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Chapter I - The Old Testament Law
Chapter II - The Transition
Chapter III - Jesus and The Spirit or Intention Behind The Law
Chapter IV - The Sabbath
ON THIS PAGE
Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
Introduction
Many believers hold that because we are now under the New Covenant none of the laws and regulations of the Old Testament apply to us.
Moral, Civil and Ceremonial Laws?
Is the content of the law the criterion by which we decide which of the Mosaic laws are valid for today.
Does the Sabbath's inclusion in the Ten Commandments mean it is to be scrupulously observed?
Categorizing the Law is Impossible
Deciding which category (ceremonial, civil or moral) many of the laws fall into is much more
complicated than one might think
A Unified Whole
James clearly informed us that anyone who breaks even one of the 613 laws is guilty of breaking them all
Who Was The Law Given To And For How Long?
The Old Testament laws were given exclusively to the "sons of Israel"
and only lasted "throughout Israel's generations"
Old Testament Laws Repeated in the New Testament
Eight of the Ten Commandments were specifically renewed under the New Covenant
The Limitations of The Law
Although the law served it's purpose of exposing sin, at the same time it made people face up to their inability to be sin free - to be holy as the Father is holy.
Introduction
The Bible was written to provide a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths. It is our only sure guide to God's coming kingdom providing all the counsel and guidance we need to help us along what is often a long and difficult journey. As As Paul once wrote to his protégé...
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).
Paul's use of the word 'all' obviously means both Old and New Testaments which raises one problem inasmuch as the teachings and commands in the New Testament seem vastly different from those in the Old. In Biblical times...
... the Law of Moses (also called Old Testament Law, Mosaic Law, or just The Law) regulated almost every aspect of Jewish life. The Ten Commandments and many other laws defined matters of morals, religious practice and government. It regulated the army, criminal justice, commerce, property rights, slavery, sexual relations, marriage and social interactions. It required circumcision for males, animal sacrifices, and strict Sabbath observance. It provided for the welfare of widows, orphans, the poor, foreigners and domestic animals. Ceremonial rules divided animals into "clean" and "unclean" categories. Clean animals could be eaten; unclean animals could not. [01]
Many believers hold that because we are now under the New Covenant none of the laws and regulations of the Old Testament apply to us. Others
Moral, Civil and Ceremonial Laws
Without an clear understanding of the seamless relationship between the two parts of the Scriptures some have dealt with the problem by categorizing the OT laws. This distinction does not exist in Scripture but has been imposed on the text.
Moral laws as those that deal with timeless truths regarding God's intention for human ethical behavior. "Love your neighbor as yourself" is a good example of a moral law.
Civil laws are those that deal with Israel's legal system, including the issues of land, economics, and criminal justice. An example of a civil law is Deuteronomy 15:1, "At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts."
Ceremonial laws deal with sacrifices, festivals, and priestly activities. An example is in Deuteronomy 16:13, which instructed the Israelites to "celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. [02]
Categorization has led to the belief that the content of the law is the criterion by which we decide which of the Mosaic laws are valid for today. i.e we only need to obey certain types of law.
Moral Laws Only?
Many hold that 21st century Christians can dispense with ceremonial and civil laws that were given thousands of years ago to a nation that belonged to a time and culture far removed from our own. They are however obliged to comply with the timeless moral laws that include the "thou shalt nots" (murder, steal, commit adultery etc.) in the Ten Commandments.
The problem being that the "moral" laws of the Old Testament are not limited to the Ten Commandments. In fact the penalty for disobeying these very commands were set forth in other Old Testament books and were extremely severe. For example, the book of Leviticus orders that adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals and those who dishonor their parents be put to death.
If there is anyone who curses his father or his mother, he shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother, his blood guiltiness is upon him. 'If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. (Leviticus 20:9-10 NASB. See also 11-16).
What logic dictates that we obey the moral laws of the Ten Commandments but can ignore the the penalties for disobeying them?
Ten Commandments Only?
