Topical Bible: Church of Israel: Had: Appointed Ordinances

Bible > Topical > Church of Israel

◄ Church of Israel: Had: Appointed Ordinances ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of appointed ordinances within the Church of Israel is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative, reflecting the divine instructions given to the people of Israel as a means of maintaining a covenant relationship with God. These ordinances, often referred to as statutes or decrees, were established by God to guide the Israelites in their worship, community life, and moral conduct.

Biblical Foundation

The appointed ordinances are primarily found in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, where God delivers His laws to Moses on Mount Sinai. These laws encompass a wide range of instructions, including ceremonial, civil, and moral laws. The Berean Standard Bible provides a clear articulation of these ordinances. For instance, in Exodus 12:14, the Passover is instituted as a lasting ordinance: "This day is to be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD. You are to celebrate it as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come."

Purpose and Significance

The appointed ordinances served several purposes. They were a means of setting the Israelites apart as God's chosen people, distinct from the surrounding nations. Leviticus 20:26 states, "You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own." These ordinances also provided a framework for worship and community life, ensuring that the Israelites lived in a manner that was pleasing to God.

Types of Ordinances

1. Ceremonial Ordinances: These include instructions for sacrifices, festivals, and rituals that were to be observed by the Israelites. The Day of Atonement, as described in Leviticus 16, is one such ordinance, emphasizing the need for atonement and reconciliation with God.

2. Civil Ordinances: These laws governed the social and judicial aspects of Israelite life, including property rights, justice, and interpersonal relationships. Exodus 21-23 outlines various civil laws that were to be upheld within the community.

3. Moral Ordinances: These are ethical commands that reflect God's character and His expectations for human behavior. The Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20, are the most well-known moral ordinances, serving as a foundational ethical code.

Continuity and Fulfillment

While the appointed ordinances were specific to the nation of Israel, they also pointed forward to the coming of Christ, who fulfilled the law. In Matthew 5:17 , Jesus states, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them." The New Testament reveals that the ceremonial aspects of the law were fulfilled in Christ, who is the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

Application for the Church

For the contemporary Church, the appointed ordinances of Israel serve as a historical and theological foundation. They reveal God's holiness, justice, and mercy, and they underscore the importance of living in obedience to God's commands. While the ceremonial laws are no longer binding, the moral principles they embody continue to guide Christian ethics and conduct. The Church is called to uphold these timeless truths, living as a holy people set apart for God's purposes.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 18:20
And you shall teach them ordinances and laws, and shall show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hebrews 9:1,10
Then truly the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

On Attending the Church Service
... but even till Judah, as well as Israel, for the ... that, in many parts of the Romish
Church, they are ... if I had not reasonable proof that he had more knowledge in ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 104 on attending the.htm

"The House of Israel"
... and to all Israel,"to God's church on earth ... the ordinances which God Himself had
appointed, they encumbered ... As a nation, the people of Israel, while desiring ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 59 the house of.htm

The Woman of Samaria
... and many a wicked king of Israel, had gone in ... them: but it was God who had appointed
them their ... Schools, books, church-going, ordinances of all kinds, they are ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xxvi the woman of.htm

Of the True Church. Duty of Cultivating Unity with Her, as the ...
... is styled divorce between God and the Church, and yet ... me, saith the Lord." "Return,
thou backsliding Israel, saith the ... Had he not foreseen that his people were ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 1 of the true.htm

"To what Purpose is the Multitude of Your Sacrifices unto Me? ...
... Moses had a vail of ceremonies over his face, and the children of Israel could not ...
who would think it a great fault to stay away from the church on the ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon ix to what purpose.htm

The Danger of Deviating from Divine Institutions.
... set themselves up for teachers in the church without a ... Witness the evils which came
upon Israel when they ... and consecrated others to minister who had not the ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xxviii the danger of.htm

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
... a daily provision of which the King had appointed for them ... 6. In the Jewish church
there were some stated fasts. ... himself to be observed by all Israel under the ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 27 upon our lords.htm

The Last Supper.
... (1) There was needed among the disciples, as in the Church now, a ... the name he should
report to the children of Israel of the God who had appointed him as ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the last supper.htm

The Christian Church
... Upon Earth."The prophets of the Old Testament had two great ... men and nations.3. The
reign of God over Israel. ... The Church and the Kingdom."It is the care of ...
/.../sell/studies in the life of the christian/study ix the christian church.htm

Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
... digged down thine altars." The seven thousand who had not bowed ... Hence a visible church
was erected therein ... Hence Israel, as a people, were endowed with peculiar ...
/.../the ordinance of covenanting/chapter viii covenanting according to.htm