Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: HWIS
Program Code: HWIS000009
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00:34 Let's pray.
00:37 Our loving heavenly Father, once again we approach 00:41 Your awesome and majestic throne. 00:44 Not coming in our own merits, but coming boldly to the 00:49 throne of grace through the merits of Your 00:52 beloved Son, Jesus Christ. 00:54 And Father, we know that our prayer is being heard 00:57 at this moment, because the merits of Jesus 01:00 are purifying our prayer and making it acceptable 01:04 in Your sight. 01:05 And Father, at this moment we plead for Your presence. 01:09 We ask that through the Holy Spirit in the ministration 01:13 of the angels You will open our minds that we might be able 01:16 to understand the great things about the two covenants. 01:20 And we thank You for hearing our prayer 01:22 for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. 01:28 The Bible describes two primary laws. 01:36 And as we begin our study, we want to notice 01:41 what these two primary laws are according to Scripture. 01:47 The first of these laws is God's moral law which distinguishes 01:53 good from evil. 01:56 Turn with me in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 2 01:59 and verses 15 through 17. 02:02 Genesis chapter 2 and verses 15 through 17. 02:06 Here, we find a moral command by God. 02:11 It says there... 02:34 Notice, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 02:46 Now as we've studied in previous lectures, 02:48 actually within this one command were contained all of the 02:52 principles of the Ten Commandments. 02:54 I'm not going to go over that again because 02:56 we've already covered it. 02:57 But within this one command are all of the principles 03:01 of the Ten Commandments. 03:02 This is God's moral command. 03:06 To eat from the tree is evil. 03:09 And to not eat from the tree is good. 03:13 In other words, God lays down the ground rules of what is good 03:17 and what is evil. 03:19 And He expected obedience from Adam and Eve. 03:23 Basically, God was saying the following. 03:27 "If you disobey My command, that will be sin." 03:33 And the wages of sin is what? 03:36 The wages of sin is death. 03:39 So what I want you to notice is that God's moral law 03:42 existed before sin, before Adam and Eve sinned. 03:47 And the purpose of the moral law was to distinguish 03:51 right from wrong, good from evil. 03:55 Of course, we know that Adam and Eve sinned. 03:58 And when Adam and Eve sinned, God instituted another law. 04:03 It's known as the ceremonial law, 04:07 or the law of ordinances and sacrifices. 04:12 The ceremonial law comes in after sin. 04:16 It's not part of God's original plan. 04:20 The moral law existed before sin. 04:23 The ceremonial law comes in because of sin. 04:27 Now notice Genesis chapter 3 and verse 21, 04:31 which we've studied before. 04:32 Genesis 3 and verse 21. 04:36 Here, we're told that when Adam and Eve sinned 04:40 a sacrifice took place the day that they sinned. 04:45 It says there... 04:57 How was the shame of their nakedness covered? 05:01 It was covered by skins provided by what? 05:06 By the lamb. 05:07 Now what do you need to do to get the skin of an animal? 05:10 The animal has to be slain. 05:13 And so basically, God was showing from the very beginning 05:16 of human history that the way in which He was going to 05:20 cover the shame of man's nakedness, his sinfulness, 05:25 was by the death of the lamb. 05:26 And the death of the lamb would cover the shame 05:30 of their nakedness. 05:32 Notice that the law of sacrifices comes after 05:36 sin enters the world. 05:38 The moral law existed before sin came into the world. 05:43 Is that very clear in the book of Genesis? 05:45 It's absolutely clear. 05:47 The moral law before sin. 05:49 The ceremonial law of sacrifices after sin and because of sin. 05:56 Now we've noticed this in Genesis chapters 1 through 3. 05:59 But the question is, what about Genesis chapter 4 06:03 through Exodus 19? 06:06 Because in chapter 20 of Exodus, you have the Ten Commandments. 