HOUSMAIL HM030 17
July 1999 THE CREED OF MOSES "Hear, O
Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God
with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
might." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) The
"Creed of Moses" is clearly NOT a Trinitarian
document! By
any fair standard of appraisal, its positive UNITARIAN theology is
uncompromising. Its simplicity stands in stark contrast to the complicated
Trinitarian creeds of the mainstream Church (Nicene, Chalcedonian,
Athanasian.) which it predates by nearly 2000 years! And if we view it
correctly, it is the standard by which all manmade creeds must be judged. According
to Moses, there is ONLY ONE GOD! There is no hint of anything resembling "Tri-
unity". We should not be surprised therefore that, despite the efforts
of theologians to tell us otherwise, the rest of the Bible agrees with this
simple "Unitarian Creed" from Moses. WHO IS "THE LORD"? This
LORD of whom Moses speaks, is easily identified as YAHWEH, the self-existent
God. This is the new name by which God revealed Himself to Moses as the one
who is also known as God Almighty, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. (Exodus 6:3) Of course,
this reference to Abraham pointed Moses to the 400-year-old promise that God
would rescue his descendants from their slavery and oppression in Egypt. (Genesis 15:13-16) God was reminding
Moses that it was time for that promise to be fulfilled. But
there is a something even more important in the "Creed of Moses".
It points US to the COVENANT which God has with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. By
revealing Himself as the God of these three forefathers of the Jews, the LORD
is reaffirming the "Gospel preached to Abraham"! The
COMMANDMENT to love and serve the ONE LORD revealed in the "Creed of
Moses" is not only for Jews. It is established for all believers in all
time. It is the first and greatest commandment of the Christian faith,
reaffirmed by Jesus in the New Testament. (Mark 12:29- 30) Inheritance
of the Gospel promise to Abraham, is for those who share his faith in that
same God. (Romans 4:16-17, Galatians 3:29) It is not for those who worship other gods! JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CREED OF MOSES In
this simple creed, we are directed to the LORD
ALONE as God. Of
course, Moses does mention both Jesus and the Holy Spirit elsewhere in his
writings ...... but NEVER are either described as "objects of
worship"; NEVER does he refer to Jesus as a person already in existence;
and NEVER is the Holy Spirit mentioned in any way which gives even the
slightest hint of its existence as separate personal being in its own right. It
is significant that Jesus Himself confirmed and adopted this UNITARIAN faith
as His own, when He addressed His Father in prayer as "the ONLY true
God"! (John 17:3) CONCLUSION The
"Creed of Moses" is far more than a mere theological statement of
the unity of God. It is THE foundation upon which all other true religion is
based. It affects how we think about our relationship with God and His Son.
Ultimately, it conditions our response to the Gospel call to obedience to
Jesus. And it has been confirmed by Jesus as an eternal, non-negotiable
COMMANDMENT, which ranks above all others! Allon I am the LORD
your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage. You shall have no other gods before me".
(Deuteronomy 5:6-7) |