The Law of God
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Introduction
Introduction
I have always wanted a signet ring. For a long time – since I was a teenager, I’ve thought the signet ring was very distinctive, and it was a way of appreciating where you came from.
In preparing to get it made, I had to get the actual signet done right. I looked up my family heritage, first via the Gonzalez line. Gonzalez spelled with an “ez” is a little bit different and has a different coat of arms than Gonzalez with an “es” but even amongst the ones spelled with “ez” there are differences. Another interesting fact is that where it is spelled with an “ez” it is usually a Sephardic Jewish spelling of the name. An interesting fact that I took note of is that the name is of Visigothic origins and it means “battle genius” the family’s crest is usually that of a castle with two lions, and the animal most associated with it is the lion.
My mother’s maiden name is Pradeau – a French derivative of “près des eaux” meaning near the waters and the more purely Latin word Prado, meaning pasture. It was a common name for Pastors – real ones – as in sheep herders. I was not able to find a family crest meaning that the earliest Pradeaux were probably of modest means and were not part of the nobility, however it seems my Great great grandfather was a man of substantial means, but I’m most proud of my grandfather who was a noble, godly and honest man of modest means. So just in my mixed up family tree, I have as symbols of who I am, a noble battle genius and a humble shepherd, and when my parents had their bouncing baby boy, I was the product of a lion lying down with a lamb! No wonder I’m such an a contradiction at times!
We, as Christians, all have a common heritage that we can also trace out. We have a lineage that we can follow back. Today is considered Pentecost Sunday, and last week I preached to you about the meaning of Pentecost, but since we Christians “officially” observe Pentecost, let’s talk about what Pentecost was actually celebrating, because just as it was loads of fun to research my roots and find out more about myself, we must do the same as believers, because without understanding where we came from, we are going to miss where we are going. After all, remember back in Romans Paul explains that we are part of the family of God by adoption and not natural birth. If then you get adopted into a family, you will live according to the traditions and customs of that family, but at the same time your presence changes the very family dynamic into which you are being born. This is what I mean by that. Amanda and I were our own little family, when Lizzie and I got married; we essentially adopted her into our little family. Lizzie had to adapt in order to find her place within the dynamic that Amanda and I had, but at the same time that dynamic changed profoundly. The same thing happened again when Elisha was born. The three of us had our way of doing things, but now we had this little man who had to fit in to our way of life. He did so, but at the same time he brought something to bear that would change the way the rest of us interacted. So when Paul says we are adopted into the family of God:
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall again into fear; rather, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
We became children of God and we were expected to live according to the righteousness that God expects of His children. We were supposed to keep the law.
And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire Torah and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
But as Christians we are constantly told that we are not under the law! Is this true? I mean, the law was given by God to teach us how to live. If we are no longer under the law, then does that mean that the law can be ignored? If so, then how can we judge right from wrong. The Christian celebration of Pentecost celebrates the giving of the Holy Spirit, and it refers to the prophesy in Jeremiah, that is quoted by Paul in Hebrews.
For by one offering He has perfected forever those being made holy. The Ruach ha-Kodesh also testifies to us—for after saying,
“This is the covenant that I will cut with them:
‘After those days,’ says Adonai,
‘I will put My Torah upon their hearts,
and upon their minds I will write it,’ ”
then He says,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
Now where there is removal of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
It doesn’t seem like the law is done away with, rather it seems like the requirements for the sacrificial portion of the law were completed once and for all. The behaviors required by the law remain. Let’s look at an example of this, let’s start out by talking about the most basic of our understanding of the Law of Moses – The Ten Commandments.
I think it is important to point out that the entire Book of Romans (which coincidentally will be our next series) speaks of Jesus was the bearer of a new liberty not found in the Law. But the question remains, and what we must keep in mind going into that series is does the law cease with the advent of Jesus? Let us look to the Word of God to answer that question.
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass.
So Jesus didn’t come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. The requirements of the Law are still very much active in a sense. Verse 18 says that neither the smallest letter or serif (decoration) of the Torah will pass away until all things come to pass. So then what has passed away and what was fulfilled? Well, let’s look at this together shall we?
Is the law completely fulfilled? This is a bit of a trick question because clearly Jesus fulfilled the law, but when He was asked about the law He stated that the law – all 613 of the individual mitzvahs – not just the Ten Commandments hang on just two.
