The Two Laws in Genesis 1-3
God‘s Moral Law Existed before sin and reveals the distinction between moral good and moral evil.
Genesis 2:15-17: All the principles of the Ten Commandments were found in this one command:
“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it [you will sin and therefore] you shall surely die.”
God said if you:
[1] transgress my command that will be sin
[2] if you sin you will die.
Comment added: God’s Moral Law is the Ten Commandments written by His own finger, which were place inside the Ark of the Covenant. The Ten Commandments hang on two principles: love the Lord your God with all your heart, strength, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself (this includes your enemies).
The Ceremonial Law came in after sin because the moral law had been transgressed.
Genesis 3:21: The very day Adam and Eve sinned the ceremonial law was put into effect. The sacrifice of the lamb was instituted after sin and as a result of sin. God made Adam and his wife tunics of the skin, and clothed them. The plan was made in the ceaseless ages of eternity (I Peter 1:18-20), but it was put into effect when man sinned.
Comment added: These were written by Moses, as described by God. This law centered around the sanctuary and its services, all of which, were designed to teach the children of Israel the plan of salvation and point them to the coming Messiah. These were place beside the Ark. The ceremonial system was meant to function only as a type, a symbol of a future reality which was the coming of Jesus, His death, and High Priestly ministry. Once He completed His work on earth, this old system – along with its sacrifices and rituals and feasts – no longer was needed (see: Heb. 9:9-12). Though we no longer keep the ceremonial law today, by studying it we can garner insights into the plan of salvation.
The Two Laws (Moral and Ceremonial) from Genesis 4 to Exodus 19
Sin existed between the fall of Adam and Mt. Sinai, so the Ten Commandments (Moral Law) must have existed also:
- Satan sinned (I John 3:8).
- Adam sinned (Romans 5:12).
- Cain sinned (Genesis 4:7).
- Pre-flood race destroyed because of sin (Genesis 6:5).
- Sodom and Gomorrah were sinners (Genesis 13:13; 18:20).
- The sin of the Amorites was not yet full (Genesis 15:16).
- Joseph knew that adultery was sin (Genesis 39:9).
- Abraham knew that lying was wrong.
- The Sabbath existed in Exodus 16 before the Ten Commandments were given on Mt. Sinai.
Sacrifices (Ceremonial Law) also existed between the sin of Adam and the giving of the ceremonial system on Mt. Sinai.
- A sacrifice was offered the day that Adam and Eve sinned to cover the shame of their nakedness. Genesis 3:21
- Cain and Abel offered sacrifices (the fat and the first-born of the flocks). “And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. Genesis 4:3-5
- Noah offered sacrifices to the Lord after the flood (Genesis 8:20, 21).
- Abraham, Isaac and Jacob offered sacrifices.
- John 8:56: Abraham saw Christ‘s day and rejoiced.
The Two Laws Compared
The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments are the Constitution of God‘s government. They are eternal and unchangeable. They are a reflection of God‘s character. You can‘t change them any more than you can change His character.
Deuteronomy 5:22: God personally spoke the Ten Commandments to the people. “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.”
Exodus 31:18: Ten Commandments written with God‘s own finger. “And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.”
Deuteronomy 4:13: The Ten Commandments were written on tables of stone. “So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.:
Deuteronomy 10:1-5: The Ten Commandments were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant. “At that time the Lord said to me: ‘Hew for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me on the mountain and make yourself an ark of wood. 2 And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you shall put them in the ark.’ 3 “So I made an ark of acacia wood, hewed two tablets of stone like the first, and went up the mountain, having the two tablets in my hand. 4 And He wrote on the tablets according to the first writing, the Ten Commandments, which the Lord had spoken to you in the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me. 5 Then I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, just as the Lord commanded me.”
I John 5:3: The Ten Commandments are not burdensome. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
Psalm 119:72, 131, 174: David loved God‘s law. “The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver. . . I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments. . . I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight.”
The Ceremonial Law
Deuteronomy 31:9: Moses wrote the ceremonial law. “So Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.”
Leviticus 1:1, 2: Moses spoke these laws to the people. “Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock — of the herd and of the flock.”
Deuteronomy 31:24-26: The ceremonial law was written in a book was placed beside the Ark of the Covenant. “So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, 25 that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying: 26 Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you.”
Comment added: One must prayerfully study out these two laws, for many have co-mingled them and have developed doctrine that is contrary to biblical truth. May the Holy Spirit guide and direct you as you continue your studies.
Law, Sin, Death and Substitution
The moral law is a perfect revelation of God‘s character.
I John 3:4: Sin is the transgression of the Law. “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”
Romans 3:20: We know sin by the law. “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 6:23: first part: The result of sin is death. “For the wages of sin is death.”
