Bible Mini-Study: The World Will Learn God's Law

God's way of life—His law—will be the constitution of the new world He will set up. Let's explore what the Bible says about the role of God's law in the peaceful and prosperous Kingdom of God!

"..for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." - Isaiah 11:9

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In the mini-study in the previous issue of The Good News (Sept.-Oct. 2012), we explored what the Bible says about Jesus Christ's return as King of Kings to save us from extinction. In view of the growing number of insolvable problems that threaten to overwhelm us, that is mankind's only real hope!

And after He returns, Bible prophecy promises sweeping changes that will address the causes of this world's problems. In simplest terms, it boils down to two ways of life— get vs. give. This world has been traveling the selfish way of get for thousands of years, and the painful results are all around us. But Jesus Christ will bring a different way, a way of peace, of love, of outgoing concern—in short, the way of give.

The great need for God's law of love

Human laws and justice are flawed at best—too often oppressive and downright evil. The injustice of our age is part of the cycle of evil that's leading our world to the brink of self-destruction. But as our previous study revealed, Jesus Christ promised to return to save us from ourselves! And that will involve His leading us into following the law of God.

Will Jesus Christ return as Judge and Lawgiver as well as King?

"For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us" (Isaiah 33:22For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.
See All...).

In human governments, a system of checks and balances is necessary to prevent abuses. But as we saw in the last study, Jesus Christ will rule perfectly, always with the ultimate best interest of everyone in mind. He is worthy and capable of serving in all three roles—executive, legislative and judicial—in the best and most efficient government the world has ever seen.

What does God's law ultimately express?

"Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" (Romans 13:8-10 [8] Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
[9] For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
[10] Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

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"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
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God's law defines how to love Him the way He wants to be loved and to love others in the way that is pleasing to Him. Contrary to popular belief, God's commandments are not a burden.

What are some of the benefits of God's law?

". . . Keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good" (Deuteronomy 10:13To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
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"You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies . . . Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble" (Psalm 119:98Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
See All..., Psalm 119:165Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
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God's laws were given for our good! James 2:8-12 [8] If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
[9] But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
[10] For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
[11] For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
[12] So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

See All... calls it "the royal law" and "the law of liberty." It is a law of liberty, not bondage as so many describe it.

The world transformed through obedience

When humanity at last learns to walk in the way of God, the entire world will experience great blessings.

What will be changed to make the Millennium under the New Covenant different from the Old Covenant in ancient Israel?

"For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: 'Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people'" (Hebrews 8:7-10 [7] For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
[8] For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
[9] Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
[10] For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

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This explains that the fault was not with the good laws God gave, but with the people (verse 8). Our human hearts have been infected with Satan's attitudes and are deceptive (Jeremiah 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
See All...; Romans 8:7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
See All...; Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
See All...). The change is for God to write His laws in our minds and hearts. This occurs through repentance, baptism (to symbolize the death of our old self) and the transforming power of His Spirit (Acts 2:38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
See All...; Romans 6:1-4 [1] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
[2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
[3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
[4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

See All...; 12:1-2). Our Bible study aid booklet Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion covers this in more detail.

Will everyone learn God's laws and way of life?

". . . Your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:20-21 [20] And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:
[21] And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

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"Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:3And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
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"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
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This priceless knowledge, long rejected, disbelieved or hidden, will be valued and universally available at last.

As a result, will all be able to know God—have a relationship with Him based on understanding His ways?

"None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them" (Hebrews 8:11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
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We can have the priceless privilege of understanding and having this relationship now!

What will be the result of everyone keeping God's law?

"Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (James 3:18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
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"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

"Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

"The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

"The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.

"The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them" (Deuteronomy 28:1-14 [1] And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
[2] And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
[3] Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
[4] Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
[5] Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
[6] Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
[7] The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
[8] The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
[9] The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
[10] And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
[11] And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
[12] The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
[13] And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
[14] And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

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God's laws are living laws, designed to automatically bring blessings to those who follow them. They are the instructions in our Creator's manual to show us how to make life work in the best possible way.

How will the laws be applied? What will Christ's judicial system be like?

"His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked" (Isaiah 11:3-4 [3] And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
[4] But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

See All...).

Jesus Christ will show no partiality (Romans 2:11For there is no respect of persons with God.For there is no respect of persons with God.
See All...), but He will show mercy to those who repent. This mercy is made possible by His sacrifice to pay our penalty for us (Romans 5:8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
See All...; Isaiah 55:7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
See All...).

How will God's system of law and justice improve relationships between nations?

"He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
See All...).

After thousands of years of war and destruction, what a wonderful future to look forward to! Nations will no longer need to fear other nations and will be able to devote all their resources to making the lives of their citizens better. Pray that God will speed that day!

Apply what you've learned now

Our mini-study in the previous issue discussed the human tendency for leaders to take advantage of their power. God understood that tendency and gave instructions for future Israelite kings that would help counteract that pull to self-importance and selfishness. God's solution is recorded in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 [14] When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
[15] Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
[16] But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
[17] Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
[18] And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
[19] And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
[20] That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

See All..., and especially in Deuteronomy 17:18-20 [18] And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
[19] And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
[20] That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

See All.... Take a moment to read these verses now in your own Bible.

Writing down scriptures can help emphasize what we're studying, giving us additional sensory input as well as repetition. And rereading and thinking deeply about God's words can help us keep the right perspective.

Today, take the time to write down the first four of the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20:3-11 [3] Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
[4] Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
[5] Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
[6] And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
[7] Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
[8] Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
[9] Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
[10] But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
[11] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

See All.... These first four deal with our relationship with God and reveal to us how He wants us to treat Him. We could not deduce these laws through our human reasoning alone. We would not know His will unless He told us, but thankfully He has revealed this to us.

After writing down these four, take time to reread them and to think about how to apply them every day this week. You'll find a chapter about each of them in our Bible study aid booklet The Ten Commandments , which you'll find very helpful in your study of this subject.