The Ten Commandments are usually held in high regard by most Christians often believed to be foundational and timeless laws that all believers must conform to. There is no question that the moral principles of the ten laws are based on Gods character thus are as eternal and immutable as He is.
The Ten Commandments essentially summarized the moral code we are live up to. The first Commandment to love God above all else does mean we will not worship or bow down before idols or false gods.
At the same Jesus said an OT law that was not included in the Ten Commandments was the second greatest commandment
If, as instructed, we love our neighbors it is hardly likely we would murder them, commit adultery, covet their belongings etc.
Sabbath Only?
There are those who believe that the Sabbath's inclusion in the Ten Commandments means it is to be scrupulously observed. Space constraints dictate that this be covered in a separate piece HERE
Categorizing the Law is Near Impossible
Any one who gives the matter serious thought will realize that the distinctions between civil, ceremonial, and moral laws are far from clear.
Jesus identified Leviticus 19:18 ("You shall love your neighbor as yourself") as the second greatest commandment ever. However, the very next verse commanded them to refrain from breeding together two kinds of your cattle, sowing fields with two kinds of seed, and wearing clothing woven of two kinds of material" (19:19).
The only reason given for heeding the love your neighbor command and ignoring the ones immediately following is because the first is held to be a moral law but the next a civil law that can be rejected.
Not so fast!
While instructions on sowing your field may sound like a civil law - it wasn't. As J. Daniel Hays pointed out... (Emphasis Added)
"One of the central themes running throughout Leviticus is the holiness of God. The discourse by God in Leviticus 19 is prefaced by the commandment, "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." Part of this theme is the teaching that holy things must be kept separate from profane things. While the significance of these commands against mixing seed or mixing cloth material may not be fully understood, it is clear that they relate back to the holiness of God. In fact all of the Levitical laws regarding separation seem to relate to the overarching principle of God's holiness and the separation required because of that holiness. How then can this law not be moral?" [03]
The word 'holiness' in the Bible actually means separation. While many of the laws may not be fully understood they all relate to the concept of separation.
And nothing has changed from that day to this. The author of Hebrews tells us that holiness - separation - is essential to us ever seeing God - it is not optional. God's followers are instructed to be Holy as He is Holy (1 Peter 1:16) - to keep themselves apart from what is sinful and unclean. As Paul wrote
"Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "and do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. (2 Corinthians 6:17 NASB).
See What is Holiness?
To be noted however is that a few of the commandments given to ancient Israel are puzzling simply because we do not know in what context they were issued. For example, God forbade the trimming the edge of their beards (Leviticus 19:27-28; 21:5) or the cooking of a young goat in its mother's milk (Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21) In fact there are those who after studying the verses about the young goat are not convinced they have been properly translated.
I digress.
A Unified Whole
In the words of Jason Dulle... (All Emphasis Added)
The Law of Moses was never fragmented into various parts, but was always viewed as one cohesive, unified whole. One had to keep all 613 commandments of the Law to receive of its benefits (Galatians 3:10-12). Moses said "cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them" (Deuteronomy 27:26) The Lord said through Jeremiah, "Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, ...Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you" (Jeremiah 11:3-4; See also Galatians 3:10).
James summed it up best when he said, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10; See also v. 11). The Scripture declares that to keep 612 commandments, and yet fail to keep one, is to break all 613. To break a "ceremonial" law was viewed in the same manner as a "moral" law. Perfect obedience was demanded to all the commands of the covenant, because it was a unified whole. [04]
See The Misunderstood Covenant
James so clearly informed us that anyone who breaks even one of the 613 laws is guilty of breaking them all.
Although we can not pick and choose which of the Old Testament laws we will obey and which we will not several of the Old Testament Laws were reiterated in the New Testament.
Who Was The Law Given To And For How Long?
A covenant is usually a formal and binding agreement made between two or more parties to do (or not do) something specified and also defines the penalties for failing to live up to the terms of the agreement.
The Old Covenant made with the nation of Israel at a specific point in their history was an integral part of the narrative.
