Why the lawe was gyuen to one people / The moral lawe commune to al
The Scholar's Question
The scholar asks why God chose to reveal his secret will only to the people of Israel.
Master. I still haven't heard why Almighty God's will was to make his secret purpose known to one people alone, which was the Israelites.1
The Master's Response
The master explains that the law of the Ten Commandments is universal, but God set apart Israel so the Messiah would be born from them, and so his word could be kept pure.
Scholar. Indeed, I'd almost forgotten that. I suppose it wasn't done with this intent—as though the law of the2 ten3 commandments didn't apply to everyone. After all, the Lord our God is the God of the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Instead, the point was that the true Messiah—our Christ—would be recognized when he came into the world, as he necessarily had to be born of that specific nation to truly fulfill the promise.✦✦4 For that reason, it pleased God to set apart one particular people for himself—a holy people, separated from the rest, and, in a sense, uniquely his own.✦5 So that by this means his divine word might be continually kept holy, pure, and uncorrupted.
Read the original English
Master. I heare not yet, why almyghty Gods wyll was to declare hys secrete pleasure to one people alone, whi che was the Israelites.
Scholer. Forsooth that had I almost forgotten, I suppose it was not don for this entent, as thoughe the lawe of the. x. commauudements dyd not belong generally to ail men: for asmuche as the Lord our God is not onelye the God of the Iewes, but also of the Gentiles: but rather this was ment thearby that the true Messias, whiche is our Christ, myght be knowen at hys commynge into the worlde: who muste nedes haue beene borne of that natiō, and none other, for true perfourmannce of the promise. For the whych cause, Gods pleasure was to appoynt out for hymselfe one certaine people, holy, sōdred from the rest, and as it were peculiarly hys owne. That, bi this meane his diuine worde might be continually kept holy, pure, and vncorrupted.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Rom.3.29 — Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.
- ↩Gen.12.3 — And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
- ↩Exod.19.5-Exod.19.6 — Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine. Exod.19.6 — And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source prints 'whi che' across a line break; read as 'which'.
- 2 ↩Segmenter cut mid-phrase before Roman numeral 'x.' and 'commauudements'; continuous source is 'the ten commandments'.
- 3 ↩Source 'x.' is the Roman numeral for ten in 'the ten commandments'.
- 4 ↩Source prints 'commauudements' and 'ail men'; read as 'commandments' and 'all men/people'. Also 'natiō' for 'nation'.
- 5 ↩Source 'sōdred' read as 'sundered' (separated).
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit