The Law and its Intent

Laws are everywhere. In fact, we are surrounded by different kinds of laws: law of nature, universal law and law of the land. They are designed primarily to protect and benefit us. These laws set standards for people concerned and strict observance of these laws results in peace and harmony. Imagine a country where murder is not prohibited and anyone can just shoot or stab anybody to death. What security do we have? None at all!

There are over 200 countries in the world today and each has its own set of laws. What is legal in one country may be illegal in another. When these laws are combined altogether, you may even have a hard time counting them all. And given the many varieties of laws, sometimes, these cause confusion and chaos among the people.

But did you know that prior to several specific laws, there were only ten universal or basic laws being executed on Earth? They are the Ten Commandments (Of course, you answered it right!). These were ordered by the Author of Law Himself – GOD. The Ten Commandments were laid out during the time of the Israelites, when God delivered them from Egypt. These laws were released because God knew that man is inclined to do evil practices because of his sinful nature. Laws were designed for man to be aware of the things that are acceptable and detestable before God.

Long before man sinned, there was one and only law: And the Lord commanded the man,

“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it, you will surely die.”

Genesis 2:16

At that time, man was in perfect state. He did not need various laws because after all, his thoughts were pure and he only knew what is right. He did not have a choice between good and evil! You could just imagine how simple life could be at present if man did not commit sin and there is only one law existing! But because of sin, Satan was given access to this world and as a result, there are now 2 governments influencing us – the government of God or the Kingdom of Light and the government of Satan or the Kingdom of darkness.

In the early times, the constitutions of the nations of this world were largely, if not solely, influenced by the laws of God. However, nowadays, these laws have changed and are constantly changing. They are being amended and adjusted to suit men’s culture, lifestyle and religion. Originally, we are supposed to follow and submit to the law and no one is above it. But what happens these days is that it is the law that submits to the people! It now respects human reasons or “human rights” which are usually aimed at “happiness”. The laws have become men pleasers! Indeed, men are now above the law. Sadly, they make their will their law!

Our earthly governments were given sovereignty to exercise power and authority over us and as citizens, we are expected to comply. Unfortunately, there are wrong laws. People tend to break God’s commands because they find it demanding, unexciting and unattainable. But they don’t know that His precepts actually prosper, preserve and prolong life. As stated in Proverbs,

“My son, do not forget my teaching but keep my commands in your heart for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.”

Proverbs 3:1-2

Why don’t we just stick to God’s laws and master it! They are found in His constitution – The Holy Bible. His government is the only one that is perfect. After all, He is the author of law. The basis of our actions should be the laws of God because at the end of the day, He is the ultimate Judge! God is the creator of man – He is our Manufacturer. His laws should be our manual, for it is only the Manufacturer who knows what is best and perfect for His product. He is the only one who knows us well. He is the only one who knows our limitations.