The Law of Moses allowed divorce, which Yeshua told us was because of the hardness of men’s hearts. Differing opinions within Judaism allowed husbands to divorce their wives for almost any reason. Yeshua allowed divorce for one reason only – sexual unfaithfulness.
The Law of Moses commanded Israelis to love their neighbors as themselves. Other religious codes do the same, such as Islam; however Islam’s meaning of that is much different than the Law that YHVH gave to Israel. Yeshua commands us not only to love our fellowman as ourselves, but also our enemies. And above all that, He gives His disciples a new commandment, that we are to love one another as He has loved us. The royal law to love one another as we love ourselves is already a high bar for most human beings; the new commandment raises this standard to the level of God’s love. The Father has redeemed us to become conformed to the image of His beloved Son, who is the express image of the invisible God. What love He has bestowed upon us to call us the children of God!
The Law of Moses teaches us that God forgives sins, and provides a substitutionary sacrifice for us to receive His forgiveness. The Law of Messiah teaches and commands us to also forgive sins. When Yeshua forgave the paralyzed man, the religious berated Him, saying only God can forgive sins. But the Lord said that the Son of Man also has authority to forgive people their sins. (Forgiving is implied in the command to love our neighbor as ourselves, but it is not explicitly commanded in the Torah. Yeshua brought it to light, and makes it a condition of true godliness — being like God, our Father.) Jesus tells us that if we do not forgive sins of others against us, then neither will our heavenly Father forgive us. If we, who have been forgiven so much by God through the sacrifice of His Son, do not forgive our fellows for the far less debt they may owe us, then the Lord will take back His mercy shown us and require us to pay back the full amount! (Mt 6:14-15; 18:21-35)
Joseph is the best example we have from the Tanach of someone who forgave grievous sins and betrayal. He lived before the giving of the Law of Moses, but, by Joseph’s fear of the LORD and his faith, the Holy Spirit and grace of God enabled Joseph to overcome those very difficult circumstances that he suffered; and he also saw how God worked all things to together for good for him, who loved the LORD and was called according to His purpose.
As believers and disciples of Yeshua, we do not want to return to the lower standard of the former covenant – a standard which the Apostle Peter said was a yoke that they nor our fathers could bear — but to go on to full maturity in the liberty and exceeding glory of the blood of the New Covenant of the Lord and Messiah. (Acts 15:9-11)
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Messiah Yeshua has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phlp 3:12-14)
Thank-you, Sam, for coming to my defense (in a personal e-mail). I appreciate that. Those who tried to ‘shame’ me do not really know what they are talking about. It is not me that sets God’s standard for righteousness, and I did not get into any contingencies. The gospel came to the Jews first, so the changes and differences are first of all for Jewish believers to ‘get’. The Messianic roots of the Christian faith are in the Word of God given to the Jews, through whom salvation comes, even through Yeshua, of the seed of David, and of Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham.
Yeshua raised the bar for righteousness, though, above what He gave to Moses for Israel. Not only that the Law is written in our hearts and in our minds, but beyond that to a higher standard of perfection, which the Law could not do. Paul writes (and he was the quintessential Jew) in different places that the Law is for sinners, for children, and for slaves. So if we — who are now called sons and daughters and friends of God — live by the Spirit (which I do not always do), and live by faith (which I do not always do), then we will fulfill the righteousness of the higher standard — which is the Lord Himself — which incorporates the lower standard in it. Thanks and praise to God that He is still my Savior! My righteousness is in Him! There are still Jewish people and still Gentile people and still the Church of God — made up of both, but being neither. And for born-again believers, we are under the one Law of Christ, and not under different laws, one for Jewish believers and another for Gentile believers. We are a priesthood together; and just as the Levites and the Priests had different regulations to live by than the rest of their Israeli brethren, so, too, do we than those who are not in Christ.
God has not done away with the Law, as I wrote. It will all be fulfilled, even throughout the Millennial Kingdom, as well as modified. But it is passing away; but that which is eternal will never pass away. As far as I understand what I read, at the end of the 1000 year kingdom, Jesus returns all authority back to the Father, so that God will be all and in all (not at all like pantheism now). When love is perfected, there will be no need for ruling over anyone, nor for law. [Perfect] love is the fulfillment of the Law — whether of Moses, or of Messiah.
There is a lawful use of the Law, Paul writes. There are many principles within the Law for us to learn from and apply. But that is not the same as being under the Law of commandments. The doctrines of the Apostles, as taught them by the Holy Spirit, based upon the teachings of Messiah, who spoke only that which the Father gave Him — these are what we are “beholden to” in the grace of God. Yet even here, we are saved by faith in the finished work of Yeshua on the cross!
