by George Manolov What is the place of the Old Testament Law in the Christian life? To begin answering this question, we first have to look at when was the Law given and whom was it given to. We also need to understand what the purpose of the Law is, did it have a beginning and an end, and what is its application today. Should we view the Law of the Old Covenant as one list of rules and requirements or should we split it into two parts - The 10 Commandments, also called “moral” law by some believers, and the rest of regulations, called “ceremonial” law. When was the Law of the Old Covenant given and whom was it given to? The Old Covenant was established between God and the children of Israel. It was a “sign” between the Lord and His people. The Law was given to none other nation, but Israel: Moses summoned all Israel and said: In the following verses of Deuteronomy 5:6-21 we read the Ten Commandments. To make this even clearer, let’s look at the first mention of the Decalogue in Exodus 20: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” (Exodus 20:2) This is the introduction of the Ten Commandments. Who are the people God is addressing here, and consequently giving the Ten Commandments to? Those whom He took out of “Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” We all know that the Lord is talking to the nation of Israel, there’s no question about it. This verse and the previously quoted one from Deuteronomy 5:1-3 also give us a time frame, so we know the Law has a definite beginning. Let’s examine the time further: The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. (Galatians 3:16-18)
This scripture has much deeper meaning, but for the purposes of establishing beginning time of the Law, we’ll just pay attention at the time given: 430 years after Abraham received a promise from God. If we continue reading into verse 19, we’ll also notice that the Law has an end:
What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.
Here we determine that the Old Covenant Law has an ending point as well, which is the coming of Jesus. So far we concluded the following:
What is the purpose of the Law? We already touched on that in the previous verse from Galatians. The reason the Law was given to the people of Israel is to convict them of their sins and to give them principles to live by in order to be in harmony with God and with each other. The Law exposes sin, makes it visible, ugly and convicts the sinner of the problem they are facing. Paul says:
The Law came, so that the full power of sin could be seen. Yet where sin was powerful, God's kindness was even more powerful. (Romans 5:20) Not only we see how terrible we are when we measure ourselves to God’s Law, but we realize our need of a Saviour. We are humbled to our knees, we realize that nothing, but God’s mercy is the only hope we have – this is the real purpose of the Law. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. (Galatians 3:23-25) Can it be plainer than this? There you have it, the Law had a specific purpose before Christ and it became of no purpose after Him. The Law was good. God did not change His mind regarding what He said, but since people failed miserably to obey the commandments, it became evident that no one will ever be saved by the keeping the Law and this is where God’s mercy comes in play, manifested in the sacrifice of Jesus, so by faith in Him every believer can be saved. Let us summarize what was the purpose of God’s Law:
Are we allowed to split the Old Covenant Law in two parts: “moral” and “ceremonial” or does it come in one package? Certainly if we assume that the Law of the Old Testament contains two parts, the moral Law of God (Ten Commandments) and the Law of Moses (ceremonial law), we can interpret the same bible verse in two different ways. For instance, Paul tells us we’re not under the Law anymore, but we’re under grace. This could mean that no part of the Old Covenant is binding upon Christians… Or it could mean the “ceremonial law” is done away with at the cross, but the Ten Commandments stand forever and if we want to show our love and obedience to God, we are obligated to keep them all… Let us examine some bible verses and see if we have evidence which allows us to separate the Law in two parts. First we need to remember that God made Covenant with the people of Israel when He took them out of Egypt, and those of us who are Gentiles have no part of this Covenant. It’s like claiming to own an object which was never legally given to us. But let’s focus on the question above and read: There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb (Mount Sinai), where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. (1 Kings 8:9)
“I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with our fathers when he brought them out of Egypt." (1 Kings 8:21) Twice we see direct reference between the Ten Commandments and the Covenant. The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. (Exodus 31:16-17) When the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant written by the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18) Again the mention of the Sabbath day (part of the Decalogue) which is a “permanent sign” of the “covenant with the people of Israel” shows the Ten Commandments and the Covenant are inseparable. Later in verse 18 we see a clear cut statement, the two stone tablets (ie Ten Commandments) contain “the terms of the covenant”. Let’s go to the New Testament for a moment and look for some evidence there. Right after Paul makes a statement in Romans 7:6 “we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code”, following immediately in verse 8, he gives an example of which law he is talking about: “What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." This is a clear example that the law from which “we have been released” contains the Ten Commandments; otherwise he would not have mentioned one of the commandments as an example. If we read the book of Exodus, we’ll notice that the Ten Commandments after their first appearance in Exodus 20:1-17, are also mixed in with the rest of the laws and regulations of the Old Covenant. For example Moses gives some of God’s requirements in Exodus 23 and in verse 7 he says “Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil” which is the 9th Commandment. He continues to talk about bribes, oppressing foreigners, how to plant and harvest the land and all of a sudden the 4th (Sabbath) Commandment is mentioned in verse 12 “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed.” In Exodus 21:15-17 there is a mention of the 5th Commandment “honor your father and mother”, and among the rest of regulations regarding social responsibilities chapter 22 verse 20, Moses mentions the 1st Commandment regarding worship of other gods. We know that Moses broke the first stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 34:1 God says to him “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed.” When Moses prepares the tablets and goes back on Mount Sinai, he spends there 40 days and 40 nights. In verse 10 God begins to gives the regulations of the Covenant, in fact He starts with the words “I am making a covenant with you.” Then follows a promise for prosperity, but also a demand of responsibility, in verse 14 God confirms the 1st Commandment, then among the instructions of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, Festival of Harvest and Festival of Weeks, in verse 21 we read once again the 4th Commandment “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest.” What I’m trying to illustrate here is that the Ten Commandments are repeatedly mixed in with the rest of Laws of the Covenant. In fact the Ten Commandments are the Covenant, let’s examine the following few verses: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of the covenant I am making with you and with Israel.” Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the Lord wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets. (Exodus 34:27-28) When the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant,written by the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18) He proclaimed his covenant—the Ten Commandments —which he commanded you to keep, and which he wrote on two stone tablets. (Deuteronomy 4:13) This happened when I was on the mountain receiving the tablets of stone inscribed with the words of the covenant that the Lord had made with you. I was there for forty days and forty nights, and all that time I ate no food and drank no water. (Deuteronomy 9:9) Crystal clear! If we don’t see this biblical truth, we must want to keep our eyes shut for other reasons, but it’s certainly not because it’s hard to understand this scripture. The conclusion:
Are Christians obligated to keep the Law of the Old Covenant? So far we learned that the Law of the Old Covenant was given to the people of Israel at the time they left Egypt. We also touched on the ending point of the Law which leads to Christ. We confirmed that the Law can not be separated in two parts, but all laws and regulations fall under the same Covenant which God made with the Jewish nation through Moses. Keeping all this in mind, let’s look at some more bible verses: But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:6)
God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)
He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. (Ephesians 2:15)
It is evident in so many places in the New Testament, that Christ freed us from the Law by His sacrifice at the cross. Paul reminds us in Galatians 3:11 “So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law.” This is the core message of the gospel; Christ had to die in our stead, for our sins, so we may have salvation through faith in Him, by the grace of God. Christ is the New Covenant. He declares it Himself in Mark 14:24 and in the other gospels: "And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many." Paul gives an excellent illustration in the letter to Galatians to help these new Christians understand and enjoy the freedom of God’s grace:
Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise. These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. (Galatians 4:21-26) Here’s another clear statement in Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth. The reason for this letter was mainly to warn the church about false teachings and to defend his own credentials as a minister of Christ. He reaffirms the truth that the Old Covenant is “set aside” and replaced by a New Covenant in Jesus: The old way, with laws etched in stone (Ten Commandments), led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. (2 Corinthians 3:7) So if the old covenant, which has been set aside, was full of glory, then the new covenant which remains forever, has far greater glory! (2 Corinthians 3:11)
Notice how Paul includes the Ten Commandments “the laws etched in stone” as an inseparable element of the Old Covenant. Those readers, who might not be convinced yet that the Law comes in one part and not two, should read the above statement again. Let’s review one more verse, this time from Hebrews:
Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. (Hebrews 10:9) I hope there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Old Covenant with its laws and regulations have been canceled and replaced with a New Covenant in Jesus. We are under no obligation to keep any of these laws. We find life by faith in Christ and we serve God by following the lead of the Holy Spirit. One would say, Christ kept the Law, and being His follower, I should too… The word Christian means “Christ like” and in effort to be more like our Saviour we should try to imitate Christ’ character, His attitude, the way He relates to other, especially to the unsaved. This is what we need to focus on, and not on legalism. Jesus had to keep the Law and I’m glad He did. It was part of the plan, He was “born under the Law” (Galatians 4:4-5) and in order for you and I to be saved, He had to live sinless life under the Law and die on the cross even though He was perfect in His Father’s eyes. This also explains the verse in Matthew 5:17 ”Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” – This is precisely what Christ did, He fulfilled the Law by keeping all of its requirements and by doing this, He accomplished His mission on the cross. Don’t take this out of context and try to prove that the Law still stands today. Jesus kept it so He can take it to the cross with Him and nail it there forever.
