Law of Moses - Time to Go Deeper Than Just the Ten Commandments

Law of Moses Definitions: At the outset of our consideration of the Law of Moses, we have to define three terms: Law of Moses, the Law, and Torah.

"Law of Moses": This phrase in Scripture refers to two things: the stipulations of the Mosaic Covenant and the entire Pentateuch (the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Of course, the Mosaic covenant is contained within the Pentateuch, specifically, from Exodus 20 through Deuteronomy 33.

"The Law": This phrase has the same flexibility of the "Law of Moses": sometimes it refers to the Mosaic Covenant, and sometimes to the entire Pentateuch. In the New Testament, the Greek word translated "law" (nomos) can also mean principle, as in "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ," or "the perfect law of liberty" (Romans 8:2 and James 1:25), or simply "law" (Romans 7:21). You have to determine from the context which meaning "law" has.

"Torah": This is the Hebrew word translated "law," but is actually means "instruction." Its meaning varies according to the context.

Point of controversy: When we discuss the Mosaic Covenant, disagreement immediately arises concerning the origin of the Pentateuch, the written record of the Law. Some hold to what we could call a naive viewpoint, that we should take the books of the Pentateuch at face value as having been produced by Moses during the period of the wilderness wanderings after the Exodus from Egypt. Others believe that these books were not composed until hundreds of years later, as late as the Persian period (536 to 333 BCE).

A more likely view is one that lies between these two alternatives: the five Books of Moses do go back to the prophet whose name they bear, though they have undergone minor editing in later generations. This, I believe, is the most likely explanation, addressing both the objections to the naive view and the observations regarding stylistic differences within the documents. This view also takes seriously the weighty evidence of the validation of the authorship of Moses by both Jesus and Paul.

Characteristics of the Law of Moses:

The stipulations of the Law (according to Maimonides, there are 613 of them) are bound up in the narrative of the Exodus from Egypt. - Beginning with the Ten Commandments themselves (see Exodus 20), the laws and ordinances of Torah are interspersed with the historical narrative of the events of the Israelites' departure from Egypt and their wanderings in the desert of Sinai before entering Canaan to conquer and take possession of it. This means that the laws are not recorded in any kind of systematic order though sometimes similar laws appear together.
The Decalogue (Ten Commandments) is foundational to the rest of the Law. - The Ten Commandments cover in a general way the relationship the people of the covenant have with their God, with other members of their own families, and with the other members of the covenant community and the world at large. God gave these Ten Commandments to Israel near the beginning of the 40 years of wandering. Also at its end, Moses reminded the people of these same Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5). They were written on tablets of stone and placed within the ark of the covenant as a reminder of the covenant the people had with their God (Deuteronomy 31:26).
Many of the ordinances are casuistic. - That is, they seem to be the results of judgments involving particular cases. For example, immediately after God struck dead Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's two sons, for disobeying His commands regarding the kind of fire proper for sacrifices (Numbers 10:1-7), God delivers a command prohibiting on-duty priests from getting drunk (Numbers 10:8-11). A lengthy cluster of such laws occurs at Exodus 21:18 through 22:17, each paragraph having the form of "If x happens, then do y."
It is difficult if not impossible to separate the ethical portion from the ritual parts of the Law. - The Bible in neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament makes a distinction between the ethical or moral parts of the Law (e.g., Don't kill, don't steal, don't commit adultery, don't give false testimony, etc.) and the ritual parts of the Law (e.g., the priest should wear this garment, manufacture incense with this formula, offer this kind of sacrifice for that kind of offense, etc.). To make such a distinction is not only arbitrary and unjustified, but subjective.
The essence of the Law of Moses is described by Jesus - According to Jesus, the entire Law of Moses can be summed up in two of the commands, Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18, which he calls the greatest and second greatest commands, to love God with everything you are and to love others as you love yourself. Another key verse is Leviticus 19:2: in which God says, "Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy." In other words, God told his people that in order for them to have a relationship with Him, they had to have a lifestyle in keeping with His character. The sacrificial system helped them to maintain the holiness so important to the human-divine relationship. Under the New Covenant, God arranged for the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus' willing death of the cross, the take away sins once and for all (Hebrews 10:1-10).