06:10 Well the fact is that the Ten Commandments, God's moral law, 06:15 existed from Genesis chapter 4 through Exodus chapter 19. 06:21 You say, "How do we know that?" 06:22 Let me give you some individuals that actually sinned before the 06:29 Ten Commandments were written on tables of stone 06:32 at Mount Sinai. 06:33 Let me ask you, did Satan sin in heaven? 06:36 We studied this. 06:38 The Bible says that he sinned from where? 06:41 From the beginning. 06:43 Did Adam sin? 06:44 Romans chapter 5 and verse 12 says that sin 06:48 entered the world through one man. 06:51 Did Cain sin? 06:53 Yes, God told Him that sin was at the gate 06:56 when he was deliberating whether to kill his brother. 07:00 Did the race before the flood sin? 07:03 The Bible says that the wickedness of man was great 07:06 and every intent of their hearts, of the thought of their 07:09 hearts, was only evil continually. 07:12 Did Sodom and Gomorrah sin? 07:15 Absolutely. 07:16 Genesis chapter 13 verse 13 and Genesis 18 verse 20 says 07:20 that Sodom and Gomorrah were great sinners before the Lord. 07:24 Were the Amorites sinners before the law was given on Mt. Sinai? 07:28 Absolutely. 07:30 Genesis 15 verse 16 says, "The cup of the iniquity of the 07:34 Amorites is not yet full." 07:37 Did Joseph know that adultery was wrong? 07:40 He most certainly did. 07:41 Genesis chapter 39 and verse 9, Joseph says, 07:46 "How can I do this and commit this great sin against God?" 07:51 Did Abraham know that lying was wrong? 07:54 He most certainly did. 07:56 And he lied twice. 07:57 Once in Egypt and also he lied to Abimelech. 08:00 And also we even find that the Sabbath existed 08:04 before Mt. Sinai. 08:05 Because in Exodus 16, God rained manna from heaven. 08:09 And this is before the Ten Commandments were given. 08:11 So the question is, did the Ten Commandments exist 08:15 between Genesis 4 and Exodus 19? 08:18 Absolutely, because there was sin. 08:20 And sin is what? 08:22 Sin is transgression of the law. 08:26 But now let me ask you, did the ceremonial law 08:29 exist between Genesis chapter 4 and Exodus chapter 19? 08:34 Absolutely. 08:36 Let me just mention first of all that in Genesis chapter 4 08:39 you have the story of Cain and Abel. 08:42 Did God ask Cain and Abel to offer a sacrifice, yes or no? 08:46 Absolutely. 08:47 Notice Genesis chapter 4 and let's read verses 3 through 5. 09:14 Did Abel offer a sacrifice in obedience to God? 09:20 He most certainly did. 09:21 Did the ceremonial law exist after Genesis chapter 3? 09:25 Most certainly. 09:27 Did Noah offer a sacrifice when he came out of the ark? 09:31 Yes, you can read it in Genesis chapter 8 and verses 20 and 21. 09:36 Did Abraham offer sacrifices to the Lord 09:40 and raise up altars to the Lord? 09:42 He most certainly did. 09:44 And we studied the story of the sacrifice of Isaac that 09:48 pointed forward to the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. 09:52 In fact, Jesus once said, "Abraham saw My day 09:56 and he rejoiced." 09:57 John chapter 8 and verse 56. 10:01 We also are told in Genesis that Isaac offered sacrifices 10:06 and Jacob also offered sacrifices. 10:09 So the ceremonial system of offerings and sacrifices 10:14 existed between Genesis chapter 4 and Exodus chapter 19 10:20 before the Ten Commandments. 10:22 So the Ten Commandments and the ceremonial law 10:25 both existed before Mt. Sinai. 10:29 God's moral law existed before sin. 10:32 The ceremonial law comes in after sin in order to deal 10:36 with the sin problem. 10:38 Now let's do a comparison of the two laws. 10:42 Let's talk, first of all, about the Ten Commandments. 10:46 The Ten Commandments are the constitution 10:49 of God's government. 10:50 The Ten Commandments are actually a reflection of 10:53 God's character. 10:55 They tell us what God is like in His person. 11:00 And therefore, you cannot change the Ten Commandments. 11:03 You can't change the Ten Commandments 11:05 anymore than you can change God's character. 11:08 The purpose of the Ten Commandments is to reveal 11:11 the distinction between good and evil, 11:14 between right and wrong. 11:16 And of course, the Ten Commandments reveal 11:19 what God is really like. 11:21 Now let's talk a little bit about the Ten Commandments. 11:25 Deuteronomy chapter 5 and verse 22 tells us that 11:29 God spoke the Ten Commandments directly 11:34 to the children of Israel. 11:36 What did I say? 11:37 God spoke the Ten Commandments directly 11:41 to the children of Israel. 11:43 Let's read it in Deuteronomy 5 and verse 22. 12:05 So to whom did God speak the Ten Commandments? 12:09 He spoke the Ten Commandments to "all your assembly," it says, 12:13 from the mountain. 12:15 God spoke the Ten Commandments to the entire encampment 12:19 of Israel. 12:20 Another interesting detail about the Ten Commandments is that 12:23 God wrote the Ten Commandments with His own finger. 12:28 Notice Exodus chapter 31 and verse 18. 12:31 Exodus 31 and verse 18. 12:34 It says... 12:52 Everything else in the Bible, God spoke to the prophet 12:55 and the prophet spoke it or wrote it to the people. 12:57 But when it came to the Ten Commandments, 12:59 God wrote the Ten Commandments with His own finger 13:03 and He spoke them personally to the entire assembly of Israel. 13:08 Notice also that the Ten Commandments were written 13:11 on tables of stone. 13:14 Let's read Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 13. 13:18 Deuteronomy 4 and verse 13. 13:21 It says here... 13:37 Where did God write with His own finger the Ten Commandments 13:40 that He spoke directly to the children of Israel? 13:43 He wrote them on tablets of stone. 13:47 Now another interesting detail is where the Ten Commandments 13:50 were placed in the Sanctuary. 13:53 Deuteronomy chapter 10 verses 1 through 5 13:56 tell us that the Ten Commandments were placed 13:58 inside the ark of the covenant. 14:00 Let's read that passage. 14:02 Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verses 1 through 5. 14:06 It says here... 14:09 He's speaking to Moses. 14:14 Because Moses broke the first tables. 15:24 So God spoke them what? 15:25 Directly to the people. 15:27 Secondly, He wrote them with His own finger. 15:30 Third, He wrote them on tablets of what? 15:34 Of stone. 15:35 Four, He placed them where? 15:37 Inside the ark of the covenant. 15:39 And a fifth characteristic is that the Ten Commandments 15:42 are not burdensome. 15:45 In other words, the Ten Commandments 15:46 are not a yoke of bondage, like many Christians teach. 15:51 In fact, notice 1 John chapter 5 and verse 3. 15:55 1 John chapter 5 and verse 3. 15:59 Here, the beloved disciple, John, says... 16:02 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. 16:07 And His commandments are not..." What? 16:11 They are not burdensome. 16:13 They are not a heavy burden. 16:15 By the way, David loved God's law. 16:19 He did not see the law as being a heavy yoke of bondage. 16:24 Notice Psalm 119, we're going to read now verse 72, 16:29 and then verse 131, and finally verse 174. 16:33 And I'm going to read them in sequence. 16:35 Notice... 16:59 Does that sound like the law was a yoke of bondage to David? 17:03 Absolutely not. 17:05 He said, "I love Your law." 17:07 How could a Christian say that the law is a yoke of bondage 17:12 when the law distinguishes right from wrong 17:16 and good from evil? 17:18 Now let's talk a little bit about the ceremonial law. 17:22 The ceremonial law was actually written by Moses. 17:27 It was not written by God. 17:29 Notice Deuteronomy chapter 31 and verse 9. 17:33 Deuteronomy 31 verse 9. 17:35 It says here... 17:50 So who wrote the ceremonial law? 17:52 The Bible says Moses wrote this law. 17:57 But not only this, Moses also spoke this law 18:01 to the religious leaders and to the people. 18:04 Who spoke the Ten Commandments? 18:07 God spoke the Ten Commandments to all of the congregation. 18:10 Now notice what it says in Leviticus chapter 1 18:14 and verses 1 and 2. 18:16 Leviticus 1 verses 1 and 2. 18:23 To whom did God speak when He gave the Ten Commandments? 18:26 To all of the encampment of Israel. 18:28 To whom does God speak when He gives the ceremonial law? 18:31 To Moses. It says... 18:41 See, God uses an intermediary to speak to the people. 