Natural Law as God’s General Revelation

Natural Law as God’s General Revelation

By understanding the Natural Law, we can know and understand many mysterious events in the Bible. God saw people doing evil acts in His sight and condemned them in Genesis 11. God held them responsible for a general revelation, which is respecting the relationship between one man and one woman — a husband and a wife — even without any written revelation.

Their main sin was that people took wives for themselves of all whom they chose (Gen 6:2). Then, God punished them with the great flood.

According to the Quran, Muslims are allowed to have four wives, but whenever a Muslim marries another woman besides his first wife, immediately, the first wife asks for a divorce and sees it as unfaithfulness on the part of her husband. Even though it is allowable by their religion, it is still against general revelation and God’s design.

That is the reason it cannot be accepted as a relationship between one man and multiple women. According to the natural law, the relationship is between one man and one woman; anything other than that is cheating and dishonesty.

I understand that natural law is applicable to all people, no matter their religion, race, or culture. Therefore, people ought to follow God’s model when He created one woman for one man.

Afterward, the special revelation comes to correct what can be understood from the general revelation; that is why God spoke to Noah before the flood and gave time for people to repent.

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The State and Natural Law

The American founders understood the importance of natural law. We cannot move away from the founding to be modern and not classical. Hence, earthly law should respect the natural law which dwells in people’s minds and hearts.

When God gave a law to govern Israel, He set the civil law according to the natural law that He created in them to live a better life in peace. Accordingly, the civil law in the Old Testament guarantees a respected relationship between people — between children and their parents, husbands and their wives, or people toward their government.

For example, the fifth commandment says:
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Exo 20:12 NKJV).

Here, God connects the relationship between children and their parents to their stay in the land. So, it is important to understand the in-house authority to respect the land’s authority, which leads to the common good.

Also, there is a relationship between Reformed theology and natural law, and the necessity of placing the natural law in our tradition as well.

I believe that if someone understands God rightly, he or she will walk by the natural law that is rooted in the heart. The unjust law is a human law, but it is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.

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Eternal Law and Natural Law

God runs the world by His wisdom and goodness. We reflect the personality of God. God created the first human out of dust, and He gave the dust life by His breath. Then, that dust became a human being — someone who could speak, think, and understand.

Therefore, for me as a human being, I received my way of thinking — the original law and reason — from God Himself, which is the eternal law.

Creation tells how great and amazing its Creator is. The Psalmist did not see nature as a still picture; rather, he saw it as a continuous speech that declares its Creator and His character.

Scripture says:
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge” (Ps 19:1–2 NKJV).

The source of moral obligation originates in God’s reason; all goodness is in God’s nature. Human law finds its limit in the eternal law.

C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, explains that there is a moral law which we all fail to keep. Hitler’s actions are condemned by all people because he did not respect the life of others.

So, I, as a human being, need to respond in the way that God created me — according to His eternal law and moral design.