DOES G-D'S LAW APPLY TODAY?

Messianic Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Moshe: Bible Study, March 27, 2007

Shalom

Begin with Luke 4:1-13…There is much controversy about the law among the various religions of this age. Unfortunately, the general consensus among the anti-nomians is that the law has been done away That is, obedience to the laws of the Old Testament is no longer required. In our modern society it seems that the majority rules. The fact is the majority of professed believers say the law was nailed to the stake or the law was annulled or cancelled.

Colossians 2:14 among other verses are then quoted as verification. Is this point of view valid? Could this vast majority be wrong? It is alleged YESHUA (Jesus) fulfilled the law thus bringing it to an end. Matthew 5:17 is quoted to verify this point. Just believe and you will be saved, that is all that is required and Acts 16:31 will be quoted to attest to this modern concept.

A cursory reading of many scriptures seems to imply that the law was done away. Do these scriptures all add up to the ultimate conclusion that the law is truly cancelled? Could this vast majority of religions be mistaken? Could the numerous scholars who have studied this subject and arrived at this conclusion be in error? Isn't it probable that the majority is right and the minority is wrong? Let's turn to Revelation 12:9 to find the answer to this question:

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

According to this scripture, the whole world has been deceived by Satan. This is the majority. Could this include the scholars and highly trained teachers? Indeed it can and has.

TRUTH HIDDEN FROM THE WISE

The answer to this question is also in G-D's word, Matt.11:25 YESHUA says the deeper truths of G-D's word have been hidden from the wise and scholarly and have been revealed to babes. The word babe in Greek is Nepios meaning unlearned, simple thinking people. G-D said that He would confound the scholarly and those who propose to be great He tells us that the majority (including the scholarly) are deceived; they are mistaken. "But Elohim hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and Elohim hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty," 1 Corinthians 1:27.

Keep this in mind during this study, you don't need to be a scholar or highly learned to understand the deep things of G-D. His truth has always been believed by the simple minority of pure hearts which has been right while the majority was wrong. To cite a few examples: Noah who G-D said was righteous, Gen.7:1.

Vayomer YHWH le-Noach bo-atah vechol-beytcha el-hatevah ki-otcha ra'iti tzaddik lefanai bador hazeh.

Noah was the minority but he and his family were right and the rest of the world was wrong and were destroyed on account of it. Lot was the only righteous one in two whole cities. Remember Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Eliyah, Elisha, the prophets and many, many others who were the minority in their time.

Let us not neglect to mention YESHUA who was the only right one in the whole world. His apostles who He taught were the minority. Yes, the majority can be mistaken. They can be deceived. With this in mind let us begin by understanding how the unlearned, simple thinking person can understand while the wise and scholarly cannot. 1 Cor. 2:1-16 answers the question to its fullest. The deep things of G-D are spiritually discerned. They don't come by the wisdom of man but are given us through the Spirit of G-D. The Holy Spirit will lead us into all the truth if we are receptive, John 16:13. Through the Holy Spirit we have access to the mind of the Messiah. 1 Cor. 2:16

Let us now allow G-D's Spirit to work in us as we begin to study deeper into the subject of the Law. It is commonly referred to as the law of Moses. This implies that the law originated with Moses. Let's clarify just where the law came from:

Sh’mot 13:9 Vehayah lecha le'ot al-yadcha ulezikaron bein eineicha lema'an tihyeh torat YHWH beficha ki beyad chazakah hotzi'acha YHWH miMitzrayim.

"And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that G-D's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath G-D brought thee out of Egypt," Exodus 13:9.

Sh’mot 16:4 Vayomer YHWH el-Moshe hineni mamtir lachem lechem min-hashamayim veyatza ha'am velaktu davar-yom beyomo lema'an anasenu hayelech betorati im-lo.
"Then said G-D unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no," Exodus 16:4.

THE LAW IN GENESIS

These and many other scriptures confirm that it is G-D's law. It originated and came from Him. No one will argue that point as it is self-evident. The setting of this groundwork is to show that these same laws that were given at the time of Moses were in force and known to the patriarchs and others even in pre-flood times and did not originate at the time of Moses. A careful study of the book of Bereshith/Genesis will reveal this truth.

A few of the more prominent scriptures on this topic start with Cain and Abel in Genesis, chapter four. Two things of note occur in this chapter. First, Cain and Abel both brought offerings to present to G-D. Abel's was accepted while Cain’s was rejected. Cain was crestfallen over his rejection. He was angry. G-D asked him why he was angry, then declared Cain would be accepted if he did right. If he did not do right, sin was crouching at the door.

