Topical Bible: The Law of Moses is the Law of God

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Law of Moses, often referred to as the Mosaic Law, is a central component of the Hebrew Scriptures and is considered by many to be synonymous with the Law of God. This body of law is foundational to the religious, moral, and social life of the Israelites and is encapsulated primarily in the first five books of the Bible, known as the Torah or Pentateuch. These books include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Divine Origin and Authority

The Law of Moses is presented in the Scriptures as having divine origin, given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. This is evident in passages such as Exodus 24:12, where the Lord says to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and stay here, so that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction." The divine authorship underscores the authority and sacredness of the Law, as it is not merely a human construct but a direct revelation from God.

Content and Structure

The Law of Moses encompasses various types of laws, including moral, ceremonial, and civil regulations. The moral laws, such as the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:1-17, serve as timeless ethical principles. The ceremonial laws pertain to the religious rituals and sacrifices, as detailed in Leviticus, which were designed to maintain the holiness and purity of the Israelites. The civil laws provided guidelines for the social and judicial aspects of Israelite life, ensuring justice and order within the community.

Purpose and Function

The primary purpose of the Law of Moses was to set apart the Israelites as God's chosen people, distinct from the surrounding nations. In Deuteronomy 4:5-8, Moses emphasizes this distinctiveness: "See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'"

The Law also served to reveal the holiness of God and the sinfulness of humanity, highlighting the need for atonement and pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As Paul writes in Galatians 3:24, "So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

Fulfillment in Christ

While the Law of Moses was given to the Israelites, its ultimate fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus declares, "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." Through His life, death, and resurrection, Christ fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law, offering salvation to all who believe in Him.

Continuity and Discontinuity

The relationship between the Law of Moses and the New Covenant established by Christ is a subject of theological discussion. While the ceremonial and civil aspects of the Law are no longer binding on Christians, the moral principles continue to reflect God's character and are upheld in the teachings of the New Testament. Romans 7:12 affirms, "So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good."

Conclusion

The Law of Moses, as the Law of God, remains a vital part of biblical theology and Christian understanding. It reveals God's holiness, humanity's need for redemption, and the pathway to righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Leviticus 26:46
These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Strong's Hebrew

7467. Reuel -- "friend of God," Moses' father-in-law, also an ...
... 7466b, 7467. Reuel. 7468 . "friend of God," Moses' father-in-law, also
an Edomite, a Gadite, and a Benjamite. Transliteration: Reuel ...
/hebrew/7467.htm - 6k

Library

And in the Wilderness Moses Received the Law from God...
... THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE APOSTOLIC PREACHING Chapter 26 And in the wilderness
Moses received the Law from God? And in the wilderness ...
/.../irenaeus/the demonstration of the apostolic preaching/chapter 26 and in the.htm

The Law Anterior to Moses.
... in order that, being a candidate for eternal life, [1158] he might by this time
show us that we also may, without the burden of the law of Moses, please God. ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter ii the law anterior to.htm

The Jews violate the Eternal Law, and Interpret Ill that of Moses.
... Chapter XII."The Jews violate the eternal law, and interpret ill that of Moses. ...
know not Thee shall escape to Thee, because of thy God, the Holy ...
/.../chapter xii the jews violate the.htm

At First God Deemed it Sufficient to Inscribe the Natural Law, or ...
... exculpating Moses as a faithful servant, but acknowledging one God, who from the ...
And therefore it was that they received from Moses this law of divorcement ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xv at first god deemed.htm

God Said to Moses, "Put Off Thy Shoes, for the Place Whereon Thou ...
... the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." Now this which God said to Moses,
is only that very same thing, which circumcision, the Law, sacrifices, and ...
/.../address 156 0 0 god said to.htm

The Law Abrogated; the New Testament Promised and Given by God.
... but in Him in whom you also have trusted, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and
of Jacob. But we do not trust through Moses or through the law; for then we ...
/.../chapter xi the law abrogated the.htm

It Clearly Appears that There was but one Author of Both the Old ...
... law given by Moses commandments of men, but the traditions of the elders themselves
which they had invented, and in upholding which they made the law of God of ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xii it clearly appears that.htm

Of the Law and a Christian
... 3. When he gave it the first time, Moses was called to go up to receive it ... of the
rock Christ; for the saint himself, though he be without law to God, as it ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/miscellaneous pieces/of the law and a.htm

Was Moses "A Literary Fiction"?
... 2. There was a priestly order, according to the written law of Moses the man of
God, not according to the invention of the exiles returning from captivity ...
/.../iii was moses a literary.htm

On the Epistle to the Galatians the Abolition of the Ordinances of ...
... and said that men ought to be circumcised, and that the law of Moses was to be ... It
is because they declare no other God than the Creator, and prove Christ to ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter ii on the epistle to.htm