1) Love the Lord with all your heart mind and strength.
2) Love your neighbor as yourself.
The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments
For the sake of brevity, let’s just look at the Ten Commandments. If we were to look at all of the law, we’d see that we are still to keep the Spirit of the Law, if not the letter.
Let’s look at the Ten. We may or may not be able to get through this whole thing this week, if not I will pick up where I left off nest week. So let’s go back to the OT.
Then God spoke all these words saying,
“I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
“You shall have no other gods before Me. Do not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or on the earth below or in the water under the earth. Do not bow down to them, do not let anyone make you serve them. For I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God, bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to the thousands of generations of those who love Me and keep My mitzvot.
“You must not take the Name of Adonai your God in vain, for Adonai will not hold him guiltless that takes His Name in vain.
“Remember Yom Shabbat, to keep it holy. You are to work six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Shabbat to Adonai your God. In it you shall not do any work—not you, nor your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, your cattle, nor the outsider that is within your gates. For in six days Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Thus Adonai blessed Yom Shabbat, and made it holy.
These first four commandments encapsulate the part of the law where Jesus says we should love God with all our heart.
“You shall have no other gods before Me.”
“You shall have no other gods before Me.”
This is one of the laws of Moses, are we to ignore it because we are not under the law? Of course not! But there are things that we do every day to fulfill this law. Just as there are things we do every day to violate this law. None of us would argue that this law doesn’t apply to us does it?
How do we violate this law? Well, we do so when we make anything more important than God. Listen to what the Psalmist has to say about this:
O how I love Your Torah!
It is my meditation all day.
Your mitzvot make me wiser
than my enemies
—for they are mine forever.
I have more insight
than all my teachers,
for Your testimonies
are my meditation.
I have gained more understanding
than all my elders,
for I have kept Your precepts.
I kept my feet from every evil way,
in order to follow Your word.
I do not turn away from Your rulings,
for You Yourself have taught me.
How sweet is Your word to my taste—
yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
From Your precepts I get discernment,
therefore I hate every false way.
That’s great Pastor, but what does that have to do with not having any gods before Him? Well, if we do not delight ourselves in God, we will delight ourselves in other things. Shouldn’t God be getting our very best?
We should be giving God more time than we give our desire for entertainment, worldly learning, even gasp… politics! I know, it’s strange to hear it come out of my mouth isn’t it? But the fact of the matter is that I can only speak the truth of the Word of God, even when it is not convenient to me or when it brings conviction right down on my head. After all, God has made me the pastor of this church so that I could declare HIS word, not mine. I am here to make disciples of Jesus, not disciples of Henry, so I must preach the uncomfortable or unpopular stuff because it is truth.
The Commandments to Love God 2-4
The Commandments to Love God 2-4
So how does this apply to the rest of the law? Well the next three commandments talk about someone who is truly in love with God. If you are meditating on the law of God then you will be mindful of what the heart of God is. You will be mindful of the sorts of actions that hurt Him, the type of actions that reject God. If we are mindful of this, we will have a tendency to keep the first four commandments – love the Lord your God with all your heart mind and strength.
I remember growing up seeing my catholic family – my great uncle in particular kissing the garments that he wore when he ministered as a priest: the vestments – the symbols of his faith. While the Bible clearly says we are not to worship any graven images, it is also clear that we are to do certain things in remembrance to God. The law defines how the children of Israel are to keep God’s law constantly in front of them. There are a couple of ways they do that.
“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words, which I am commanding you today, are to be on your heart. You are to teach them diligently to your children, and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. Bind them as a sign on your hand, they are to be as frontlets between your eyes, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Are we under bondage to the law if the Word of God is on our heart? Are we under bondage if we choose to write the laws of God on our doorposts, or putting framed passages of scripture up in our homes? What about teaching our children? This is mitzvah – or teaching; is it something that we are exempt from doing because we are saved?
The Jews use something called a mezuzah – it is a scroll that they mount by the door posts of their homes. They also use something called tefillin. Tefillin are two small, black leather boxes attached to black leather straps that contain the four passages of Scripture mentioned above. One box is placed on the left arm by the biceps and the other is placed on the forehead by or on the hair. They are held in place by the straps.
We are not bound by the Mosaic Law to use Tefillin but we are bound to keep the law ever before us. I have shown you my Tallit before. The tallit is a Jewish prayer shawl and it is commanded of the children of Israel.
