Diving In Covenant 5 The Mosaic Covenant – The Purpose of the Covenant

This week we discuss the purpose of the Covenant – why it was given, how it formed a framework for the spiritual life of the nation of Israel, and how it fits in with the grand plan of redemption. We continue to root our thoughts in Ex. 19 & 20 and go on to specifically look at Deut. 4:5-14 and Psa. 119:97-104, dipping into some verses from Leviticus 19, 20 & 23 on the way. We start by reviewing the Provisions of the Covenant using Arnold Fruchtenbaum’s summary of them as a framework (The Eight Covenants of the Bible, available from Ariel Ministries https://www.arielcontent.org/dcs/pdf/mbs021m.pdf )

The Provisions of the Covenant

1. The Totality of the Law

Fruchtenbaum includes the 613 commandments, by which I think he means all the rules and regulations defining the commandments, referred to as

• “commandments and statutes” in Ex. 15:26
• “obey my voice and keep my covenant” in Ex. 19:5
• “the law of commandments expressed in ordinances” Eph. 2:15

James views the Law as a single entity and in breaking one commandment, one become guilty of them all! (James 2:10). But the totality of the Law was given in order for Israel to enjoy fellowship with their God and life in the Kingdom of God as He intended it.

I suggest that a better way to view the Law is as ‘the way of the Lord’ under the Mosaic Covenant. My definition of ‘the way of the Lord’ would include the idea that, although the fundamental truth of “the way” is unchanging and eternal (as it reflects the character and attributes of God), that is, pleasing the Lord by a response of faith in what He has revealed, the way it is expressed changes in the different dispensations:

• The Lord said that Abraham would instruct his household to “keep the way of the Lord” (Gen. 18:19) which predates the Mosaic Covenant by 400 or so years, but Abraham’s “ways” obviously pleased the Lord.
• Under the Mosaic Covenant, it involved bringing animal sacrifices, but it obviously doesn’t now.
• However, they pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice of the Lamb of God, which was prefigured right back in Gen. 4 in Abel’s offering, which was ‘the way of the Lord’ in his day and pleased the Lord, long before Moses or even Abraham.
• John the Baptist was the greatest of ‘those born of woman’ but he described himself as the friend of the Bridegroom and Jesus said that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than him.
• Apollos knew the way of the Lord but only as far as the ministry of John the Baptist, so he had to be instructed in “the way of the Lord more perfectly”, i.e. the teaching of Jesus and the Gospel of God’s grace (Acts 18:25-26), a way which Peter calls the way of truth, the right way and the way of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:2, 15, 21)
• Ultimately, in the New Covenant, Jesus is The Way (John 14:6), removing the need for animal sacrifices and conferring on believers His righteousness and standing before God. Jesus is the way into the Holiest (Heb. 10:19) so we approach the Mercy Seat with boldness (Heb. 4:14)– unthinkable under the Mosaic Covenant!

All this showing that “the way of the Lord” has different aspects over the course of Biblical revelation, which is known as progressive revelation. It’s like turning lights on gradually. We might imagine a theatre, illuminated by just the fire exit lights, then the aisle lights come on, then the house lights, then the stage lighting and finally the spotlights. The light of revelation gradually came on illuminating the way upto Sinai, but then the stage lights came on and revelation got much brighter. However, the Law still only had a shadow of the good things that came when Jesus came and the spotlight focuses on Him!

God called Moses to teach the people of Israel “the way” (Ex. 18:20) and for that purpose he revealed His ways to Moses (Psa. 103:7 – but only His actions to the children of Israel). The people were to walk in the ways which the Lord had commanded them (Deut. 5:33) and keep the commandments of the Lord to walk in His ways and to fear Him (Deut. 8:6); to love the Lord their God to walk in all His ways and to cleave to Him (Deut. 11:22).

The Psalmist has a lot to say about the way of the Lord, e.g. Psa. 1 or Psa. 119:1,33. And Solomon tells us that “the way of the Lord is strength to the upright” (Prov. 10:29) But we need to remember that the way of the Lord under the Old Covenant is only a shadow and not the reality which was revealed by and in Jesus (Heb. 10:1; Col. 2:16-17).

