In Defense of the Faith

How the Moral Law Was Given

After thus showing the distinction between the nature of the moral and ceremonial laws, Mr. Canright proceeds to show how the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments was given at Mount Sinai. He pictures the solemnity and significance of this event in the following words (remember that we are still quoting Mr. Canright the Adventist in reply to himself) DOF 73.1

“Notice in what a solemn and impressive manner the moral law was given. After the people had for three days made special preparations to meet with the Lord, He came down in great majesty upon Mt. Sinai. ‘And it came to pass on the third day in the morning that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And Mt. Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.’ Exodus 19:16-18. Paul says that the Lord’s voice then shook the earth. Hebrews 12:26. ‘Moses says, “And the Lord spoke unto you out of the midst the fire; you heard the voice of the words, but saw no similtude, only you heard a voice. And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even Ten Commandments; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone.” Deuteronomy 4:12, 13. DOF 73.2

“Some have denied that the Ten Commandments is ever called a law; but in this they contradict the plainest teachings of the Bible. Thus the Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to Me into the mount, and be there; and I will give thee tables of stone, and law, and commandments which I have written, that thou may teach them.’ Exodus 24:12. What did God write? The Ten Commandments; nothing more nor less. That which the Lord wrote on tables of stone is here directly declared to be a law. So in Deuteronomy 33:2, speaking of the descent of the Lord upon Mt. Sinai, Moses says, ‘From His right hand went a fiery law for them.’ What went from God’s right hand? The Ten Commandments; and this is here again called a law. Moses is particular to mention the fact that when the Lord had spoken just the Ten Commandments, ‘He added no more; and He wrote them in two tables of stone.’ Deuteronomy 5:22. This indicates that it was a complete law. And when Moses had broken the first tables, the Lord wrote just the same Ten Commandments the second time. Dent. 10:13. This shows that the Lord had a design in selecting those commandments above any others. All through the Bible the Ten Commandments is referred to and quoted as ‘the law.’”—Ibid., pp. 11-13. DOF 73.3