18:55 And then the next several chapters describe the different 18:58 offerings and sacrifices that were made in the Sanctuary 19:03 or in the temple. 19:05 Also I want you to notice that the ceremonial law 19:08 was actually written in a book. 19:12 And it was placed beside the ark of the covenant, 19:16 not inside the ark of the covenant. 19:19 Notice Deuteronomy chapter 31 and verses 24 through 26. 19:23 Deuteronomy 31 verses 24 through 26. 19:27 It says here... 19:38 Who wrote this law? Moses. 19:40 Where did he write it? 19:41 In a book. 19:43 So it says... 20:07 Where was the ceremonial law placed? 20:09 It was put beside the ark. 20:11 Where were the Ten Commandments put? 20:13 They were put inside the ark. 20:15 Is there a clear distinction between God's moral law 20:20 and God's ceremonial law? 20:22 Absolutely clear, according to Scripture. 20:25 Now let's talk a little bit about the law, sin, 20:29 death, and substitution. 20:32 The first thing that I want us to notice is that the 20:35 purpose of the law is to point out sin. 20:39 Notice Romans chapter 3 and verse 20. 20:42 Romans chapter 3 and verse 20. 20:56 How do you know that an act is sinful? 20:59 Because the law of God tells you that it is sinful. 21:02 For example, how do you know that it's wrong 21:04 for you to have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife? 21:07 Because there's a commandment that says, "You shall not..." 21:10 What? "...commit adultery." 21:12 How do you know that lying is wrong? 21:14 Because there's a commandment that says, 21:16 "Thou shalt not bear..." What? 21:18 "...false witness." 21:19 In other words, the purpose of the law, the Ten Commandments, 21:21 is to point out sin. 21:24 And the question is, what is sin? 21:27 The Bible defines what sin is. 21:30 In 1 John chapter 3 and verse 4, it says... 21:41 Or as the King James Version has it, "Sin is..." What? 21:45 "...the transgression of the law." 21:48 So the law points out sin. 21:51 And sin is the transgression of God's moral law. 21:55 And what is the consequence of sin, according to Scripture? 21:59 Notice Romans chapter 6 and verse 23. 22:03 The first part of the verse says... 22:09 So notice, the law points out sin. 22:12 Sin is transgression of the law. 22:14 And transgression of the law leads to what? 22:17 To death. 22:19 How many of us have sinned? 22:21 You know, if anybody here said that you haven't sinned, 22:25 that would be your first sin. 22:27 Because you're lying. 22:29 The Bible says in Romans chapter 3 and verse 10... 22:40 And Romans 3 verse 23 says... 22:46 So have we all transgressed God's law? 22:49 Absolutely. 22:50 And therefore, all of us deserve what? 22:53 Deserve death. 22:54 Now the question is, must we all die? 22:58 Absolutely not. 23:00 Why? 23:02 Because what the law demands, Jesus provides. 23:05 And the penalty which the law of God demands, 23:09 Jesus paid. 23:10 So if I receive Jesus as my Savior in repentance 23:14 and in confession and I trust in Him, then His death 23:19 saves me from the penalty of death. 23:23 Notice 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. 23:27 Here is the remedy for sin. 23:31 The ceremonial law has to do with the remedy for sin. 23:35 It comes in after sin because sin put us all on death row. 23:39 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21 says... 23:42 "For He," that is God the Father, 23:46 "made Him," that is Jesus. 23:50 See, Jesus knew no sin. 23:59 In other words, God took our sins and placed them on who? 24:04 On Jesus. 24:06 Now notice the last part of the verse. 24:13 He took our unrighteousness so that we could have 24:17 His perfect righteousness. 24:20 That's what the ceremonial law pointed to. 24:24 Now we need to ask a very important question. 24:27 What is it that saves human beings from the 24:30 sentence of death? 24:32 It is what? 24:35 The life of Jesus and His death on the cross, right? 24:40 But now here comes a very important question. 24:43 How were Old Testament saints saved before Jesus Christ came? 24:54 Has anybody ever asked that question? 24:57 How were people in the Old Testament saved 25:00 when Jesus had not yet come to pay the debt of sin 25:05 by His death on the cross? 25:07 Well, let's use a hypothetical situation. 25:11 Let's suppose that someone in the encampment of Israel 25:16 decided to steal his neighbor's sandals. 25:21 Is that a violation of the moral law? 25:24 Yes, the moral law says, "Thou shalt not..." 25:26 What? "...steal." 25:28 And if you steal, the wages of stealing is what? 25:32 The wages of stealing, or violating the moral law, 25:35 is death. 25:37 And so that person, by stealing these sandals of his neighbor, 25:42 had placed himself on death row. 25:45 Of course the question is, is there any way that sinner 25:49 could escape the death sentence and still live 25:53 in spite of his sin? 25:55 The answer is absolutely yes. 25:58 If you read Leviticus chapter 1... 26:00 And we're not going to go there. 26:02 You can read it at your leisure. 26:04 Leviticus chapter 1 and verses 1 through 4. 26:06 And actually, the first seven chapters have 26:09 different types of sacrifices. 26:11 You'll find that the sinner could bring an immaculate 26:15 spotless lamb to the Sanctuary. 26:19 And he could place his hand on the head of that lamb 26:25 and confess his sin on the head of the lamb, 26:28 that sin of stealing his neighbor's sandals. 26:33 In other words, by confessing his sin on the head... 26:36 And notice it's the head. Very, very important. 26:39 Where did Jesus bear our sins? 26:41 He bore our sins on His conscience, 26:45 which has to do with His mind, with His brain. 26:48 And so the sin was actually being transferred 26:51 from the sinner to the perfect victim. 26:55 And then after the sin was transferred to the victim, 26:58 the sinner himself had to take the knife 27:01 and he had to slay that animal. 27:04 In other words, the animal was suffering death 27:07 in place of whom? 27:09 In place of the sinner. 27:12 In other words, the animal was punished so that the sinner 27:17 would not have to be punished. 27:20 Now it's interesting to notice that this ritual actually 27:24 did not legally take care of the problem of sin. 27:29 The moral law pointed out sin and its penalty. 27:34 And the ceremonial law provided the remedy for the problem. 27:39 But the Old Testament system legally did not actually 27:44 remove sin. 27:46 And you say, "How is that?" 27:48 Let's read Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 4. 27:52 Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 4. 27:55 Here, the apostle Paul is categorical when he says... 28:10 So did these sacrifices actually legally take away sin? 28:16 Absolutely not. 28:17 Because sin cannot be removed by animals dying. 28:21 The Creator Himself had to come and give His life 28:26 in place of His creatures. 28:29 You say, what was the purpose of this whole 28:31 system of sacrifices then? 28:34 Let me put it this way. 28:35 The entire Old Testament system was actually a system of IOU's. 28:42 When the sinner came to the Sanctuary, confessed his sin 28:47 on the head of the animal, and then slew the animal, 28:51 at that moment Jesus said, "This sinner came in penitence to Me. 28:57 I will pay." 29:01 In other words, the sentence of the sinner was commuted 29:04 because Jesus Christ had promised that in the future 29:08 He was going to what? 29:09 He was going to come to pay for that sin. 29:13 In other words, the sinner in the Old Testament 29:15 saw in the sacrifice a symbol of Christ and was still saved 29:19 by the Christ who was to come. 29:22 But sin was not legally taken care of 29:25 until Jesus died on the cross. 29:27 In other words, what happened was that the sentence 29:31 was postponed or deferred on the basis of the promise 29:36 that Jesus made that He was going to come to pay 29:40 all of those IOU's of the Old Testament system. 29:44 The Old Testament system, in other words, 29:47 was a system of debt. 29:50 It was a credit system. 29:53 Which means that the Sanctuary in the Old Testament 29:56 was filled with sin. 29:58 Because the blood of bulls and goats cannot remove sin. 30:04 Now go with me to Colossians chapter 2 and verses 13 and 14, 30:08 which is referring to this. 30:10 Colossians chapter 2 and verses 13 and 14. 