This following writing has been weighing on me for some time now. Often when people look at the Old Testament law they have tried to categorize it in an effort to discern what still stands today and what doesn't. Sadly I find that the common method of this right now is not only faulty but entirely unbiblical. And so I will be showing a few methods use to do categorize the Law that are shown Biblically and hopefully allow you to understand more of scripture and what we are to follow when we commit to following God and his commandments.
At the core of this writing I wish to make four scriptures center focus, both from Yeshua's very tongue. I won't be saying them again, but please do keep them in mind. First is John 14:15-16, 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands; 16 and
I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforting
Counselor like me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever. And second is John 14:21, 21 Whoever
has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me, and the one who
loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal
myself to him.” Next is 1 John 5:3, 3 For loving God means obeying his commands. Moreover, his commands are not burdensome, Last but not least is Matthew 5:17-20, 17 “Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot
and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of
Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in
the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P’rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven! These really do sum up why we had best find which commands are standing today for us to obey and which are not!
The common method of dividing the Law of God is into a three part system. Judicial, Ceremonial and Moral. This can be looked at further on GotQuestions and CARM. The problem here is both are guilty of lumping some of the laws in places that just don't fit according to what God himself has said in his Bible. In which he lists two methods for classifying his Law and sin, the consequence of breaking them.
So first lets look at what God himself said about dividing the Law, in Matthew 22:36-40, 36 “Rabbi, which of the mitzvot (commandment) in the Torah is the most important?” 37 He told him, “‘You are to love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’[Duet6:5] 38 This is the greatest and most important mitzvah. 39 And a second is similar to it, ‘You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’[Lev19:18] 40 All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot.”
There is a keyword in that passage that is so often overlooked, All. All of the Law and the Prophets are dependent on these two commandments. Now, nobody argues this of the ten commandments. The first four relate to loving God with all our hearts, soul and strength; while the next six relate to how we deal with each other. But what of the rest of the laws in the Old Testament? How do they fit?
While I go through and answer that, for the sake of simplicity, I will go through the Laws, Old and New, showing how each cluster categorizes on it's own and how they fit into one of the two God Stated categories. To keep this as short and simple as possible I also will not be showing all the scripture for each, but instead their shortened forms with the chapter and verse reference. To view a full complete list of the Biblical Commandments, Here is the 613 Commandments of the Old Testament and Here is the 1050 Commandments of the New Testament. You'll notice I don't list out nearly so many, as review you'll find that many are variations on each other, causing repetitions. I also will not presenting all scriptures, as this is one entry, not a series, but hope to hit all the major points. So if you feel I missed something important please do feel free to tell me so I can rectify that. You'll also see that there really is a lot of overlap between categories which is why the Three title classification really falls slat, it simply can not be so simple to separate them out.
Let us start with Sacrificial laws, as they are typically agreed to across the board of Christianity, we'll ignore the fringe groups for the most part. As we can all agree, the sacrificial laws have been done away with the ultimate sacrifice of Yeshua HaMashiach. We see this in places like Hebrews 10:10, 10 It is in connection with this will that we have been separated for God and made holy, once and for all, through the offering of Yeshua the Messiah’s body. 1 John 2:2, 2 Also, he is the kapparah for our sins — and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world. And in Romans 2:15, 25 God put Yeshua forward as the kapparah for sin through his faithfulness in respect to his bloody sacrificial death. This vindicated God’s righteousness; because, in his forbearance, he had passed over [with neither punishment nor remission] the sins people had committed in the past;. And so let us not waste any time going into this section, as it could be a series on it's own, and I am sure we've all heard sermons on this topic or can find other such sources for further explanations. We also will not the touch the different kinds of offerings at this time, nor Ezekiel's aludements to some forms of offering remaining into the Millennial Kingdom - again another post all to itself. But even with them fullfilled now, they very much fit into the categories that Christ outlined, showing our love and obedience to Elohim.
