The Ten Commandments are the Covenant, did you know?

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@pinebeach
God of the Old Testament is the same God as the New Testament. He said He does not change. Jesus is the one speaking in the OT and He is God made flesh. Why Jesus plainly said I did not come to destroy the law and was predicted to magnify His law, make greater, not lessor. Why He seriously warned us not to break or teach others to break the least of these commandments quoting from the Ten Commandments saying that's the path that leads to sin and judgement Mat5:19-30

I would not use Paul to countermand Jesus, as he stated right in Col2:8 everything is according to Christ. It would be a hard case to make that the Sabbath is not according to Christ considering how many thus saith the LORDS that Jesus in the NT said to live by Mat4:4 always tell us to keep and not profane. Jesus in the New Testament is LORD of the Sabbath, so why anyone would want to tear down what He is Lord of I will never understand. We can't tear it down, we can only forfeit the blessings God gives us Isa 56:2 Paul certainly did not, he is greatly misunderstood 2Peter3:16 sadly with some very steep consequences.

Anyway, I posted this before, here is my own Bible study on Col2:14-17 with detailed references. A lot of what Paul quotes is OT, so without understanding what is being quoted will come up with very wrong doctrine, leading on the path we are warned by Jesus not to take Mat15:3-14


There are several different Sabbaths in the Bible that uses the same word, but has very different meanings.

There is the seventh day Sabbath- instituted at Creation Exo20:11 Gen2:1-3, came before sin, reaffirmed in the Ten Commandments Exo20:8-11, written by God personally Exo31:18, placed inside God’s ark Exo40:20 God called it “the holy day of the Lord” Isa58:13

There are the annual sabbath(s) feast days that are always tied to animal sacrifices, they don’t always fall on the seventh day can be on any day and came after the fall and were handwritten by Moses, placed besides the ark of God’s covenant came after sin.

  • 1st day of Unleavened Bread
  • 7th day of Unleavened Bread
  • Pentecost
  • Trumpets
  • Day of Atonement
  • 1st day of Tabernacles
  • 8th day of Tabernacles
We see these in Leviticus 23 and these are additional feasts besides the Sabbath of the Lord- the seventh day Sabbath Lev 23:37-38

So I think we are being quick to assume by seeing the word Sabbath that has different meanings and assuming it means the Holy Day of the Lord that comes with God's blessing and sanctification , without looking at the context that Paul carefully gave and we should let the Bible interpret itself.

Col 2:14 KJV Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.

Col 2:14 NASB having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Greek word for handwriting: χειρόγραφον (cheirographon)
Literally: “something written by hand

Ordinances
τοῖς δόγμασιν (tois dogmasin)
Meaning: “decrees,” “regulations,” “legal demands”

It is a legal document that condemns sinners why Paul used the word “against us” and “contrary to us”. The law does not condemn the righteous, it condemns the sinners.

Just from this context that Paul gave we can eliminate the Ten Commandments, but lets let Scripture interpret Scripture.

Who wrote the handwritten ordinances?

2 Chron 33:8 and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers—only if they are careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.

What law is the law that was contrary and against?

Deut 31:24-26 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;


It appears from the text that this is not referring to the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments that was written by God Himself by His finger Exo31:18 placed inside the ark of the covenant, not besides like the annual sabbath(s) connected to animal sacrifices.


This is the law that was taken away at the Cross.

Col 2:16 let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

This is the exact language referring to the annual sabbath(s) that were handwritten by Moses, placed besides the ark that refer to annual feasts days, sacrifices and offerings that some were also called sabbath(s)

Eze 45:17 and it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.


What did Jesus say He would come to put an end to? (compared to magnifying another law- by placing it in our hearts Isa42:21 Heb8:10)


Dan 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.


Col 2:17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ

What are the shadows laws? Lets let the Scriptures define what they are

Heb 10:1 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. 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.

5 Therefore
, when He came into the world, He said:

“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’ ”

8 Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, []O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been []sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all

This fits the context of this passage perfectly and makes the Bible harmonize because we see Sabbath-keeping (every Sabbath) 30+ years after the Cross just as Jesus Himself indicated Isa 56:6-7 Acts 13:42, Acts 13:44 Acts 15:21 Acts 18:4 and up to His Second Coming Mat24:20-30 and forever Isa66:22-23
 
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Those responding in this thread, should take note that the commandment/Sabbath followers/teachers/disciples, often do not respond to scripture. When they do, they will often quote only a partial post or partial verse. You will then be told that you do not understand and then you will be given a false understanding that does not line up with biblical truth.

Failing that, you are then personally attacked and the attempt is made to try and draw you into a personal confrontation in which you might be called names, called a false prophet or threatened with hellfire or judgement from God because you do not worship their teachings.

I see this too often and have at times responded in like manner to the attack and it pleases them no end because then we can ignore scripture and just trade insults. If a response is given that points out the false teaching rather than just calling someone a false whatever, it demonstrates the evidence of the manner in which scripture is put aside in order to engage a person in a total waste of time by these law followers.

I have noticed that the name calling is really getting thick in this thread and it seems that some people, who follow the law, do not take seriously the commandment to love their neighbor as themselve. But like I said, scripture will always prove the lawkeepers to be unconvinced of the truth, whether sincere or not.
Here is your chance, I provided a detailed response with references to Col2:14-16.https://christianchat.com/threads/the-ten-commandments-are-the-covenant-did-you-know.221336/post-5701086

Feel free to respond by using the Bible only.
 
yeah you are a false teacher, Deuteronomy is clear about it, the commandments were changed? you speak of the 2 and think they replace the 10? why did Jesus spend such a large portion of his ministry to teach all Ten Commandments and explain their proper meaning and application and gave us examples on how to follow them? for nothing? Wake up before its too late

Here is an example of calling someone a false teacher. No responses are given on which to base that accusation; nothing to show why they say such a thing. Rather, it is geared to start the insults flying.
 
The 10 commandments are not the covenant with believers in Christ. We are not given the Holy Spirit in order to help us be 'good'. We will never reach the level of 'good that would in any way shape or form grant us a place in heaven beside Jesus. Jesus was not only obedient to the Father, but was perfect in all He did which resulted in Him pleasing God so that His sacrifice on the cross fullfilled all the requirements of the law.

A good understanding of the OT system of sacrifice is more than a little helpful to understand the application of blood and actually you can begin in the first book of the OT with the story of Cain and Able. Hint: look up what the words: the life is in the blood' mean.

And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased! Matthew 3:17
 
Those responding in this thread, should take note that the commandment/Sabbath followers/teachers/disciples, often do not respond to scripture. When they do, they will often quote only a partial post or partial verse. You will then be told that you do not understand and then you will be given a false understanding that does not line up with biblical truth.

Failing that, you are then personally attacked and the attempt is made to try and draw you into a personal confrontation in which you might be called names, called a false prophet or threatened with hellfire or judgement from God because you do not worship their teachings.

I see this too often and have at times responded in like manner to the attack and it pleases them no end because then we can ignore scripture and just trade insults. If a response is given that points out the false teaching rather than just calling someone a false whatever, it demonstrates the evidence of the manner in which scripture is put aside in order to engage a person in a total waste of time by these law followers.

I have noticed that the name calling is really getting thick in this thread and it seems that some people, who follow the law, do not take seriously the commandment to love their neighbor as themselve. But like I said, scripture will always prove the lawkeepers to be unconvinced of the truth, whether sincere or not.

Yes, I've noticed that too, pinebeach. Also, that they take a portion of a verse, ignore all of it, and use that part as validation for their scriptural doctrine.
 
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Yes, I've noticed that too, pinebeach. Also, that they take a portion of a verse, ignore all of it, and use that part as validation for their scriptural doctrine.

Thank you. We should be rejoicing in Christ and the salvation provided by God rather than falsely claiming the commandments are God's provision.
 
The 10 commandments are not the covenant with believers in Christ. We are not given the Holy Spirit in order to help us be 'good'. We will never reach the level of 'good that would in any way shape or form grant us a place in heaven beside Jesus. Jesus was not only obedient to the Father, but was perfect in all He did which resulted in Him pleasing God so that His sacrifice on the cross fullfilled all the requirements of the law.

A good understanding of the OT system of sacrifice is more than a little helpful to understand the application of blood and actually you can begin in the first book of the OT with the story of Cain and Able. Hint: look up what the words: the life is in the blood' mean.