Adonai spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael. Say to them that they are to make for themselves tzitzit on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and they are to put a blue cord on each tzitzit. It will be your own tzitzit—so whenever you look at them, you will remember all the mitzvot of Adonai and do them and not go spying out after your own hearts and your own eyes, prostituting yourselves. This way you will remember and obey all My mitzvot and you will be holy to your God. I am Adonai your God. I brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am Adonai your God.”
So God wants us to remember all of his teachings, and not forget to do them. Is it wrong for us to use a prayer shawl? Especially when we consider what the heart of the tallit is? Of course not! In fact, I would say that there is something very powerful about observing this part of the Mosaic Law, but let me be very clear – nothing about observing the law of God saves us, “Jesus has covered us with HIS righteousness.” The law that we are obeying here is the law Jesus gave that loves the Lord with all our heart mind and strength. If the tallit helps you to do so, then I would encourage you to use it! If you have other ways of guarding your eyes from distraction, then by all means do it! The point is not the letter of the law- do you need tassels? No, because you now have the Holy Spirit living in you, but you do need to follow the law – the command that Jesus gave to love God! And if wearing tassels or tying a string around your finger helps you to remember that, does that mean you’re in bondage to the law? Of course not!
Now before faith came, we were being guarded under Torah—bound together until the coming faith would be revealed. Therefore the Torah became our guardian to lead us to Messiah, so that we might be made right based on trusting. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
Paul tells the Galatian church that the Law of Moses was a tutor. Its purpose was to prepare us for the ultimate law which would be revealed by the coming Messiah. So what was the law that Jesus revealed?
Anyone who goes too far and does not remain in Messiah’s teaching does not have God. Anyone who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son.
If we have what Jesus gave, we have the whole Torah as well as the Gospel. If we do not follow the law of Christ then we have neither.
If anyone passes on a different teaching and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and with the instruction in keeping with godliness, he is prideful, understanding nothing. Instead he is obsessed with arguments and disputes about words—out of which come envy, strife, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction between people corrupted in mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
So then are we truly free from the law? No, we are simply under a new law – the Law of Christ.
“This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you.
The Commands to Love Our Neighbors
The Commands to Love Our Neighbors
This brings us to the final six of the Ten Commandments.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long upon the land which Adonai your God is giving you.
“Do not murder.
“Do not commit adultery.
“Do not steal.
“Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
“Do not covet your neighbor’s house, your neighbor’s wife, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
All of these commandments are transgressions against someone else. If we are under the law of Christ and the law of Christ is love, then we should be aiming for the greatest expression of that love should we not? What exactly is the greatest expression of love?
No one has greater love than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.
To lay down one’s life is as easy as literally giving up your life for someone, or as difficult as living with a preference toward your neighbor. What I mean by that is that you are always looking after his best interest rather than looking out for old number 1. Imagine if Jesus had been looking out only for Himself? Well in some ways He was. He loved us so much, wanted so badly to be reconciled to us that He would pay any cost to get His own way. He did. If we want to get our own way, then we have to make our way Jesus’ way. We must be so focused on reconciliation with God, not only our own, but that of our neighbor, that all other appetites and desires are laid down and sacrificed in order to attain it.
Conclusion
Conclusion
It is a bit difficult to admit as a Pastor that once upon a time I had my theology wrong. But it is easy to admit that the Bible is truth, and I will cling to the truth at all costs. I admit I thought we were no longer under the law by any means. It never would have occurred to me that we were still under every jot and tittle of it.
What is different is that we are under the spirit of the law, not the letter. We fulfill the law in our hearts, by our action and by our acts of love toward God and our neighbors. There is nothing burdensome about the observance of feasts and by wearing the Tallit. Though they are not required for our salvation, we do not fall under the condemnation of the law if we choose to use these. If you choose to put a mezuzah on your home, I say “go for it!” I have found it a tremendous blessing to use a tallit during my prayer time, and I highly recommend it – but let me be very clear. You salvation is not in those aids – all of these precious aids to worship and reverence are just that – aids. There is nothing magical or extra holy other than they have a special purpose it is much the same with the anointing oil we use when we pray for each other. Do not become bound up in the law, unless you become bound in the law of Christ which is the law to love.
And now, I leave you with the blessing.