D32-45: Messiah’s Sacrifice Did NOT Replace Or Abolish The Law Of Moses (They’re Two Different Things!)

“So you will see the land from a distance, but you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.”-Deuteronomy 32:52

Today’s topic is going to be a difficult one to broach.

Why?

Because we have no choice but to deal with the penalty God held against Moses and his brother Aaron because they broke faith with the Lord.

The lesson we’re presented with here is that as incredible a mediator as Moses was, he was still not suitable to lead Israel into the Promised Land.

The big question is why though?

It’s quite a baffling question if you think about it.

Looking at the transgression that Moses and Aaron committed, the consequence of being barred from entering the land seems a bit too excessive, don’t you think?

The punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crime.

Well, here’s the difficult point that we have to swallow.

In this case, it’s not the nature of the sin committed that’s important.

It’s the fact that a transgression was even committed at all.

And for the Lord’s Chosen Mediator, to commit even one infraction disqualified him from the right to lead Israel into the Promised Land.

Don’t get me wrong.

From Hashem’s perspective, as a mediator Moses was a very special person.

You may say…

….was’t the High Priest also considered to be a mediator between Israel and God?

Or how about Joshua?

Wasn’t he the replacement mediator of Moses?

Well homies, here’s what we’ve got to come to terms with.

The status of Moses was far above these men.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that both Aaron and Joshua didn’t even come close to approaching Moses’ status.

Think about it.

Did Aaron or Joshua ever have the privilege of speaking to Hashem face-to-face?

The answer is NO.

Was Joshua ever permitted into the Holy of Holies?

The answer is NO.

By contrast, yes the High Priest was allowed to enter into the Holy of Holies but that was only once a year during Yom Kippur.

However, Moses went into the Holy of Holies and stood before the Ark of the Covenant on a regular basis.

Here’s the thing.

The Lord requires perfection from the one who would be His Chosen Savior for Israel.

Unfortunately, Moses didn’t meet that standard of perfection.

Here’s what we’ve got to come to terms with.

Striking the rock was a sin.

Some folks may feel that this infraction in no way warranted Moses being barred from the Promised Land but it was still a sin.

And it would appear that even this “tiny” sin disqualified Moses from leading Israel into Canaan and being Israel’s savior.

Instead, Israel would have to wait for another man who would meet Hashem’s perfect standard.

That man arrived on the scene 1300 years later and his name was Yeshua.

He accomplished what Moses didn’t.

According to the New Testament record, Yeshua never committed one sin, not even the tiniest of the tiniest infractions.

We’re told he was perfect.

So perfect in fact that not only did he obey the Law of Moses perfectly, he obeyed it in the spirit Hashem originally intended for the Law to obeyed. 

And Yeshua urges us to do the same…

“Be perfect, therefore,
as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
-Matthew 5:48

Again, don’t get me wrong.

Moses presents for us an example of humbleness and godliness we should all strive to realize.

All I’m saying is it wasn’t enough to satisfy the Lord’s justice system.

It would take another man.

We’re given a hint of who this man is by the name of the person who did physically lead Israel into Canaan: Joshua.

Remember, in Hebrew, “Joshua” and “Yeshua” are spelled exactly the same…

…meaning they’re the exact same names.

So what’s the big takeaway for today?

I would say there are two takeaways actually.

FIRST, we should never ignore any of Hashem’s laws or commandments no matter how small or insignificant they may seem to be.

Just because a sin we commit isn’t a big one like stealing or adultery doesn’t mean there are no consequences.

SECOND, no matter how perfectly we think we keep the Law of Moses, we should never think we don’t need Messiah’s atoning sacrifice for our souls.

In the first place, it is impossible to keep the Law of Moses perfectly because the Temple isn’t here now.

In the second place and I’ve said this like 20 billion times already, the purpose of the Law was NOT for salvation.

It was to serve as a guide for how to live AFTER one is saved. 

Remember God saved Israel from Egypt first and then AFTERWARDS gave them the Law.

That’s the unbreakable pattern that’s established in Torah.

My conclusion is that I tremble for the person who tries to justify him or herself via obedience to the Law of Moses and thinks Messiah’s sacrifice is not necessary for the salvation of his or her soul.

Just as I would have trembled for the firstborns who considered the blood of the lamb not necessary thousands of years earlier on that dreadful night in Egypt.

Remember…

…BOTH the Passover Lamb sacrifices in Egypt…

…AND…

…the Passover Lamb sacrifice on the cross provided by Hashem…

….had NOTHING to do with the Law of Moses.

Heck, on that first passover in Egypt’s case, the Law had yet to be given.

Again, it would be given AFTER Hashem saved Egypt (get this through your heads all you gentile Christians out there).

And it’s obvious that Messiah’s sacrifice also had nothing to do with replacing or doing away with the Law of Moses.

Otherwise, how do you explain the fact that the earliest Christians (all who were Messianic Jews) were still Torah observant after Yeshua’s crucifixion?

We’re talking about apples (the Law of Moses) and oranges (Yeshua’s sacrifice) here folks and this is something the Church just doesn’t understand.

It doesn’t even make sense to say that Yeshua’s sacrifice did away with the Law because they were each designed by God for different purposes.

Just like it wouldn’t make sense to say that the Passover Lamb sacrifice on that fateful day in Egypt did away with the Law…because the Law wasn’t even given at that time.

And remember, the NT writers liken Yeshua’s sacrifice to the lambs that were killed on that very first passover in Egypt.

Yeshua’s sacrifice was for salvation of the soul, doing away with the curse of the Law (meaning eternal death), and reconciling God to Israel.

The Law of Moses is Hashem’s holy law that teaches us how to live AFTER we’ve been saved.

Don’t confuse the two as they are BOTH necessary.

Unfortunately, the gentile church is operating under a false theological paradigm right from the very start that needs to be attacked and destroyed at its very foundations. 

Actually, the truth be told, they don’t have a foundation given that they’ve relegated the Torah to the trash bin.

That’s why there’s like 20,000 (that number is NOT an exaggeration) different Christian denominations in existence today.

To conclude, I reiterate that…

….I tremble for the man who attempts to justify himself via perfectly keeping the Law of Moses (which is practically impossible given that the temple is not currently standing).

That man is walking a sure path to judgment and confrontation with His Creator.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

Yeshua answered,
“I am the way
and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the
Father except through me.”
-John 14:6

 ^“Indeed, this is what you were called to;
because the Messiah too suffered,
on your behalf,
leaving an example
so that you should follow in his steps.
“He committed no sin,
nor was any deceit found on his lips.”
-1 Peter 2:21-22

“For we do not have a high priest who
cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
but One who has been tempted in all things
as we are, yet without sin.”
-Hebrews 4:15

“You know that he appeared
in order to take away sins;
and in him there is no sin.”
1 John 3:5

“…knowing that you were not redeemed
with perishable things like silver or gold
from your futile way of life
inherited from your forefathers,
but with precious blood,
as of a lamb unblemished and spotless,
the blood of Messiah.”
-1 Peter 1:18-19

NEXT TIME WE BEGIN DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 33