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Today’s question, from a Facebook friend and reader:

Jesus was the sacrifice and he was the priest. Since Jesus is our High Priest, how is the Mosaic law still valid? If you can, explain the Law of Christ in your own words…

My understanding of the matter:

The Torah and the Mosaic Law are largely the same, but they are different, too. The Torah is God’s teaching, or law. The Mosaic Law is Torah with the addition of a priestly system (placed under Aaron/Levites) put in place to minister the “letter” of the Torah to YHWH’s people, and a blood sacrifice system to teach the principal of blood atonement for breaking Torah.

The Torah pre-existed Moses, and indeed even YHWH’s promises to Abraham. In fact, it was because Abraham followed Torah that YHWH promised to make him a great nation. Speaking to Abraham’s son Isaac, YHWH said:

“Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws (‘Torot’ which is plural of Torah).” (Gen 26:3-5 KJV)

Actually, other people knew YHWH’s Torah before Moses, and even before Abraham. Abraham had apparently learned some Torah in Haran before his call to leave home. Apparently his father and family back in “the old country” knew feared YHWH. (See Gen 24:50; 31:29.) However it is also apparent that they served other gods. (See Gen 31:29-30; 31:53.)

The book of Hebrews teaches that Yeshua/Jesus is a greater high priest than Aaron, and of a different order. We are now priests under our high priest Yeshua, of a different order than the Levites (our order is of Melchizedek, under the high-priest of that order). Yeshua also provided the sacrifice of sacrifices and has done away with the need once-for-all for the sacrifice of animals for sin atonement. Because of this, the Levitical priesthood and animal sacrifice for atonement have been done away with as it is no longer necessary in/under Messiah:

For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. (Heb 7:12 KJV)

And:

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. (Heb 9:11-15 KJV)

So Hebrews teaches that the Levitical priesthood under Aaron and blood sacrifice for sin atonement were done away with when the time for the more excellent and permanent replacement came.

But the Mosaic Law is much more than the Levitical priesthood and blood sacrifice system. It is also Torah. It contains and teaches Torah. Our high priest and sacrificial atonement, Yeshua, opened the way for us to enter into a “new” covenant relationship with YHWH. As Hebrews teaches:

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (Heb 8:7-8 KJV)

And:

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: (Heb 8:10 KJV)

Under the New Covenant, Torah is not done away with, but it is actually written in our hearts by the Spirit of YHWH. The Spirit indwells us who have entered into a New Covenant relationship with YHWH. He Himself teaches us by His Spirit, to understand and rightly apply what He Himself, by His Spirit instructed us in Torah written down by those still under the Old Covenant.

So to sum up: Torah stands as it has since creation. It must as it is YHWH’s nature codified, or written down. As such, it simply puts into words His nature and character, and He doesn’t change. Ever.

We have physically received the written down Torah through the Tanakh (“Old” Testament) which was brought to us, through the Spirit, by those under the Old Covenant with YHWH.

Now that we have moved into YHWH’s promised New Covenant, we still hold to the Torah (and the Spirit that gave and teaches it actually indwells us now!), but we set aside the obsolete Levitical priesthood and animal blood atonement sacrificial system as Scripture teaches us.

The “Law of Christ” includes the Torah, plus the keys to applying Torah: in love, and in the Spirit. “Of” has various meanings, which include “belonging to,” and also “from.” Both are true in the statement “the Law of Christ.”

The Torah was “owned” by Yeshua in the sense that He kept it and took responsibility for the keeping of it. But Torah is also “from” Yeshua. He gave it originally. Yeshua is YHWH. Pre-incarnate Yeshua gave the Law at Sinai with His own finger.

Many will make a big deal out of saying that the Law of Christ is different than Torah. That is doing mental gymnastics in order to reject Torah in favor of a system that they want to set up in place of Torah.

