Bob Josey - Mosaic Law and Its Relationship to Believers in Jesus

The Purpose of the Mosiac Law and Its Relationship to Believers in Jesus- Part 1

Slides

Introduction

Today there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding concerning the role of the Mosaic Law in life of a believers in Jesus. Some Christians think that we are under the authority of parts of the Law of Moses. Others think that Israel was saved by keeping the commandments of the Mosiac Law. Most think that believers in Jesus are responsible for keeping the Ten Commandments, even though it is part of the Mosiac Law. It’s interesting that those who believe the church is under the authority of the Ten Commandments do not keep one of the commandments - the Sabbath. If they are under the authority of the Ten Commandments, they should be keeping all ten of them. Because of the misunderstanding and confusion concerning the Mosiac Law and the Then Commandments, we are going to have two lessons that deal with these and other issues. The first lesson will be on the Purpose of the Mosiac Law. Why did God give the Law to the people of Israel? The second lesson will deal with the Relationship believers in Jesus have toward the Mosaic Law. The Law of Moses was given to Israel and Israel alone at Mount Sinai. It was not given to Gentiles or any Gentile nations. We see this in Psalm 147:19-20

19 He has revealed his word to Jacob,

his laws and decrees to Israel.

20 He has done this for no other nation;

they do not know his laws.

Unless a Gentile converted to Judaism, they were never under the authority of the Mosiac Law. The Mosiac Law is not just the Ten Commandments. There are 613 Commandments in the Law of Moses.

Before we discuss why God gave the Torah to Israel, I want make a couple of remarks about

Scripture. I want to stress that the Mosiac Law with the rest of the Old Testament is just as

inspired as the New Covenant. We see this in 2 Timothy 3:16-17.- 16 All Scripture is inspired

by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

17.so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

1. Purpose of the Mosiac Law

A. To Reveal the Holiness of God

As we shall see, there are a number of reasons that God gave the Mosiac Law to the nation of Israel. One of the important reasons for God giving the Torah to Israel to reveal His holiness. In 1 Peter 1:15-16 the Apostle writes, “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

The King James Version says about these verses. ^{15 “}But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; ¹⁶ Because it is written, ‘Be ye holy; for (because) I am holy’” Peter quoted parts of three passages – Leviticus 11:44, 19:22, 20:7. When people think of the word holiness, they think of someone who has a halo on his or her head. The word holy means “to be separate.” As Israel studied Scripture, they learned how to be separated to God and separated from the evil of the nations surrounding them. Today the Scriptures teach us to be separated to God and from the life style of unbelievers surrounding us.

1. Separated to God

The Torah separated Israel to God so that they would be kingdom of priests. Also in Exodus 19:5-6 the Lord told Israel. 5 “Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6. and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation...”

2. Separated from the Nations

The Law became a hedge that separated Israel from the nations of the earth, if they

would obey it. When Israel obeyed the instructions found in the Law of Moses, it

separated them from the evil practices and traditions of the nations surrounding

them. The Law separated and preserved the nation and kept them intact. In order

that Israel might serve the function of a light to the world; they were given the Law to separate them from the nations and separate them to God. God’s warning of consequences of not being separated from the nations is found in Exodus

34:11-16.

11 “Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, I am going to drive out the

Amorite before you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite

12 “Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you

are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. 13 “But rather, you are to tear down them

altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim 14 —for you shall not worship

any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—15 otherwise you might

make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their

gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice

16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play

the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods.

How separated are you to God and from the world? Do you ever evaluate your lifestyle to determine if you have that intimate, personal relationship with Christ that He wants you to have? And do you also evaluate if your is lifestyle is too much like the world’s instead of the lifestyle outlined under the New Covenant. Each of us should be evaluating both of these on a constant and consistent basis to determined it we are living a Christ like life.

B. To Reveal Sin

The second reason God have the Torah to Israel was to reveal sin to them. We know from Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” And 1 Kings 8:46 also teaches that all men are sinners.

“When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near;”

God gave them the Torah to reveal to them that they were sinners and the specific sins they were committing against Him. Let’s begin with Galatians 3:19. “Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.”

This verse tells several things about the Law that was given to Israel at Sinai. First, it tells us the purpose, function, or relevance of the Mosiac Law. It was given to show Israel what was sin really was when they broke a commandment. God outlined the commandments in the Torah and when the people of Israel sinned, it told them exactly what sin they had broken or committed. Second, it tells us that angels mediated the giving of the Torah to Israel’s representative, Moses. Lastly, it tells us how long the Torah would be in force and that it was temporary. It would be in force until the seed came. Who is the seed? Jesus the Messiah. Therefore, The Law was given to Israel on Mount Sinai and it would remain in force until Jesus ratified the New Covenant at His death. There are three verses in Romans that give us insight into this.

