That being stated, I am aware of Messianics and Hebrew Roots groups that appear to hold that by our new birth in Christ and through the Holy Spirit , we are now able to keep the Law of Moses . Is this what you would also say ? Such as keeping sabbaths , festivals , feast days , new moons and other ordinances ? .
Hello,
A person that advocates the law is saying that the laws of God have existed since Adam and will continue until there is a new heaven and earth. Laws maintain order and structure, therefore, as long as God remains in covenant with human beings, as long as there is a kingdom of heaven among men, there will be law.
The law has always been with the people of God, and the priests have always been responsible to protect and teach His Law. That's why they are called priests, so the new priesthood, the living stones that constitute the Melchizedek priesthood carry on that time honored responsibility.
What has changed are the people that God has been willing to covenant with. For two thousand years God's people were the descendants of Abraham along with gentile converts, and for the last two thousand years it has been those "willing to do the will of my father." Covenants are contracts between two parties, the terms of the covenant are given as laws.
All Christians acknowledge this truth when they confess their willingness to keep the "Laws of Christ" summarized as Love God and love the brotherhood. So why not just say to keep the Law of Christ instead of Moses? Because the law of Moses became the law of Christ with numerous ordinance changes. Nevertheless, Mosaic law remains the foundation (John 1). This is why Christ and all the Apostles lived, taught and judged by Torah law. The Beatitudes are the classic example because everything taught in the Gospel of Matthew was Mosaic law. The Apostles also created and modified many ordinances to reflect the new covenant environment.
Knowing that the law remains and it is a living agreement, makes it incumbent on us to learn how to properly interpret and execute God's law in our lives. So for that reason we search the Old and New Testament for examples. If Christ kept and taught certain OT law then we do as well. If Paul taught and kept certain laws then we do so as well. If Christ changed a law then that becomes the law.
I hope this answers your question. It will take a minute to read, but the following text explains the dynamic nature of the law that permits alterations based on covenant requirements.
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Commandments are the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:3-17) and tend to be broad in nature. They are the fundamental and supreme law that never change and remain in effect explaining how to love YHVH and to love our brothers.
The Old Testament, also called the Tanakh, consist of three canons: the Law, Prophets and Psalms. The Law is recorded in the first five books of the bible and is also called the Torah in Hebrew and Pentateuch in Greek. The Commandments along with the statutes form the foundation of the theocracy and are always accompanied with the promise of blessings or curses depending on your willingness to uphold them (Jos 8:32). The Ten Commandments listed are:
- You must confess that there is only one God and that is YHVH.
- You shall not make idols or worship them.
- You shall not take the name of YHVH in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath, and keep it holy.
- Honor your father and mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife and property.
Statutes are secondary laws that expound by expanding the commandments. They can be perpetual or temporary in time. If no time limit is expressed and the statute is governed by another statute that is limited in time then its time limit expires along with the governing statute. Statutes tend to address all of the people of Israel in perpetuity.
The “land laws” are examples of expiring statutes when the land grant was taken from them.
Sometimes we are told when a law is a statute.
Nu 31:21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, "This is the statute of the law which YHVH has commanded Moses
Other times you must discern if a law is a statute such as the holy day and dietary statutes. We also must discern if a statute is still in force. In this example, the statute is perpetual as long as their generation exist. The time limit is “forever throughout your generations.”
Le 23:14 'Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.
Ordinances explain how to carry out a statute therefore it must not alter or degrade the original statute. The power to create ordinances was given to the judges and Levites and later to the Disciples of Christ (
Mt 18:18). Ordinances can be created and terminated or naturally terminate when the statute it defines expires and are often created to establish how a group of people living in an unusual condition can fulfill a commandment or statute.
De 17:8-10 “If a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge there in those days, and inquire of them; they shall pronounce upon you the sentence of judgment. You shall do according to the sentence which they pronounce upon you in that place which YHVH chooses. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they order you.”
In Galatians, Paul identified the entire sin sacrificial system as ordinances designed to expire when the “Promised Seed” arrived. He explained the ordinances as a “schoolmaster” designed to bring us to Christ. In other verses, Paul called the collective body of sin sacrifice ordinances the “law of righteousness” (
Rom 9:31; 10:4) that was scheduled to expire.
Ga 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 should come to whom the promise had been made.
Ga 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor [to lead us] to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Jeremiah confirmed that the laws regulating sacrifices were ordinances that had been added to the law because of sin.
Jer 7:21 Thus says YHVH of hosts, the God of Israel, "Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat flesh. 22 "For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23 "But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.'
Both Samuel and David confirmed that sacrifices were not desired by YHVH. He wanted them to listen and obey His Voice but when they refused they were required to sacrifice animals. Israel sacrificing animals reflected their sinful behavior.
1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, "Has YHVH as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of YHVH? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, [And] to heed than the fat of rams.
Ps 51:16 For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.
Ho 6:6 For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Yahshua did not enforce sacrificial laws because he always did what His Father told Him to do. He exercised the Mosaic covenant without reference to the ordinances given to pacify sin.
Joh 5:30 "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge.
So what do you think, when Elijah brings forth the Law of Moses will he enforce sacrifices?
Mal 4:4 Remember the law of Moses My servant, [even the] statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.
When Moses broadened the divorce laws to accommodate Israel’s hardened heart, he created a marriage ordinance. Yahshua terminated the Mosaic ordinance citing the original law given in the Garden of Eden.
Mt 19:8 He *said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.
Ordinances can be amended based on circumstances. In the following example, the Passover ordinances were changed twice. The timing of the day remained the same but the location of the event changed due to different living circumstances. The timing remained because the Passover statute mandated it and ordinances cannot supersede its controlling statute. The ordinances were created to govern where to eat the Passover. The Statute given by YHVH determined when to keep the event.
Le 23:4 'These are the appointed times of YHVH, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. 5 'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is YHVH'S Passover.
Originally Passover ordinance said to eat in a single house.
Ex 12:43 And YHVH said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the ordinance of the Passover: no foreigner is to eat of it; 44 but every man's slave purchased with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat of it. 45 "A sojourner or a hired servant shall not eat of it. 46 "It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it. 47 "All the congregation of Israel are to celebrate this. 48 "But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to YHVH, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it.
Later it was changed to only the place where YHVH placed His name.
De 16:5 "You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your towns which YHVH your God is giving you; 6 but at the place where YHVH your God chooses to establish His name, you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt.
The power to create ordinances has led to a great deal of abuse. In this narrative the Pharisees demand to know why Yahshua and his disciples did not follow a tradition as if it was an ordinance created “by their fathers.”
Mt 15:1 Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Yahshua from Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
In reply, Yahshua criticized the Pharisees for promoting traditions that invalidate the Law. A definite no-no. Men are not permitted to elevate their traditions over YHVH’s Commandments and statutes.
Mt 15:3 And He answered and said to them, "And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
As evidence He revealed that the Pharisees had created a way to horde wealth by neglecting the commandment to honor their father and mother. By doing so they fulfilled the words of Isaiah the prophet which said that God’s people would reduce the faith to “traditions” and “lip service” (
Is 29:13) while neglecting the true Commandments. The reality is that people given the power to create binding law are tempted to elevate their teachings at the expense of God’s law. This was the same sin that Lucifer succumbed to (
Is 14:13).
Mt 15:7 "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 9 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"
Judgments are ordinances created by judges when they render judgments. Their rulings cannot annul or degrade a law or statue and it cannot remove another ordinance though it can reprioritize them. Their judgments often factored in events and facts specific to a particular case.
