The Mosaic Covenant

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It is my fervent hope that you will not stop with my blog but that you will take full advantage of the wealth of wisdom offered through the faithfulness of Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, who is a teacher to the best of Biblical teachers! Please go to ariel.org for the complete and full teaching on the 8 Covenants of God.


THE MOSIAC COVENANT

Remember that the Mosaic Covenant referenced an age or dispensation of Law in God’s administration. There is much confusion about the “Law” moving from Older Covenant to New Covenant, so I’m going to try to make it a little easier with help from David Guzik’s Commentary and Dr. Fruchtenbaum.  So, what did Jesus have to say about the law?

¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. ¹⁹ Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

As David Guzik puts it in “His Enduring Word Commentary”, Jesus here begins a long discussion of the law, and wants to make it clear that He does not oppose the Law of Moses, but He will free it from the way the Pharisees and Scribes wrongly interpreted the law. He has authority apart from the Law of Moses, but not in contradiction to it. Jesus added nothing to the law except one thing that no man had ever added to the law: perfect obedience. This is certainly one way Jesus came to fulfill the law. Even though He often challenged man’s interpretations of the law (especially Sabbath regulations), Jesus never broke the law of God.

And indeed, Jesus did perfectly fulfill the law. Jesus fulfilled the doctrinal teachings of the law in that He brought full revelation. Jesus fulfilled the predictive prophecy of the law in that He is the Promised One, showing the reality behind the shadows. Jesus fulfilled the ethical precepts of the law in that He fully obeyed them and He reinterpreted them in their truth.

So then, where does that leave us? Are we or are we not under the law? It’s a little scary to read, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Let’s go back to Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s teaching to truly understand what Jesus is saying.

Scripture Reference: Exodus 20 and beyond

The Mosaic Covenant contains extensive, detailed information, and the Scriptural account of the covenant extends from Exodus 20:1

WHO WERE THE PARTICIPANTS? 

God and Israel. The covenant was made with Israel and not merely with Moses acting as a representative of Israel. This is clearly brought out in Exodus 19:3-8: And Moses went up unto God, and Jehovah called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be mine own possession from among all peoples: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people and set before them all these words which Jehovah commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, all that Jehovah has spoken we will do. And Moses reported the words of the people unto Jehovah.

The covenant was not made with the Gentiles or the Church, but with Israel only. See also Deuteronomy 4:7-8; Psalm 147:19-20; and Malachi 4:4.

WHAT WERE THE PROVISIONS OF THE COVENANT?

The key provision of the Mosaic Covenant was the Law of Moses, which contained a total of 613 commandments. Involved in these provisions of the Law were blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. It was signed and sealed by the Shekinah Glory in Exodus 24:1-11 but signed in such a way that made the covenant a “conditional” covenant.

Instead of attempting to list all 613 provisions, we’re going to look at Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s seven observations concerning the provisions of the Mosaic Covenant.

• 1. The Totality of the Law - As stated earlier, there were a total of 613 specific commandments, not just ten, a rather common misconception. Of the 613, 365 were negative commandments (Thou shalt nots), things which were forbidden, and 248 were positive commandments (thou shalts) or things that should be done).
  2.    The Blessings and Judgments of the Law - As a conditional covenant, there would be blessings for obedience, but judgment for disobedience (Ex. 15:26; 19:3-8).
  3.  The Blood Sacrifice - The key element of the entire Mosaic Law was the blood sacrifice, brought out in Leviticus 17:11: For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.There were five different offerings detailed in Leviticus 1-7. The Hebrew word for atonement does not mean the removal of sin but merely the covering of sin. While the blood of animals covered the sins of the Old Testament saints, it never took those sins away; only the blood of the Messiah can remove sin (Heb. 10:1-4). However, the blood sacrifice did provide for the forgiveness of sin and the restoration of fellowship with God.
• 4.  The Diet Restrictions - For the Jews, it restricted some of the provisions of the Noahic Covenant. Beasts had to be both cloven hoofed and those that chewed the cud; fish had to have both fins and scales; concerning fowls, no birds of prey were allowed; and concerning insects, only one type of locust was permitted.
  5.    The Death Penalty - For the Jews, it added the death penalty for other sins such as idolatry, adultery, cursing God, cursing parents, breaking the Sabbath, practicing witchcraft, among others.
  6.    The Sign of the Covenant – It reaffirmed the practice of circumcision (Lev. 12:3), but not for the same reasons. Under the Abrahamic Covenant, circumcision was the sign of the covenant and it was mandatory for Jews only. Under the Mosaic Covenant, circumcision was the means of submission to the Law of Moses and it was mandatory for all Jews, but many Gentiles who wished to enter into the faith of Israel wanted to be circumcised too. That is why Paul warned the Gentile Galatian believers that, if they submitted to circumcision, they would be obliged to keep the whole law, not just this one commandment (Gal. 5:3).
  7.  The Token of the Covenant - The token or sign of the Mosaic Covenant was the Sabbath. Concerning the Sabbath, five specific observations can be made.