And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased! Matthew 3:17
God said He writes His laws in the heart and mind in His New Covenant Heb8:10 and the New Covenant is established on better promises Heb8:6 not new laws.

How can you tell God the Ten Commandments are not His laws when He both wrote and spoken them Exo31:18 and claimed this unit of Ten as His Exo20:6. As far as I know there is no one greater than He, to define His own laws. Sadly telling God what He claimed is His, puts one in the placed of God instead of His servant Isa 56:6
 
God said its His laws that are written in the heart. How can you tell God the Ten Commandments are not His laws when He both written and spoken said they are Exo20:6 This puts one in the placed of God instead of His servant Isa 56:6

The 10 commandments are not the covenant with believers in Christ. We are not given the Holy Spirit in order to help us be 'good'. We will never reach the level of 'good that would in any way shape or form grant us a place in heaven beside Jesus. Jesus was not only obedient to the Father, but was perfect in all He did which resulted in Him pleasing God so that His sacrifice on the cross fullfilled all the requirements of the law.

A good understanding of the OT system of sacrifice is more than a little helpful to understand the application of blood and actually you can begin in the first book of the OT with the story of Cain and Able. Hint: look up what the words: the life is in the blood' mean.
 
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The 10 commandments are not the covenant with believers in Christ. We are not given the Holy Spirit in order to help us be 'good'. We will never reach the level of 'good that would in any way shape or form grant us a place in heaven beside Jesus. Jesus was not only obedient to the Father, but was perfect in all He did which resulted in Him pleasing God so that His sacrifice on the cross fullfilled all the requirements of the law.

A good understanding of the OT system of sacrifice is more than a little helpful to understand the application of blood and actually you can begin in the first book of the OT with the story of Cain and Able. Hint: look up what the words: the life is in the blood' mean.
You repeating "you" doesn't delete God's words, we are told to live by every word that He says Mat4:4 not mans.

Ten Commandments is not the sacrificial system- find one blood sacrifice in the Ten Commandments- this is the law that defines sin, what God wrote Himself, what His blood atones for this law why only the Ten Commandments is under His mercy seat. Exo25:21 Removing a law because we feel it doesn't apply, doesn;t change God's everlasting righteousness Psa 119:172 Isa 56:1-2 it just removes what He covers. Pro28:13 Exo20:6 and not a good spot to be in come judgement day James 2:10-12 John12:28
 
Thank you. We should be rejoicing in Christ and the salvation provided by God rather than falsely claiming the commandments are God's provision.

Absolutely! They have been blinded by the law and have no comprehension of God's grace through Jesus Christ.
 
I quoted you exactly. You said: the purpose of the law is for us to change our hearts. Read it below.
what wrote was incomplete and i made it clear in the reply to to you in post no that you liked, here it is again




""
To answer your question, and it is a good one Cameron: "do you believe the purpose of the law is for an individual to change their own heart?"

No
— the law alone cannot change a human heart. Never could. Never was designed to. If it could we would not need God at all and we would not need a New Covenant.​
The law is like a mirror. It shows you clearly what you are , where you fall short, where your heart is divided, where your love for God and for others is incomplete. A mirror can show you that your face is dirty but it cannot wash it. That was always God's point.​
But here is what is so often missed. God never intended the law to stand alone. From the very beginning His desire was a relationship, a people who would love Him genuinely from the inside out not from fear of punishment. He said to Israel at Sinai before giving the commandments:​
Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people. (Exodus 19:5)​
Not slaves following rules. A treasured people walking with their God.​
And when Israel repeatedly failed because the heart was not yet transformed , God promised something greater was coming:​
A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)​
That is the New Covenant. Not new commandments replacing the old. The same holy standard of God written now on transformed hearts by His Spirit rather than on external tablets of stone. God does what the law alone never could, He changes the heart from within.​
Jesus came to fulfil this promise completely. He did not come to lower the standard, He actually raised it deeper into the heart:​
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time thou shalt not kill. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. (Matthew 5:21-22)​
He was magnifying the law, taking it from external behaviour into the inner life of the soul. Not watering it down. Going deeper, much deeper.​
And His call to us is simply this, to come to Him, receive a new heart, and walk in His ways not because you have to but because you love Him:​
If ye love me keep my commandments. (John 14:15)​
That is God's will from Genesis to Revelation, a holy people walking with a holy God. Not through their own effort and willpower but through a transformed heart that genuinely loves Him and naturally desires to reflect His character in daily life.​
He said it best Himself:​
Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)​
That is the goal. Holiness. Not achieved by human effort alone but by surrendering completely to the One who promised to write His law on our hearts and walk with us every step of the way.​

please stop using this to deflect and accuse.

now why did you put this in your post it was not addressed to you at all :

"" You are a modern pharisee. SB is right, you just don't like what she says as it it makes you uncomfortable and means you would have to change. The whole purpose of the law is for us to change our hearts."
 
