Law of Moses: What was it's purpose?
- Terry J. Autry
- May 21, 2015
- 4 min read
Jesus said to Love God and to love your neighbor… All we have to do is follow what Jesus said. THOSE ARE THE two greatest commandments right there. If you do these two things, guess what? You have already fulfilled the entire LAW. The LAW is an entire system because it comes with rules, regulations, and norms and exceptions and if you are caught breaking the LAW, you will be put to death or punished. This is where Jesus comes in. HE didn’t abolish the LAW, because GOD's laws can't be abolished. HE fulfilled the LAW because that entire system pointed to HIM. The entire LAW which included all those ceremonies and punishments was fulfilled in Jesus.
The LAW is an entire system. If you break one of those laws or commands you are cursed. So here comes Jesus to fulfill it because it pointed to HIM. The LAW was a system that tried to keep people in line. The LAW said thou shalt not kill or steal, etc. right? So then if they broke the LAW, the LAW had a punishing legal side that said if you stole, things happened. If you killed, someone could avenge their loved ones death where the killer fled into a city of refuge. The LAW said don’t worship idols or make any graven images right? If you broke that law, the LAW had a punishment and it was the person had to be stoned. The LAW said don’t commit adultery. If you did that, guess what? You were either stoned or the woman caught had to drink bitter water like that of a curse.
So we have two sides. We have the LAW, WHICH IS an entire system including judicial and legal guides where one is punished and then we have the part where if you obey the LAW, you don’t have to face the punishments. This is where the New Testament word NOMOS comes in at which means LAW. Nomos says to the Greek, there are legal exceptions to the LAW. The LAW has norms and exceptions. So to a Greek when Paul said, those who are led by the SPIRIT are not under the LAW. Paul was saying to the Greek, you are not breaking the law my friend, you just have legal exceptions to the LAW because God's LAW will always stand. He was saying since Jesus died on the cross and arose from the dead and gave out HIS SPIRIT, you have those legal exceptions from the LAW. To a Greek that's what it meant.
Jesus didn’t abolish GOD's laws, because GOD's laws are forever. What HE is saying is that Jesus fulfilled the LAW because Jesus did everything that was upright and perfect and was able to keep the LAW (aka the Ten Commandments) perfectly without breaking any one of those laws. It kept Jesus from having to go through all that legal and judicial stuff. Jesus fulfilled the entire LAW by loving GOD and HIS neighbor. HE loved GOD because HE obeyed HIS every command. HE loved us because HE died on the cross. So HE kept the entire LAW right there. Let it be known that the entire LAW even though it's an entire system, has its foundation in the Ten Commandments. Jesus obeyed each. And HE FULFILLED the entire thing.
Coming back to us now, since we are led by the SPIRIT, the SPIRIT keeps us in line by causing us to love GOD and our neighbor as in the New Testament. By doing this, there's no reason I would have to result to the judicial and ceremonial laws, cleansing laws and punishments. I am keeping the LAW through the spirit. It’s just system itself is not there for those that are under Christ’s law. The law became void through Jesus. Everything from sacrificing to priests, to the natural Sabbath, etc. It means the legal side is fulfilled forever when you come under Christ’s law.
If you are under the LAW, you also had the whole system that came with it. We are still keeping the LAW but the system is fulfilled and it is not our guide. If you broke the LAW, you had to get right. We are not under that law today. We are led by the SPIRIT so that if I do wrong today, I am able to go to GOD, not to a natural priest. And this folks is how it all works. That is why we are not under the LAW. The LAW is always here. We just are not under its influence. That’s all this means. It is now the SPIRIT teaches us and leads us today not the LAW.
Reference Verses:
Matthew 22:36-40
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
Galatians 5:14: For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF
Galatians 3:19-25
Purpose of the Law
19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
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