Romans 3:10, 23: All have sinned and therefore all are on death row. “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:21: Jesus took our transgression of the law upon Himself. All the sacrificial system pointed to the death of Jesus for sin. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
How were Old Testament Saints Saved if Christ hadn‘t come yet?
A hypothetical Case:
Let‘s suppose that a person stole his neighbor‘s sandals. This would be a violation of the commandment ― Thou shalt not steal.
The law points out his sin and declares: You must die because the wages of sin is death. The law could not forgive the sin; it could only point it out.
Let‘s suppose that the sinner repented of his wrong doing. Was there any way that he could escape the sentence of death? The answer is yes.
The Process: The sinner could bring a lamb to the sanctuary (Leviticus 1:1-4), place his hand on its head and confess his sin upon the head of the live victim. In this way the sin was transferred from the sinner to the blameless victim. The sinner then killed the animal. In other words, the victim died as a substitute for the sin of the repentant sinner. The righteous demands of the law were met because sin was punished with death. But the sinner did not die, the substitute did!
The Moral Law thus pointed out the sin and its penalty and the Ceremonial Law provided the remedy.
Sin not Legally Removed
The sinner could now go home with the certainty of forgiveness. Or could he? Yes and no! Actually the sin had not legally been removed because we are told in Hebrews 10:4:”For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.”
Only the blood of the Creator could bring legal forgiveness to His creatures. But in the Old Testament the Redeemer had not yet come. The ceremonial law was a system of IOU‘S. Every time a penitent sinner came to the sanctuary, confessed his sin upon the animal and then slew it, Jesus said: “The sentence is commuted, I will pay.” In other words, the legal payment of the debt was postponed or deferred because Jesus had promised to come in the future to pay the IOU. Thus, the entire Old Testament ceremonial system was based on the promise that the Messiah would eventually come to pay. The Old Testament was a gigantic credit system.
Colossians 2:13 and 14 is referring to this. “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements [bond of indebtedness] that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
Lexicons explain the meaning of xeirographon:
. . . a certificate of indebtedness personally prepared and signed by the debtor.
NASB: ―certificate of debt
NLT: ―record of the charges against us
ESV: ―cancelling the record of our debt
The Message: ―that old arrest warrant cancelled
New Century: ―he cancelled the debt
New English Translation: ―a certificate of indebtedness
God‘s Word Translation: ―erasing the charges that were brought against us
RSV: ―having cancelled the bond that stood against us
NRSV: ―erasing the record that stood against us
Jesus nailed all the unpaid bills of the penitent Old Testament saints to the cross. This is why He is called the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (I John 1:7). When Jesus came to this earth the human debt had accumulated at an alarming rate. The debt for sin had not yet been legally paid because Christ had not yet died.
Just between Sinai and Calvary more than a million morning and evening sacrifices had been offered, none of which legally removed sin. God accepted the faith of the penitent sinner and the Messiah promised to pay. If Christ had not come to die, all of these debts would have fallen upon those who had sacrificed the animals.
The Old Testament system was composed of shadows that pointed to the coming Messiah. They were like the moon whose glory pointed to the coming sun. This system was costly and a heavy burden. It was time consuming and caused much pain and suffering. God wanted to reveal the horrendous consequences of sin which it leads to death.
Colossians 2:15
When Jesus died on the cross, He proclaimed His victory over the principalities and powers who had argued that God could be just and save sinners. “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it [in the cross].”
The Case of Moses, Jude 9: The battle over the body of Moses is an example of this: “Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said: “The Lord rebuke you!”
Matthew 27:50, 51: When Jesus uttered on the cross the words “It is finished‟, He meant that He had legally paid for all of the IOU‘S. As a result many of those who were captive in the grave came out and ascended with Jesus forty days later as the first-fruits of the great harvest when Jesus comes again. Comment added: Those that were resurrected were His trophies of His victory over death and the grave. They went into the cities and were a testimony to that fact that, not only did Jesus rise but He had the power to redeem them from the grave.
“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.”
Could people be saved under the Old Testament system? ―Many regard the Jewish economy as an age of darkness. They have received the erroneous idea that repentance and faith had no part in the Hebrew religion, which they claim consisted only of forms and ceremonies. But the children of Israel were saved by Christ as virtually as is the sinner of today. By faith they saw Christ in those types and shadows which pointed forward to his first advent and death, when type should meet anti-type. They rejoiced in a Savior to come, typified by sacrificial offerings, while we rejoice in a Savior who has come. That which was expectation to ancient Israel, is certainty to modern Israel. The world’s Redeemer was in close connection with his people then, being enshrouded in that cloudy pillar. Let us not say, then, that they had not Christ in the Jewish age. April 22, 1880
Jesus Nailed the Entire IOU System (Ceremonial) to the Cross
Hebrews 7:18, 19: The ceremonial law was abolished when Jesus came because it had fulfilled its function because the reality had come. “For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former [ceremonial] commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the [ceremonial] law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.”