O for that day!
Yes Howard, I agree with you…..we are not under the Law of Commandments, yet we follow the precepts that Paul and the apostles passed onto us in Acts and the Letters, which ultimately are based on the Law, and which also reflect the heart of the Lord……also imho!
Thanks Howard…..you are a very good writer, and have much to bring to the believing and unbelieving public!
By the way Howard, while disappointed in general with the comments to your article as posted on Kehilanews, I enjoyed the response to the first comment….19 total comments so far. I am a gentile. I am saved by faith in Yeshua, being ignorant of the Mosaic Law. Paul was personally tasked by Yeshua to explain to gentiles like me what we should do after justification by faith, to live to please Him. Paul taught the moral aspects of the Law, yet did not require Titus the Greek to be circumcised. Paul, as the ambassador to Gentiles like myself, did not ever explain to gentiles like me to quit fishing for octopus, or to exterminate my herds of swine…..rather he stressed to consider the needs of others above those of myself……..so, I could be wrong, and maybe should not be eating shrimp, one of my favorite proteins. I will find out in the millenium, but as far as I can tell from the teachings of the ambassador to gentiles like me, Paul emphasizes adherence to the moral aspects of the Law, not because of the written letter, but because the written letter reveals the character of G_d, and under the New Covenant, in which the law is written in our hearts, we resonate with the moral attributes of the law from time immemorialable…..because the Mosaic Law was completed at the cross….yet the Mosaic Law still today reveals His character, which we yearn to be like and to please……
But, since 70 AD, we cannot practice a huge chunk of Mosaic Law, and one might well argue the Mosaic Law ended when the Temple was destroyed, the Sanhedrin abolished, and the People Amiyim scattered, according to Devarim 28-32…..while the Mosaic Law died on the cross, the everlasting covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still thrives, and is being fulfilled before our very eyes.
Therefore, Paul teaches us gentiles through his letters, as the appointed ambassador to the gentiles, to abide with the aspects of the Mosaic Law that are important, and we can see those aspects deal with the moral character of G_d. The Mosaic Law does not apply as the New Covenant has taken precedence, in that the Covenant in His blood is “written upon our hearts”, Jew and Gentile, and our hearts resonate with His character as revealed in the Tanach……
Shalom, and I most certainly do not have everything down correctly!
Hi Sam. Thanks, as always, for your encouragement.
It is my understanding that no born-again believer — whether Jewish or not — is under the Law of Moses. As you say, there are very many things that can not be observed, and many others that no one chooses to do, or can do. Yet the NT, through the gospel, calls us to a higher standard of righteousness, and by living by the Holy Spirit, we will fulfill that in Messiah, who did fulfill all the righteous requirements of the Law given to Israel, which He submitted to in order to redeem His people.
As for culture, every culture has redeemable elements, as well as unredeemable, and we need to learn to discern the difference. Not always so simple. There are also cultural aspects which are lawful for us, but not really appropriate for us, or which do not build up other believers, especially younger in maturity. And, if the God of Israel has told His chosen people, to whom He gave them their “culture”, that there are some changes and differences for those who believe in Jesus/Yeshua, then how much more so for Gentiles regarding their heathen cultures.
As for food, though, the NT is clear that it is no longer an issue for believers; yet none of us are to eat blood, eat meat that we are told has been offered to and idol; or from an animal that was strangled in order to eat it. Yeshua made all foods clean: the clean foods under the Law were already clean, therefore He has through His sacrifice made the unclean animals clean for eating. If He has made me clean, a sinful and unclean Jew in my sins; and if He has made the Gentiles equally clean by faith in Him; then He can make any food clean, which goes in and then out. He wants US not to be like those unclean animals. This issue of food is brought up in several places in the NT, and they are consistent in applying what Yeshua taught about that. And by this gospel truth, the Lord has also freed us up to be sent anywhere for His service, and to fellowship with those to whom we are sent, and with others with whom we serve Him. I am free to eat, or not to eat, unless I am required to to prove something to them.
Sam, just to add another few thoughts:
The Law of Moses is not finished; it is finishing. It is not obsolete; it is becoming obsolete (obsolescent). It IS finished for believers for RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Every jot and tittle of the Law and the Prophets will be fulfilled, and there are still quite a lot of those, including judgment and redemption. The law during the Millennial Kingdom seems to be a modification of the Mosaic Law, according to Ezek 40 – 48.