1)   Being the token of the Mosaic Covenant, it was a sign between God and Israel; it was a sign that Israel had been set apart by God (Ex. 31:12-17); it was a sign of the Exodus (Deut. 5:12-15; Ezek. 20:10-12); and it was a sign that Jehovah was Israel's God (Ezek. 20:20). Every reason given for the observance of the Sabbath has relevance only to Israel, not to the Gentiles or the Church.

2)   Sabbath observance begins with Moses in Exodus 16:23-30 and was made part of the Law of Moses in Exodus 20:8-11. From Adam to Moses, there is no record of anyone's keeping the Sabbath. While God listed a number of obligations upon humanity in the previous covenants, keeping the Sabbath was not one of them.

3)   The Sabbath was a day of rest, not a day of corporate worship, which is another common misconception. As the Sabbath commandment was further developed in other parts of the Law of Moses, what was meant by “resting” on the Sabbath was largely a matter of prohibitions: no gathering of manna (Ex. 16:23-30); no traveling (Ex. 16:29); no kindling of fire (Ex. 35:3); and no gathering of wood (Num. 15:32). Outside the Law, other prohibitions for the Sabbath included: no burden bearing (Jer. 17:21); no trading (Amos 8:5); and no marketing (Neh. 10:31; 13:15, 19). In the Law of Moses, the Sabbath was a day of rest and cessation of labor, not a day of corporate worship. The Sabbath synagogue services found in the New Testament originated with the Babylonian Captivity, not with the Law of Moses. While it was not a day of total inactivity, it was to be a day of rest and refreshment from the regular work of the other six days. While the rest itself may have been an act of worship, corporate worship on the Sabbath was not a factor in the Old Testament.

In connection with the Sabbath, the phrase “a holy convocation” is often found. This phrase is sometimes used as the basis for teaching that the Sabbath was a day of corporate worship for all. However, it is used only in conjunction with the priesthood and sacrifices. The corporate connotation is for the priests only and the place of this corporate worship is in the Tabernacle or Temple for the purpose of sacrifices. Since only the priesthood could do the work of sacrificing, the holy convocation applied only to them.

4)   Fourth: The Sabbath as the token or sign of the Mosaic Covenant was intended only for Israel and not the Church.

5)   As a sign of the Mosaic Covenant, it is in force as long as the Mosaic Covenant is in force. If the Mosaic Covenant comes to an end, so would mandatory Sabbath keeping.

 

The Purposes of the Law

It should be stated categorically that the Law of Moses was not a means of salvation. Salvation was and always is by grace through faith. While the content of faith has changed from age to age depending on progressive revelation, the means of salvation never changes. The Law was not given to serve as a means of salvation (Rom. 3:20, 28; Gal. 2:16; 3:11, 21). It was given to a people already redeemed from Egypt, not in order to redeem them.

 However, there were several purposes for the giving of the Law. As found in both testaments, there were at least nine purposes for the Law of Moses.

