ECT What is the aim of the Law of Moses?

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Ask Mr. Religion

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Ceremonial laws were preparatory or typological. They dealt with how a believer maintains ceremonial cleanliness. This notion pointed beyond itself but there are a number of dietary, clothing, grooming, and physical statutes that an Old Covenant Jew had to honor.

They were temporary until the fulfillment of the New Covenant when the substance, Christ, came to usher in a Kingdom where the wall of division (in large part made by the ceremonial laws) was torn down. Even the entire Temple or Sanctuary was typological as Moses was shown a copy of the heavenly sanctuary to which we now have access through Christ.

Moral law is naturally, perpetually, and unchangeably binding. Positive law is given for a specific time, place, and circumstance. The ceremonial laws were positive in this sense. Regulations concerning government and worship are of this nature under the New Testament. They are not "ceremonial law" because that has been fulfilled by Christ in the tabernacle made without hands. They are not "moral law" in the sense of being unchanging and perpetually binding because they are given for the New Testament church on earth.

Nevertheless they are binding as laws because Christ as head has constituted the government and worship of His church. It might also be noted that the moral law itself teaches the binding authority of things which are positively appointed; the second commandment specifically binds men to observe any and every divine institution.

There are three uses for the Moral law (the Ten Commandments, first table being duty to God, second table being duty to our fellow man:

(1) Civic Use – Goad to civil righteousness – the ten commandments serve the purpose of God’s common grace in the world at large to restrain sin and promote righteousness. Thus, for believers and unbelievers alike (as human beings created in God’s image yet fallen into sin), the moral law may function simply as a behavioral hedge (e.g., Romans 2:14-15).

(2) Pedagogical Use – Tutor to drive us to Christ – the ten commandments also function as a tutor that leads us to see our need for Christ. In this way, we see how the law condemns us as law-breakers and shows us our need for the one perfect law-keeper, Jesus Christ (e.g., Romans 8:3-4; Galatians 3:23-24).

(3) Teaching Use – Rule of life – for believers, and only for believers, the ten commandments also provide a guide for righteousness and holy living (e.g., 1 Corinthians 7:19; Romans 7:12, 22, 25). Thus, believers will learn to delight in God’s Law (Psalm 1:2; 40:8)

In the Covenant of Works, the command was "Do this and live" or "Do this in order to live."

With the Covenant of Grace instituted in the Garden after the fall of Adam, the command became "Because you live, do this" or simply, "Live, and do this." It is no longer "do this for life", but rather "do this from life." This is because Jesus fulfilled the Law for us and took upon Himself it's curse.

Our Lord did not prescribe any new law. There are no works of supererogation. He gives us the moral law out of His mediatorial hand as the perfect rule of righteousness, and explains the law in its original meaning according to its spiritual and perfect nature. Christ was made under the law and fulfilled all righteousness; His righteousness is perfect, and this righteousness is imputed to believers for their justification.

If our Lord had given new precepts He would have needed to come again a second time to atone for our sins because we would have sinned anew in breaking those precepts and it would have required another work of obedience and suffering to save us. But as it is, thanks be unto God, He has appeared once in the end of the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. There is no new law, no new sin, no new sacrifice to be made for sin.

To dig deeper see:
https://www.monergism.com/marrow-modern-divinity-modernized-and-annotated-ebook

AMR
 
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Jerry Shugart

Jerry Shugart

Well-known member
genuineoriginal said:
What do you think the aim of the Law of Moses is?
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"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel" (Ex.19:5-6).​
 
Jerry Shugart

Jerry Shugart

Well-known member
Ask Mr. Religion said:
Moral law is naturally, perpetually, and unchangeably binding.
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The Gentiles are not under the law of Moses because it does not apply to them. Instead Gentiles are under the following law:

"For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another" (Ro.2:14-15).​
 
genuineoriginal

genuineoriginal

New member

Deuteronomy 4:5-8
5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?​


Was the Law given by God for wisdom, understanding, and righteousness?
 
ok doser

ok doser

lifeguard at the cement pond
genuineoriginal said:

Deuteronomy 4:5-8
5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?​


Was the Law given by God for wisdom, understanding, and righteousness?
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Sure looks like it :idunno:

laws aren't given to punish the wicked, they're given to guide those needing guidance.

we've forgotten that in this country, and our youth, so desperate for guidance, instead hear from the legal authorities - "go ahead - adultery is ok, murder is ok, sexual perversions of all kinds are ok..." :nono:
 
genuineoriginal

genuineoriginal

New member
ok doser said:
Sure looks like it :idunno:

laws aren't given to punish the wicked, they're given to guide those needing guidance.

we've forgotten that in this country, and our youth, so desperate for guidance, instead hear from the legal authorities - "go ahead - adultery is ok, murder is ok, sexual perversions of all kinds are ok..." :nono:
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It is getting to the point where wickedness is called righteousness and righteousness is called wickedness.

