Receiving God's law was one of the most important aspects of the Israelites' experience at Mount Sinai. Since God delivered His law through their leader, Moses, it is sometimes referred to as the Mosaic Law. In Hebrew, it is called the Torah, which means "teaching". The law can be divided into three categories: (a) the moral law, dealing with God's rules for holy, morally pure and right living (Exodus 20: 1-17); (b) the civil law, dealing with Israel's legal and social life as a nation (Exodus 21:1; 23:33); and (c) the ceremonial law, dealing with the form and ritual of Israel's worship of the Lord. This last part included regulations for various kinds of sacrifices (Exodus 24:12; 31:18).

Exodus 20:1-2

And God spoke all these words:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

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Below are some key points about the purpose of the Old Testament Law and how it worked

(1) The law was part of the covenant that God made with His people. It outlined the terms and requirements God expected them to follow in loyalty to Him. The Israelites formally accepted the duties and obligations of the covenant (Exodus 24:1-8).

(2) Israel accepted the law based on God's mercy-how He had miraculously rescued them from slavery (Exodus 19:4). They received the law after their lives had been spared in Egypt because they obeyed God regarding the blood of the Passover lamb (Exodus 20:2). And they received the law while God was still graciously providing for their needs during their travels (Exodus 19:4).

(3) The law revealed how God expected His people to act towards Him and others (Exodus 19:4-6; 20:1-17). It also described the blood sacrifices that would be needed to make amends for their sin (Leviticus 1:5; 16:33). The law was not designed to save people or guarantee them a relationship with God. Choosing to follow rules can never make up for defying or rebelling against God because rebellion is an attitude of the heart that expresses itself by one's actions. Besides, the old testament law was given to people with whom God had already established a relationship (Exodus 20:2). Instead, the law taught God's people how He wanted them to live in relationship with Him and others. God expected the Israelites to obey the law-with His help-in other to enjoy their faith relationship with Him (Deuteronomy 28:1-2; 30:15-20).

(4) In both the OT and NT, keeping God's commands was a matter of trusting Him, taking Him at His Word (Genesis 15:6) and loving Him (Deuteronomy 6:5). Israel often failed because they did not make faith, love and a desire to know and please God their motive for following God's law. In the NT, Paul states that Israel did not achieve the righteous standard that the law intended because "they pursue it not by faith" (Romans 9:32).

(5) The law emphasized the eternal truth that obeying God out of love results in a fulfilling life with blessings from the Lord (Genesis 2:16; Deuteronomy 4:1, 40; 5:33).

(6) The law expressed God's character, including His love, goodness, justice, and hatred of evil. Israelite believers were expected to live by God's moral law because that had been created in His image (Leviticus 19:2)-that is, with the capacity to respond to God and have a personal relationship with him, reflecting His love and character.

(7) Salvation in the OT was never based on the ability to keep all the commandments perfectly. That is why part of God's relationship with Israel involved a system of sacrifices that provided a means of forgiveness for those who broke the law but sincerely repented and trusted God to have mercy on them.

(8) The OT law and covenant were not complete in themselves, nor were not intended to be permanent. the law temporarily guided and protected God's people until Christ came (Galatians 3:22-26). The old covenant has now been fulfilled by the new covenant. Through this new "agreement", God has fully revealed His plan of salvation-to rescue people from the ultimate destruction of sin and restore them to a personal relationship with himself. This is accomplished through Jesus Christ. This does not mean that the moral principles of the law are no longer necessary or important for us today. God's standard's of moral purity and truth still apply, and God's Spirit now helps us live by these standards in a way we never could have done without him. Under the new covenant, God promised to put His laws in His people's minds and hearts (Hebrews 8:7-12; 10:16). Jesus said, "I have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets ... but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17).

(9) God gave the law "because of transgressions" (Galatians 3:19)-because we have overstepped His boundaries and disobeyed His commands. For this reason, the law was designed (a) to regulate behavior; (b) to define what sin is; (c) to expose people's tendency to violate God's plans and their inability to live up to His perfect standards (Romans 3:20); and (d) to reveal their need for God's mercy and grace (Romans 5:20). It helped them recognized the fact that they needed God to rescue them from the consequences of sin and gave them a relationship with Him (Romans 8:2).

Thanks for reading.
God bless you.
Shalom.

[NIV Study Edition Bible]

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