The ‘shadows’ are instructive and helpful in getting to know more about our God but they are only shadows. A shadow just shows an outline of an object, you need to look at the object in the light in order to see the detail. Derek Prince used to say that when he came home at night and his wife came to meet him at the door, the light in the hall would cast her shadow through the door but he didn’t kiss his wife’s shadow, he kissed the real person! So with us – the reality is Christ our Saviour, who should be our passion.

2. The Blessings and Judgments of the Law

All its blessings for obedience and judgment for disobedience. Ex. 15:26; 19:3-7; Lev. 26 which are conditional.

3. The Blood Sacrifice Added

Lev. 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.” In particular, the offerings described in Lev. 1-7 that we will consider when we move on to discuss the Tabernacle in detail. Note that these offerings were given to enable a redeemed people to continue in fellowship with a holy God. They were not a means of salvation.

Also, the offerings did not take away sins, they simply covered it, exemplified by the Day or Atonement when the blood was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat on the Ark, interposed between the gaze of the Cherubim above the Ark and the Law inside the Ark which the people had broken. This is climax of the argument of the book of Hebrews as to why the sacrifice of Messiah was so much better (Heb. 10:11-14).

4. The Diet Restrictions Imposed

This restricted the provisions of the Noahic Covenant for the Israelites. Steve Maltz argues that these restrictions were necessary for a nation roaming through the wilderness and were very practical!

It has also been noted that the animals, etc., which do not fit in the categories stated are almost all scavengers or carnivores. It is much better for us to eat only herbivores if we must eat meat at all. See Lev. 11:3 – they must have a split hoof and chew the cud. A Jewish man once pointed out to me that they have never discovered any animals other than the 4 that are named in Lev. 11:4-7 which have only one of those characteristics!

5. The Death Penalty Expanded

The Commandments were certainly a “ministry of death” (2 Cor. 3:7) with the death penalty added for a whole variety of sins – adultery, idolatry, cursing God or parents, breaking the Sabbath, witchcraft. I think the principle behind this was eliminating the source of infection and putrefaction in the nation before it could spread to others, much like cutting out a cancer before it can spread. They were to be a holy people and this is what it entailed.

6. The Sign or seal of the Covenant

The Covenant reaffirmed circumcision (Lev. 12:3) but not for the same reasons as the Abrahamic Covenant. Under the Abrahamic Covenant, it was mandatory for Jews only, as descendants of Abraham. Under the Mosaic Covenant, it was a sign of submission to all the law (Gal. 5:3) – all 613 of them!

7. The Token of the Covenant

Ex. 31:17 The Sabbath is said to be a sign or token between God and the Israelites for ever and therefore is specific to Israel. Other reasons that it is specific to Israel include:

1. It is the Lord’s day of rest dedicated to the Lord but given to the Children of Israel
   Ex. 16:23 He told them, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD.”
   Ex. 16:29 Understand that the LORD has given you the Sabbath;
2. It was a sign that they were set apart for God
   Ex. 31:13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you.”
   Ezek. 20:12 Moreover, I gave them [that is the nation in the wilderness] my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
3. It was a sign that Jahweh was their God
   Ezek. 20:20 Keep My Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God.

Arnold argues long and hard, and Scripturally, that the day is to be a day of rest in their homes – not a day of corporate worship (that originated during the Babylonian captivity). The ‘holy convocation’ that is often mentioned is the work of the priests in the Tabernacle/Temple. The days of corporate worship were set out as the three annual festivals at which all were to ‘appear before the Lord’ – Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Tabernacles).

The purpose of the Covenant and its Laws

Fruchtenbaum:

It should be stated categorically that the Law of Moses was not a means of salvation. This concept is rejected because that would make salvation by means of works. Salvation was and always is by grace through faith. While the content of faith has changed from age to age depending on progressive revelation, the means of salvation never changes. The Law was not given to serve as a means of salvation (Rom. 3:20, 28; Gal. 2:16; 3:11, 21). It was given to a people already redeemed from Egypt, not in order to redeem them.

As we’ve said before, the focus at Sinai is less on what Abraham’s descendants must do in order to inherit the land and more on how they must conduct themselves within the land as God’s chosen people (Exod. 19:5-6).