Copyright ©2006 Steve Singleton

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles. He has been an editor, reporter, and public relations consultant. He has taught college-level Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses and has taught seminars in 11 states and the Caribbean. To go deeper in this subject, see his e-book, Multi-Index to the Law of Moses.

Go to his DeeperStudy.com for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore "The Shallows," plumb "The Depths," or use the well-organized "Study Links" for original sources in English translation. Check out the DeeperStudy Bookstore for great e-books, free books, and great discounts.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Do The Psalms and the Prophets Teach Christians That The Law (God's Commandments) Should Be Obeyed?

The answer to the question posed in the title of this article is YES. The Psalms and the Prophets testify together harmoniously that the commandments of God in bodied in the law exist today, and are eternal. The reason this is so, is that God is law, and the written law is a reflection of both His person and His purposes. I suppose this same truth exists in the world of men. For what person or government ever established, and enforced a law that was not after his/its own value system and purpose? Good and righteous men create good and righteous laws. Wicked men create evil and foolish laws. Each after their person, and their purposes.

Therefore, upon this reasoning alone, how can it ever be thought that the laws of the eternal God, who is both the creator and master of everything could ever be annulled, or made void? For to make void His law is equal to making God Himself void. Can the One who created all things, and by whose power and wisdom all things are sustained, can this person be made void? The answer is obviously no, and neither can His law be made void.

The purpose of this article is to stand in opposition to the belief system that proposes that the grace of God that has been revealed by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ has made the Law void by bringing testimony forth from not only New Testament sources, but also the from the Psalms and the Prophets. The very source material that the early Apostles preached from and used to establish the New Testament Scripture, and Church.

In the great treatise that we now refer to as the Book Of Romans the Apostle Paul, who in his time was a great promoter and defender of the faith, establishes the reality that Christ stands between the Believer and the Law. This is pointedly spoken of in Roman's 5:14 where it says, "...for ye are not under the law, but under grace." And of course we know that this grace (favor) that the apostle is speaking of is accessed only by the faith of the Believer. Thus, it is written in another place, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV) However, this simple point I would make. If the law ceased to exist, if it had been annulled, as many choose to live as if it has been, then the grace of God (which is present in the person of Christ) would not have to stand between the Believer and the Law. But I suggest to you, as even the Apostle Paul suggested in his time, that the faith of the Believer in no wise can make void God's law, for please take note of these words spoken by the Apostle Paul, (Romans 3:31 KJV) "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." It is extremely obvious to me that the Book Of Romans, along with the other New Testament books clearly testify that the Believer is justified purely by the mercy of God, completely apart from the keeping of the commandments of the law, in that NO man (with the exception of Christ) has ever been able to obey it. However, once a soul of man has been justified by the mercy of God, then righteousness in that person's behavior, and consequently a life that rightly testifies of eternal and heavenly realities can only be obtained by obedience to God's commandments.

Why do I as a Christian Preacher bother to speak of this point? It is because the existence of confusion, outright unbelief, and disobedience in regards to the reality that God's laws were never made void, but are in this day, as in all times past, meant to be fleshed out. Failure to recognize and obey this truth brings forth tremendous error in the belief system, consequently the manner of life of many people. A few classic examples of this that have very far reaching ramifications are:


That so many refuse to obey the commandment of God that teaches the keeping of the Sabbath
The failure of so many to admit and practice the reality that the Law of God has never, and does not now allow for equality of headship between men and women
That so many refuse to adorn the sexes distinct fully different, the one from the other. For to disobey this is an abomination in God's sight: for He created the sexes in their persons to reflect very different eternal and heavenly realities
Corruptions of the reality that marriage is a picture of the relationship of Christ and the Believer. The wife (or wives if he has more than one) is owned by the husband, and thus, as Christ owns all Believers the husband is to mimic Christ in all points of authority and responsibility toward his wife, and the children she brings forth. The woman is to mimic the proper actions of a Believer toward Christ in her actions and attitude toward her husband. To do less than this is to mock the very grace of God that calls us to Christ, and to divorce un-scriptually is to practice an abomination. For God hates divorce.

