribes have become at this time for God to allow many of them to be destroyed?
- Why must we not take credit for the good things we do?
Friday: Final Thoughts
Man’s interest in law and grace is understandable in the context of how we are to be saved. God expects our unwavering, complete obedience to His holy law, but when does our compliance turn into legalism? No one wants to become cold and legalistic in their Christian practice. How then do we keep a proper balance between the law and grace?
Remembering the spirit of love and grace behind the law is essential. Moses tried, at every opportunity, to promote both law and grace. He reminded us that we keep the law by the grace of God, rather than our own strength.
As we obey, we are ideally drawn closer to God’s grace. If we find ourselves drawn closer to the law, then we might want to step back and re-evaluate our motives and adjust our behavior and attitudes.
Satan doesn’t care how we miss eternal life. The law is a key ingredient in having it. Therefore, Satan does his best to keep us from obeying the law altogether or obeying it for the wrong reasons. He has even persuaded us to only keep part of the law, changing it to fit our own desires, rather than God’s original purpose. Attacking, minimizing, and/or changing God’s law is Satan’s main way to attack God’s character.
Simply stated, we must keep a proper balance of law and grace so our connection with God is unbroken.
Next Week: Choose Life
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