The commandments given Israel through Moses at various times (Exodus 20 through Deuteronomy), were not presented as universal and timeless codes of behavior. Much to the contrary, as demonstrated by various verses scattered through the Old Testament, the law was given only to Israel. For example,
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:27-28 NASB)
Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you... "For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him? "Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today? (Deuteronomy 4: 1, 7-8 NASB)
There are two phrases that come up very frequently in the course of the instructions that the Lord gave the nation regarding the various laws and rituals that they were obliged to keep. These two phrases that often occur in the same sentence, are ...
a) "The Sons Of Israel"
This is a term used well over 600 times in the Old Testament (over 350 times in the Pentateuch alone and over a dozen time in the New Testament). So who were the "sons of Israel"?
As we know, Jacobs name was changed to "Israel" in Genesis 32:28. Later verses make it very obvious that Jacob's sons and grandsons - in fact all his descendants that made up the twelve tribes were known as the "sons of Israel"
In Genesis 46 the list of Jacob's sons and grandsons is introduced with the words "Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt".
Referring to eleven of Jacob's sons (Joseph was already in Egypt) Genesis 42:5 says "So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also."
Exodus 3:10 shows that even subsequent generations were known as Jacob's sons. This verse has the Lord telling Moses "Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." (NASB)
The Law Was Given To "Sons Of Israel" (Jacobs Descendants)
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest... 'Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. (Leviticus 23:9-10, 14 NASB)
Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the Lord... 'You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month'. (Leviticus 23:34, 41 NASB)
Now this is the law which Moses set before the sons of Israel; these are the testimonies and the statutes and the ordinances which Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, when they came out from Egypt, (Deuteronomy 4:44-45 NASB)
There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. (1 Kings 8:9 NASB)
As Was The Sabbath
"But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You shall surely observe My Sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. (Exodus 31:13 NASB)
'So the sons of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.' "It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed." (Exodus 31:16-17 NASB)
Therefore, it makes absolute sense that after the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles and more and more of them became Christians, the Sabbath commandment was not repeated in the New Testament.
In fact, the verse below makes it clear that the Sabbath is not applicable to New Testament Christians, certainly not to those who are Gentiles. As it says, God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, therefore (or because of that) God commanded them to observe the Sabbath Day. Neither we, nor our ancestors, were slaves in Egypt rescued by God's mighty hand.
You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:15 NASB) See Chapter IV- The Sabbath
Besides which the law as given to the nation of Israel was to stay in effect...
b) Through Israel's Generations
On several occasions God said that certain laws were in effect "throughout Israel's generations" i.e. how long the laws were to stay in effect. The list is a very long one and includes,
Circumcision: God said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. "This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. (Genesis 17:9-10 NASB. Also see verse 12)
The Weekly Saturday Sabbath: "But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You shall surely observe My Sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. (Exodus 31:13 NASB)
Misc: The Levites as Priests (Exodus 40:15 and Numbers 18:23), burning incense to the Lord (Exodus 30:8 NASB), sewing tassels on your clothes (Numbers 15:38 NASB), the blowing of the trumpets to convene an assembly (Numbers 10:8) etc. etc. etc.
Six of The Seven Feasts of Israel (Only Rosh HaShanah or the Feast of Trumpets: is not specifically mentioned as being 'throughout your generations').
See The Seven Feasts Of Israel
The feasts celebrate a historical event in Israel's past but are also a prophecy of future events four of which have already come to pass. Note that the Feasts were given by God in a set chronological order. Therefore the sequence of events they symbolize will take place in exactly same order.
Although the text does not specify exactly how "Israel's generations" lasts, it should be fairly obvious that when the Gospel came into effect, the dividing line between Jew and Gentile disappeared marking the end of "Israel's generation".
However, there is no question that some of the Old Testament Laws were repeated in the New Testament
Old Testament Laws Repeated in the New Testament
Eight of the Ten Commandments were specifically renewed under the New Covenant (in light of the first commandment it was unnecessary to repeat the third i.e. not taking the Lord's name in vain). Additionally the silence was deafening when it cam to the keeping of the Sabbath.
