Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
Malachi 4:4 (KJV)
Law of Moses – I had a conversation with a man this weekend about keeping the law spiritually vs. physically. He didn’t approve of my physical obedience to YHVH’s law. He reasoned that we no longer need to eat unleavened bread during Passover because “We’re Spiritual Christians”. And so I replied, “let’s follow that thought through by looking at another example.” I asked this man if he ate pork, and he said “no”. So I hypothetically invited him over to my house and explained that I would offer him a pork chop. I wouldn’t eat it because I believe in physical obedience to the law. Then I explained that he didn’t have to eat it spiritually, but I would expect him to eat it physically. I hope this helped him realize the flaw of his argument.
I proceeded with another example. I know what spiritual adultery is – worshiping another god – so because I know and adhere to the spiritual meaning of the law of adultery, I no longer have to abide by the physical law of ‘thou shalt not commit adultery’? I told him that according to his teaching, I can commit physical adultery as long as I keep the spiritual intent of that law. His immediate backtrack was to then accuse me of attending an “adulterous” second marriage of my cousin. I’m not sure how an adulterous marriage is possible since his argument would lead us to believe that physical obedience to the law is no longer valid.
So obviously more discussion was required. I began to speak about how the law of divorce works from Deuteronomy 24. The law allows for divorce for a particular reason – adultery (clarified by Yeshua in Matthew 19). So I argued that it was perfectly lawful for my cousin to divorce and marry another. This man challenged me stating that Yeshua says in Matthew 19 that Moses gave them that law, not God. I sighed and began to explain how referring to Moses as the one who gave the law is a common thing. I reasoned that it happened frequently but was always understood that the law ultimately came from God… through Moses.
And so I shared with him, the verse above from Malachi. This man wouldn’t accept it. He was already stagnant in his belief and despite being shown that everything Moses commanded was from God Himself, this particular man just didn’t want to see it. He preferred to keep his view of a separation in the law (some from Moses and some from God) but again couldn’t explain which ones were which.
So despite the text stating that Moses gave the law, or the law of Moses, Malachi makes it quite clear that every law given by Moses was directly from God. One can switch these terms interchangeably: law of Moses, or law of God. It was commanded by God and given through Moses.
In response to this debate, the man stated that I seem to have an answer for everything. I replied, “Yes I do, because I study and commit myself to the Word of God”. I am prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in me. I live what I preach. There is no hypocrisy unlike others who continually search for loopholes in the law so that they feel justified in breaking it. I believe in the law and the prophets. This was Paul’s answer when they brought him before the judges (Acts 24:14). It was my ancestor’s answer when they separated from Orthodoxy. It was the expectation in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. And it’s my answer today. It is by the law and the prophets (which are all words from YHVH) that we might surely understand and truly know Yeshua.
Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
John 1:45
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