30:14 It says here... 30:36 The handwriting of ordinances was what? 30:39 Against us. 30:46 What did He take out of the way? 30:48 The handwriting of requirements or ordinances. 30:59 What did He nail to the cross? 31:01 The New King James says, "the handwriting of requirements." 31:06 That is not the best translation. 31:10 You know, in recent years it's been discovered that 31:12 really the Greek word, cheirographon, which translates, 31:17 "handwriting of ordinances," actually is referring to 31:22 a bond of debt. 31:25 I'm going to read the definition that is given by one lexicon. 31:29 "The cheirographon," or the handwriting of requirements 31:34 that's mentioned here, "is a certificate of indebtedness 31:38 personally prepared and signed by the debtor." 31:42 Now let me read you some translations from other 31:45 versions of the Bible. 31:47 The New American Standard Bible says that it means 31:49 a certificate of debt. 31:52 The New Living Translation says that it refers to 31:55 a record of the charges against us. 31:58 The English Standard Version says, "cancelling the 32:01 record of our debt." 32:03 The Message translates, "that old arrest warrant cancelled." 32:09 The New Century Version translates, 32:11 "He cancelled the debt." 32:14 The New English Translation translates, 32:17 "a certificate of indebtedness." 32:20 The Revised Standard Version translates, 32:22 "having cancelled the bond that stood against us." 32:27 And the New Revised Standard version says, 32:29 "erasing the record that stood against us." 32:33 What is it that Jesus Christ nailed to the cross of Calvary? 32:37 He nailed to the cross of Calvary all of the IOU's 32:42 that had been signed by the debtors who offered these 32:46 animal sacrifices in the Old Testament system. 32:49 In other words, every time that a sinner offered a sacrifice 32:53 and saw in that sacrifice a symbol of Jesus Christ, 32:58 He was looking at the future at the coming of the Messiah 33:01 who said, "I will pay for all of those IOU's. 33:07 I will pay all of those unpaid bills that have come up." 33:13 Now when Jesus came, the debt of sin had accumulated 33:17 to an alarming rate. 33:19 And the debt had not been legally paid because 33:23 the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. 33:26 In fact, between Sinai and Calvary over one million 33:32 sacrifices were offered just in the morning 33:35 and evening sacrifice. 33:37 God simply accepted the faith of the person who brought 33:41 the animal, and confessed his sin, and killed the animal. 33:44 And Jesus said, "Someday, I will come and I will pay." 33:52 And so when Jesus came, He nailed our debt to where? 33:57 To the cross. 33:58 He didn't nail the Ten Commandments to the cross. 34:00 He nailed our bond of debt to the cross. 34:04 He took care of it once and for all legally, 34:07 because now He offered His own precious blood. 34:11 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 34:13 Now let's go to Colossians chapter 2 and verse 15. 34:16 As a result of what Jesus did on the cross, 34:20 He now can brag a little bit. 34:23 And He can actually expose Satan and his angels, 34:29 because Satan had said, "You can't forgive sinners, 34:32 because the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin." 34:35 But when Jesus nailed our IOU's to the cross of Calvary, 34:39 now Jesus says something to the principalities and powers. 34:42 Notice Colossians chapter 2 and verse 15. 34:46 It says... 34:59 That is, in His what? 35:01 In His cross. 35:02 Let me give you a biblical example so you can 35:04 understand what this means. 35:07 In Jude 9, we have the story of the death of Moses 35:13 and something that happened after Moses died. 35:16 There are two strange things about the death of Moses. 35:19 Number one, the Bible says that God buried him. 35:23 The only person that I know of in the Bible that God buried. 35:27 And secondly, the Bible says that nobody knew 35:30 where his tomb was. 35:32 Which is very unusual because the Jews marked the tombs 35:35 of their heroes. 