The Mosaic Law, Part 2: A Brief History of God's Laws

Law from God has played an integral part throughout human history. Rebellion against Jehovah God's laws began with the very first rulebreaker, an angel whom we now call Satan, (Re 12:9 ^_[pa|in]) whose jealousy led him to pretend to be a serpent and lie against God to bring mankind death through sin. (Ge 3:1-5 ^_[pa|in]; Joh 8:44 ^_[pa|in]) It was by loving his wife more than God (Ge 2:22-25 ^_[pa|in]; Ro 1:21 ^_[pa|in]) that the first man, Adam, rebelled, breaking the one simple rule (Ge 2:16-17 ^_[pa|in]; 3:6 ^_[pa|in]) and thereby lost the gift of everlasting life for all his descendants by passing sin to them, and lost paradise for us all. (Ge 3:23, 24 ^_[pa|in])

Afterward, his son Cain violated the natural law of human existence not to murder. He had even been warned not to let his petty jealousy consume him, and then he murdered his brother anyway and was therefore driven from off the tillable ground. (Ge 4:2-16 ^_[pa|in]) Undeterred by this lesson, the whole world was ruined in God's sight when it became filled with violence after angels violated the human marriage arrangement by marrying the daughters of men (Ge 2:22-24 ^_[pa|in]; Ge 6:1-2 ^_[par|int], 5 ^_[par|int], 13 ^_[pa|in];  Jude 6 ^_[pa|in]) to whom the abominations, called the "fellers" of men, (Nephilim) were born. (Ge 6:4 footnote ^_[pa|in])

After the flood that wiped away that generation, (Ge 7:21-23 ^_[pa|in]) Jehovah God told Noah not to eat blood along with the animal and to treat life as sacred. (Ge 9:4-7 ^_[pa|in]) Later still, Nimrod refused to follow God's law to fill the earth and built cities for men to gather into and built a tower to challenge the power of God himself and God confused the languages to stem the tide of nimrod's rebellion and God's will to fill the earth continued unabated. (Ge 9:1 ^_[pa|in]; 10:8-12 ^_[pa|in]; 11:1-9 ^_[pa|in]) None of these rules ever ceased to apply to mankind because they were given to all of us by means of our common ancestors and all of them are essential to our health and well-being. Since mankind have filled the earth, we are now under obligation to bring forth children for God through all the earth by spreading truth to all nations. (Mt 28:19, 20 ^_[pa|in])

The Mosaic Law

Later, Abraham became obedient to God in all things, no matter what Jehovah asked of him, (Ge 26:5 ^_[pa|in]) being called "Jehovah's friend", and a people for God, as a special possession, was born from him. (Ex 19:5, 6 ^_[pa|in]); Jas 2:21-23 ^_[pa|in]) And the Mosaic Law was given to them when they were repurchased from the land of Egypt and swore to obey all the righteous requirements of that law. (Ex 24:7 ^_[pa|in]) That law covenant for a priesthood belonged to the descendents of Israel alone, the grandson of Abraham, (2Ki 17:34 ^_[pa|in]; 1Ch 1:34 ^_[pa|in]) and not to all mankind. Though others could choose to enter the law covenant. (Nu 15:15 ^_[pa|in])

Included in the Mosaic Law were laws for organization, sacrifices, dietary restrictions, daily life, clothing and cleanliness, commerce, property, respectful treatment of people and domestic animals, sex, preparing meals, fasting, festivals and sabbaths, circumcision, killing, evidence gathering, and bearing witness.