Romans 3:19-20

19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; (Even though the Torah was given only to Israel, did not mean, then and today, that the Torah cannot convict people in the world that they are sinners against God.)

20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for

through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Romans 7:7

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I

would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have

known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.

These verses tell us that the Israelites that there was no forgiveness of sin by doing the works of the Torah. Doing good works does not remove sin. However, as we discussed a few minutes ago, breaking one of the commandments in the Law of Moses did make Israelites aware that they had sinned and what sin they had committed.

I want to show you an illustration about one of the purposes of the Law revealing sin to the Israelites. (Illustration of the mouth mirror revealing cavities and other problems in one’s mouth but it is not used to remove cavities and repair other problems. Other dental instruments are used to remove cavities and repair problems.) The Law of Moses could revel sin but it could not remove sin. To be more precise, keeping the commandments of the Torah could reveal one’s sins, but keeping it could not remove one’s sins.

There is a passage in Romans 4 that shows that faith removes sin, not good works. These verses deal with Abraham and David.

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?

2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.

5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,

And whose sins have been covered.

8 “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”

Israelites were saved by faith in the shed blood of the sacrificial animal

offered by the Priests, not by doing the works of the Law. Today we are also are not saved by keeping the commandments of the New Covenant, but by faith in the shed blood of Jesus. However, we have a obligation to study the Word to determine what our responsibilities are as a child of God under the New Covenant.

C. To Cover Sins and Restore Fellowship

The Law was given to a redeemed people to make provision for the covering of sins and restoration to fellowship. In Leviticus 1—7 there are the five offerings that God instituted for the nation. While the nation as a nation was preserved before God because of the annual offering of the blood of atonement on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, individuals in the nation were restored to fellowship, received forgiveness for specific sins through the use of the 5 offerings that God provided as outlined in Leviticus 1-7. The God who had redeemed the nation by faith through blood of the Passover Lamb provided that the redeemed could walk in fellowship with Himself. The same Law that revealed their unworthiness for fellowship also provided for restoration to the fellowship. This was one of the most important aspects of the Mosaic Law.

Jesus is our eternal sacrifice today for the removal of our sins past, present, and future. When we do sin, we must follow the guideline in 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Since we are under the authority of the New Covenant, we need no human priest, pastor, preacher, or prophet to whom we should confess our sins. As the song says, “All we need is Jesus,” our Advocate and High Priest.

D. To Reveal the Messiah to Israel

John 1:45 - Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

John 5:46-47 “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who

accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed

Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 47 “But if you do not

believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

In Luke 24:13–35 the resurrected Jesus joins two of His disciples as they walk on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. The encounter occurs on the same day as the resurrection. One of the disciples is named Cleopas, but the other is not identified. The disciples do not recognize Jesus (Luke 24:16) and tell Him about the recent crucifixion of a “mighty prophet” who they had hoped would redeem Israel (Luke 24:19–21). The disciples then describe that morning’s report of the empty tomb

and the angels’ announcement that Jesus is alive. In response to the disciples’ apparent skepticism, Jesus explains how all of the Old Testament Scriptures pointed to the Messiah’s death and resurrection. However, the travelers still do not recognize Him.

When the three arrive at Emmaus, the disciples invite Jesus to stay the night and eat with them. As He blesses and breaks the bread, they recognize Him, and He vanishes. Realizing that they have just witnessed the risen Christ, the travelers hurry back to Jerusalem and report their experience to the apostles (Luke 24:33).

These verses demonstrate that the Old Testament, beginning in the first chapter of Genesis, is about the coming and ministry of the Messiah. Today the Torah is still being used by God as a witness to being Jewish people to faith in Jesus the Messiah. We’ll talk more about this next week.

E. To provide a Rule of Conduct for Israel

When God brought Israel out of Egypt, there were a redeemed people. The word redemption means to buy out of slavery, with a price, and to set free. They were bought out of slavery by the blood of the Passover Lamb and were set free from slavery under the Egyptians. Even though they were a redeemed people, they were a spiritually immature people. They were responsible to their Redeemer, but they did not know what responsibilities were and how to discharge the responsibilities.

A man or woman is hired by a company. The man or woman knows they have responsibilities and duties to perform and have a vague idea what they are, but they do not know exactly what these duties and responsibilities are. They will most likely be given a job description that include their specific duties and responsibilities toward the company or business or a staff manual that will include the job these with other items of interest. The Torah was Israel’s’ staff manual or job description.

Even though the Torah was given as a rule of conduct or an instruction manual for the Israelites, observing these laws did not bring forgiveness of sin nor salvation.

“…because the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight;” (Romans 3:20)

“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”(Romans 3:28)

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