1 John 3:4 states, “Sin is the transgression of the law”. G-D told Cain he did wrong. If he did wrong, there of necessity had to be a law defining what was right in that situation. The presence of sin necessitates a law must have been broken, else it would not be a transgression. If Cain had not transgressed a law concerning offerings and what was acceptable, his offering would have been accepted. G-D expected him to know what was right and what was wrong. Knowing this, his offering was rejected.

Following this, Cain was furious. He tricked Abel into traveling into the wilderness where he killed him and buried his body. Cain knew this was wrong and he was punished because he knowingly killed his brother. For there to be a penalty there had to be a transgression or breaking of the law. Paul said that where there is no law there is no transgression. It follows that if there is no law there can be no sin and no penalty, Rom.4:15. Did Cain know of a commandment that said, thou shalt not kill? It is obvious that he did.

Let's go forward to another prominent case where it is evident that the Ten Commandments were known to Joseph, Gen. 39:8-10.

8 Vayema'en vayomer el-eshet adonav hen adoni lo-yada iti mah-babayit vechol asher-yesh-lo natan beyadi.
He refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, my master knows nothing about what I am doing in the house, and all that he possess, he has placed in my hands.

9 Eynenu gadol babayit hazeh mimeni velo-chasach mimeni me'umah ki im-otach ba'asher at-ishto ve'eych e'eseh hara'ah hagdolah hazot vechatati le-Elokim.
No one in this house is greater than me. He has not withheld anything from me other than you, for you are his wife. How can I do such a great evil, and sin against G-d."

Joseph, after being sold as a slave into Egypt found favor with Potiphar, a captain of Pharaohs guard and was given charge over all Potiphars possessions. Potiphar's wife desired to lay with Joseph, but he resisted her advances, saying he could not do such a terrible thing and sin against G-D, verse 9.

How did Joseph know it would be a sin to lay with her? He was very familiar with the Commandment, thou shalt not commit adultery evidently taught by his forefathers. It was said of Abraham by G-D in Gen.26:5

5 Ekev asher-shama Avraham bekoli vayishmor mishmarti mitzvotai chukotai vetorotai.
[All this is] because Avraham listened to My voice, and minded My mandate, My commandments, My decrees and My Torah."

Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws. It was not just the Ten Commandments that were known to the pre-flood followers of G-D. And lest we forget, Noah knew about clean and unclean foods, Gen.7:1-5.

LAW ADDED DUE TO TRANSGRESSIONS

There are many more scriptures to verify that the law as given by the Ten Commandments was known and obeyed before it was given to Moses at Mt.Sinai. But these will suffice for the purpose of this study. To come to a correct understanding as to whether the law has been done away, we first need to know what the law is and what it does and how G-D uses it. Let's go backward in time to Paul’s day and examine a scripture that most think says that the law was given as a punishment for sin committed by the Israelites. This question arises from time to time on the meaning of Gal.3:19: why then the law? It was added because of transgressions. Is it really correct to say the law was added as punishment? G-D gave Moses the law to give to the Israelites. Can you think of a good reason why a written code of laws was necessary at that time? Let's go back to the very beginning of mankind to find the answer. G-D instructed Adam fully when he was created. Paul said sin entered the world through Adam, Rom. 5:12 (more on this scripture later.) Since sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4) then Adam was fully instructed in the law of G-D. This law was handed down from father to son for many generations (as yet not a written code of ethics). Circumstances led Jacob (Israel) and his family to take up residence in Egypt.

Because of Joseph they found favor in the eyes of the Pharaoh. In due time a new Pharaoh came to power who did not know Joseph and was not disposed to be kind to the Israelites. They were forced into slavery where they remained for 430 years; they were not allowed to keep Sabbath, make offerings etc., to their Elohim G-D. They gradually lost sight of whom and what they were. They forgot G-D's laws, statutes, and commands which their forefather Abraham had kept and handed down to his sons. Moses questioned who it was He was talking to at the burning bush, Exodus 3:16. The Israelites would demand proof of whom Moses was speaking for they had lost contact with and had little memory of the Elohim of their fathers, being residents of pagan Egypt for over 400 years.

