Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you. Deuteronomy 4:1-2
Footnote:
What is meant by adding to or subtracting from God's commands? These laws were the word of God, and they were compelte. How could any human being, with limited wisdom and knowledge, edit God's perfect laws? To add to the laws would make them a aburden; to subtract from the laws wouldmake them incomplete. Thus the laws were to reamin unchanged. To presume to make changes in God's law is to assum a position of authority over God who gave the laws. The religious leaders at the time of Chirst di exactly this; they elevated their own lws to the same level s God's. Jesus rebuked them for this (Matthew 23:1-4).
4:8 Footnote:
Do the laws God gave to the Israelites still apply to Christians today? God's laws are designed to guide all people toward life-styles that are healthy, upright, and devoted to God. Their purpose was to point out sin (or potential sin) and show the proper way to deal with that sin. The Ten commandments, the heart of God's law, are just as applicable today as they were 3,000 years ago because they proclaim a life-style endorsed by God. They are the perfect expression of who God is and how he wants people to live.
But God gave other laws besides the Ten Commandments. Are these just as important? God never issued a law that didn't have a purpose. However, many of the laws we read in the Pentateuch were directed specifically to people of that time and culture. Although a specific law may not apply to us, the timeless truth or principle behind the law does.
For example, Christians do not practice animal sacrifice in worship. However, the principles behind the sacrifices -- forgiveness for sin and thankfulness to God -- still apply. The sacrifices pointed to the ultimate sacrifice made for us by Jesus Christ. The New Testament says that with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Old Testament laws were fulfilled. This means that while the Old Testament laws help us recognize our sins and correct our wrongdoings, it is Jesus Christ who takes our sins away. Jesus is now our primary example to follow because he alone perfectly obeyed the law and modeled its true intent.
Keep reading -- 305 days left!
All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV.
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