With the idea that Adam and Eve had total recall, or what we refer to today as photographic memory, I believe the 10 Commandments were written in Adam's and Eve's hearts before and after the Fall, just as He had wanted them to be written in other people's hearts, as well as to be written in our own hearts.

The writing of the 10 Commandments on stone tablets was finally a result of their own forgetfulness.

The Faith I Live By, page 80, paragraph 2
The law of God existed before the creation of man or else Adam could not have sinned. After the transgression of Adam the principles of the law were not changed, but were definitely arranged and expressed to meet man in his fallen condition.

S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol. 1, page 1104, paragraph 3
The Sabbath of the fourth commandment was instituted in Eden. After God had made the world, and created man upon the earth, He made the Sabbath for man. After Adam's sin and fall nothing was taken from the law of God. The principles of the ten commandments existed before the fall, and where of a character suited to the condition of a holy order of beings. After the fall, the principles of those precepts were not changed, but additional precepts were given to meet man in his fallen state (3SG 295).

S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol. 1, page 1104, paragraph 4
The law of Jehovah dating back to creation, was comprised in the two great principles, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." These two great principles embrace the first four commandments, showing the duty of man to God, and the last six, showing the duty of man to his fellowman. The principles were more explicitly stated to man after the fall, and worded to meet the case of fallen intelligences. This was necessary in consequence of the minds of men being blinded by transgression (ST April 15, 1875).

Sons and Daughters of God, page 38, paragraph 3
Our duty to obey this law is to be the burden of this last message of mercy to the world. God's law is not a new thing. It is not holiness created, but holiness made known. It is a code of principles expressing mercy, goodness, and love. It presents to fallen humanity the character of God, and states plainly the whole duty of man.

Life Sketches of James White and Ellen G. White (1888 edition), page 340, paragraph 1
"I saw that Jesus did not come to abolish his father's law. The ten commandments were to stand fast forever. Adam and Eve broke God's law and fell, and the family of Adam must perish. God could not alter or abolish his law to save lost man, who had by his transgression fallen so low that God could not accept any effort he might make to keep that holy, just, and good law.

[ October 22, 2002, 11:30 AM: Message edited by: Mike Lowe ]

The above quotes teach that after the fall of mankind God added certain precepts to the law to accommodate man in his fallen condition. The law was reworded in such a way as to help mankind avoid sin.

It's also interesting to note that the Sabbath commandment did exist before the creation of this world.

[ October 22, 2002, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: Mike Lowe ]

Thank you, Mike, for posting those quotes. Is there not a Biblical text somewhere that also says that the law was before man was??

I don't know of any passage that specifically says the law of 10 commandments existed before the creation of mankind. I doubt there is any text that teaches it that way since 3 out of the 10 are unique to the human race - 1) the 4th, 2) 5th and 3) the 7th.

EGW is clear that the commandments given to Moses on Sinai are expressed differently than they were before the fall of mankind. They were probably articulated more minutely taking into account the types of sins man had fallen into since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.

I doubt Adam and Eve in their innocense were told not to have other God's, not to make graven images, not to take His name in vain, etc., due to the fact these things were non-issues in the beginning. These things are envisioned within the general principle love God and love man, but I doubt they were specifically enumerated the way they were on Sinai or sometime after the Fall.

These may not specifically apply to the 10 commandments, but I think they apply to God's law in general

quote:

---

Genesis 26
5 because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws."

---

This shows that the law existed before Moses.

quote:

---

Psalm 119
90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.
91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.
92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.

Psalm 119
159 See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O LORD , according to your love.
160 All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.

---

You'll have to correct me if I am wrong, but I believe this eternal refers to past and present.

Those are good texts. Thank you. Yes, I think "eternal" goes both ways - past, present and future.

However, in light of the EGW quotes (previous post) I believe the law was not worded the way it appears in the 10 Commandments until sometime after the Fall. They were repeated orally until they were written on stone after the Exodus.

I also believe all laws are inherent within the Two Great Commandments - Love God and Man. The 10 commandments, although not expressly stated in the Garden of Eden, were inherent within the Two Great Commandments. I believe one of the reasons they weren't specified before the Fall is because it was unnecessary.

It's similar to how nowadays we say that even though the law does not specify every possible sin, in principle it does prohibit all species of sin. For example, nowhere in the Bible does it say, Thou shalt not main line dope, but in principle the commandment prohibiting murder includes dope. In the same way the Two Great Commandments accommodates all possible forms of sin. The law was subdivided to meet man in his fallen condition.

Does that make sense to you?

Matthew 22:36-40
Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

[ October 23, 2002, 03:06 PM: Message edited by: Mike Lowe ]

I believe that Lucifer could not have sinned unless there was a law in place before the creation of humanity. What was sin? The transgression of the law! Look at these verses:

Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isaiah 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isaiah 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Ezekiel 28:15 Thou wastperfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Ezekiel 28:16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezekiel 28:17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.


1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Just some thoughts on the matter.

Faith

In the case of Angels, including Lucifer before his fall, the following definitions of sin are probably more to the point:

Romans 14:23
For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

James 4:17
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

1 John 5:17
All unrighteousness is sin.

Thank you, Mike, for posting those quotes. Is there not a Biblical text somewhere that also says that the law was before man was??

___________________
Sarah Moss
Psalms 103 - I am blessed!

If you mean that the law came in effect just at the time it was given to Moses at
Sinai, then here are the Scripture references:

Romans 5:12-14.
12Therefore, JUST AS SIN ENTERED THE WORLD THROUGH ONE MAN, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- 13FOR BEFORE THE LAW WAS GIVEN, SIN WAS IN THE WORLD. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

Galatians 3:17,18
17What I mean is this: THE LAW, INTRODUCED 430 YEARS LATER, does not set aside THE COVENANT PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED BY GOD and thus do away with the promise. 18For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

Romans 5:18-20.
18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20THE LAW WAS ADDED so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In His love

James S.