They were ecstatic to leave Egypt and finally be free. However, the joy soon turned to complaining as they encountered numerous problems along the way and did not know the power and loyalty of almighty G-D. This attitude continued throughout the journey to Mount Sinai. When Moses went up to Sinai to receive G-D's instructions for the Israelites, he was gone forty days. They were so accustomed to the false deities of Egypt that they told Aaron to make them a deity, something they could see, something they could look at. Aaron complied, Ex. 32:1-6.

Take special note of this: they did not realize they were sinning. This was the deity which brought them out of Egypt as far as they were concerned, verse 4. They were following the practices of Egypt where they had been for 430 years. That is why they were given the law, to identify sin for them, Gal. 3:19. Not for punishment as some think, but to identify sin for the Israelites. The law was now written in stone to identify clearly what G-D's principles are. The law was etched in stone for Israel because of their sins, their transgressions.

This has not changed. The law still identifies sin, Rom.3:20, last part. Paul says, through the law comes the knowledge of sin. He says, also, (Rom.7:12) he didn't know he was coveting until the law identified it for him. He sees the law as a Holy thing and the Commandment is Holy, just and good, verse 12. He agreed totally with Moses on this subject, Deut. 4:5-8. He saw the law as bringing wisdom to the Israelites. He saw the righteous concepts that the law teaches, verse 8.

Remember, the Israelites had been without law and any moral principles for hundreds of years while in Egypt. G-D could not in good conscience hold them responsible for their actions in this situation. Paul understood the concept, where there is no law there is no transgression Rom. 4:15. Yet he said in Romans 5:13: sin was in the world before the law was given referring to the written code given to Moses at Mount Sinai. G-D in His goodness and fairness could not impute a penalty without first outlining the transgression which He did through publishing and codifying the law.

PURPOSE OF THE LAW

Therein lies the purpose of the law. It instructs. It tells us the difference between right and wrong The law does not make us righteous. It does not give us salvation. It guides. Let me qualify these statements. The law does not make us righteous. It has no power to do that. It instructs us in righteous behaviour. It does not give us salvation. It is a mirror, rule and guide. It monitors our behaviour. It establishes rules to live by. It instructs us in the righteous behaviour that leads to the salvation process. That is what the law does. It instructs. That is what it did for the Israelites and that is what it does for us. Let us proceed with the law force and YESHUA not yet in the picture. The law defines sin. Sin is the transgression of the law, 1 John 3:4.The wages of sin is death. Rom. 6:23 first part. Therein lies the curse of the law, Gal. 3:13.

DEATH IS A CURSE

Death is a permanent condition that lasts for all eternity. There is no provision in the law for a resurrection. There is no provision in the law for eternal life. There are just temporal rewards pertaining to this life for obedience and a death sentence for disobedience. Death eternal. If we obey the law it is powerless in regard to us in that we are not under the penalty of death. We empower the law when we disobey. When we sin we give the law power over us and it can now demand a penalty to be paid. That penalty (wages of sin) is our death, Rom. 6:23. This is eternal death from which there is no escape.

Remember, there is no provision in the law for a resurrection. If we have sinned but once, the death penalty stands against us. There is no provision in the law for our forgiveness. From that point on, if we obey the law to perfection the death penalty for that one infraction still stands against us. It must be paid before we are right with G-D. It requires us to be dead forever. That is the state we are in with the law and without YESHUA.

Dead for all eternity. What would we gain by paying the penalty for our own sins? We are dead forever and still separated from G-D. What would G-D gain from this? Nothing. Just billions of eternally dead people whose whole existence was pointless from both positions. Question: can the law make us righteous? Answer: no, it can only instruct us and demand a penalty if we fail to heed its instructions. Can you see how pointless it would be for us to pay the penalty for our sins? We would be dead for all eternity with no hope of living again.

Therein lies the curse of the law that Paul speaks about in Gal. 3:13: the death penalty that hangs over everyone. He said in Col. 2:13 that we were dead in our trespasses. Paul fully understood the condition of mankind without Messiah. In Col. 2:14 he talks about a Cheirographon or legal bond (written debt) which stands against us. This scripture has been translated in various ways: King James: handwriting of ordinances New International: having cancelled the written code with its regulations Revised Standard: having cancelled the bond which stood against us. All these phrases are translated from a single Greek word, Cheirographon. It means a legal bond of indebtedness This Cheirographon stood against us. This legal bond of indebtedness was the penalty that the law demanded to be paid, the death penalty for our sins. We could not pay this debt ourselves. We have already seen the futility in that.

SALVATION IN YESHUA

Enter Messiah YESHUA! He became cursed on our behalf Gal. 3:13. He paid the cheirographon or Bond that was against us and set us free from the laws curse. This cheirographon was marked paid and (symbolically) nailed to the tree with Messiah. Col. 2:14. Messiah accomplished what we on our own could not do. We are now justified before G-D. Rom. 5:9-10. We are reconciled to the Heavenly Father.

Take special note: This is not a completed salvation process! This is the beginning of the salvation process only! Give attention to the last part of verses 9 and 10. It says that now being justified or reconciled by the death of His Son we shall be saved by His life, 1 Cor. 15:17.

If Messiah has not been raised your faith is futile and you are still in your sins wrote the Apostle Paul. We are reconciled to the Father by the Death of YESHUA but we are saved by His life. Paul understood this and explains how this can be in Gal. 2-20. It is no longer I who live but Messiah lives in me. It is the resurrection and life of YESHUA that will save us. The salvation process began at the torture stake and Savior continues that process in us throughout our lives. Now that YESHUA has paid the penalty the law demanded which began the salvation process in us, where does that leave the law? Is it still required? Does it still play the same role in G-D's plan as it did before the death of YESHUA?

FORGIVENESS FOR BREAKING THE LAW

YESHUA saw the law was an instructor. He saw that it identified sin for us. He saw that it was powerless if we obeyed it. We give it power over us if we disobey its instructions. We give it the power to demand our death. Is this still the case? Can we still come under the curse of the law?

To begin to understand our current relationship with the law let's use an example from our era. When Queen Elizabeth was coronated she granted pardons to many criminals. Some were convicted murderers with life sentences. They did not pay the penalty for their crimes. The Queen forgave them and set them free. They were under her grace.

Did she cancel the law that convicted them? No, she cancelled the penalty. Could the law possibly convict them again? Could they fall from the Queens grace? Were they now free to do whatever they desired with no further consequences? Could the law no longer touch them? They remain under the Queens grace as long as they obey the law. If they break the law, they fall from the Queens grace and can once again be convicted by the law. The law still identifies criminal activities just as it did before the Queen was coronated. She cancelled the penalty not the law.

It is no different today with G-D's laws. G-D granted us pardons through the death of His Son who paid the penalty in our place. The law remains as it was before. It is still an instructor and identifies sin. We are under G-D's grace. We remain in this state as long as we obey the law. G-D's plan is superior to the Queens plan.

G-D has inserted a forgiveness clause. He will reapply HIS blood as atonement for our sin if we do transgress the law, but only if we sincerely repent. 1 John 1:9 also 1 John 2:1-2. If we do sin, transgress the law (1John 3:4), He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins. When sin exists, it needs to be forgiven and the law must also exist to identify it.

LAW DONE AWAY - NO SIN

As was stated in the beginning of this study, the teaching that the law was nailed to the cross is erroneous. Let's take this concept to its ultimate conclusion. Assume for a moment that this is true, that the law is done away. 1 John 3:4 says sin is the transgression of the law. If, then, there is no law there can be no sin. Then there can be no penalty. Paul said, where there is no law there is no transgression Rom. 4:15; 5:13.

Where does that leave us in relation to YESHUA and His sacrifice? If there is no law, then sin was cancelled at the stake. Since sin is the transgression of the law and it was cancelled, then every one born after that time has not sinned and has incurred no penalty needing forgiveness because there is no law. What does this mean? It means for those who teach that Hell is real and is where sinners go, Hell will actually be an empty place. If the law was nailed to the cross, then one could commit genocide (mass murder), participate in ethnic cleansing, rape, steal, commit adultery, violate the Sabbath, and not have to worry about any form of consequence or punishment. Therefore, YESHUA did not die for your sins or mine as we haven't committed any, as we were born after He died and got rid of the law, and to this day we have not sinned, according to the no law teachers. That is the ultimate conclusion to the law done away concept.

In that case we are not under grace because grace would not be necessary. There can be no other conclusion. How does this concept square with scripture? 1 John 1:8 says, if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. John wrote this statement some 50 to 65 years after the death and glorious resurrection of YESHUA. He also said sin was still in the world, (1 John 1:10) if we say we have not sinned we make Him a liar and the truth is not in us. So what are we saying by the law done away statement? We are calling YESHUA a liar and the truth is not in us. Read the scripture again. That is what it says!!!