1)   The first purpose was to reveal the holiness of God and to reveal the standard of righteousness that God demanded for a proper relationship with Him (Lev. 11:44; 19:1-2, 37; I Pet. 1:15-16). The Law itself was holy, and righteous, and good (Rom. 7:12).

2)   The second purpose of the Law was to provide the rule of conduct for the Old Testament saints. For example, Romans 3:28 makes it clear that no man was justified by the works of the Law. The Law always had purposes other than being a means of salvation. In this case, it provided the rule of life for the Old Testament believer (Lev. 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7-8, 26). For the Old Testament believer, the Law was the center of his spiritual life and his delight, as stated in Psalm 119, especially verses 77, 97, 103, 104, and 159.

3)   The third purpose was to provide occasions for individual and corporate worship for Israel. The seven holy seasons of Israel (or Feasts of the Lord) (Lev. 23) is one example of this.

4)   The fourth purpose was to keep the Jews a distinct people (Lev. 11:44-45; Deut. 7:6; 14:1-2). This was the specific reason for many of the laws, such as the dietary laws and the clothing laws. The Jews were to be distinct from all other people in a variety of ways, such as their worship habits (Lev. 1, 7, 16, 23), their eating habits (Lev. 11:1-47), their sexual habits (Lev. 12), their clothing habits (Lev. 19:19), and even the way they cut their beards (Lev. 19:27). Other passages which confirm this include Exodus 19:5-8 and 31:13.

5)   The fifth purpose is that the Law of Moses served as the middle wall of partition or separation as stated in Ephesians 2:11-16. The four unconditional Jewish covenants and God's blessings, both physical and spiritual, are the covenants of the promise mentioned in verse 12. Because of the Jewish nature of these unconditional covenants, a conditional covenant was also added, the Mosaic Covenant, containing the Law of Moses, the law of commandments contained in ordinances of verse 15. The purpose of the Law, then, was to become the middle wall of partition to keep Gentiles, as Gentiles, from enjoying the Jewish spiritual blessings of the unconditional covenants. Because of this purpose, Gentiles were both alienated from Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise. The only way Gentiles could enjoy the spiritual blessings of the Jewish covenants during the period or Dispensation of Law was to take upon themselves the obligation of the Law, undergo the rite of circumcision, and then live like every Jew had to live. Gentiles, as Gentiles, could not enjoy the Jewish spiritual blessings.

6)   The sixth purpose for the Mosaic Law was to reveal sin. Three passages in the Book of Romans point this out. The first passage is Romans 3:19-20, where Paul emphasized that there is no justification through the Law; by means of the Law no Jewish person will be justified. What is the Law then, if not a way of justification, a way of salvation? The Law was given to provide the knowledge of sin, to reveal exactly what sin is. The second passage is Romans 5:20, where the Law was given so that trespasses might be made very clear. How does one know he has sinned? He knows because the Law spelled out in detail what was permitted and what was not permitted. The Law with 613 commandments revealed sin. The third passage is Romans 7:7. Paul again emphasized the fact that the Law was given so that sin might be made known. Paul became aware of his sinful state by looking into the Law and knowing that, on the basis of the Law, he fell short.

7)  The seventh purpose was to make one sin more. Romans 4:15 states: for the law works wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression or sin. Paul adds in Romans 5:20: And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly. The picture Paul gives is that the Law came in to cause more sin, to actually make one sin more. How this works is explained by Paul in Romans 7:7-13 and I Corinthians 15:56. I Corinthians 15:56 reads: The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law. Basically, what Paul taught is that the sin nature needs a base of operation. Furthermore, the sin nature uses the Law as a base of operation. When Paul said where there is no law, neither is there transgression he did not mean, of course, that there was no sin before the Law was given. The term transgression is a specific type of sin: it is the violation of a specific commandment. Men were sinners before the Law was given, but they were not transgressors of the Law until the Law was given. Once the Law was given, the sin nature had a base of operation, causing the individual to violate these commandments and sin all the more.

