THE LAW OF MOSES
Because God created all things, there is a distinction in all of creation between what is good and what is evil, what is permitted and what is prohibited, what is right and what is wrong. The distinction comes from the very nature of God, and it is imprinted in the very nature of all creation. God wants us to know Him, and He has revealed Himself to us through:
1. All of creation;
2. Adam being made in the image and likeness of God;
3. The Scriptures;
4. God's law for and relationship with Israel; and
5. Messiah.
In the law of Moses, God includes all of His universal law for all mankind. These laws apply to Gentiles as well as to Jews. In the law of Moses, there are also special laws and statutes given to Israel for special purposes. There are specific laws that set Israel apart from the goyim as a holy people. That separation enabled God to enter into covenant relationship, communicate the Scriptures, teach the necessity of faith, and bring Messiah into the world.
There are also specific covenant signs that signify what God requires. These include circumcision, observing Shabbat, wearing tzitzit and tefillin, affixing a mezuzah to the doorpost, and not eating unclean animals. The feasts of the Lord (Lev.23) commemorate and illustrate different aspects of redemption. So do the commanded sacrifices and offerings. The greatest commandment is "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Dt. 6:4-5) Because Adam was made in the image and likeness of God, there is another commandment that is like the greatest. "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Lev. 19:18)
All the rest of the Law of Moses gives concrete detail to these two great
commandments. It is God's gracious gift to guide Israel in righteousness.
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(go back)
The Law of Moses
Tochachah/The Warning
How Should Jews Treat Gentiles?
You Were Strangers
The Land Is Not "Palestine"
The Eternal Promise
Was The Promise Already Fulfilled?
Israel's Sin and God's Faithfulness