We also need not look deeply into any laws given the Levites, the Priests. I do encourage you to look here yourselves for all sorts of interesting tidbits and symbologies but for the purpose of this writing this portion is done away with until the Millennial Kingdom comes with the second coming of Yeshua when the Priests will be reestablished and the Tabernacle is rebuilt. Without the Tabernacle, we can not have an order of Priests such as these anyways. And yet, even these fit into what the Messiah said, for during their period with their purpose unfulfilled they where used very much for loving Elohim and showing our devotion, Let us look to Hebrews 4:14-16, 14 Therefore, since we have a great cohen gadol who has passed through to the highest heaven, Yeshua, the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we acknowledge as true. 15 For we do not have a cohen gadol (High Priest) unable to empathize with our weaknesses; since in every respect he was tempted just as we are, the only difference being that he did not sin.16 Therefore, let us confidently approach the throne from which God gives grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.
Next lets touch on another that isn't to deeply debated, the Ten Commandments. Found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:2-21. We can all agree as I already stated that they do truly sum into the two categories of Christ, Loving God and Loving each other as ourselves. As these are considered the "Moral Commandments" by the three aforementioned categories they are still taught as standing today, in defiance of what Yeshua said, and what I earlier quoted, as they are not the sole commandments of Elohim and are never once stated as the only remaining Laws. In fact, to be consistent with a biblical standpoint to remove all the rest would mean these must be done away with as well. Sadly, this is why the three classifications are an issue. Because they separate what can not be alone, ignoring others who are easily 'moral', as I will show. And even amongst the ten, instead they are two categories, not one. The first Four relate to loving God. The next six to loving our neighbors as ourselves.
And on a special note within the ten commandments, to the western church right now they are more accurately the Nine. As the Sabbath has been neglected beyond recognition! No longer does the majority of Christ followers keep it as he told us to, but they make excuses for changing it, breaking it, and forgetting it altogether. Please let me direct you to Mark 2:27, 27 Then he said to them, “Shabbat was made for mankind, not mankind for Shabbat;. Should we not take a part in this day of rest that Elohim has given for our benefit? Not only is it in worship to him how he tells us to by dedicating it to Him but it is in loving ourselves by taking the much needed rest from the week!
Next we have the Holy Days, something that is often lumped into "Ceremonial" with the Priesthood laws and sacrificial laws. I would encourage you to challenge why this is. When we look at them objectively they are actually a different entity all together, as God himself said that they would stand forever and are standing right into the Millennial Kingdom in Revelations according to Exodus 12:14, 14 “‘This will be a day for you to remember and celebrate as a festival toAdonai; from generation to generation you are to celebrate it by a perpetual regulation. Zechariah 14:16, 16 Finally, everyone remaining from all the nations that came to attack Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) will go up every year to worship the king, Adonai-Tzva’ot, and to keep the festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles). And many others. So when looked at objectively they fall into the first category of Yeshua, Loving Elohim with all of our beings. In many of the traditions and Biblical mandates associated there are also parts which fall under loving others and caring for the needy. So they really do fall into those categories and scripture makes it plain they are not done away with, so why are these other sources lumping them in with parts of the law that are complete?
Another hotbed of misinformation is the Dietary Laws. Again, these have been lumped into the "Ceremonial" division by others but again I'd counter this idea. First and foremost not on the arguments about if we should be eating a Levitical Diet or not, but based upon why they where given to us. After all, if all the Laws and Prophets fit in as Christ said than even these would. Here is a link to my post in depth on the Dietary Laws, but for this post I will simply the most urgent part. God gave us all of our laws for a reason, so what purpose was this? Contrary to popular belief it isn't just because of the cleanliness of the time. Scientists have now proven that because people can not properly digest pork fat we instead absorb it into our own, which is a problem because since pork animals do not sweat their fat retains any toxins they eat. A pig, for example, can be bitten by a rattle snake and not die, but that toxin is then stored, while diluted, in the fat of the pig. If a person then eats this pig they are certain to get sick of the toxin has not diluted enough! It simply isn't healthy for us to each these animals that Adonai has told us are not meant for food, it is his guidelines to caring for our bodies alongside the Sabbath. Many of these animals, like pork and shellfish, are natures vacuum cleaners. Eating many things that we simply shouldn't be putting into our bodies. And so these very much are a set of laws that fall under loving our neighbors as ourselves, because we must care for ourselves to love our neighbors. Is it not moral to care for our bodies that God has designed and given to us as stewards? This grouping can stand alone, as the dietary laws, or be included within the Clean and Unclean Laws, which I will now lead into.
