Diving In Covenant 5 The Mosaic Covenant – Our relationship to The Mosaic Covenant under the New Covenant

The Purposes of the Mosaic Covenant are fulfilled

• NOT a means of salvation

It reveals the inability of mankind to keep the law because of the sinfulness of the heart. We have seen that mankind fails under every covenant so far – the Law is the ultimate revelation of the wickedness of man, but only brings condemnation as it cannot make anyone right with God (2 Cor. 3:7,9; Rom. 3:20; 8:3)

• Grateful response of a redeemed people who were in a marriage Covenant

Thus it is specific to Israel, as is the ‘sending away’ and subsequent ‘taking back’

• The preservation of Abraham’s seed

It was for the preservation of Abraham’s descendants until the Seed should come (Gal. 3:19; 4:4)

It provided practical guidelines to keep them from doing things that could harm them and so are true as far as they go, but Jesus’ teaching goes beyond that (inner cleanliness and not hand-washing) and has, in some cases, revoked it (declared all meats clean Mark 7:19  – see Acts 10) – you will need Halachah if you want to keep this part of the Law!

• Maintenance of relationship with The Lord

Provide for the people’s spiritual life and worship through the Tabernacle and its offerings, but this was only temporary – “until the time of setting things right” (Heb. 9:8-10) when there is a change of Law regarding the priesthood (Heb. 7:12)

The Law of the Covenant provided forgiveness for transgression but it was incomplete and couldn’t justify the people from everything (Acts 13:39; Heb. 9:13-15)

• Display God’s wisdom and greatness

Reveal the Character of a Holy God. This is common to all the Covenants, as the character of God is progressively revealed in them. The Mosaic Covenant is not the ultimate revelation – that comes with Jesus! (John 14:9) who embodies all wisdom and the people of Israel failed to do it anyway.

Is the Mosaic Covenant still in force?

• The Covenant or the Torah? Two parts – the Covenant and the Torah
• The Torah is part of the Mosaic Covenant
• Its purpose is to enable Israel to enjoy the Covenant blessings
• As such, it was completely fulfilled by Christ who is the termination of the Law

If the Covenant is now redundant, then the Torah is redundant as a method of righteousness and staying in Covenant relationship (Rom. 9:31-32)

Redefine Torah as “the way of the Lord” and it becomes a lot clearer! The Torah was ‘the way of the Lord’ under the Mosaic Covenant.

Four positions:

1. All obsolete – not just (not even!) Replacement Theologians who tend to be from the Reformed camp and hold position no. 2. Here are two Jewish Christian’s positions:
   – Fruchtenbaum – rendered inoperative by the death of Messiah and Matt. 5:17 (shall not pass away) needs to be understood in the light that Messiah’s death fulfilled the Law in its entirety
   – Baruch Maoz – no positive religious value in observance of the Torah; celebration of “Jewishness” usurps “Jesusness” in life and witness.
2. Just the 10 Commandments – the rest of them are obsolete (somewhat arbitrary? As “love your neighbour” is not one of the 10 but was commanded by Jesus (it is one of the 613, found in Lev. 17)
3. Three divisions – Moral, Civil and Ceremonial (Maltz) where the Civil and Ceremonial have been cancelled but the Moral division still applies. Something to commend this as it takes into account passages like Hebrews 8 and Acts 15 (with Jesus’ teaching on foods and the Sabbath), but is somewhat arbitrary and open to debate which commands come where – falls foul of James 2:10 as well!
4. Still applicable in its entirety but needs halachah to interpret (some Messianic groups). It’s impossible to fulfil all the 613 commandments as we’ve observed before. It takes a whole community to fulfil the Law – rulers, judges, priest, Levites, people, plus a functioning Temple and animal sacrifices.

However, we need to take into account how Matthew uses the word ‘fulfil’ – e.g. Matt. 1:22-23 the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled, i.e. came to fulfilment and was ended.

Those who take this line this are not consistent in their application – they cannot be with no temple, etc. but must then follow Rabbinic teachings and applications, which is not the Torah of Moses! Or re-interpret it with Christian applications, which puts them out of step with the rest of the Jewish people, and rebuilds the wall of partition which Messiah’s death tore down!

