Let’s take a look at what most believers call “The Law”. There was a covenant that The Almighty made with Israel and Moses was the custodian of the covenant. The book of the covenant was recorded in Genesis 1 to Exodus 24 v 11 . And The book of The book of the law from Exodus 24 v 12 to Joshua 24 v 26.
And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone.
deuteronomy 4 v 13
So, the covenant, which is an agreement between two parties had laws/boundaries. Which are referred to as the commandments or” the law”. These were to be kept by Israel in order for the covenant to remain in place. Unfortunately, they broke the covenant by disobeying the laws. Which they had agreed to obey.
Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the Lord/Almighty had given him. All the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord/Almighty has commanded.”
exodus 24 v 35
Once the covenant was broken, there was no longer a direct connection with The Almighty. Because that covenant had a spiritual priesthood (Melchizedek) that connected them to Him. He however gave them ” the book of the law” which involved directions for a sacrificial system as well as a different priesthood (Levitical). The covenant had a Melchizedek priesthood while the book of the law had the Levitical priesthood. The book of the law had additional laws and it was kept outside of the ark. It was to help them to remember to do the right thing because they were carnally minded and sinful. While the book of the covenant had been inside the ark which was symbolic of the law being in the heart.
Obedience from the heart versus outward obedience
The Almighty says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
isiaiah 29 v 13, Mark 7 v 6-8
So, The Father does not want mindless obedience. He wants us to actually want to serve and obey Him. So He did not impose his covenant laws on them. They had the option of agreeing or disagreeing when they were invited into covenant relationship. Our hearts are like the control center of our actions and ultimately our lives. He wants us to choose Him willingly.
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Luke 6 v 45
The book of the law was designed to ensure that at the bare minimum there would be physical obedience even if it was not from the heart.
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God/Elohim is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
john 4 23 – 24
How can we reprogram our hearts. Well this is what The Father promised He would do for us.
“This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord/Almighty. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”
Hebrews 10 v 16
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36v26
The New Covenant also has laws
Sin in the heart cause it to be hard and this led to the breaking of the first covenant.
For if that first covenant had been without fault, no place would have been sought for a second. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it.
hebrews 8 v 7
The Messiah came and enacted a new covenant and declared that he has not come to abolish but to fulfill the law. This means that the new covenant has laws just like the old one did. Laws act as boundaries that determine how covenants are broken.
18 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.
19 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.
20 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.
21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Mathew 5 v 18-24
We are actually required to obey the laws of the new covenant from The heart.
One of the biggest deception the enemy has pulled off in this time is, that all laws are done away because they cannot be kept. This has been done by misinterpretation of Paul’s writings.
The kingdom is now here because the Messiah kept the laws from the heart and has become the firstborn of many brethren. So that we can also obey from the heart.
Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
john 14 v 15
You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
mathew 5 v 28
It is our thoughts that need to be cast down so our minds can be renewed. This stops the thoughts that the enemy introduces from being entertained. And instead we think on the word and this changes us from the inside out.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God/Elohim, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Mashiach;
2 cor 10 v 5
The Law of the Almighty is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple. The law of the Almighty is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Almighty are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The instructions of the Almighty are perfect, reviving the soul.
psalm 19 v 7
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God/Elohim.
romans 12 v 2
Paul was referring to” the book of the law” not the covenant laws
When the Messiah came he Israel had been under the book of the law. This meant that they were cursed every time they broke one of the laws.
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”[e]11 Clearly no one who relies on the law( book of the law) is justified before God/Elohim, because “the righteous will live by faith.”[f]
Mashyach redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” Galatians 3 v 12-15.
Faith is really obedience from the heart and this is not possible under the book of the law. Since the book of the law uses a carnal priesthood with carnal laws. Mashyach re introduced the Melchizedek priesthood and established a new covenant which once again required faith. Like in Abrahams day. Paul was trying to explain this in His writings.
So then, the law(book of the covenant) is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Messiah was not advocating lawlessness, because he also said gentiles were cursed for not knowing the law.
9But this crowd that does not know the law, they are under a curse.” John 7 v 49
If we do not understand the distinction between the book of the law and the book of the covenant, then we err not knowing the scriptures. And rightly dividing the word.
Thus we can be deceived by advocating lawlessness. This is dangerous because every kingdom and every covenant, has laws. To be in the kingdom the laws must be in our hearts.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God/Elohim, your God/Elohim, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.
hebrews 1 v 9
Here he explains about the book of the law as well as the old covenant :
What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God/Elohim and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law( book of the law), then it no longer depends on the promise; but God/Elohim in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator.
So the(book of) law was our guardian until Mashiach came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”[f]31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. Galatians 3 v 17-19
The freedom we have now is to practice righteousness from the heart without duty or compulsion, This means we do not need a whip or a slave master because we now love Him.
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Luke 7 v 47
We should want to obey because we love Him
The laws are to be in our hearts, we should want to obey them like Abraham did out of love, by faith.
…..because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.” Genesis 26 v 5.
“If you love me, keep my commands. John 14 v 15
….for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God/Yah, but the doers of the Law will be justified. Romans 2 v 13
When they are planted in our hearts , they stop us from sinning in our hearts before we sin in our bodies.
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
mathew 5 v 22
Now may the God/ Elohim of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ/ Yashya Hamshiach.
1 thessalonions 5 v 23
Ephesians 5 v 26 says …..to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.
“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
mathew 7 v 23
9Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer is detestable. 1
proverbs 28 v 9
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
john 4 v 23
May we all be made ready for The Mashiach’s return.