For example, in Romans Paul echoed Jesus' words in Matthew 22:36-40 saying that loving your neighbor is one of the two commands Upon which "hang the whole Law and the Prophets".
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for the . For this, "you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love . (Romans 13:8-10 NASB) Also See Galatians 5:13-14
However,
"...care must be taken to understand the context in which an Old Testament commandment is mentioned in the New. References in the Gospels or Acts are sometimes made to a certain law simply because it was Jewish practice, and not because it was being renewed by Jesus or the apostles.
Jesus' discussion of the practices of the Pharisees is a good example of this (see Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42). Jesus mentioned tithing in passing as something that the Pharisees did, but there is no evidence anywhere in the New Testament to suggest that tithing was practiced by the early church or that it was a requirement for Christians
See In-depth Article on Tithing - God's Plan or Man Designs?
The Apostle Paul never once appealed to tithing even though he obviously often suffered financial difficulties. However, he wrote rather a lot about FREELY giving financial support where one is able. Were one to ask most teachers of tithing to cite a passage of Scripture supporting the practice, a few verses - I like to call them "the usual suspects" - can be rounded up. Frequently, only parts of Scripture passages are cited, and usually they are rendered out of context.
The Changes
Not only have numerous Old Testament regulations and customs faded but some of them have actively changed. For example, at one time only Aaron and his descendants could serve as priests,
"You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. "So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death." (Numbers 3:9-10 NASB)
as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the Lord; so that he will not become like Korah and his company - just as the Lord had spoken to him through Moses. (Numbers 16:40 NASB)
Although Jesus was from the tribe of Judah thus not a descendant of Aaron the book of Hebrews repeatedly tells us that He is our eternal High priest.
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17 NASB)
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15 NASB)
As Hebrews goes on to explain - the change in the priesthood meant a change in the Old Testament Covenant and the law.
Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. (Hebrews 7:11-14 NASB)
The law had to be changed because it had severe limitations - chiefly that it was inadequate to save anyone
s
The Limitations of The Law
The instruction in Leviticus 11:44-45 to be holy because God is Holy was repeated in the New Testament.
because it is written: "you shall be holy, for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16 NASB)
In fact, the author of Hebrews was also quite clear that no one would see God without holiness. See What is Holiness?
The many varied laws intended to guide the moral, social, and spiritual lives of the nation set the standard of holy living that reflected God's nature. It brought awareness of sin inasmuch as without specific rules a person would not necessarily know what exactly he should do or not do - what the dividing line between sinfulness and holiness is. For example Paul wrote he would not have...
" known about coveting if the Law had not said, "You shall not covet."(Romans 7:7 )
The problem is that the law did not make anyone holy. It served it's purpose of exposing sin but also made people realize their inability to be sin free - to be holy as the Father is holy.
As Paul said in Romans 7 although the law was both holy and righteous it only served to expose and even increase sin. He wanted to obey the law but, like anyone else who is honest with themselves, found himself unable to do this consistently. Thus knowing himself to be a "wretched man" condemned by God he asked a rhetorical question of who would rescue him from this body of death.
Thankfully these laws were temporary never intended to exist forever. The law - the Old Covenant - was a shadow, a precursor, a rough draft or glimpse of something better to come.
Continue on to Chapter II - The Transition. The ssuperiority of Christ and the New Covenant is an oft repeated subject in the New Testament, Paul going as far as to state that the law was a curse we have been redeemed from. HERE
End Notes
[01] The Christian Bible Reference Site. What Does the Bible Say About the Old Testament Law?
www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_OldTestamentLaw.htm
[02] J. Daniel Hays. Applying the Old Testament Law Today. http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_law_hays.html
[03] ibid.
[04] Jason Dulle. The Law: The Misunderstood Covenant.
http://www.inplainsite.org/html/the_misunderstood_covenant.htm
[05] Robert I. Bradshaw. Interpreting the Old Testament Law.
Biblicalstudies.org. https://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_law.html
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