The clean and unclean cluster of laws is another that is often misunderstood. Because we are so point blankly told that to break a law is a sin we look at these as "They must be sins" which isn't always the case at first glace. There are many laws which fall into this category but for the sake of simplicity I will use the Niddah laws as my first example. Leviticus 12 is where we find these laws, a group surrounding a woman's monthly bleeding, childbirth healing, and abnormal bleedings. In review of the passage we can clearly see that while she is Unclean during these times it is not the state of uncleanliness that is the sin, that is merely a physical state; instead it would be breaking of the mentioned rules for our health that would be the sin. Or the laws around skin diseases, it is not a sin to have the disease, but in how we deal it with very well can be as he has given us laws for hygiene for the best of everyone to be safe and well.
Next let us address the laws that set us apart. For this as well many could combine in the dietary, as in this world especially to say we don't eat bacon certainly sets us apart! But going back to what originally meant to set us apart. Things like prayer, worshiping our God in private in in public, a woman covering her head (1 Corinthians 111-16) when she prays and prophesies, teaching His laws to our children (Dueteronomy 6:7), and wearing his Tzitzit (Numbers 15:38). The tassels that he told us to wear to mark us apart. He also told us to write his law on our hearts, our minds and arms. Because he states the heart in the Shema and this is not physically a possibility I fail to see how the other two are any more physical, and thus see it as knowing his Word, writing it on our minds, and acting out our faiths, putting it on our arms. All which fall under out love of God and showing it to him and to others around us.
And finally we come to the big sin defining type of laws. This includes things like sexual laws, marriage, how we treat other people, how we deal in business, with employees and coworkers, giving our word and standing by it, how we talk, how to handle conflicts amongst believers and non-believers, criminal laws, retribution, avoiding pagan practices, agriculture, our firstborn and so on and so forth. All of which are easily falling under that of how we love others and ourselves. And yet, at the same time as they draw the line for us on where sin is in our actions it also shows how we follow God and show our love for him, for if we are not trying to follow him have we really given him our lives? These things are seldom argued amongst Christian circles, and for entirely the wrong reasons. It is these laws which cause the most hypocrisy within Christianity. You will see Christians swear up and down that only the ten commandments stay, and yet have issues with tattoos! Plucking various Old Testament laws that they have classified as "Judicial" and no long standing while refusing others. Which is the big problem with the "Judicial" classification, The sin is still a sin, but the price of the sin has been paid. And thus while physical consequences may remain it is no longer our duty to be the Judge and Jury of that, no longer our duty to be stoning people for adultery for example, when the price for their sin has been paid if they accept that gift of Salvation. The consequences given in the Old Testament often where meant to show the severity with which Elohim viewed these sins, and he still does. That is where his Grace comes in. And yet as Paul states in Romans 6:15, 15 Therefore, what conclusion should we reach? “Let’s go on sinning, because we’re not under legalism but under grace”? Heaven forbid!
Let us all look to Galatians as we learn more of Adonai's Law, in Galatians 5:13-18 it says, 13 For, brothers, you were called to be free. Only do not let that freedom become an excuse for allowing your old nature to have its way. Instead, serve one another in love. 14 For the whole of the Torah is summed up in this one sentence: “Love your neighbor as yourself”;[a] 15 but if you go on snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other! 16 What I am saying is this: run your lives by the Spirit. Then you will not do what your old nature wants. 17 For the old nature wants what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is contrary to the old nature. These oppose each other, so that you find yourselves unable to carry out your good intentions. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, then you are not in subjection to the system that results from perverting the Torah into legalism. For Paul makes it clear, even in Galatians, the book most often used against the Torah, that it is Perversions of the Torah which are the issue, not the heart of Gods Perfect Law (Psalms 119). And that those following the Torah must remember that it is God first, and not to fall into many perversions of the truth, and those not following Torah must remember not to throw out all the laws of God because they fear breaking his Law. For in breaking one we have broken all of the law, but I tell you that we are all already guilt of this. Are you not then intentionally breaking his laws under the guise of Grace? I'd merely return you to Yeshua's words at the start of this writing.
