The Necessity Of The Mosaic Law First
Hi Mike,
I read the last email I sent you, and I wanted to take the time to make my questions a little clearer for the both of us. I wrote that email in haste. I was reading through your law paper and thinking about a lot of things I was reading and could not stop noticing how many differences there are between the Old and New Testament in lots of aspects :
1. The whole priesthoods. I can not even begin to list the differences between the Levitical priesthood and the Melchisidek Priesthood.
2. The entire law is different, ‘eye for an eye, tooth for tooth’ but Jesus says ‘love your enemies’.
3. The whole mentality of Israel was blessings for obedience in lands and flocks (material possesions). In the New Testament we have parables like Lazarus and the Rich man and Jesus saying hardly shall a rich man enter in…
I understand that the prophets and the law all speak of Jesus, but apparently I am failing to see something here. Why did he give it to them if he was going to reform it all? Why say ‘eye for eye’ if it’s really ‘love your enemy’? Why offer animals if they can never make us perfect? Why bless people physically for their obedience if the true concept is a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom?
God does not change, and this is all change. I’m very confused.
Jesus in Joh 8 said ‘You are of you Father the devil. My words have no place in you.’ When you look at Mat 5, Jesus says you have heard it said of old (everything they did have in their heart) but I say unto you (everything they did not have in their heart) . The contrast of but I say unto you sounds like Jesus had nothing to do with any of the ‘you have heard it said’ stuff because Israel did listen to this, and it sounds like that was of the devil.
I will be honest. I am at a point were I am not even sure what I’m asking now or trying to explain. I’m just confused on the full meaning of the first if he was just going to establish the second.
I hope I am not wasting your time. I have indeed learned much from you and appreciate your time and effort.Always,
M____
Hi M____,
Thank you for your questions concerning the place God has given the law of Moses in His Word. I am impressed that you are rereading The Law of Moses Versus The Law of The Spirit http:// iswasandwillbe. com/ freefromlaw. php
You say:
I understand that the prophets and the law all speak of Jesus but apparently I am failing to see something here . Why did he give it to them if he was going to reform it all ? Why say ‘eye for eye’ if it’s really love your enemy? Why offer animals if they can never make us perfect? Why bless people physically for their obedience if the true concept is a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom? God does not change and this is all change. I’m very confused.”
The answer to all of your questions lies, first of all in accepting the sovereignty of God, and then accepting what the words of God say concerning why He gave Israel laws that were not good for them in the long run.
Eze 20:25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
If God gives you the grace to accept His Word as final then you will at least be able to accept the fact that He did give Israel laws which He intended all along to reform later through Christ. If you are given to accept the Words of a sovereign God you will see that the law of Moses was all along intended to be but the negatives of the true, much as the negatives of our old black and white photography were needed to produce the pictures we really wanted.
What we are told in the scriptures is that the law of Moses, was, in reality but a shadow of the good things to come in and through the reformation that was “Christ’s blood in the New Testament.”
Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Heb 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Heb 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and [ sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Luk 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup [ of wine] is [ symbolic of] the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
The coming of Christ and His reformation was foretold in the law of Moses.
Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
“Like unto you” means that Christ, like Moses would change everything.
It is extremely helpful to understand that God never intended for physical Israel to overcome sin in their lives any more than He ever intended for the first Adam to be perfected while yet in corruptible flesh and blood. The entire history and economy of both Adam and Israel, happened simply for our sakes “upon whom the ends of the eons have come.”
1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
“All these things” are the very things of which you inquire, and “the ends of the ages” did not come upon ancient Israel, but they are come upon us.
The “ends of the world (Greek – aions)” did not come upon anyone before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “All in Adam, [ and] all Israel, shall be saved” later, “each in his own order.”(1Co 15:22-23).
You ask:
Why did he give it to them if he was going to reform it all? Why say ‘eye for eye’ if it’s really love your enemy? Why offer animals if they can never make us perfect? Why bless people physically for their obedience if the true concept is ‘a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom’?
It was all done just for us, for our admonition, so that we could learn from their lives that the law of Moses was not ever intended to change hearts and minds and was not sufficient to give us life. However, it was a very good schoolmaster to carnal, immature Christians for bringing us to Christ and preparing us to accept the reformations Christ brought.
Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
The church I was once in quoted verse 12 as if the the first part of that verse did not matter. “The man that does them shall live in them” was, to that church, a positive thing. They were completely blinded to the point Paul is making that those who live by the law are not living by faith, and that the law is for the lawless. It was never intended to be the mind of Christ which is revealed in Christ’s teachings and in the lives of those in whom Christ dwells.
1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
So later God could show His elect that “these things” are “types of us” and then use His elect, who accept the reformations of Christ and have endured the same trials, to bring to Christ those others to whom “all these things happened.”
Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
1Co 10:6 Now these things became types of us, for us not to be lusters after evil things, (CLV)
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
“Their unbelief” was given them by God for the purpose of demonstrating to you and me that God Himself is the power which is “working all things after the counsel of His own Will.” “Your mercy” is given to you of God, so you too, will recognize that God Himself is the power which is working all things after the counsel of His own will. In the end, it will demonstrate that the flesh has no place to glory in the kingdom of God.
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
1Co 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble [ are called]:
1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
The “all these things” of 1Co 10:11 is but a part of the all inclusive “all things of Eph 1:11, and God wants all men to know that He alone has written this script; He alone has chosen this cast, and He alone is directing every move in His Work, which He is working.
Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.(ASV)
Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that [ there is] none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
I hope this helps you to see why God gave us all the carnal commandments first, to discipline us as carnal Christians and to lead us to an understanding of Christ which is spiritual and is within and does not need a “carnal commandment… for the lawless.”
1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
Heb 7:13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
Heb 7:14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
Heb 7:15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
Heb 7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
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