8)  The eighth purpose was to show the sinner that there was nothing he could do on his own to please God; he had no ability to keep the Law perfectly or to attain the righteousness of the Law (Rom. 7:14-25).

9) This led to the ninth purpose, which was to bring one to faith according to Romans 8:1-4 and Galatians 3:24-25. The final purpose of the Law was to bring one to saving faith in the Messiah.

The purposes of the Law of Moses can be categorized in four aspects. First, in relation to God, to reveal His holiness and to reveal His righteous standards. Second: in relation to Israel, to keep Israel a distinct people, to provide a rule of life for the Old Testament saint, and to provide for individual and corporate worship. Third: in relation to Gentiles, to serve as a middle wall of partition and thus keep them strangers to the unconditional Jewish covenants so as not to partake of Jewish spiritual blessings as Gentiles, but only as proselytes to Mosaic Judaism. Fourth: in relation to sin, to reveal and show what sin is, to make one sin more, to show that a man cannot attain the righteousness of the Law on his own, and to drive one to faith.

THE COVENANTS STATUS

The Mosaic Covenant was the basis for the Dispensation of Law. It was the one Jewish covenant that was conditional and ultimately came to an end with the death of the Messiah (Rom. 10:4; II Cor. 3:3-11; Gal. 3:19-29; Eph. 2:11-18; Heb. 7:11-12, 18). Hence, the Mosaic Law is no longer in effect. Prophetically, it was already considered broken even before Messiah died to free the Jew from the penalty of the Law (Jer. 31:32). The status of the Mosaic Covenant rests on seven points. 

1. The Unity of the Law of Moses

It must be understood that the Mosaic Law is viewed by the Scriptures as a unit. The division of the Law of Moses into ceremonial, legal, and moral parts is convenient for the study of the different types of commandments contained within it, but it is never divided in this way by the Scriptures themselves. Neither is there any scriptural basis for separating the Ten Commandments from the whole 613 and making only the Ten Commandments perpetual. It is the principle of the unity of the Law of Moses that lies behind the statement found in James 2:10: For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.

2. The Law of Moses Has Been Rendered Inoperative

The New Testament teaches that the Law of Moses has been rendered inoperative with the death of the Messiah; in other words, the Law in its totality no longer has authority over any individual. This is evident from a number of passages to include Romans 7:5-6: Romans 10:4: Galatians 2:16: and Hebrews 7:19). Thus, it should be very evident that the Law has come to an end in the Messiah and cannot function in justification or sanctification. For the believer especially, it has been rendered inoperative.

3. The Law was never meant to be a permanent administration but a temporary one.

This is stated in Galatians 3:19: What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise has been made.

In this context, Paul stated that the Law of Moses was an addition to the Abrahamic Covenant (verses 15-18). It was added for the purpose of making sin very clear so that all will know that they have fallen short of God's standard of righteousness. It was a temporary addition until the seed, the Messiah would come; now that He has come, the Law is finished. The addition has ceased to function with the cross.

4. With the Messiah, there is a new priesthood according to the Order of Melchizedek, not according to the Order of Aaron.

The Law of Moses provided the basis for the Levitical Priesthood and there was an inseparable connection between the Law of Moses and the Levitical Priesthood. A new priesthood required a new Law under which it could operate according to Hebrews 7:11-18. The point made in Hebrews 7:11-12 is that, under the Law, only one type of priesthood was permitted, the Levitical Priesthood. The Levitical Priesthood could not bring perfection. This is explained in Hebrews 9:11-10:18 that states rather clearly that animal blood could not bring perfection; only the Messiah's blood could do that. The Mosaic Law was the basis for the Levitical Priesthood. For the Levitical Priesthood to be done away with and to be replaced by a new priesthood, the Priesthood of Melchizedek, required a change of the Law. As long as the Law of Moses was in effect, no other priesthood was valid except the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood (Heb. 7:13-17). Was there a change of the Law? If the Mosaic Law were still in effect, Jesus could not function as a priest. Because the Mosaic Law is no longer in effect, Jesus can be a priest after the Order of Melchizedek. Consequently, the Law of Moses has been “disannulled” in favor of a new Law, which is the basis for the priest according to the Order of Melchizedek.

