No! Indeed the inhabitants of Earth, knew about Gods commandments from the beginning of human history. Although they were not written down until Mount Sinai, the Ten Commandments were understood and honoured by the earliest Patriarchs.
It is impossible for sin to exist where there is no law. The Bible teaches, "...for where no law is, there is no transgression" Romans 4:15. Again we are told, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law" 1st John 3:4. This principle is amplified further by Paul's statement that "...I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet" Romans 7:7. These verses nail down the truth that no sin can be imputed where the Ten-Commandment law is not in effect.
In Genesis even Cain knew that it was a sin to kill, because God told him "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.." before he murdered his brother Abel.Genesis 4:7
Please also read the account about Abimelech, Abraham & Abrahams wife in Genesis 20:3-9 This account of Abraham and Abimelech concerning Abrahams wife, clearly showed that they knew Gods Law! Adultery is a sin!
Further on in Genesis God praises Abraham, because "...Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." Genesis 26:5
Even Joseph knew Gods Law, as again, he knew that Adultery was a sin as told in Genesis 39:9, when he confronted Potiphar wife: "There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" Genesis 39:9
Even before the commandments were given on Mount Sinai, God was seeing if the Israelites would still keep his commandments, by testing them about the knowledge of the Sabbath. In Exodus 16:4-5 it reads; "4)Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.5)And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily."
Further on in Exodus 16:23-30 it continues: "23)And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.24)And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.25)And Moses said, Eat that to day; for today is a Sabbath unto the Lord: today ye shall not find it in the field.26)Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none.27)And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.28)And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?29)See, for that the Lord hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place the seventh day.30)So the people rested on the seventh day."
There are many other examples of Gods Law being known to mankind, before it was written down on Mount Sinai, in the books of Genesis & Exodus. God was teaching His laws to all the Israelites, who because of bondage under the Egyptians, clearly had little knowledge or lacked the will to follow all the Ten Commandments of God.
"When they [Israelites] have a matter, they come to me [Moses]; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them known the statutes of God, and his laws." Exodus 18:16.
As you have clearly seen, the Bible teaches that the Ten Commandments were part of human history from the beginning! The law of God, including the Sabbath of the Fourth commandment, was known unto men before it was written down on the tables of stone in Exodus 20
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