Discussion

Covenant, Law, and Jewish Roots Discussion

The team engaged in a detailed discussion about the Mosaic covenant, the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, and the role of the Jewish nation in salvation. They emphasized the shift from a works-based righteousness to a faith-based righteousness and the importance of understanding the Torah as a guide for living rather than a means to earn salvation. The conversation also touched on the potential pitfalls of trying to earn God’s favour through the Torah and the importance of maintaining a balance between faith in Christ and cultural practices

They further clarified that someone is not under the old covenant unless one undergoes circumcision. David concurred and added that the law is not divided into civil, moral, and legal components but is a single unit. T&A also emphasized that as Gentile Christians, they are not subject to the Mosaic law, but rather, they fall under the new covenant. The conversation also touched upon the potential dangers of the Jewish roots movement, with David highlighting the risk of losing focus on Jesus and exaggerating the importance of Jewishness. David shared his concerns about the influence of Rabbinic teachings on practices within the Jewish roots movement.

Mosaic vs New Covenant: Freedom in Christ

The meeting discussed the relationship between the Mosaic covenant and the New Covenant, focusing on the concept of freedom in Christ. Participants argued that while believers are no longer bound by the law of Moses, they are still subject to the law of Messiah. They highlighted that the New Covenant is faith-based, unlike the Mosaic covenant which is works-based. The conversation also emphasized the difference between keeping the law out of duty and keeping it out of love. The participants also acknowledged that it’s impossible to keep the law perfectly, hence the need for Jesus.

Theological Discussion on Jewish Nation’s Role in Salvation

The team engaged in a theological discussion about the role of the Jewish nation in salvation and the transition from a works-based righteousness to a faith-based righteousness. David explained the potential outcome if the Jewish nation had stayed true to its covenant and how this might have influenced other nations. The conversation then shifted to the shift from observing Jewish laws to a faith-based approach as exemplified by Paul. The team also touched on the historical context of this shift, particularly in relation to the debate between the Antiochian Church and the Church of Rome over the date of Easter. The discussion concluded with the idea that being rather than doing is more important in faith.

Torah’s Relevance and Application in Today’s Life

The participants discussed the relevance and application of the Torah in contemporary life. The conversation also emphasized that the Torah should not be used as a means to judge others or earn salvation, as it is based on works.

Torah Interpretation and Church Practice

The discussion revolved around the interpretation and application of the Torah and the Mosaic covenant in the contemporary church. David emphasized the importance of understanding the various ways the church has related to the Torah and the potential pitfalls of trying to earn God’s favour. The conversation also addressed the issue of Gentiles adopting Jewish customs and the importance of maintaining a balance between faith in Christ and cultural practices. The group also discussed the concept of covenant theology and Dispensationalism and their differing approaches to the continuity and discontinuity between the Covenants.

Covenants and Community: Understanding the Torah

There was a discussion about the understanding and teaching of covenants, particularly in the context of religious communities. The participants highlighted the lack of clarity and teaching on covenants in many churches, with some individuals not even knowing what a covenant is. They also explored the confusion between the law of Moses and the law of Messiah. David emphasized the community-focused nature of the Torah, pointing out that it requires a functioning temple, animal sacrifices, and a large community. He also expressed concern over the modern emphasis on individualism and its impact on the understanding and fulfillment of the law. The participants agreed that while studying the Old Testament can be spiritually enriching, it should not be seen as a replacement for the teachings of Christ.

Bible’s Old and New Testaments: Jesus as Messiah

The discussion revolved around the interplay between the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, with a specific focus on the figure of Jesus as the Messiah. There was a lively discussion about the role of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah in both Testaments, with David emphasizing that the Old Testament was intended to lead Jews to Messiah. The conversation concluded with a critique of the confusion in Christian beliefs, particularly regarding the conversion process from Christianity to Judaism.

Judaism and Christianity: Beliefs and Practices The team discussed the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, focusing on the differences in beliefs and practices. David emphasized the role of the Mosaic law and Rabbinic traditions, and the confusion that arises from blending the two. The conversation highlighted the challenges faced by Jews who wish to embrace Christianity while remaining connected with their Jewish family and friends. The group concluded that while Jesus fulfilled the law, his followers should not blindly observe Jewish traditions without understanding their significance. David also discussed the inconsistencies of following the Torah and the importance of understanding the context in which the term ‘fulfill’ is used in relation to the law. The team agreed to continue studying the topic next week, focusing on what the New Testament says about the Mosaic law.