Absolutely! They have been blinded by the law and have no comprehension of God's grace through Jesus Christ.
Weird- Jesus personally said the opposite. He taught the spiritual blind are those who lay aside the commandments of God- quoting directly from the Ten Commandments- He said it makes the Word of God of no effect- wow- and it makes ones heart far from Him. Why? Because it is rejecting the law of God Rom8:7-8 He placed there Heb8:10 He goes on to say it makes ones worship to Him in vain and ends it with those who teach and follow this teaching are the blind leading the blind.

What is insulting the spirit of grace is thinking we can sin or break the law of God and are living in harmony with Christ.

Mat 15:3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”—6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”


10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

Mark7:7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men
 
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Since you think there are so many Pharisees on this site, you should probably leave so you don’t get infected.
Hello fellow Pharisee.

He is right on one point.

I do get stuck into people that go to the toilet and don't wash there hands.

Matthew 15:2
Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!

He is also correct on another point.

I do look down on some church groups.

They have no idea what the apostles are saying in their letters.

1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

They have a tradition and that is all they have and they don't even realize what the truth is.
 
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what wrote was incomplete and i made it clear in the reply to to you in post no that you liked, here it is again




""
To answer your question, and it is a good one Cameron: "do you believe the purpose of the law is for an individual to change their own heart?"
No — the law alone cannot change a human heart. Never could. Never was designed to. If it could we would not need God at all and we would not need a New Covenant.​
The law is like a mirror. It shows you clearly what you are , where you fall short, where your heart is divided, where your love for God and for others is incomplete. A mirror can show you that your face is dirty but it cannot wash it. That was always God's point.​
But here is what is so often missed. God never intended the law to stand alone. From the very beginning His desire was a relationship, a people who would love Him genuinely from the inside out not from fear of punishment. He said to Israel at Sinai before giving the commandments:​
Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people. (Exodus 19:5)​
Not slaves following rules. A treasured people walking with their God.​
And when Israel repeatedly failed because the heart was not yet transformed , God promised something greater was coming:​
A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)​
That is the New Covenant. Not new commandments replacing the old. The same holy standard of God written now on transformed hearts by His Spirit rather than on external tablets of stone. God does what the law alone never could, He changes the heart from within.​
Jesus came to fulfil this promise completely. He did not come to lower the standard, He actually raised it deeper into the heart:​
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time thou shalt not kill. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. (Matthew 5:21-22)​
He was magnifying the law, taking it from external behaviour into the inner life of the soul. Not watering it down. Going deeper, much deeper.​
And His call to us is simply this, to come to Him, receive a new heart, and walk in His ways not because you have to but because you love Him:​
If ye love me keep my commandments. (John 14:15)​
That is God's will from Genesis to Revelation, a holy people walking with a holy God. Not through their own effort and willpower but through a transformed heart that genuinely loves Him and naturally desires to reflect His character in daily life.​
He said it best Himself:​
Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)​
That is the goal. Holiness. Not achieved by human effort alone but by surrendering completely to the One who promised to write His law on our hearts and walk with us every step of the way.​

please stop using this to deflect and accuse.

now why did you put this in your post it was not addressed to you at all :

"" You are a modern pharisee. SB is right, you just don't like what she says as it it makes you uncomfortable and means you would have to change. The whole purpose of the law is for us to change our hearts."
Why did God give the law to Israel when He knew they would not obey it?
 
You are trying to remove the 4th commandment, from the other 9 commandments when God didn't. Deut4:13, basically trying to correct God. God even if Remember on the one comandment He knew everyone would forget. The wages of sin is death Rom6:23 Sin is breaking the law of God 1John3:4 Breaking one, we break them all James 2:10-12 sin is not the way to reconciliation Heb10:26-30, so we can't remove the commandments we feel is not important. That's making ourselves our own god instead of allowing our Creator to be Exo20:11 Rev14:7. Whoever we obey is who we serve Rom6:16 Christ invites everyone to join themselves to Him and serve Him Isa56:6. The question is, will we accept His invitation or harden our hearts like those who came before us. Heb3:7-19
The term "gospel" means GOOD NEWS. In the Old Testament, the idea of bringing good news is frequently linked to the announcement of God's deliverance and favor. Isaiah 52:7 states, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring GOOD NEWS, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" This "NEWS" is not yesterday's headlines. Though God had planned to do this from the Beginning but putting the plan of redemption into effect required a WORTHY sacrifice which Jesus was. His resurrection demonstrated that He had THE POWER over death and the one who had the power of death - the Devil.

If God's people could obey God's law perfectly there would be no need for a sacrificial Deliverer. Of course, without an intermediary who represented both God and mankind there would also be no promise of covenant peace with God either. If the system of Law Moses instituted could have delivered us from sin the death of Christ, the Lamb of God would not have been necessary and the announcement of His coming would have no importance than the announcement the coming of any other prophet. MANY prophets had come before and held a plumbline to the hearts of men. However, Jesus was more than a prophet whose objective was to revive the Judaic system by encouraging the Jews to resume their practice of following Old system.

However, God had much more in mind than that. He wanted to make a NEW COVENANT which would be available to ALL PEOPLE so that Messiah could become the only way to God. Once He had completed the work of atonement. Messiah could offer not only forgiveness of sin but inward cleansing and even spiritual rebirth. Paul the Apostle says this:

…4But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, [like keeping Shabbat] but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,…
(Titus 3:5)

In addition, to offering us forgiveness, the Messiah also obtained dominion over the powers of darkness that had held man in bondage since the very beginning of our species. Paul, who was an "able minister of the New Covenant" understood as did the others Jesus trained that God now is willing to fundamentally transform all who REPENT of their sins and BELIEVE in Him.

11 In Him you were also (spiritually) circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands. 12 And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.
(Colossians 2:11-12)

This identification with Christ comes by virtue of the Spirit's work in us. Instead of receiving what he has done, you have attempted to take people back to a time BEFORE Christ came when serving God was about following external ordinances like the ones pertaining to Shabbat - which you believe can make a person righteous and, therefore, acceptable to God
 
Why did God give the law to Israel when He knew they would not obey it?
You know, this is one of those questions that once you really think about it reveals just how incredibly wise and loving God is. He did not give Israel the law by mistake or out of some hope that maybe this time humanity would get it right. He knew exactly what would happen. And He did it anyway because it was perfectly planned from the very beginning.

Think about it this way. Every single commandment God gave was a window into who He actually is. He is not just a rule maker sitting in heaven with a clipboard. The law was His way of saying — this is My character, this is what love looks like in real life, this is what it means to reflect My image in the way you treat Me and the people around you. It was a gift of revelation more than anything else:

And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? (Deuteronomy 4:8)

But here is where it gets really honest. God knew Israel would fail. He actually told them so Himself before they even set foot in the promised land. He looked at His own people and said plainly through Moses:

For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. (Deuteronomy 31:29)

He knew. He said He knew. And He gave the law anyway. Why? Because Israel's failure was not a plan gone wrong — it was the plan working exactly as intended. Their struggle under the law held up a mirror to every human heart in every generation showing that no person, no nation, no amount of religious effort or willpower can sustain wholehearted love for God without His help. That had to be shown before the solution could be fully understood and fully appreciated.

And the solution was always Christ. Every lamb that was sacrificed, every feast that was celebrated, every priest that entered the Holy of Holies, all of it was God painting a detailed portrait of His Son across centuries of history. The law was never the destination. It was always pointing somewhere or rather to Someone. Jesus said it Himself:

Search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me. (John 5:39)

After His resurrection He walked with two confused and heartbroken disciples on the road to Emmaus and opened up the entire Old Testament showing them how every part of it pointed to Him. Moses and all the prophets. All of it about Jesus all along.

And then God did what only He could do. After centuries of watching His people struggle and fall and return and fall again He promised something entirely new and entirely better. Not a different standard, the same holy character He always had. But this time written not on cold tablets of stone but on living human hearts by His own Spirit:

I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people.(Jeremiah 31:33)

That is the New Covenant. And it is so much more glorious precisely because of everything that came before it. You cannot fully appreciate what God did in Christ without understanding what centuries of the law revealed about the human heart and about God's own faithfulness through it all.

Because through every failure, every cycle of rebellion and restoration, every broken promise on Israel's side, His covenant love held firm through all of it. And that same faithfulness is what ultimately sent His Son, not to stand over humanity in condemnation but to do what the law alone never could:

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:17)

So the short answer to why God gave the law knowing Israel would fail is simply this, because their failure was part of His perfect plan to reveal His character, expose the human heart, paint a picture of Christ, establish a better covenant and demonstrate a love and faithfulness that no amount of human failure could ever extinguish.

The law was never meant to be the finish line. It was always the road that leads to Christ. And through Christ to the transformed heart that loves God genuinely, freely and from the inside out. That was always where He was taking us. Right from the very beginning.
 
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The term "gospel" means GOOD NEWS. In the Old Testament, the idea of bringing good news is frequently linked to the announcement of God's deliverance and favor. Isaiah 52:7 states, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring GOOD NEWS, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" This "NEWS" is not yesterday's headlines. Though God had planned to do this from the Beginning but putting the plan of redemption into effect required a WORTHY sacrifice which Jesus was. His resurrection demonstrated that He had THE POWER over death and the one who had the power of death - the Devil.
Yes, the gospel means good news, but it always included obedience to the law of God otherwise we would not need the good news of Savior to save us from our sins. Mat1:21 We are not saved "in" sin Heb10:26-30 and that's what people need to understand- we need a complete transformation in Christ. If we are living our old way, chances are we are not looking to Christ for our salvation. Sin should be painful because of what it did to Jesus on the Cross, sin is breaking the law of God, the law that is under His mercy seat that His blood covers when we break, because its the law that is sin when breaking Allowing the God of the Bible to define what sin is 1John3:4 James2:11, what is righteous Psa 119:172, what is Truth Psa 119:151, not us humans.
If God's people could obey God's law perfectly there would be no need for a sacrificial Deliverer.
Of course- but do you think God has more power to save us from our sins or the devil has more power to keep us in sin. The bible speaks of a people who overcomes. I believe we can through Christ. The issue is that not everyone wants to. They enjoy their sins more than wanting to give them to Jesus and ask His help in overcoming John3:19-21
Of course, without an intermediary who represented both God and mankind there would also be no promise of covenant peace with God either. If the system of Law Moses instituted could have delivered us from sin the death of Christ, the Lamb of God would not have been necessary and the announcement of His coming would have no importance than the announcement the coming of any other prophet. MANY prophets had come before and held a plumbline to the hearts of men. However, Jesus was more than a prophet whose objective was to revive the Judaic system by encouraging the Jews to resume their practice of following Old system.
Can you please use Scripture and not your words because I believe you are misapplying the law of God with the law of Moses.
However, God had much more in mind than that. He wanted to make a NEW COVENANT which would be available to ALL PEOPLE so that Messiah could become the only way to God. Once He had completed the work of atonement. Messiah could offer not only forgiveness of sin but inward cleansing and even spiritual rebirth. Paul the Apostle says this:

…4But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, [like keeping Shabbat] but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,…
(Titus 3:5)
And why would you think this spiritual re-birth would be in rebellion to the Spirit who wrote the commandments of God- God told us to keep if we love Him Exo20:6 and those who love Him can keep though the power of the Holy Spirit John14:15-18
In addition, to offering us forgiveness, the Messiah also obtained dominion over the powers of darkness that had held man in bondage since the very beginning of our species. Paul, who was an "able minister of the New Covenant" understood as did the others Jesus trained that God now is willing to fundamentally transform all who REPENT of their sins and BELIEVE in Him.

11 In Him you were also (spiritually) circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands. 12 And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.
(Colossians 2:11-12)
Which is exactly what I have been saying- we can gain victory over sin through Jesus. The issue is not allowing the God of the Bible to define it. 1John3:4 James2:11 Mat5:19-30 Rom7:7 but instead depend on our version of what is right or wrong which is as fifthly rags, instead of what God says Psa 119:172 Isa 56:1-2 which is everlasting Psa 119:142
This identification with Christ comes by virtue of the Spirit's work in us. Instead of receiving what he has done, you have attempted to take people back to a time BEFORE Christ came when serving God was about following external ordinances like the ones pertaining to Shabbat - which you believe can make a person righteous and, therefore, acceptable to God
Why do you think joining ourselves to the LORD and serving Him is only external. Isa 56:6 You don't seem to understand the Sabbath at all. Its about spending holy time with God so He can bless Isa 56:2 and sanctify us Eze20:12 because we cannot do this ourselves Isa66:17. Why do you think God wants to spend no holy time with His creation. This is why the devil attacks the Sabbath so much, he doesn't want us serving God, or being sanctified by Him.

If we are not serving God who are we serving then? Why we are told whoever we obey is who we serve. Rom6:16 God said If you love Me, keep My commandments. His commandments were written by God spoken by God, they included Ten Commandments, not nine. How is it love to God forgetting the only commandment He said to Remember? The only commandment that is holy and blessed by God. We need to be careful which voice we are subjecting ourselves to. The one who changed God's times and laws Dan7:25 is the one He warns us about that sadly many follow without even realizing it, because they stopped listening to what God said.
 
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The law was never meant to be the finish line. It was always the road that leads to Christ. And through Christ to the transformed heart that loves God genuinely, freely and from the inside out. That was always where He was taking us. Right from the very beginning.
So for those of us who are already in Christ,
we have no need for a road leading us to Him.
 
what wrote was incomplete and i made it clear in the reply to to you in post no that you liked, here it is again




""
To answer your question, and it is a good one Cameron: "do you believe the purpose of the law is for an individual to change their own heart?"
No — the law alone cannot change a human heart. Never could. Never was designed to. If it could we would not need God at all and we would not need a New Covenant.​
The law is like a mirror. It shows you clearly what you are , where you fall short, where your heart is divided, where your love for God and for others is incomplete. A mirror can show you that your face is dirty but it cannot wash it. That was always God's point.​
But here is what is so often missed. God never intended the law to stand alone. From the very beginning His desire was a relationship, a people who would love Him genuinely from the inside out not from fear of punishment. He said to Israel at Sinai before giving the commandments:​
Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people. (Exodus 19:5)​
Not slaves following rules. A treasured people walking with their God.​
And when Israel repeatedly failed because the heart was not yet transformed , God promised something greater was coming:​
A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)​
That is the New Covenant. Not new commandments replacing the old. The same holy standard of God written now on transformed hearts by His Spirit rather than on external tablets of stone. God does what the law alone never could, He changes the heart from within.​
Jesus came to fulfil this promise completely. He did not come to lower the standard, He actually raised it deeper into the heart:​
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time thou shalt not kill. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. (Matthew 5:21-22)​
He was magnifying the law, taking it from external behaviour into the inner life of the soul. Not watering it down. Going deeper, much deeper.​
And His call to us is simply this, to come to Him, receive a new heart, and walk in His ways not because you have to but because you love Him:​
If ye love me keep my commandments. (John 14:15)​
That is God's will from Genesis to Revelation, a holy people walking with a holy God. Not through their own effort and willpower but through a transformed heart that genuinely loves Him and naturally desires to reflect His character in daily life.​
He said it best Himself:​
Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)​
That is the goal. Holiness. Not achieved by human effort alone but by surrendering completely to the One who promised to write His law on our hearts and walk with us every step of the way.​

please stop using this to deflect and accuse.

now why did you put this in your post it was not addressed to you at all :

"" You are a modern pharisee. SB is right, you just don't like what she says as it it makes you uncomfortable and means you would have to change. The whole purpose of the law is for us to change our hearts."
Yes, you shared this several pages later after I had already been placed in the category of false prophet. I'm still waiting for that poster to share the prophecy that I made that didn't come to pass.

It is also a little disingenuous of you to ask me to quote all your posts but don't act similarly towards others. While it is true that I keep the commandments, I don't do so through aforethought or my own endeavor. I simply walk in the Spirit who leads me in the paths of righteousness. It is Christ in me that leads me to respond positively to the commandments, and not my own compunction. It is only in this way the commandments are not grievous.

My concern for you is that you elevate the law and man's performance of it above Christ and the work of the Spirit. Man's endeavor glorifies man. God's endeavor glorifies God.