So here then is a simplification of how the laws all fit withing Yeshua's categorization, the only major biblical division there is.
Worshiping God Laws
- First Four Commandments
- Sacrificial laws complete in the sacrifice of Christ.
- Priesthood laws complete with no Tabernacle and the High Priesthood of Christ.
- His Holy Days. Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles.
- Sin Defining Laws
- Set Apart Laws
Loving our Neighbor as Ourselves
- Last Seven Commandments, Shabbat included.
- Dietary laws, for in caring for ourselves we care for our bodies feeding it good food.
- Clean and Unclean Laws
- Sin Defining Laws
Then 1 John 5:16-17 goes into another categorization that is Biblical, this time into the sin which results of breaking his Laws. The sins that bring death and those sins that do not! Saying, 16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not lead to death, he will ask; and God will give him life for those whose sinning does not lead to death. There is sin that does lead to death; I am not saying he should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
So how do we know which is which here? We can not say that this is purely based off of what laws in the Torah result in a physical death as by the time of the passage in 1 John we can see that Jesus removed such physical punishments in the name of mercy and justice. (Not to say that physical consequences are removed from society, but that as Believers we are not responsible for stoning the adulterer among us any longer.) And so what we are looking at instead is a matter of spiritual death and life as we see through the entirety of the context of 1 John. Some of that as we see would have gained a physical death in the Old Testament as well, but it is not Because of the judicial punishment that defines it as a Sin that leads to Death, but because of it being so severe to Elohim.
Revelations then summarizes what sins are those that lead to death quite nicely, saying in 21:8, 8 But as for the cowardly, the untrustworthy, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those involved with the occult and with drugs, idol-worshippers, and all liars — their destiny is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, the second death.” Just let that sink in a moment. This is the very need for our Salvation! Who has never been cowardly even a moment? Who among us has not had anger and hatred towards another person? That is akin to murder according to 1 John 3:15. Who has not looked at another person with lust? That is sexual immorality according to Matthew 5:28. Who has not told a lie, even a little one? Be honest!
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 drives home this point and more! 9 Don’t you know that unrighteous people will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t delude yourselves — people who engage in sex before marriage, who worship idols, who engage in sex after marriage with someone other than their spouse, who engage in active or passive homosexuality, 10 who steal, who are greedy, who get drunk, who assail people with contemptuous language, who rob — none of them will share in the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you used to do these things. But you have cleansed yourselves, you have been set apart for God, you have come to be counted righteous through the power of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and the Spirit of our God. And here we get closing with Hope, our Savior, Yeshua the Messiah. Who has forgiven all our sins, those leading to death and those which do not, so that we may be Holy in the eyes of our Elohim and be at Peace with Him for eternity.
Oh but what eternity would be like without the gift of Adonai's Grace! Even looking at the sins that lead to death, those listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and Revelations 21:8, we all fall into that. Things like lying we have all done. And so while all the Law's that Elohim has given us fall into his categories of Loving God and Loving our neighbor as ourselves so two there is two other categories, those which lead to death and those which do not.
Those laws not listed, while not condemning in and of themselves however, still clearly hold some spiritual significance to Elohim. Going back to the beginning with Matthew 5:17-20, seeking to Obey all the commandments and teaching them elevates His people in the Kingdom of Heaven, those who do not however do still get in for following Yeshua and having him wash all their sins away.
12 So the Torah is holy; that is, the commandment is holy, just and good. Romans 7:12