35:37 And then later on during the ministry of Christ, 35:40 on the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses appears talking to Jesus 35:45 Christ on the Mount. 35:47 So what must have happened after Moses died? 35:50 He must have been what? 35:52 He must have been resurrected. 35:54 In fact, notice Jude 9 where we have a reference to this event. 35:58 It says... 36:08 Oh, Michael was disputing with the devil over what? 36:11 The body of Moses. 36:13 Do you think God fights over dead bodies, over corpses? 36:16 What had Michael come to do? 36:18 He had come to do what He will do when He comes again. 36:22 The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout. 36:25 With a voice of the what? 36:26 Of the archangel and the trumpet of God. 36:29 And the dead in Christ will rise first. 36:31 And so it says... 36:39 You know, when Jesus resurrected from the dead, 36:42 He did not resurrect by Himself. 36:45 There was a multitude that resurrected with Him. 36:47 Now He could resurrect them. 36:49 Because all of their IOU's had been what? 36:52 Taken care of by Jesus Christ. 36:54 Let's read about that in Matthew 27 and verses 50 and 51. 36:59 Matthew 27:50-51 37:01 It says... 37:23 This is during the Old Testament period. 37:25 Who had fallen asleep were what? 37:27 Were raised. 37:29 They didn't come out on Friday. 37:31 They came out on resurrection day. 37:34 Because it continues saying here... 37:45 And if I had time, I would show you that the firstfruits 37:49 celebration which represents the resurrection of Christ, 37:53 that very day that Jesus resurrected, He went to the 37:56 presence of His Father and He said, "Father, I have 37:59 offered the sacrifice for sin. 38:02 Is My sacrifice accepted?" 38:04 And the Father said, "Yes." 38:05 And then Jesus took a trip back to the earth. 38:08 Forty days later, Jesus is ascending to heaven again. 38:11 But now He's not ascending by Himself. 38:14 Who's ascending with Him? 38:16 All of those that came out of the graves 38:18 that witnessed in favor of His resurrection now go to heaven. 38:23 And they are the firstfruits of the great harvest 38:28 that will come forth from the tomb when Jesus Christ returns 38:32 in power and glory. 38:34 Now let me read you this statement from Ellen White. 38:36 It's found in "Signs Of The Times," April 22, 1880. 38:41 Some people thing that people in the Old Testament 38:43 were saved by the law. 38:44 That there was no grace in the Old Testament. 38:46 Listen to what she has to say. 39:57 How were people saved in the Old Testament? 39:59 They were saved by Jesus Christ. 40:02 The sacrifices did not save them. 40:04 They pointed forward to the Savior who would 40:07 legally pay for sin. 40:08 Every time they sacrificed an animal, it was an IOU. 40:12 And Jesus said, "Don't worry, I will pay the IOU." 40:16 It was a gigantic credit system. 40:18 And when Jesus came, He took all of the IOU's, 40:22 the bond of debt, and He nailed the bond of debt to the cross. 40:26 And all of those individuals who had died in faith 40:30 were actually legally saved at that moment from their sins 40:35 because of the death of Jesus Christ. 40:37 You know, this whole system of IOU's came to an end 40:40 when Jesus died on the cross. 40:43 Let's notice Hebrews chapter 7 and verses 18 and 19. 40:46 Hebrews chapter 7 verses 18 and 19. 40:50 It says here... 40:57 The commandment is dealing with the commandment of the 40:59 priesthood, if you read the context. 41:09 And if you read the context, it's talking about 41:11 the ceremonial law. 41:15 In other words, it did not finally resolve 41:17 the issue of sin. 41:27 What is the better hope? 41:29 The hope that is brought by whom? 41:31 By Jesus Christ. 41:32 Notice also Hebrews 8 and verse 13. 41:35 Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 13. 41:38 It says here... 41:55 And if you read the context, it's talking about the 41:58 ceremonial system that was going to come to an end 42:02 when Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary. 42:06 This whole priestly system of offerings, and sacrifices, 42:10 and washings, etcetera, pointed forward to Jesus. 