Topical Bible: Government: Mosaic: Accepted, and Agreed To, the Law Given by Moses

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The Mosaic government, as established in the Hebrew Scriptures, represents a theocratic system where God Himself is recognized as the supreme ruler, and His laws are delivered through His chosen servant, Moses. This form of governance is foundational to the identity and religious life of the Israelites, as it encompasses not only civil and ceremonial laws but also moral imperatives that reflect the character of God.

The Covenant at Sinai

The inception of the Mosaic government is marked by the covenant at Mount Sinai, where God delivers the Ten Commandments and other laws to Moses. This event is pivotal, as it signifies the formal acceptance of God's law by the people of Israel. In Exodus 19:5-6 , God declares, "Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." The Israelites respond affirmatively, agreeing to the terms of the covenant, as recorded in Exodus 24:3 : "When Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances, they all responded with one voice: 'All the words that the LORD has spoken, we will do.'"

The Role of Moses

Moses serves as the mediator between God and the people, receiving the law on their behalf and ensuring its communication and implementation. His leadership is divinely appointed, and he is entrusted with the task of guiding the Israelites according to God's statutes. The law given through Moses encompasses various aspects of life, including religious observances, social justice, and personal conduct, as seen in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

The Law as a Covenant

The Mosaic law is not merely a set of rules but a covenantal framework that establishes a unique relationship between God and Israel. It is both a privilege and a responsibility, as it sets the Israelites apart as God's chosen people. Deuteronomy 4:8 highlights the distinctiveness of this law: "And what nation is great enough to have righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?"

The People's Agreement

The acceptance of the Mosaic law is a collective commitment by the Israelites to live according to God's commands. This agreement is reaffirmed multiple times throughout their journey, as seen in Deuteronomy 26:17-18 : "Today you have proclaimed that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes, commandments, and ordinances, and listen to His voice. And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people, His treasured possession, as He promised, and that you are to keep all His commandments."

The Purpose of the Law

The Mosaic law serves several purposes: it reveals the holiness of God, provides a standard of righteousness, and establishes a system of worship and sacrifice that points to the need for atonement. It also functions as a guide for social order and justice, ensuring that the community reflects God's character in their interactions with one another.

The Enduring Significance

While the Mosaic law was given specifically to the nation of Israel, its principles continue to hold significance for believers today. It underscores the importance of obedience to God, the need for a mediator, and the call to be a distinct people set apart for His purposes. The law ultimately points to the fulfillment found in Jesus Christ, who embodies the perfect obedience and righteousness that the law demands.

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Exodus 19:7,8
And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.
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Exodus 24:3,7
And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD has said will we do.
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Deuteronomy 29:10-15
You stand this day all of you before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel,
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Library

Analysis of the Westminster Confession.
... I. They whom God hath accepted in his Beloved ... or Abrahamic (oeconomia ante legem),
the Mosaic (oeconomia sub lege ... of the independence and self-government of the ...
/.../creeds of christendom with a history and critical notes/ 95 analysis of the.htm

Period iii. The Critical Period: AD 140 to AD 200
... was undertaken by the Roman Government during the ... of Greek philosophy to the Mosaic
dispensation and ... departure from the generally accepted Christian tradition. ...
/.../a source book for ancient church history/period iii the critical period .htm

The Poetical Books (Including Also Ecclesiastes and Canticles).
... of the Hebrew poets to the Mosaic law has already ... for their folly, which are accepted
in answer ... A disciplinary government, administered over a world in which ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxi the poetical books.htm

The Old Testament and Comparative Religion
... may be said that during the pre-Mosaic period the ... he wish to give his land good
government, let him ... first edited the code, and is commonly accepted as correct ...
/.../eiselen/the christian view of the old testament/chapter v the old testament.htm

The Romance of M. Renan. By Napoleon Roussel.
... blasphemy to an ordinary Jew, was accepted without conscientious ... Let the government
without fault in this respect ... old Jewish party, by the Mosaic law." (Pp.410 ...
/.../the romance of m renan and the christ of the gospels/the romance of m renan.htm

Answer to Eunomius' Second Book .
... of the appellation, those, I mean, who have been taught by the law to worship ... that
the Father is from no pre-existing cause, these men have given to such a ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/answer to eunomius second book.htm

Enthusiasm.
... formalism alike in doctrine and in government.[492] But it ... others had done before
him, he accepted it as ... revelation in general, or of the Mosaic and Christian ...
/.../abbey/the english church in the eighteenth century/chapter vii enthusiasm.htm

Footnotes
... ministrie of the kirk of Govan, which he accepted." Records of ... a place where either
foes or friends have agreed to meet. ... 1. That the moral law is of no use at ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/footnotes.htm

On the Interpretation of Scripture
... Almost all intelligent persons are agreed that the ... thousand years before the Mosaic
chronology; recent ... the Episcopal Form of Church Government, have sufficient ...
/.../on the interpretation of scripture.htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... delighted in all transgression against the law of God ... which had been connected with
the government, because, with ... meaning of part of the Mosaic dispensation is ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm