(Continued: Chapter III- God's Command To His Church)

To Mount Sinai the Lord descended and from its heights spoke the Ten Words, the Ten Commandments, to Israel, assembled in the plain beneath (Exodus, chapter 20; Deuteronomy, chapter 5).

Frequently, the Lord spoke to Moses, giving him laws, which He enjoined upon Israel to obey—not only in the letter, but in the spirit—regulations, commandments, statutes, and ordinances.

When God spoke from the mountain, Israel was terrified by the unusual phenomena taking place before their startled gaze. They, therefore, implored Moses that God speak to him directly and that he, in turn, relay the message to the people. The Lord granted this request and at the same time unfolded before them one of the greatest Messianic predictions:

15 Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16 according to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him (Deut. 18:15-19).

From time to time the Lord spoke through the prophets, urging Israel to give heed to all His commandments. Constantly He kept bringing before their minds the coming of the Messiah to whom they must give unqualified allegiance of heart and obedience. "I will raise them up a prophet ... and I will put my words in his mouth ... And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him" (Deut. 18:18,19). From this quotation it is quite obvious that the people of Israel were enjoined to obey the law as given by Moses until God would raise up this Prophet, who is none other than the Messiah of Israel.

On one occasion Jesus went up into a high mountain with Peter, James, and John, and was transfigured before them. It seems that His divine nature on this occasion began to scintillate through His human flesh and to radiate His eternal glory. As usual, Peter immediately spoke up, saying, "Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, I will make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 5 While he was yet speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him" (Matt. 17:4,5).

Heretofore, the God of Israel had commanded His people to hearken to the voice of Moses, and also to the Prophets. Realizing the high and authoritative positions held by Moses and the Prophets, Peter, impetuous and not thinking things through, exclaimed "Lord, ... if thou wilt, I will make here three tabernacles: one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." By making this suggestion, Peter elevated Moses (who stood for the law) and Elijah (who stood for the Prophets) to the high and exalted level on which the Son of God stands. While Peter was yet speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed-the group, "and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." The people of Israel had been looking to Moses and the Prophets as absolute authorities in all matters. Now God speaks, saying in substance: "You are no longer to look to Moses or Elijah, or any of the prophets, as having authority in matters of life and conduct. Jesus of Nazareth, your Teacher and Master, is my well beloved Son. He, and He alone, has all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, hear ye Him" (Matt. 11:27). "All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:18b).

In this connection it is well for us to consider the question as to why God spoke through Moses and the Prophets, but now speaks through His Son:

1 God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, 2 hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds; 3 who being the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 having become by so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they (Heb.1:1-4).

Concerning the law, the Apostle Paul declares:

23 But before faith came, we were kept inward under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor... 1 But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant though he is lord of all; 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the father. 3 So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world: 4 but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons (Gal. 3:23-25 ... 4:1-5).

When Jesus died on the Cross for the sins of the world, He abrogated the law:

13 And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses; 14 having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross; 15 having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Col. 2:13-15).

The law, having served the purpose for which it was given is no longer in force. "Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:17-20). The Lord Jesus gives the sum and substance of the law in the following quotation:

34 But the Pharisees when they heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, gathered themselves together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer asked him a question trying him: 36 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets (Matt. 22:34-40).

Since the law has been fulfilled, it is no longer binding upon anyone as a legal code or way of life. If one continues to look to Moses as an absolute authority regulating his life and service to God a veil of blindness covers his eyes. When, however, one sees that the law was a schoolmaster in bringing him to Christ, and accepts Christ the veil of blindness is taken away. For the Spirit of God, speaking through the Apostle Paul, declares:

4 And such confidence have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God; 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which glory was passing away 8 how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory? ... 12 Having therefore such a hope we use great boldness of speech, 13 and are not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly on the end of that which was passing away: 14 but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed to them that it is done away in Christ. 15 But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart. 16 But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit (II Cor. 3:4-8 ... 12-18).

Is one to conclude from what the inspired Apostle says in the Scripture just quoted that no one is to read Moses? and that if one does, his eyes will be blinded? By no means. What the Apostle means is that one is no longer to read Moses as an authoritative guide in respect to life, worship, and conduct—now that the law has served its purpose, has been abrogated, and the gospel of divine love and grace has taken its place. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

One is to read Moses and the Prophets for information, instructions, and edification. The Apostle explains the proper use of the writings of Moses and the Prophets in the following words:

13 But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 and that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture¹ inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: 17 that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work (II Tim 3:13-17).

Someone has tersely said "The New Testament is infolded in the Old Testament; and the Old is unfolded in the New." All sixty-six Books of the Bible constitute a unit. "The sum of thy word is truth" (Ps. 119:160). The treasures of truth are to be found in the Bible, the divine library.

Footnote:

¹ In the first century all writings were spoken of as scripture. The word scripture comes from the Latin, which means to write. Only those writings that are inspired of God are profitable for guidance.