blhowes
Puritan Board Professor
Was the law given before the law was given? Sometimes I ask myself this question when I read verses like these about Noah and Abraham, who lived of course before the law was given to Moses.
Noah:
Gen 7:2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens,
If I were Noah, and God had commanded me to bring every clean beast into the ark, my first question would have been which ones are clean and which ones are not clean. Noah never asked the question - it appears that he knew which ones were the clean ones
Here's what Gill says about the verse:
Abraham:
Gen 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
Abraham obeyed God's commandments, statutes, and laws? Are these the same ones that God gave to Moses?
Was the law given before the law? Was it the same law as the one given to Moses?
Noah:
Gen 7:2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens,
If I were Noah, and God had commanded me to bring every clean beast into the ark, my first question would have been which ones are clean and which ones are not clean. Noah never asked the question - it appears that he knew which ones were the clean ones
Here's what Gill says about the verse:
Gen 7:2 - Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens,.... From hence it appears, that the distinction of clean and unclean beasts, at least for sacrifice, if not for food, was known before the flood, and so before the law of Moses; though some think this is said by anticipation, and as providing a large stock of such creatures for the propagation of their species; because they would be most serviceable to men both for food and sacrifice: but as it is certain that sacrifices were offered ever since the fall of man; by the same way, namely, by divine revelation, that men were taught to sacrifice creatures as typical of the sacrifice of Christ, they were directed what sort of creatures to offer, as were most suitable figures of him; those beasts that were clean, and used under the law, and so no doubt, at this time, were oxen, sheep, and goats: and these were to be taken into the ark by "sevens", or "seven seven" (p);
Abraham:
Gen 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
Abraham obeyed God's commandments, statutes, and laws? Are these the same ones that God gave to Moses?
Was the law given before the law? Was it the same law as the one given to Moses?