SIN IS STILL WITH US

What about the many scriptures that are quoted that seem to say the law was done away? Most of these scriptures are in the writings of Paul. The first thing we need to know is Paul’s attitude toward the law. A good place to start is with Paul’s own words in Acts 24:14: but this I admit to you, that according to The Way, which they call a sect, so I worship the ELOHIM (LORD) of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the law or written in the prophets.

If you read the preceding chapter you will find that Paul was being accused by the Jews of preaching against the law, Acts 23:29. Isn't that what people say even today, that Paul teaches against the law? Read again his response to this charge in Acts 24:14. In Acts 25:8 Paul says, “Neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I offended at all”. Paul was innocent of the charges brought against him at that time and is still innocent of the same charge that is brought against him today by most of the Christian professing world. Paul taught the law is Holy and the Commandments are Holy, just and good. Rom. 7:12.

We have seen previously that Paul recognized that the law identifies sin. Rom. 3:20. Remember, YESHUA had died and was resurrected many years before Paul wrote this. But Paul said the law still identifies sin. It is still doing what it had done since creation, defining what sin is. It still instructs. Consequently, Torah actually means teachings, instructions…

Notice especially that Peter warns us to be careful of Pauls writings: "As also in all his [Pauls] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction," 2 Peter 3:15-16 AV.

YESHUA'S WORDS

Let's go now to the person who was supposedly the head of the Jerusalem assembly of believers. He is writing to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. In James 2:8-12, he discusses the royal law. You shall love your neighbour as yourself. That is the second part of the royal law. Let's turn to Matt. 22:37-40 to find the complete royal law. You shall love G-D your ELOHIM with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind verse 38. This is the first and great Commandment and the second is like it: you shall love your neighbour as yourself verse 40. On these two Commandments hang the law and the prophets. The first four of the Ten Commandments tell us how to love G-D and the last six tell us how to love our neighbour.

In James 2:8-12, we read in verse 10: If you break one point of the law you become guilty of it all. He adds that the one who said do not commit adultery also said thou shalt not kill. Can you see how the royal law we are to live by encapsulates each of the Ten Commandments? They are the full embodiment of G-D's law. James wrote many years after the death and resurrection of YESHUA. Even so, James is still talking about the law as being equally binding on all those who consider themselves true believers.

PERVERTED UNDERSTANDING

Don’t forget Messiah’s own words in Matthew 5:17 where he states “Do not think that I come to destroy the law’. Yet, in spite of that stern warning, that is exactly what many professing believers think and teach today. YESHUA fulfilled the law so we don't have to they erroneously declare! The word fulfill is understood in this way: I have fulfilled my duty so the duty no longer exists. It is understood in the sense of bringing something to an end. This is not the meaning it had in the old English of the 1611 translation of the King James Bible. At that time it meant to make replete or to cram to the fullest. In other words, to fill full. Fill to the brim. To execute the letter and the spirit of the law.

This is an example of the way word meanings change over the centuries. Another example of this is 1 Thes. 4:15: For this I say unto you by the word of the Master, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Master shall not prevent them which are asleep. Notice the word PREVENT. In the King James Translation of the Bible it means to precede or go before. The word does not have that meaning in today’s English. It means to stop something from happening or to stop someone from doing something. It is the same with the word fulfill.

MAGNIFIED THE LAW

Returning to Matt. 5:17, let us understand exactly what YESHUA said and meant by His statement. We must turn to the Greek language from which the King James was translated. The Greek word for abolish is “kataluo” It means to loosen down, to destroy demolish. The Greek for fulfill is “pleroo” It means to cram full, to make replete to level up. YESHUA said He didn't come to kataluo (to destroy) but to pleroo (build up or magnify) the law. He came to expand the law to encompass its fullest spiritual meaning. Isn't that just what He went on to do in verses 18 to 48? He took the law from thou shalt not do, to the spiritual thou shalt not WANT to do. Was it not to show that sin begins in the mind and heart? YESHUA magnified the law and made it honorable, Isaiah 42:21. Since YESHUA went on to expand the law to its fullest, should we honestly think that it was done away? Was He not preparing the way for writing the law in the hearts and minds of His people in HIS coming Kingdom?

There are many other scriptures that are used in an attempt to prove that the law was done away. This is done mainly by changing the subject of a statement to something it is not. So when someone tells you the laws of G-D have been nailed to the cross and no longer exists, ruuuunnn! AMEIN!