Topical Bible: The Scriptures: Reveal the Laws, Statutes, and Judgments of God

Bible > Topical > The Scriptures

◄ The Scriptures: Reveal the Laws, Statutes, and Judgments of God ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The Scriptures, revered as the divinely inspired Word of God, serve as the ultimate authority for faith and practice within the Christian tradition. They encompass the laws, statutes, and judgments of God, providing guidance for righteous living and the framework for understanding God's covenant relationship with humanity.

Laws

The term "law" in the biblical context often refers to the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, traditionally attributed to Moses. These books contain the foundational legal and moral code given to the Israelites. The Decalogue, or Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21, epitomizes God's moral law, serving as a universal ethical standard. As stated in Exodus 20:1-2 , "And God spoke all these words: 'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.'"

Beyond the Decalogue, the Mosaic Law includes ceremonial and civil laws that governed the religious and social life of Israel. These laws were designed to set Israel apart as a holy nation, as seen in Leviticus 19:2 : "Speak to the entire congregation of the Israelites and tell them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.'"

Statutes

Statutes in the Scriptures refer to specific decrees or ordinances established by God. These are often detailed instructions related to worship, sacrifices, and religious festivals. For instance, Leviticus 23 outlines the appointed feasts of the LORD, which the Israelites were commanded to observe. These statutes served as reminders of God's provision and faithfulness, as well as opportunities for communal worship and reflection.

The statutes also include dietary laws and regulations for cleanliness, which were intended to maintain the physical and spiritual purity of the people. In Deuteronomy 6:1 , Moses emphasizes the importance of these statutes: "These are the commandments and statutes and ordinances that the LORD your God has instructed me to teach you to follow in the land that you are about to enter and possess."

Judgments

Judgments in the biblical sense refer to God's decisions and decrees regarding justice and righteousness. They encompass the legal decisions rendered by God and His appointed leaders, as well as the consequences for obedience or disobedience to His laws. The book of Deuteronomy, particularly chapters 27 and 28, outlines the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience, illustrating the principle of divine justice.

The judgments of God are also evident in the historical narratives of the Old Testament, where God intervenes in the affairs of nations and individuals, rewarding the faithful and punishing the wicked. Psalm 19:9 declares, "The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous."

The Role of the Scriptures

The Scriptures, as the revelation of God's laws, statutes, and judgments, are central to the life of the believer. They instruct, correct, and train in righteousness, as noted in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 : "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work."

Through the Scriptures, believers are called to meditate on God's law and delight in His commandments, as expressed in Psalm 1:2 : "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night." The Scriptures not only reveal God's expectations but also His grace and mercy, ultimately pointing to the fulfillment of the law in Jesus Christ, who embodies the perfect righteousness of God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 4:5,14
Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do so in the land where you go to possess it.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 24:3,4
And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD has said will we do.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Scriptures Reveal Eternal Life through Jesus Christ
... The Scriptures Reveal Eternal Life Through Jesus Christ. ... under the whole heaven hath
such laws and ordinances ... what is folded up here,"the scriptures show the ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture iv the scriptures reveal.htm

A Sermon on Isaiah xxvi. By John Knox.
... own conscience, and consider what statutes and laws we would ... Why does he reveal his
holy will unto us ... him to repentance; but because the Scriptures bear witness ...
/.../knox/the pulpit of the reformation nos 1 2 and 3 /a sermon on isaiah xxvi.htm

The Author and the End of Theology
... might, on his return, confer on his laws the highest ... but now is made manifest by
the scriptures of the ... and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." (Matthew ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/oration ii the author and.htm

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
... until the Spirit of God shall come to reveal this our ... a child of hell to-morrow;
but what saith the Scriptures? ... saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a treatise of the fear.htm

The Mission of Paul and Silas to Macedonia.
... by Roman settlers, and governed by the Roman laws. ... more clearly taught in the Scriptures,
and which ... the subjects of his inspiration to reveal secrets, because ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xvii the mission of.htm

Covenanting Adapted to the Moral Constitution of Man.
... Both the positive precept and the statutes of the ... The Scriptures reveal it, and it
is a necessary effect ... The laws, or institutions, or ordinances, of a nation ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter vii covenanting adapted to.htm

The Resurrection of the Dead, and Eternal Judgment:
... awe upon my conscience than all the laws of men ... it is evident from divers places
of the holy Scriptures: ... of Christ's coming to judgment, to reveal the hidden ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the resurrection of the dead.htm

Introductory Notice Respecting Tauler's Life and Times
... He afterwards set himself to study the Scriptures (no doubt ... of sin, though it is
insufficient to reveal to us ... From the statutes of this synod, we see that the ...
/.../introductory notice respecting taulers life.htm

Twenty-Seven Articles Respecting the Reformation of the Christian ...
... his golden snares, or canon nets (laws, I should ... you to twist and pervert the Scriptures
according to ... and terrible, and none but Himself may reveal or explain ...
/.../iii twenty-seven articles respecting the.htm

Of the Necessity of Divine Influences to Produce Regeneration in ...
... you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye ... viii.2,) and should reveal to them
what he has ... have heard, and known, and loved the scriptures, and delighted ...
/.../practical discourses on regeneration/discourse vii of the necessity.htm