There’s another verse that could create controversy and that is John 14:15 where Jesus says “If you love me, obey my commandments.” Again we have to be careful not to take words out of context. In the next verse Jesus promises to ask the Father to give the disciples the Holy Spirit. Why would He make a reference to the Ten Commandments completely detached from the rest of the text? It makes more sense to understand these words as obey my teachings and I will ask the Father to give you “another Counselor to be with you forever”. In fact John 14:15 in the NIV translation says “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” – Suddenly this doesn’t sound like the Ten Commandments at all. Jesus is speaking of the principles he taught His disciples through His ministry and personal example. Besides, nowhere in the New Testament will you see Jesus or someone else referring to the Old Testament laws as Jesus’ commandments. If one must associate the name of Jesus with any of the commandments he taught His disciples, it should certainly be these two: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)… and when asked which one is the greatest commandment "Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
I know some readers of this article would say “I don’t keep the Ten Commandments to be saved; I keep them because I am saved. I do this out of love.”
I agree this would make a valid point if you are of Jewish background,
but if you are a Gentile, neither you nor your ancestors have any part
of the Old Covenant with God. Secondly, if you wish to obey the Ten
Commandments out of love, then all men should circumcise themselves,
women should never enter church during their menstrual period, we
should all follow the Jewish festivals and the rest of rituals given to
them, because all these laws and many more (over 600) together with the
Ten Commandments were part of the same Covenant. Thirdly, if you want to show your love for God by obeying the Ten Commandments, you don't love Him at all. Why? Because you're not keeping them, no one could keep them and no one has, except of course Jesus.
Conclusion:
And here comes the question: Can we go and steal then or do other horrible things?
I’ve been asked this before and I don’t want to offend anyone, but this is a silly question. We’re called to a greater purpose in life; our ultimate goal should be to bring souls to Christ. We ought to show the unbelieving world the love of God through our lives. We are supposed to reflect the image of Jesus in the way we speak, act and dress, and generally in every aspect of our being. How can we do terrible things and crucify Christ over and over again, if we are truly saved? Do we need the Law to remind us that we should love others the way Jesus loves us?
I know some readers will not be satisfied with this answer, but let me share few bible verses:
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (Jeremiah 31:33)
The same verse is quoted again in Hebrews 8:10 and repeated again in Hebrews 10:16. I don’t know about you, but when my teacher in school used to repeat the same thing over and over again, the idea was to “drill it” in our heads, because it was something important that we needed to know. I believe God is doing this with us. Stop wondering how we know what’s right and what’s wrong if we don’t have the Law – we do have it – it’s in out hearts.
Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. (Romans 2:14-15) Conclusion: About 2,500 years after the Creation of the World, God made a Covenant with the Jewish people through Moses. He gave them great laws and principles to live by. Unfortunately Israel failed to keep these requirements, this is why Christ had to come and fulfill the Law, by keeping all of its commandments and taking it to the cross through great suffering and humility, which ultimately resulted in a sacrificial death. It was the completion of the plan of salvation. This is why all of us who follow Christ today are free of the Law and rely entirely on God’s grace. Please understand, your salvation does not depend on the Law in any way. Even if you think you’re keeping the commandments out of love, you’re not keeping ALL of them, so you’re doing this in vain. I respect everyone who acts in accordance of his or her conviction, I will never judge you, but please read the facts coming straight from the bible and don’t assume that if your church teaches a certain doctrine, this makes it a true doctrine. I have many dear friends who strive to keep the Ten Commandments with special emphasis on the Sabbath, and feel great guilt and shame if they break one of them, so I’m going to say this with love and compassion: Everyone who’s putting the least effort into keeping any of the Commandments is guilty of trying to gain salvation through works. Jesus wants to free us from this burden, He says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30). As Christians we should be more concerned about finding God’s will for our lives, showing compassion to others and following the lead of the Holy Spirit, rather than trying to prove that we love God by keeping laws of the Old Covenant. Remember, God already knows your heart. |