Ten Commandments and the Book of the Law
In the Friday, 10/16, Proclamation! “We Got Mail”, the questions from “Help With Adventist Teachings” -#3-#4 – caught my attention. I wanted to add some background information that helps explain the law and the Mosaic covenant.
Understanding the connection between the Ten Commandments and the Book of the Law is easier to understand when viewed from a historical perspective while keeping in mind the culture of the day when this part of the Bible was written. The Ten Commandments and the Book of the Law have all the features of an ancient Suzerain Treaty, also known as a covenant.
A Suzerain Treaty is the later name for an ancient agreement between a greater and a lesser, such as a King and his vassal or a Lord and his people. (Suzerain means the dominant power.) Such a treaty established the lesser’s submission and allegiance to the greater. In this case, the covenant/treaty was between God (greater) and the Children of Israel (lesser)
Ancient Suzerain Treaties contained specific points. They identified who was the greater and who was the lesser. They listed the requirements the lesser must follow and stated the rewards or punishments for honoring or failing to honor them. Once all was agreed, each party received a copy of the covenant/treaty and any accompanying documents. The expectation was that these texts would be stored in a safe place where they could be read, referred to, and used to refresh memory as needed. In ancient times, safe storage places were usually in a temple, a special monument, or beneath a king’s throne (often placed there with much ceremony).
So how does a Suzerain Treaty relate to the Ten Commandments and the Book of the Law? The Ten Commandments were the written copy of the covenant/treaty God made with the Children of Israel. If they acknowledged their submission to Him and gave Him their allegiance, they could expect blessings. If not, they could expect punishment. The ten statutes written on the stone tablets were the covenant’s key points in hard copy (so to speak). Once Israel affirmed its willingness to enter into the covenant/treaty, the tablets were placed in a safe place—the Ark of the Covenant, God’s throne on earth.
The Book of the Law was the first five books of the Bible written by Moses. Although, back then, it was probably one long scroll with small divisions between each book. This scroll, the Book of the Law, was the official accompanying document to the covenant. Moses’s five books contained all the history, information, and explanations needed to support any of the covenant/treaty’s ten specific terms. Therefore, the Book of the Law was a legal, irrefutable witness in the form of a reference book intended to clarify actions, settle disputes, and judge behavior in accordance with the covenant/treaty. Loosely translated, “If a question arose concerning the covenant, the Children of Israel were to ask the Book of the Law. It would tell them.”
The Book of the Law was kept beside the ark for easy reference.
—KIM HUEY, VIA EMAIL
I am a Zambian from Southern Africa. I grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was an Adventist from childhood. As I grew older, I stopped attending church, but I eventually returned through an evangelistic crusade, during which I was also baptized. I later served as both a vice youth secretary and a youth secretary.
At the time, I strongly believed in Adventist doctrines. However, I gradually began to recognize problems with some of these doctrines. My father, who has never been an Adventist, would often talk to me about the truth and challenge my beliefs on issues such as tithing, the Sabbath, and the role of prophets in the church. Over time, I began to question Adventism more seriously until I eventually rejected it intellectually, although I continued attending church for a while. Eventually, I stopped attending altogether, and I have not been to church for several years.
My question is this: given that there are so many reasons someone might leave Adventism, I have struggled with how to write a letter to the local church I used to attend, formally informing them of my decision to leave the denomination. What should I include in the letter? Should I give specific reasons for leaving, or would it be sufficient to state my decision without going into detail?
Another concern I have is that I do not think I am sufficiently prepared, at least for now, to defend my position if the letter prompts the church leadership to question me about my decision. Although I recognize the serious problems with Adventist doctrines, I have not yet studied these issues thoroughly enough to explain my position confidently and defend it with sound arguments. I acknowledge that this is largely due to my own lack of diligence, something I know I need to address, and I intend to do so. I realize that I cannot continue avoiding the work of studying these issues if I want to be able to explain clearly why I no longer believe in Adventism.
Given my situation, how would you advise me to approach writing this letter? What would be the best way to communicate my decision, considering that I am not yet fully prepared to defend my reasons if challenged?
—VIA EMAIL
Response: Thank you for writing! You are in a difficult position, but you will feel better when you have officially cut ties with an organization you no longer support.
First, you do not owe them an explanation. When we left, we simply wrote a letter stating that we were leaving and wished to have our names removed from the membership roles. We also asked for a letter of confirmation that they had removed our names. You do not have to say more than you wish to say.
As for a follow-up visit from them, you likewise do not have to have such a visit. It is appropriate to decline to meet with them. They are manipulative and deceptive, and we believe that if they ask to meet with you, their motives will be to confuse and guilt you back into attending. You are perfectly free to decline to meet. You do not need to have a discussion with the representatives of an evil organization that cannot be honest.
Third, my concern for you is this: have you trusted the Lord Jesus alone for your salvation and reconciliation with Him? If you have trusted Jesus alone, repenting of your sin and acknowledging His finished atonement on the cross and His resurrection which broke your curse of death, you belong to Him, not to a deception of him. If anyone asks you why have left, you can simply tell them that you would betray Jesus to remain Adventist, endorsing doctrines which blaspheme the finished atonement of the Lord Jesus. You can just say you cannot keep a foot in both camps, and you have to be true to Jesus.
I pray that the Lord will give you truth, reality, and courage and that He will give you the words to write and the words to deal with them if they seek a meeting.
The Lord is faithful, and He is bigger than Adventism! He is Lord! †
Write to: proclamation@gmail.com
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