5. The writer of Hebrews goes on to say that the above truth was already anticipated by the prophets in 8:8-13.

 In Hebrews 8-12, the writer quotes the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31-34 and then concludes in verse 13: In that he says, A new covenant he has made the first old. But that which is becoming old and waxed aged is nigh unto vanishing away. The Law of Moses became old with Jeremiah and vanished away with the Messiah's death.

6. The Law was the middle wall of partition that is now broken down.

According to Ephesians 2:14-15: For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace.

As noted earlier, God made four unconditional eternal covenants with Israel. All of God's blessings, both material and spiritual, are mediated by means of these four Jewish covenants. God also had a fifth covenant which was temporary and conditional, the Mosaic Covenant that contained the Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law served as the middle wall of partition to keep Gentiles, as Gentiles, away from enjoying Jewish spiritual blessings. If the Mosaic Law were still in effect, it would still be a wall of partition to keep the Gentiles away; but this wall of partition was broken down with the death of the Messiah. Since the wall of partition was the Mosaic Law, this meant the Law of Moses was done away with. Gentiles, as Gentiles, on the basis of faith can and do enjoy Jewish spiritual blessings by becoming fellow partakers of the promise in the Messiah.

7. The seventh line of evidence for the annulment of the Mosaic Law is based on Galatians 3:23-4:7. In this passage, the Law is looked upon as tutor over a minor to bring him to mature faith in the Messiah (v. 24). Having become a believer, he is no longer under this tutor, which is the Law of Moses (v. 25). As clearly as it could be stated, this passage teaches that with the Messiah's coming, the Law is no longer in effect.

8. The eighth line of evidence for the annulment of the Mosaic Law is II Corinthians 3:2-11. That zeros right in on the part of the Law that most people want to retain, the Ten Commandments. We need to understand what Paul is saying concerning the Law of Moses. The main point is that the Law of Moses, especially represented by the Ten Commandments, is a ministration of death and a ministration of condemnation. If the Ten Commandments were still in force today, this would still be true. However, they are no longer in force, for it states in verses 7 and 11 that the Law has “passed away.” The Greek word used is katargeo, which means, “to render inoperative.”

The Mosaic Covenant was the basis for the Dispensation of Law. It was the one Jewish covenant that was conditional and ultimately came to an end with the death of the Messiah (Rom. 10:4; II Cor. 3:3-11; Gal. 3:19-29; Eph. 2:11-18; Heb. 7:11-12, 18). Hence, the Mosaic Law is no longer in effect. Prophetically, it was already considered broken even before the Messiah died to free the Jew from the penalty of the Law (Jer. 31:32).

There is much confusion over the Mosaic Covenant and Law for believers in this day, and it is my hope that this teaching will help you understand it better.  In essence, Matthew 5 shows us that the law sends us to Jesus to be justified, because it shows us our inability to please God in ourselves. But after we come to Jesus, He sends us back to the law to learn the heart of God for our conduct and sanctification. In Matthew 5, Jesus shows the true meaning of the law. But this isn’t Jesus against Moses; it is Jesus against false and superficial interpretations of Moses.

The Mosaic Covenant is also called the Age or Dispensation of Law.  Praise God!! Today, the ultimate price of failing to live under the law has been paid in full through the precious blood of Jesus Christ!! Don’t miss the vital truth about the firm fact that right now, He sits at the right hand of our Father God, as a Priest under the order of Melchizedek making intercession for you and for me!!

In our next session, we are going to begin looking the remaining Covenants of God – which are all unconditional. We have such a good, good Father!! His Word is true! And these covenants are everlasting! Remember that these conditional Covenants are between God and Israel, with the exception of the last one which provided reconciliation to God for you and for me!