Many people that support abortion on demand also oppose the death penalty on criminals.
 
genuineoriginal

genuineoriginal

New member
Ask Mr. Religion said:
Ceremonial laws were preparatory or typological. They dealt with how a believer maintains ceremonial cleanliness. This notion pointed beyond itself but there are a number of dietary, clothing, grooming, and physical statutes that an Old Covenant Jew had to honor.
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You seem to be saying that the dietary, clothing, grooming, and physical statutes have no real purpose and were only there to distinguish Jews from other nations.

The Old Testament declares many things that makes a person "unclean".
"Unclean" can also be translated as "contagious", "diseased", or "infected".


Leviticus 5:2
2 Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.​



DISEASES YOU CAN CONTRACT THROUGH DEAD ANIMALS

There are many things you need to consider before you decide to dispose of any dead animal. There are many diseases we could still catch from them, and we need to know the proper ways to handle the dead animal in order to lower our risk of infection. We will also need to know how to properly clean and sanitize the area the animal was found in to ensure that the area is not infected with bacterial spores and other germs.

​
 
ttruscott

ttruscott

Well-known member
Why not use the dictates of scripture and follow the logic?

Romans 3:20 Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the Law. For the Law merely brings awareness of sin.
Romans 7:7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. No one would ever repent without knowing, without having their eyes opened to their sin by the law.

Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ie, to an understanding of our need for Him to save us from our sinfulness by proving we are indeed sinful.

Is now a good time to ask, if the law and commandments are to convict us of sin, why was Adam and Eve put under the law not to eat so their eyes could be opened to their nakedness which they had before they ate IF their nakedness is NOT A METAPHOR FOR SINFULNESS?

IF 1 Timothy 1:8-10 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, is accepted, can it not be noted that Adam and Eve had to be sinful to receive the law not to eat because the law is only for the lawless and disobedient, not the just, ie, the righteous?

Romans 7:13 Did that which is good [the law], then, become death to me? Certainly not! But in order that sin might be exposed as sin, it produced death in me...curious that the law exposed A&E's sin and their lack of shame, which they didn't accept until they broke the law and had their eyes opened by the fact that if they were as righteous as they thought, they should have been able to keep a simple law as do not eat!

 
marhig

marhig

Well-known member
genuineoriginal said:
In another thread, [MENTION=7640]Town Heretic[/MENTION] stated that the aim of the law is justice.

I disagree.

What do you think the aim of the Law of Moses is?
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The law shows us sin and if followed right, they helps us to put sin to death. But it's the Spirit that brings life, and with that life comes power and we receive the power to gradually overcome the works of the flesh as we walk in the goodness of God. The more we listen to the Spirit and turn from sin the more we overcome, and the stronger we become in God, as the laws are written in our hearts and in our minds through the Spirit as he teaches us and guides us in the truth daily helping us to overcome sin. Putting our old man to death by the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God as those who truly belong to God are cleansed by the washing of the water of the word, inside and out.

God's laws were never abolished, those born of God are taught the laws within their hearts, and their hearts are changed to me more like that of Christ Jesus as they obey the gospel, obey the truth and truly follow Jesus, (who is our example to follow) in word and deed.

And those who truly belong to God don't do it because they have to, they obey God because they love him and they want to please him and they have true faith.
 
JonahofAkron

JonahofAkron

New member
ttruscott said:
Why not use the dictates of scripture and follow the logic?

Romans 3:20 Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the Law. For the Law merely brings awareness of sin.
Romans 7:7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. No one would ever repent without knowing, without having their eyes opened to their sin by the law.

Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ie, to an understanding of our need for Him to save us from our sinfulness by proving we are indeed sinful.

Is now a good time to ask, if the law and commandments are to convict us of sin, why was Adam and Eve put under the law not to eat so their eyes could be opened to their nakedness which they had before they ate IF their nakedness is NOT A METAPHOR FOR SINFULNESS?

IF 1 Timothy 1:8-10 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, is accepted, can it not be noted that Adam and Eve had to be sinful to receive the law not to eat because the law is only for the lawless and disobedient, not the just, ie, the righteous?

Romans 7:13 Did that which is good [the law], then, become death to me? Certainly not! But in order that sin might be exposed as sin, it produced death in me...curious that the law exposed A&E's sin and their lack of shame, which they didn't accept until they broke the law and had their eyes opened by the fact that if they were as righteous as they thought, they should have been able to keep a simple law as do not eat!
Click to expand...
I would argue for 2 Timothy 3:16-17, also. The Law is a part of this 'scripture' that Paul discusses.

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ttruscott

ttruscott

Well-known member
JonahofAkron said:
I would argue for 2 Timothy 3:16-17, also. The Law is a part of this 'scripture' that Paul discusses.

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I agree THE SCRIPTURE is also profitable for these things but the purpose of that part of scripture called the law or commandments was to convict of sin...and A&E were given a command.

How has your answer furthered my questions at all? Why not tell me what you think hw the verses I quoted are wrongly interpreted?
 
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