The Law

[pokemaughan]

I've wondered off and on since I got saved about the Law of the Bible. Mainly those in Leviticus. Why do we not follow the old Laws?

[ParanoidAndroid]

I would suggest that we do follow those Laws. We just do so in a different way. Remember, the Torah (the first five books of our Old Testament) contains 613 different laws, so it's not as simple as making a blanket statement about all 613 of them. Each of them really have to be addressed in their specific context. For example, the Law tells us that we can only eat certain types of food (clean and unclean foods - Leviticus 11). In Mark 9, Jesus addresses this when speaking to the Pharisees about their ritual hand-washing ceremonies. To give an idea as to how detailed the Jews were on this, have a look at the Mishnah (one of the other holy texts the Jews consult along with the Tanakh). These are essentially sermons passed down by various Rabbi's near contemporary to Jesus. In it, concerning hand-washing, the Mishnah states:

The hands are susceptible to spiritual uncleanness and are rendered clean up to the wrist. How so? If one poured the first water up to the wrist, and the second beyond the wriest and it went back to the hand – it is clean. If he poured out the first and the second pouring of water beyond the wrist and it went back to the hand, it is unclean. If he poured out the first water onto one hand, and was reminded and poured out the second water on to both hands, they are unclean. If he poured out the first water on to both hands and was reminded and poured out the second water onto one hand, his hand which has been washed twice is clean. If he poured out water on to one hand and rubbed it on the other, it is unclean.

(Mishnah, Yadayim 2:3).

Jesus flies against this and simply says that you don't need these rituals to make things clean. It's not what goes into your mouth that makes you unclean, but rather what comes out of your mouth (lies, slander, envy, etc). In saying this, Jesus updates the Healthy Eating laws of Leviticus 11. They aren't just symbolic of ritual cleanliness (just like handwashing was symbolic of ritualistic cleanliness). Rather the Law has taken on a greater spiritual meaning - watch out for what comes out of your mouth.

This is just one example, but you can see that by watching our tongues and ensuring that we speak "clean" words in godliness and wisdom, then we ARE keeping the Law.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you think about it, this isn't so far different to Jesus' other spiritual updating. Jesus states in Matthew 5 that he has not come to do away with the Law! But immediately after that, Jesus appears to contradict himself by doing exactly that - changing the Law. But he is not "doing away with it", as some Christians appear to take it. Rather, he is "fulfilling" the Law - giving a new spiritual meaning to the old physical Law. Murder is no longer just the act of killing someone - murder is now also being angry at someone (murder in your heart). Adultery is not just cheating on your wife, but also just looking lustfully at someone, eg pornography (adultery in your heart). And eating clean foods is now understood in terms of what comes out of our mouths (the evils we speak).

Hope this gives some insight into the question

~ Regards, PA

[JCISGD]

I've wondered off and on since I got saved about the Law of the Bible. Mainly those in Leviticus. Why do we not follow the old Laws?

Hi Pokemaughan. The way i see it is that, the cerimonial laws were their to set the Jews apart as a perculiar people, that other nations could see that these were Gods people and would be drawn to God. They were also to remind the Jews of the Messiah promised through Abraham and scripture. Many of their laws and activities pointed to who Christ would be.

I heard a messianic Jew teach about all the things in the inner, outer courts and the temple being types or foreshadows of Christ. Right down to the badger skins and panelled walls etc, every thing had a purpose and meaning.

The thing to remember is, that it is good to adhere to any law/rule of health and respect for God and neighbour, but we no longer follow laws but the Holy Spirit living in us. He leads us not only in obedience but the ability to joyfully obey.

One mistake not to make is the difference between moral law and cerimonial law. As already shown we are now free from all efforts to be right with God by obeying laws and now live out of Gods power living in us. But of the moral law, no one can do away with as it is not a made law, but exists wherever moral beings exist. God did not make the moral law it is just part who he is.

I.E It will never be right to murder,cheat, lie etc. Hope that helps and not muddies things.

[Paul 84]

Jesus said, "If ye love Me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Here were the commandments of Jesus "Love God" and "love the neighbor" (Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:29-31). Speaking on these two commandments He said, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." For if we love God we will only try to honor Him, and if we love our neighbor we will keep the last 6 of the Ten Commandments (Romans 13:8-10).

As ParanoidAndroid and JCISGD stated the ritual/ceremonial aspect we are not as likely to keep or not keep at all, but the moral law we are to keep. For instance without a Jewish Temple we can't do animal sacrifices of the Old Testament. But this is a good thing because to offer a sacrifice would be a grave sin and spitting in the face of Jesus. "But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God." (Hebrews 10:12) And in verse 18 of the same chapter "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." (see also Hebrews 11:29) I think if you read the Book of Hebrews you will have a better understanding how most of the Old Testament ceremonial laws were foreshadowing our God and Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).

[Trusting Jesus]

The Law was/is works oriented. We are not saved by works but by grace through faith in Jesus. The Law was given to the Jews to teach them how to worship God and to set them apart from the rest of the world. But the Law was never able to save. In his letter to the Galatians Paul wrote:

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written,

[mizzdy]

The Law was/is works oriented. We are not saved by works but by grace through faith in Jesus. The Law was given to the Jews to teach them how to worship God and to set them apart from the rest of the world. But the Law was never able to save.

The law when given to the Israelites was because they had just been delivered out of slavery and had no idea how to govern themselves and then it was to be a light to all others that there was a merciful God who does care about not just His set apart peoples but all others also. The law then as now does not save anyone, no one can buy or work their way into God's Kingdom. Yet now with the guideance of the Holy Spirit we obey God in spirit and that includes His laws He wrote with His very own finger that are now written on our hearts. The 613 laws for the most part are not applical to us today since we don't have a temple etc. If one goes about boasting how well one keeps the law how one does this or that one becomes a debtor to the law but if one follows in the spirit its becomes self-regulating something that hopefully we give no more thought too, it becomes ingrained in our very heart and lives as we walk more closely with Christ.

Gal. and Romans seem to contradict themselves when it comes to the law. Just as Paul says in Romans the law shows us what our sin is without that how would we know? What is it then that God will judge by if not the law?

What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come we are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3:19-25

That passage in Gal has really bothered me, what is the promise that was made?, it seems to be refering to Abraham and it was promised him what? Gen. 12 tells us God promises Abraham to make him a great nation, his name great, all families will be blessed as long as they don't curse him, he promised to give them the land. Gen. 22:18 says God will bless and make Abrahams descendants as the stars in heaven and the sands of the seas. So the way I see Gal. 3 is that there is now no separation between gentile, jew, greek, hebrew or anyone else if they have accepted Christ and that the law is now written on the hearts of all believers and we are no longer shedding the bloods of bulls for sins.

Gal. 3:20 says Now a mediator does not mediate for one onlybut God is one. So through Abrahms faith and the promises God gave him we now by Christs shedding of His blood we are now heirs with Abraham, we have become his descendants through Christ.

In Acts chapter 15 a question had come to the Apostles regarding Gentiles being saved. This was a new concept to these Jewish men who had been raised under the Law. After much discussion and being led by the Holy Spirit they declared:

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to la upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from the things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do will. Farewell. Acts 15:28-29

It was a new concept I would guess not to have to be circumsized, after all now with Christ's sacrifice there is no more jew or gentile. And it does seem that by saying not to eat the meat offered to idols, stay away from sexual immorality is saying there are rules to follow after all and they seem to line up well with God's laws of having no other gods before Him, not to commit adultery. Thats the way I see those passage anyhow.

[Trusting Jesus]

The Seed referred to in Galatians 3:19 is referring back to Genesis when Adam and Eve wee kicked out of Eden. God told the Serpent:

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel. Genesis 3:15

Notice it says your seed and her seed. The seed comes from the male not the female. This is referring to Jesus Christ and the virgin birth.

The Law is a tutor. It taught what God's standards are. Yes, He still judges by those standards, and in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus brought it even more into focus that even thinking of a sin is to be guilty of that sin. Until Jesus died on the Cross and rose from the dead the only atonemnet was to sacrifice according to the Law, but the sin would return as soon as the sacrifice was made...it only coverd the sin but did not remove the sin. In Hebrews we read:

But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9:11-15

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' John 1:29-30

The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world....not cover it, but takes it away.

<>< ><>

Nathele

[hayahtowb]

Hi pokemaughan,

I've wondered off and on since I got saved about the Law of the Bible. Mainly those in Leviticus. Why do we not follow the old Laws?

statutes and ordinances are not laws, like the ten we see in Exodus 20.2-17, and Christ teaches all ten in:

1.) = Matthew 22.37

2.) = John 4.24

3.) = Matthew 5.34

4.) = Mark 2.27

5.) = Matthew 15.4-6

6.) = Matthew 5.21

7.) = Matthew 19.18

8.) = Matthew 15.19

9.) = Matthew 12.34-37

10.) = Matthew 5.28

I hope this helps.

Loving God

is good

[Shiloh62]

I've wondered off and on since I got saved about the Law of the Bible. Mainly those in Leviticus. Why do we not follow the old Laws?

The short answer is because Jesus came and made a new covenant. No one has ever been able to follow them perfectly(except Jesus).

[mizzdy]

The Seed referred to in Galatians 3:19 is referring back to Genesis when Adam and Eve wee kicked out of Eden. God told the Serpent:

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel. Genesis 3:15

Notice it says your seed and her seed. The seed comes from the male not the female. This is referring to Jesus Christ and the virgin birth.

The Law is a tutor. It taught what God's standards are. Yes, He still judges by those standards, and in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus brought it even more into focus that even thinking of a sin is to be guilty of that sin. Until Jesus died on the Cross and rose from the dead the only atonemnet was to sacrifice according to the Law, but the sin would return as soon as the sacrifice was made...it only coverd the sin but did not remove the sin. In Hebrews we read:

But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9:11-15

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' John 1:29-30

The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world....not cover it, but takes it away.

<>< ><>

Nathele

If the law was and is a tutor and God still judges by His law why then do we need not follow the law? I believe Christ came so we can be forgiven of our sins, to blot out our sins when we confess them but I do not believe we are now sinless and not in need of instruction which is what the law is anyhow. I myself do not believe the law to be 'works' if they are written on my heart, I believe when I gave myself over to God, to walk after Christ that those laws become self-regulating within me and that I strive with the help of the Holy Spirit to perfect myself in Their sight, to do what is right in the sight of God, to obey Him.