What should Christians learn from the Mosaic Law?

'Do ye not listen to the law?' (Gal. 4:21). Paul rebuked the Galatians because they had not learned the moral lessons the law teaches to believers today who, although not under it, still can benefit from drawing spiritual instructions from it. At least two dangers exist in our days, just as there is a tendency in most things to go wrong in one of two opposite directions. On the one hand, we may refuse to listen to the object lessons of the Old Testament by saying they are not found in the New or are not confirmed by it. On the other hand, we may go beyond New Testament teaching and deduct authoritative doctrine from the Old Testament types or object lessons (for instance by making a rule to worship the Holy Spirit, based on the singing to the well in Numbers 21:16-18). This is an abuse of Old Testament scripture and of New Testament principles, and needs to be rejected. The types help us to put New Testament doctrine into practice - in that sense they teach (2 Tim. 3:16) - but they are not themselves the New Testament doctrine.

Many of these duties enjoined upon a people called to holiness, the different commands and prohibitions, are of much interest. It is true, believers are not under the law. This, however, does not mean that we should refrain from reading and studying these commands. Jehovah changes not. May we remember that our call, like Israel's, is unto practical holiness in life. Our responsibilities are even greater. Many lessons are here for us which will greatly help us in our walk as His people. The provision made for the poor (verses 9-10 compare with Ruth 2:14-16) manifests the loving care of Jehovah. God has special regard for the poor and strangers. His blessed Son became poor and was indeed a stranger in the world He created. His people had no heart for Him and He was hungry, while His disciples had to take ears of corn from the field to satisfy their hunger. The Lord Himself was the owner of Israel's land (Lev. 25:23), and as owner He charged His servants to be unselfish in the use of the bountiful provision He was making for their temporal need.

The great error of foes, and even friends sometimes, lies in making this to be a question for Christians. It was really so for Israel. Christians are a heavenly people, with a calling on high, which the New Testament defines and expounds. Their responsibility is wholly distinct, being under grace, not law, as Israel was, if we defer to the authority of the apostle of the Gentiles, as we surely ought. Yet it is our privilege to profit by the teaching of the older scriptures, and to draw out the divine principles which underlie even the least shadow of the Levitical economy.

We may wonder as to the practical value of all this to the people of Israel. Having so many rules and regulations, did they keep them all? And if not keeping them, did they always suffer the penalties that were threatened? The answer to both of these is certainly, No. In fact the significance of these things is specially for our admonition today, as 1 Corinthians 10:11 declares. We are not expected to carry these things out literally, but the spiritual and moral significance of them should be greatly impressed on the hearts of all Christians.

In Deuteronomy 4 we have further touching appeals that Moses made before the people, urging upon them obedience to the law that had been given, and that they should preserve it in its integrity. They were neither to add anything to it nor take anything from it. This command is repeated at the end of Deuteronomy 12, and enforced also as to revelations God has given, in the closing words of the New Testament. The law given to Israel included "statutes and judgments," as verse 5 states, as well as the ten commandments. All these were binding upon them, and Moses tells them in verse 6, that the keeping and the doing of them would be, "your wisdom and your understanding." That "wisdom," they never had, nor have we ever had it. The believer today however is "in Christ Jesus," and He is "made to us wisdom," as 1 Corinthians 1:30 tells us. Here is perfect wisdom indeed!

That there are, however, deeply precious lessons now to be gathered by the spiritual from this chapter in Leviticus, and similar portions of the word, is obvious enough; "for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." And again, "All these things happened unto them for ensamples [types]: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11.) Moreover, inasmuch as Moses wrote of Christ, who is the great object of testimony in the ancient Scriptures, there must be found therein much instruction for us on the subject of communion; for in what could the Father have communion with us, unless it were concerning His beloved Son?

Scripture had confined all under sin. Then the Law, which exercised its authority over Israel, only confined them the more conclusively unto faith, that is, faith was the only avenue of escape from their bondage to sin and to the Law. Law gave no hope of escape, but tended to increase the misery of confinement. Faith is the only door to escape from sin and from the Law, but a door thrown wide open in Christ and His accomplished redemption.

"So that the law has been our tutor up to Christ" (v.24 - JND). The teacher and all he teaches is only a means to an end. He should of course strive with earnest energy to put his pupils on the right track, but he has completely failed in his proper function if those pupils settle down indefinitely in subjection to him and dependence on him. His teaching ought to make them independent of his help. Such is the true function of the law: it directs toward Christ. It is a powerful teacher to those who honestly listen to it. It will teach how urgent is our need for Christ. It will drive one to a deep sense of the ruin that sin has caused and of the consequent need of One who is able to cleanse from sin, the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not bring us to Christ, but was in authority in Israel "up to Christ." Christ was its end in view. Law pointed away from itself to Christ, who, now being revealed, is the Object of the faith that justifies. The Law was the signpost that has fulfilled its purpose.

So we read, “the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). A new translation makes the meaning of this verse clearer, “The law has been our tutor up to Christ.” It is not that the law brings us to Christ, but that it was teaching its lessons until such time as Christ came. There was a two-fold lesson to be learned:(1) our inability to keep the law, and (2) that the system of sacrifice pointed on to the sinner’s only hope, Christ and His finished work. Thus the law is a tutor, a schoolmaster, till Christ appears on the scene.

Whenever you see a man seeking to keep the law as God's demand upon him, you will find him guilty and wretched; or, what is worse, self-righteous and self-deceived. If he is a child of God, he becomes perfectly miserable, crying out, "Oh wretched man that I am!" That being the case, wherefore serveth the law? God's answer is that it shuts up man to the perfect redemption through Christ, both from the guilt and the power of sin. The law has done its holy work when it has taught the solemn heart-searching truth: "In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing" (Rom. 7:18). When it has done this, it points the way to Christ. "The law of the Spirit, of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2).

The whole range of God's truth rests upon two great verities: the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of Man--and His work of atonement on the cross. Throughout the history of God's ancient people, type after type, and shadow upon shadow, reiterated the absolute necessity of atonement. And while the law prescribed commandments, to obey which Israel fatally pledged themselves, it at the same time contained abundant ritual observances, which testified to man's incapability and need, and prophesied of One, who while they were yet without strength, should, in due time, die for the ungodly. As a covenant of works, it was a ministration of death. But to one who was really a child of Abraham, it must have shone out, like the face of Moses, with a prophetic glory; and have pointed onwards to the Lamb of God; in whom all the shadows of good things to come passed into substance.