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Answer
The Mosaic Law occupies a significant portion of the Old Testament and was crucial to the ancient Hebrews. Although those of us who are in Christ are no longer bound by the Law “But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”, (Galatians 5:18), there are valuable lessons we can derive from this section of God’s Word. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is beneficial” “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”, (2 Timothy 3:16).
The Mosaic Law reveals God’s holiness. “The law of the LORD is perfect” “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”, (Psalm 19:7) because it originates from a perfect God. The stone tablets Moses received were “inscribed by the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18; Deuteronomy 9:10). The Law clearly sets forth God’s standard for His people living in a fallen world. It requires righteous behavior in action. “The law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good” (Romans 7:12; cf: Nehemiah 9:13). God desires this holiness to be reflected in His people (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16).
The Mosaic Law defines sin and exposes its dreadful nature. “Through the law we become aware of our sin” “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified.”In His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20). Since Sinai, there can be no doubt about God’s view on adultery, murder, theft, etc.—they are wrong. The severe penalties that transgressors faced emphasized the gravity of sin as rebellion against God. By defining sin and establishing a divine standard, the Law indirectly reveals our need for a Savior.
The Mosaic Law affirms our need to separate from sin. Many of the Law’s rules aimed to distinguish Israel from neighboring nations. Their worship, farming practices, diet, clothing— even beard grooming were different “Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.”, (Leviticus 19:27). Indeed, the Hebrews were distinct from the world. Today, God’s people are still called to be set apart— not in the same ways as the Israelites— but morally, ethically, and spiritually. We are in the world but not of it (John 15:19;John 17:14,16). We are to let our light shine (Matthew 5:14-16).
The Mosaic Law illustrates how God’s plan unfolds gradually and progressively. The progressive nature of God’s revelation is hinted at in passages like Acts 14:16 and Acts 17:30. As mentioned, the Law brought clarity and precision to the concept of sin, making it easy to identify violations. However, the Law was intended to be temporary. It served as “our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith” “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster.”To bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24). Christ is the One who fulfilled the righteous requirement of the Law on our behalf “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matthew 5:17). In taking the Law’s curse upon Himself, Christ brought an end to the curse and instituted the New Covenant (Galatians 3:13; Luke 22:20).
The Mosaic Law expounds on God’s two most basic commands. Everything in the Law can be boiled down to two commands. The primary one is found in Deuteronomy 6:5, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” The secondary, related command is in Leviticus 19:18, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus ranked these commandments as number one and number two and said they were the quintessence of the entirety of God’s Law (Matthew 22:36-40).
The Mosaic Law predicts that God will not forsake His children. There were blessings promised to Israel for keeping the Law and curses for breaking it (Deuteronomy 30). God predicted, through His prophet Moses, that Israel would be disobedient and spurn the Law (Deuteronomy 32:21-22). Yet, in His great mercy, God promised to “vindicate his people” “For the LORD shall judge his people, And repent himself for his servants, When he seeth that their power is gone, And there is none shut up, or left.” (Deuteronomy 32:36) and “make atonement for his land and people” (verse 43).The Mosaic Law establishes the principle of sowing and reaping. The Old Covenant was conditional; God promised to bless Israel in the Promised Land only if they adhered to the Law. “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28). The underlying principle of reaping what one sows is a natural law and one repeated in the New Testament «Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. », (Galatians 6:7).
The Mosaic Law demonstrates the value of an intercessor between God and man. The whole concept of the Levitical priesthood was based on the need for an intercessor between man and God. Only the priests could enter the tabernacle, and only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies—and that only once a year with the blood of a sacrifice. Even then, there were special requirements placed on the priests concerning their behavior, physical appearance, clothing, and ceremonial cleansing. The point was that God is holy, and we are not. We need a go-between, and God is the One who chooses the mediator. Under the Mosaic system, the intercessor was a son of Aaron «These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office. », (Numbers 3:3); under the New Covenant, the Intercessor is the Son of God «For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; », (1 Timothy 2:5).
The Mosaic Law
Shows the effectiveness of a substitutionary sacrifice. The Law vividly illustrates God’s demand for the blood of an innocent sacrifice to make amends for the sins of the guilty. As the author of Hebrews states, “The law requires that nearly everything be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” «And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. », (Hebrews 9:22). The burning carcass on the altar served as a vivid reminder that the consequence of sin is death «For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.», (Romans 6:23a). Without such a substitute, the wrath of God would be unleashed on the wrongdoer. The Law permitted an animal sacrifice to act as an atonement for sin, and the Law referred to the sacrifice as “a pleasing aroma” to the Lord «It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD. », (Numbers 28:6).
The Mosaic Law presents numerous illustrations of Christ and His redemption. Every lamb offered under the Old Testament Law foreshadowed the Lamb of God and His sacrifice on the cross (see John 1:29;Hebrews 7:27). Every priestly duty anticipated the work of Christ on our behalf. The lampstand in the temple prefigured the Light of the World «As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. », (John 9:5). The table of showbread symbolized the Bread of Life «And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger.», (John 6:35).
«I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst.», (John 6:35). The veil that separated the two sections of the tabernacle symbolized Christ’s body, which would be torn to grant access to God’s presence (Luke 23:45;Hebrews 10:20). Indeed, the entire sanctuary constructed under Moses’ supervision was filled with “representations of heavenly things” «Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.», (Hebrews 9:23).
Today, Christians can greatly benefit from studying the Mosaic Law. We recognize that the Law was not intended for the church, and we are charged to “accurately handle the word of truth” «Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.», (2 Timothy 2:15). However, when properly understood, the Law continues to be “our tutor to lead us to Christ” «Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.», (Galatians 3:24, NAS). Once we come to Christ, we discover that He “is the end of the law . . . for everyone who believes” «For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.», (Romans 10:4).
