Contract Law Nots

							       READING OUR BIBLES
     A Guide to Careful Bible Study
Lesson 6: How to Study the Law of Moses
                                         13 lessons
1. Interpreting the Bible     8. How to Study Old
                              Testament Prophets
2. Selecting a Translation
                              9. How to Study the
3. The Bible and Living for   Gospels
Christ
                              10. How to Study the
4. The Bible of Jesus         Parables
                              11. How to Study Acts
5. How to Study Bible
Narratives                    12. How to Study the
                              Epistles
6. How to Study the Law
of Moses                      13. How to Study
                              Revelations
7. How to Study Wisdom
and Poetry
                   6 - The Law of Moses
• Introduction
• Christians and The Law
• Dos and Do Nots
                                INTRODUCTION
• God tested the loyalty of the Israelites by
  making them responsible for over 600
  commandments.
• Most of laws can be found beginning in
  Exodus 20 and ending with Deuteronomy 33.
• However, when referencing "The Law" most
  writers (including Joshua) mean the first five
  books of the Old Testament (Josh. 1:8).
• The words of Jesus and Paul indicate that
  "The Law" can be used to represent the entire
  Old Testament.
  - Mt. 5:17,18; Lk. 16:17; Titus 3:9

6 - The Law of Moses
                       Christians and the Law
• Do these legal formulations apply to us?
• The New Testament Christian is not
  expected to keep the Old Law.
• Yet Christ and the Apostles emphasize
  the importance of "the Old Law" on
  many occasions (Mt. 5:18, etc.).
• Fee and Stuart suggest the following six
  guidelines to help understand what
  obligation (if any) we have to the Old
  Law.
6 - The Law of Moses
                       Christians and the Law
• The Old Testament Law is a covenant.
• The Old Testament is not our testament.
• Many stipulations of the Old Covenant have
  not been renewed in the New Covenant.
• Part of the Old Covenant is renewed in the
  New Covenant.
• All of the Old Testament law is still the Word
  of God
• That which is explicitly renewed can be
  considered as the "Law of Christ."


6 - The Law of Moses
                       Christians and the Law
• The Old Testament Law is a
  covenant.
• A covenant is a binding contract
  between two parties.
• In the case of the Old Law, the two
  parties were God and the children of
  Israel.




6 - The Law of Moses
                       Christians and the Law
• The Old Covenant follows the format of:
• preamble (identifying the parties to the
  agreement),
• prologue (the connection between the
  parties),
• stipulations (the individual laws),
• witnesses (those who will enforce the
  covenant),
• sanctions (blessing and curses used as
  incentives for keeping the covenant), and
• document clause (a provision for a regular
  review of the covenant to keep it in the
  forefront of the minds of the parties involved).

6 - The Law of Moses
                       Christians and the Law
• The Old Testament is not our
  testament.
• None of the old covenant is binding on
  us today unless it is renewed in the
  "New Covenant."
• God still expects his people to remain
  loyal to Him, but the New Testament
  has made new stipulations as to how
  that loyalty is to be shown and
  maintained.
6 - The Law of Moses
                       Christians and the Law
• Many stipulations of the Old
  Covenant have not been renewed
  in the New Covenant.
• Jesus fulfilled the Old Law and gave a
  New Law of love.




6 - The Law of Moses
                       Christians and the Law
• Part of the Old Covenant is
  renewed in the New Covenant.
• The Ten Commandments except the
  Sabbath Law are renewed under the
  New Covenant as well as other aspects
  of the ethical law.
• None of the ritual law is renewed.




6 - The Law of Moses
                       Christians and the Law
• All of the Old Testament law is still
  the Word of God
• It is not the command of God to us.
• The Bible contains many commands that
  God wants us to know about even
  though He does not expect us to obey
  them (i.e. Mt. 11:4).
• So it is with the Old Testament.



6 - The Law of Moses
                       Christians and the Law
• That which is explicitly renewed
  can be considered as the "Law of
  Christ."
• Gal. 6:2
• Note the two great laws from Deut 6:5
  and Lev. 19:18.




6 - The Law of Moses
                        Dos and Do Nots
• Do see the OT as God's fully inspired
  Word.
• Do not see the OT as God's direct
  command to you.
• Do see the OT law as the Old Covenant.
• Do not see the OT binding on Christians
  today except where specifically renewed
  in the New Testament.



6 - The Law of Moses
                         Dos and Do Nots
• Do see God's justice, love, and high
  standards revealed in OT law.
• Do not forget to see that God's mercy is
  made equal to the severity of the
  standards.
• Do see the OT law as providing
  examples for the full range of expected
  behavior.
• Do not see the OT law as complete.

6 - The Law of Moses
                         Dos and Do Nots
• Do remember that the essence of the
  Law is repeated in the prophets and
  some of it is renewed in the NT.
• Do not expect the Law of Moses to be
  cited too frequently in the NT.
• Do see the OT as a generous gift to
  Israel, bringing much blessings to them
  when obeyed.
• Do not see the OT law as a group of
  arbitrary regulations limiting people's
  freedom.
6 - The Law of Moses