It's Not As Heavy As It Seems

Introduction

Before Jesus came onto the scene, Moses was the revelator that gave Israel her understanding of how she should live and reverence God. It seems that everyone in the ancient world had something to say about this incredible liberator who led Israel to freedom and national fame.

According to the Lexham Bible Dictionary, Hellenistic and Early Palestinian Judaism saw Moses as God’s chosen lawgiver. Philo, the Hellenistic Jewish philosopher believed Moses was an incredible philosopher, sage, lawgiver, and man of virtue. Furthermore, Philo deemed Moses the greatest and most perfect man to ever live. As such, Moses is the deliverer of the ancient wisdom used to inspire the Greek wisdom of his time. Therefore, Moses was a “physically, mentally, psychologically, and spiritually supreme leader.”

Josephus portrayed Moses as a man of God. Through the wisdom God gave him, he created the “ideal society.” (This is an interesting conclusion, considering how there seems to be some motive behind God’s design of a nation who is under His theocratic rule. Perhaps, Moses imagined that the law he provided should lead to the ideal society.)

The Dead Sea Scrolls refer to Moses as “The Teacher of Righteousness.” In Rabbinic writings, Moses is referred to as “our master.” He is seem as a “supreme” figure, even if not divine. Graeco-Roman tradition portrays Moses with magic, divine wisdom, astrology, charms, alchemy, amulets, and phylacteries. The writer of Hebrews referred to Moses as faithful (Hebrews 3:2).

I bring this up, because Moses is seen as the Israel’s instructor. He is valued as an incredible leader. Yet, Protestantism treats his greatest contribution to this world as an offensive and evil vice, which Jesus, the greater has overcome.

Nowhere in Scripture do I find that Jesus implies or suggests that He is hear to overcome Moses or anything he has delivered. In fact, we find evidence for the exact opposite. Consider what Jesus says in Matthew 5:17-20,

Matthew 5:17–20 CSB

17 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

Now, we have to deal with this, because it seems Paul has something else to say about the law. It seems that Paul has reached a completely different conclusion concerning the law in Ephesians 2:15.

Ephesians 2:15 CSB

he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.

According to Paul, the system of the law has been ended. The abolish in Matthew 5:17 and the abolish in Ephesians 2:15 have to unique meanings. Abolish in Matthew 5:17 means to declare invalid and inapplicable. However, abolish in Ephesians 2:15 means to render ineffective or non-functioning, useless. Therefore, we have no legal responsibility to the law as to keep it. However, this does not mean we have no responsibility to the law at all. Paul has this to say in Romans 13:1-10,

Romans 13:1–10 CSB

Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience. And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks. Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor. Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.

Notice, Paul acknowledges that though the law is not to be kept, it is to be fulfilled. That is, it is to “fill up.” It references the ability to achieve a particular thing. So, we see that the law has a role, just not the role we have always thought.

The law of Moses is that voice, standard that guides our understanding of God and what He expects from us. Yet, the Holy Spirit bears record to this law and how it should be practiced, appropriated, and satisfied within the community.

Over the last few weeks I have been placing special emphasis on the importance of obedience to God. This emphasis is not from some denominational position that emphasizes works over faith. This is not legalism. This motivation to emphasize our obedience to God is based on a fundamental principle of Scripture.

The premise for our study of this topic is based on this fundamental belief: God does not change even if the testaments we are reading in change. Since God does not change, what He expects from us does not change. Since what He expects from us does not change, what was needed to please God in the Old Testament is needed in the New Testament.

Therefore, there is a direct line from the Old Testament to the New Testament, so anything that is found in the Old Testament pertaining to the life of the child of God is also found in the New Testament. We will demonstrate this in tonight’s lesson. However, the point of our study is show that God has given us a key for life, which can be used in any covenant—whether the old or new.

This requires us to look at the law differently. We must go from seeing the law as a means to prove our salvation or develop our salvation. Rather, it is the means by which we form an enjoyable life. That is, the law is not about how to get to heaven, it’s about how to survive on earth. From it we can learn a few important things about living as God’s children.

Three Points on Obedience

As we consider life in Christ, we should attempt to draw the connection between the Old Testament and the New Testament. We need to understand how these two worlds connect.

Obeying God is the key to living a successful life (Deuteronomy 30:20)

Obeying God is not too heavy to bear (Deuteronomy 30:10-19; Isaiah 45:19)

Question: Is it true, man cannot keep the law even if tried?

The road to living a good and prosperous life begins with making a decision to obey God.

Obedience is about loving within the community and gaining prosperity for the sake of the family of God, not personally (1 John 5:1-5, c.f. Matthew 22:34-40, )

Essentially, the law is intended to teach us how to obey God in faith. As we read through the law, we should not attempt to keep it. However, the Spirit should feed our souls with what it means to obey God. Our lives should be given understanding on how to follow God’s righteousness. The Spirit has an incredible role in interpreting the meaning of our reading so we might learn the character and nature of God as He reveals HI self through the Word of God.