Hebrews 8:13: The covenant of shadows was abolished at the cross. ―In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”
Colossians 2:16-17
This verse refers to the ceremonial law. “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Many try to prove with this verse that the Moral Law was nailed to the cross, that it doesn‘t matter what we eat and drink and that we don‘t have to keep the seventh-day Sabbath anymore.
There are many who try to blend these two systems, using the texts that speak of the ceremonial law to prove that the moral law has been abolished; but this is a perversion of the Scriptures. The distinction between the two systems is broad and clear. The ceremonial system was made up of symbols pointing to Christ, to His sacrifice and His priesthood.
This ritual law, with its sacrifices and ordinances, was to be performed by the Hebrews until type met antitype in the death of Christ, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Then all the sacrificial offerings were to cease. It is this law that Christ “took . . . out of the way, nailing it to His cross.” Colossians 2:14, PP p. 365
Food and Drink (Col. 2:16)
These foods and drinks have nothing to do with the food we place on our tables. They are meal and drink offerings that were part of the ceremonial law (see Exodus 29:39, 40; Leviticus 23:13, 17, 18; Exodus 12:8; Leviticus 3:11-16; Numbers 28).
Exodus 29:38-41: Meal and drink offerings “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs of the first year, day by day continually. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. 40 With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil, and one fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. 41 And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; and you shall offer with it the grain offering and the drink offering, as in the morning, for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.”
Hebrews 9:9-12: The sacrificial service has various meal and drink offerings, “It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience; 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. 11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
Hebrews 10:1-4: Until the time of reformation means ‘until Christ should come‘. “For the [ceremonial] law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.”
The Festivals
A book I highly recommend is Judging the Sabbath by my friend, Ron du Preez. In this book he shows that the word chag (feast) is used exclusively to describe the annual pilgrimage feasts (Passover/Unleavened Bread; Pentecost, Tabernacles).
The LXX translates the word chag with heorte which is the very word used in Colossians 2:16 for ‘feasts‘. Just like in the Old Testament, the New Testament uses this word exclusively for Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. In fact, in the New Testament, the feasts of trumpets, atonement, first-fruits are never referred to with the word. Thus, the Old and New Testaments are in perfect harmony in this. “When the Savior yielded up His life on Calvary, the significance of the Passover ceased, and the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper was instituted as a memorial of the same event of which the Passover had been a type.” PP p. 539
New Moons
Numbers 28:11-15: New Moon celebrations. The word ‘month‘ is kodesh which means ‘new moon‟. The Jewish religious year had seven months beginning in March/April and ending in September/October. The New Moon marked the beginning of each month. The meaning of these seven months was fulfilled in Christ and therefore we do not have to celebrate the New Moon. “At the beginnings of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish; 12 three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; 13 and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with oil, as a grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt offering of sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. 14 Their drink offering shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, one-third of a hin for a ram, and one-fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering for each month throughout the months of the year. 15 Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering to the Lord shall be offered, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.”
Sabbaths
Colossians 2:16: What are the Sabbaths that are mentioned here? Are they moral or ceremonial? These ‘sabbaths‘ have nothing to do with the seventh-day Sabbath. The Sabbath was established at creation before the ceremonial law was needed. The Sabbath was not a shadow that pointed forward but rather a commemoration that pointed backward to creation. The feast of trumpets, The Day of Atonement and the Sabbatical and Jubilee years were referred to as Sabbata or Sabbaton. “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but he substance is of Christ.”
Leviticus 23:3: The seventh-day Sabbath was distinguished from the feasts. “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.”
Leviticus 23:37, 38 ‘These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day; 38 besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord.”
Shadow of Things to Come
Colossians 2:17: Shadow of things to come does not mean future from the time that Paul wrote but rather future from the time that these institutions were established. “. . . which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance [body] is of Christ.”
Hebrews 10:1: Same expression as in Colossians 2:17. “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.”
The word ‘shadow‘ is used, the expression ‘things to come‟ is used, and the expression ‘the very image of the things‘ would be the same as the word ‘substance‘ in Colossians 2:17. The succeeding verses show that the word ‘law‘ here refers to the sacrifices and offerings.
Matthew 11:14: Jesus spoke of John the Baptist and said that he ‘is to come‘ yet John had already come and finished his mission at this point. “And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.”
“Christ is the substance, or body, which casts its shadow back into former dispensations. When Christ died, the shadow ceased. At the death of Christ, the typical system was done away; but the law of God, whose violation had made the plan of salvation necessary, was magnified and made honorable.” Bible Echo, July 15, 1893
Study Notes. Secrets Unsealed, Stephen Bohr
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2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” AND 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”