Posted on March 2, 2010.
The inner voice Although the law of Moses was given to the descendants of Israel probably somewhere around 1440 BC, God had already given the entire human race another law that preceded the Mosaic law by at least 2500 years --- a law he wrote on every human heart. This is quite evident, because Paul said, "death reigned from Adam to Moses" (Romans 5:14). In other words, people were dying long before God gave the law of Moses to Israel, death is a clear indication of God's wrath and Judgement. Because "sin is not imputed when there is no law" (Rom. 5:13), obviously people's sins were imputed by God before the Mosaic Law, because, after Adam, "has brought death to all men because all sinned" (Romans. 5:12, emphasis added). This indicates that it must be a law to which all are responsible, even before the Mosaic law.
This law pre-Mosaic is also a right post-Mosaic. It has been engraved by God on the heart of every person, Jew and Gentile, from the time of Adam until now. Paul wrote that the Gentiles be "the work of the law written in their hearts, their consciences witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or defending them" (Rom. 2:15).
As far as we know, the right of conscience is the only comprehensive law that God gave to anyone, except the descendants of Israel for a period of about four thousand years from Adam to Ministry Jesus' public began.
There are, of course, many additional evidence that the Law of God was written on every heart before giving the Mosaic law. We read in Genesis people who lived long before the delivery of the Ten Commandments, who knew right from wrong. Egyptian Pharaoh of the day of Abraham, for example, knew it was wrong for a man to marry another man (see Genesis 14-20.) So do Abimelech, king of the Philistines (see Genesis 20 :1-18, 26: 6-11). Jacob knew that the deception was wrong (see Genesis 27:12), but he has deceived his father to steal his brother (see Genesis 27:1-45). Judah knew that adultery was wrong (see Genesis 38:24), but he committed adultery. Joseph knew that adultery is a sin, but unlike Judah, resisted the temptation (see Genesis 39:7-9). All these people have lived before God gave the law of Moses. All testify to the law of God written in their hearts, they are sent by their consciences.
But is it the people who lived before the Mosaic law no longer know what God wanted not only its prohibition of adultery or lying? Certainly. An inscription on an Egyptian tomb overlooking the modern city of Aswan, Elephantine owned Harkhuf who lived during the 23rd century BC --- at least 800 years before God gave the law of Moses --- bed ( in part):
"I gave bread to the hungry, clothing the naked eye, I ferried him who had no boat .... I was one says good things and repeating what has been loved. I never say anything bad against a powerful person. I wished it could be fine with me in the presence of God Great. "
Although Harkhuf can not win high marks for humility, the inscription on his tomb reveals that the Law of God written in his heart can be summarized, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," or treating others " as you want to be treated "(Matthew 22:39; Luke 6:31).
As much as two hundred years before Harkhuf, a grand vizier of Egypt named Ptahhotep, who served under Pharaoh Isesi in his old age, author of a collection of thirty-seven moral maxims that have been addressed to his son. At least a thousand years before God gave the Ten Commandments to Israel, he warned his son against both lust and greed. Here maxims 18 and 19:
If you want the friendship to bear
In the house you enter
As master, brother or friend,
In yo place whatsoever.