Hope that answers your question, or at least lays the foundation for your discovery of an answer. If I was unclear, or if my answer causes other questions to arise, please be sure to ask! Thanks for a great question!

Addendum: Follow-up Question!

Another Facebook friend added an important question to the discussion, so I thought I’d include it here too.

Well said!! But would love to hear you views on Matt 5:17 and Eph 2:8,9?

My understanding of the matter:

Matthew 5:17

Matthew 5:17 is a perfect illustration of what I meant when I wrote: “The “Law of Christ” includes the Torah, plus the keys to applying Torah: in love, and in the Spirit. “Of” has various meanings, which include “belonging to,” and also “from.” Both are true in the statement “the Law of Christ.” This verse, and those around it, teach that very thing.

The verse has a context, and more fully, the thought is:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:17-20 KJV)

Yeshua did not come to destroy the law or the prophets! Plain as day. When He said He came to “fulfill” them, he did not mean “finish” them, but rather he “completely adhered to all they require.” The verses following support that interpretation.

He offered stern warning to those leading others against law (Torah), and a blessing for those who lead others to the law. Note that Yeshua does indicate when the law will be “fulfilled” in the sense of “finished”: when heaven and earth pass away. Until then, His teaching is clear that we should “fulfill” or adhere fully to Torah, as He gave us example and instruction.

The last verse shows the key of fulfilling the law as He did: with YHWH’s righteousness by the Spirit. The verse continues on to state that the law approached by the letter (even by experts of the letter of the law, the Pharisees), was inadequate. The law can only be fulfilled by the Spirit that indwells us. When we follow the Spirit’s leading in Torah, and apply it by love for YHWH and love for our neighbor, it is rightly applied, or in other words, the requirement of Torah is fulfilled.

Yeshua continues into the following chapter with concrete examples of how fulfilling Torah by the letter differs from fulfilling it by the Spirit. But in each case, Torah is fulfilled, as Yeshua taught us to do!

Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8-9 is another excellent passage of Scripture to support my understanding of Torah and New Covenant believers. These verses, too, have a context. Let me expand the passage:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:8-13 KJV)

First, Torah is not antithetical to YHWH’s grace. In fact, we must have YHWH’s grace because we are not able, of ourselves, to “fulfill” His Torah. We enter the New Covenant by grace. We don’t seek to fulfill Torah in order to enter the New Covenant, we seek to fulfill it because we have already entered into the New Covenant. We desire to do Torah because Torah is written on our hearts (see Jeremiah 31:31-34/Ezekiel 36:26-28/Hebrews 10:10-18). It is our privilege and our gift. Torah is our banner and our honor, in Messiah.

So we are, as taught by Ephesians 2:8-9, saved by grace and not by works. But when we read on we see what we are given life for: Good works! And those good works which YHWH had foreordained! Torah, foreordained, teaches us what is good:

“Wherefore the law (referring to Torah) is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. (Rom 7:12 KJV)

And because it is so “good,” it is even the rule by which we measure sin:

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. (1Jn 3:2-6 KJV)

So Torah is our destiny in entering a New Covenant relationship with YHWH! Far from a burden, it is a delight. Far from trying to earn righteousness, we follow because we have righteousness in Messiah!

Notice also, that the result of Ephesians 2:8-9 is that we are now no longer aliens from the commonweath of Israel, but that we are brought near in Messiah. We aren’t strangers to those who preserve Torah, we are joined in with them as keepers of Torah! Often Gentiles picture this as meaning that Israel is brought to us. Actually what it says is opposite. We are brought to Israel by the blood of Christ. The wall of separation was torn down in order to bring us in, not to bring Israel out.

Wow! Great questions. I love being reminded of what the Scriptures say about these things!

Hope I’ve answered your question. Feel free to ask more!

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Copyright 2009 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
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Tags: Abraham, blood sacrifice, Hebrews, high priest, Jesus, Law of Moses, New Covenant, Old Covenant, Torah, Yeshua

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