The Psalms Repeatedly Speak Of The Beauty And Purpose Of God's Law

Psalms 19:7-9 KJV-The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is true, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

John the Revelator's Wisdom

John testifies to whoever has eyes to see, and ears to hear, that Believers have two signature qualities which meet God's approval.


Revelation 12:17 KJV-And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 14:12 KJV--Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus Christ.

The Prophet Isaiah Was Able To Foresee

Isaiah was able to look ahead in the Spirit to a time when the Law of God would fill the earth.


Isaiah 42:4 KJV-He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait on His law.

Jeremiah the Prophet Foresaw A Time When God's Law Would Be Written, Not In Tablets Of Stone, But In The Hearts Of Men


Jeremiah 31:33 KJV-But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The Prophet Micah Foreseeing The End Times


Micah 4:1-2 KJV--But in the last days.....and many nations shall come,.....and he (Christ our Lord) will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion.....

Malachi Speaks Of A Believer's Responsibility In Handling Yahweh's Word

The Old Testament Priest was a picture of a New Testament Minister, who is a minister of the word of the Lord, which the law is apart of.


Malachi 2:7 KJV-For the Priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is a messenger of the Lord of Hosts.
Malachi 4:1&4 KJV-For, behold the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up.....(who is it that does wickedly? All those that do not abide in the faith of Jesus and do not keep His commandments) Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him at Horeb for all Israel, with the statues and judgments.

Jeremiah Gives A Reason Why Men Do Not Obey

Jeremiah testified against Israel that the reason for their disobedience was pride. Even to this day Pride of heart remains a basic reason for disobedience.
Jeremiah 44:10 KJV-They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your forefathers.

Hosea States That Men Are Ignorant Of Yahweh's Law, But Mainly Because They Reject His Law, and Consider Elements Of His Law As Foolishness


Hosea 4:6 KJV--My People are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge.....seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God......
Hosea 8:12 KJV-I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

Amos the Prophet Spoke Of How Men Loved The Traditions Of Men, and Hated Yahweh's Laws


Amos 2:4 KJV-Thus saith the Lord: For three transgressions of Judah and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their father have walked.

Lastly We Hear The Words Of The Greatest Teacher Of All. The Lord Jesus Christ


Revelations 22:14 KJV--Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

In the conclusion of this article my exhortation is simple. Do not allow yourself to be deceived into thinking that the commandments of the Law have no need of being fleshed out in the lives of men, and especially in the lives of Believers. For the keeping of the Law can save no man, but it is first the preaching of the Law that is used by the Holy Spirit to bring forth conviction of sin, and with out the conviction of sin the Everlasting Gospel can never be obtained by any soul of man. For men must first be convicted of sin to be able to recognize it and turn by faith into the arms of Jesus. It is then the teaching of the commandments of God that instructs men as to how to live out righteousness. The which brings forth a life that properly reflects Christ and His purposes.

A Watchman,

Gregory A DeHart

Gregory A. DeHart is a Bible teacher who sometimes writes under the pen name of Watchman. Gregory is the sponsor of http://AnAmericanWatchman.blogspot.com, a site dedicated to examining social issues,the preaching of righteousness, and the practical unfolding of the mystery revealed from the Bible of how marriage is a picture of Christ and the Church. For a Bible based life perspective please feel welcome to visit our site, and please feel free to contact us, or post a comment. If you have been moved to consider playing apart in this ministry please feel free to contact Greg DeHart at 907-373-0355, (Alaska time) or gregoryadehart@yahoo.com. There are needs, and ways to expand this ministry, but I need help to do it.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.