By adhering to these and the subsequent covenant obligations given at Sinai, Israel would be manifestly different from other nations and thus reflect God’s wisdom and greatness to surrounding peoples (cf. Deut. 4:6-8). By reflecting God’s holiness (Lev. 19:2), Israel would showcase true theocracy and thus serve as God’s witnesses to a watching world.

Moreover, since human rebellion threatened to jeopardize God’s ultimate objective (i.e., blessing all nations through Abraham’s “seed”), the Mosaic covenant also encompassed the means by which the divine-human relationship between Yahweh and Israel could be maintained: sacrificial worship, particularly on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16), would ritually atone for Israel’s sin and symbolically express God’s forgiveness.

Therefore, just as the Noahic covenant guaranteed the preservation of human life on earth, so the Mosaic covenant guaranteed the preservation of Israel, Abraham’s great nation, in the land. Such was crucial for the next stage in fulfilling God’s promises: establishing a royal line through which Abraham’s ultimate seed and covenant heir would eventually come (cf. Gal. 3:16).

The Mosaic Law was given specifically to the nation of Israel (Exodus 19; Leviticus 26:46; Romans 9:4). It was made up of three parts: the Ten Commandments, the ordinances, and the worship system, which included the priesthood, the tabernacle, the offerings, and the festivals (Exodus 20—40; Leviticus 1—7; 23).

Scriptures to discuss re the Purpose of the Covenant and its Laws and Regulations

God’s holiness and His righteous standards Lev. 11:45; 19:37; 20:7-8; 26

To keep Israel as a distinct people Ex. 19:5-6; Deut. 4:5-14

To provide an environment for the believer’s spiritual life Lev. 1-7; 23; Psa. 119:97-104

Discusssion

Israel’s Significance and Unity in Faith
We discussed the geographical and historical significance of Israel, focusing on its central position on trade routes and its influence on surrounding nations. We explored the importance of understanding sin and the need for a Savior, and the fulfillment of biblical prophecies and the significance of Jewish festivals and their connection to major events in recent Israeli history.

We had a detailed discussion about the Sabbath in the context of Genesis and its significance in Jewish tradition and the importance of creative work and the concept of ‘Sabbath rest’. David emphasized that the law was to be a delight, as seen in Psa. 119 and the Psalmist meditating in the law all day.

We discussed the concepts of prosperity, both physical and spiritual, highlighting that material wealth cannot substitute for spiritual well-being. We pointed to the role of the law in revealing humanity’s inability to keep it due to sinfulness, leading to a recognition of our shortcomings and the need for God’s grace and mercy and emphasized that salvation is not achieved through law-keeping but through faith in Christ, who fulfilled the law through his death. We emphasized the importance of drawing people towards their faith, noting that it’s possible to attract others through holiness, wisdom, and righteousness.

Summary of the Purpose of the Law

• Reveals the holy character of the eternal God to the nation of Israel and the standard of righteousness that He requires for maintaining a proper relationship with Him (Leviticus 11:45; 19:1-2, 37; 20:7–8).
• Sets apart the nation of Israel as distinct from all the other nations (Exodus 19:5; Deut. 4:6-11; 7:6; 14:1-2). To serve as the middle wall of partition (Eph. 2:11-16)
• As a marriage covenant between Jahweh and the Children of Israel (Jer. 33:31)
• Provides forgiveness through the sacrifice/offerings (Leviticus 1—7) for the people who had faith in the Lord in the nation of Israel.
• Provides a way of worship for the community of faith through the yearly feasts (Leviticus 23).
• To provide a centre for the Covenant people’s spiritual life and delight (Psa. 119:97-104)
• Provides God’s direction for the physical and spiritual health of the nation (Exodus 21—23; Deuteronomy 6:4–19).
• Reveals the sinfulness of sin and of the whole human race (Rom. 7:13, cf. Galatians 3:19). Although the Law was good and holy (Romans 7:12), it did not provide salvation for the nation of Israel. “No one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin” (Romans 3:20; cf. Acts 13:38–39).
• Reveals to humanity that no one can keep the Law but everyone falls short of God’s standard of holiness. That realization causes us to rely on God’s mercy and grace. When Christ came, He fulfilled the Law and with His death paid the penalty for our breaking it (Galatians 3:24; Romans 10:4). By faith in Him, the believer has the very righteousness of Christ imputed to him and the law’s requirements are fulfilled in him (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 8:2-3).