Unfortunately, in time the Jewish religious leaders began developing so-called "oral laws" that burdened the people and allowed those knowledgeable in all the laws to fool themselves into thinking they could circumvent law altogether. (Mt 15:1-9 ^_[pa|in]) As a result, the majority lost out on becoming a kingdom of priests in heaven and were ultimately destroyed as a nation for their rejecting their prophesied savior, or Messiah, God's Son, Jesus Christ. (Mt 23:29-39 ^_[pa|in]; Mr 8:31 ^_[pa|in])

The Law of Love

However, by means of that law, all mankind received salvation through God's Son, Jesus Christ, whose ransom sacrifice earned us freedom from the consequence of sin and gave back what Adam lost through faith in Christ's sacrifice. Through him, all those exercising faith in him received the law of love, (Joh 13:34, 35 ^_[pa|in]) which, if faithfully followed, makes breaking God's laws given to mankind impossible. (Ga 5:22, 23 ^_[pa|in])

By the law of love, one would never rebel against God, (Jude 11 ^_[pa|in]) would never seek independence, (Tit 1:16 ^_[pa|in]) would never worship other gods, (1Co 8:5, 6 ^_[pa|in]) would never dishonor God by worshipping powerless representations of created things, (1Co 10:14 ^_[pa|in]) would never abuse Jehovah God's name, (1Ti 6:1 ^_[pa|in]) would abandon selfish desires, (2Ti 2:22 ^_[pa|in]) would honor their parents, (Col 3:20 ^_[pa|in]) would never murder (1Jo 3:15 ^_[pa|in]) or steal, (Eph 4:28 ^_[pa|in]) would never have sexual relations outside of human opposite sex marriage to a single partner, (1Co 6:9 ^_[pa|in]) would never lie against another (Eph 4:25 ^_[pa|in]) or cheat them (1Co 6:9, 10 ^_[pa|in]) and would never give in to unrighteous jealousy, (Jas 3:16 ^_[pa|in]) Nor would they dishonor Jesus' sacrifice that brought us under the law of love by trying to preserve their lives with the blood of animals or of men. (Ac 21:25 ^_[pa|in]; Heb 10:1-10 ^_[pa|in], 28, 29 ^_[pa|in])

Instead they would help others to reach out for salvation and provide assistance as brothers and neighbors (Ac 20:35 ^_[pa|in]) in peace and joy while under trial. (1Pe 2:20 ^_[pa|in]) By exercising this love, desisting from sin, instead of observing a weekly or festival sabbath, they would enter into God's true unending rest from works of the flesh. (Heb 4:1-11 ^_[pa|in]) And yet, if they do fail to show love at some point, they can have forgiveness (1Jo 2:1 ^_[pa|in]) when they ask for it by praying to the Father of their souls, Jehovah, in faith in the name of the one whose sacrifice earned them that freedom (Joh 15:16 ^_[pa|in]; Ro 5:1, 2 ^_[pa|in]; Jas 1:6 ^_[pa|in]) so long as they continue to seek to exercise the law of love. (Ga 5:14 ^_[pa|in]; 1Jo 3:23 ^_[pa|in])

History of Christians Observing the Mosaic Law

Unfortunately, many Jews claiming to be Christian sought to return to observing the law of the Jews by observing sabbaths, festivals, (Ga 4:10 ^_[pa|in]) and circumcision, (Ac 15:1 ^_[pa|in]) thus showing a lack of faith in Jesus Christ's ransom sacrifice. (Ro 4:14 ^_[pa|in]) They even tried to impose that yoke onto the shoulders of non-Jewish Christians whose forefathers never swore to the law covenant of the Jews.

The first century governing body gathered to discuss the matter at length and concluded that only those laws affecting idolatry, fornication and blood (including things strangled) are binding upon all Christians. (Ac 15:1-29 ^_[pa|in]) Peter, Paul and others helped the first century Christians to see that neither Jewish nor non-Jewish Christians were under the law covenant that was done away with by the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ. (Ro 7:6 ^_[pa|in]; 10:12 ^_[pa|in]; Col 2:13, 14 ^_[pa|in])

Over time, jealousy spread among Christians, resulting in apostasies, and Christian sects began to form (Re 2:15 ^_[pa|in]) who either sought to return to law, (Ga 5:4 ^_[pa|in]) or sought to pick and choose what they believed and would be obedient to, (Ga 5:3 ^_[pa|in]) or abandoned God's commandments altogether. (Jude 4 ^_[pa|in]) This situation has continued down to our day and has in fact become worse.


Go to: the beginning of the Salvation vs. project

Go to: Part 1: Introduction

Go to: Part 3 (1): Christians Are Not Under Law