42:15 And when Jesus came, all of this that is called unprofitable 42:19 was nailed to the cross, was taken away. 42:22 And it was no longer necessary to celebrate the rites 42:26 and ceremonies. 42:27 Now we're ready to understand Colossians 2:16 and 17. 42:34 This text is greatly misused by Christians. 42:37 They try to use it to prove that we can eat or drink 42:41 anything we want. 42:42 They try to use it to prove that we don't have to keep 42:45 the seventh day Sabbath anymore. 42:47 But let's notice what this passage is really teaching. 42:50 Colossians chapter 2 and verse 16. 42:56 Because He's nailed all of the IOU's to the cross; 42:58 that's the context, we read chapter 2 and verse 15. 43:21 I want to read you a statement that we find in 43:23 Patriarchs And Prophets, page 365. 43:26 Notice what Ellen White has to say about 43:28 this Old Testament system and what many Christians 43:33 teach about the Old Testament system. 43:35 She says... 44:32 Now the question is, what is this, "nobody judge you 44:35 in food or in drink?" 44:38 You know, some people take that to say that you can eat 44:40 anything you want. 44:43 The fact is that food and drink here has nothing whatsoever 44:46 to do with the food that you put on your table. 44:49 You see, with the sacrifices in the Old Testament 44:52 there were food and drink offerings. 44:54 Let's read one example, and there are many. 44:57 Exodus 29 and verses 38 through 41. 45:01 Exodus 29:38-41 45:04 This is referring to foods and drinks that were 45:06 offered with the sacrifices. 45:07 It has nothing to do with the food we eat from our tables. 45:10 It says... 45:25 Flour, see there's a food offering. 45:32 Oil, that's food also. 45:48 Grain, there's a food. 45:55 So what is referred to when you have foods and drinks here? 45:58 Is it talking about, you know, whether we can eat pork or not? 46:02 Or whether we can eat lobster or not? 46:04 Or whether we can eat shrimp or not? 46:05 It has nothing to do with common ordinary food. 46:08 It has to do with the food and drink offerings that 46:11 were presented in conjunction with the sacrificial system. 46:15 Now I want you to notice Hebrews 9 where this 46:18 idea is picked up. 46:19 Hebrews 9 and verses 9 through 12. 46:22 Speaking about the Old Testament system, it says... 46:37 In other words, those sacrifices of the Old Testament 46:39 could not really give the people a consciousness, 46:42 "My sin has definitely been taken care of." 46:45 Because the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin. 46:48 Notice verse 10. 46:56 The same expression that we found in Colossians chapter 2. 46:59 So is this talking about the food we put on our table? 47:02 No, it's talking about the law of sacrifices and offerings. 47:14 Until when did you have these foods, and drinks, 47:16 and washing, and sacrifices? 47:18 Until the time of reformation. 47:20 The question is, when is the time of reformation? 47:22 Notice the next verse. 47:47 So what did the foods and drinks have to do with? 47:50 They were related to the ceremonial law. 47:53 Notice Hebrews chapter 10 and verses 1 through 4. 47:55 The same idea comes through. 47:57 Hebrews 10 verses 1 through 4. 47:59 It says... 48:02 And the context shows us the ceremonial law. 48:04 We'll see that in a minute. 48:11 What are those good things to come? 48:13 Jesus Christ, that's right. 48:21 See, this is the law of sacrifices, right? 48:30 That's not talking about moral perfection. 48:33 It's talking about them saying, "My sin has been taken care of 48:37 once and for all." 48:38 Verse 2... 48:42 If those sacrifices took care of sin, why continue offering them 48:45 day after day, year after year? 49:03 Are you understanding what the foods and drinks are? 49:06 Now let's talk about the festivals; 49:07 nobody judge you about the festivals or the feasts. 49:13 In a book that has been published recently by 49:16 my friend, Ron du Preez, it's called, Judging the Sabbath, 49:20 he has done an interesting study of this word, "feasts," 49:24 that is used in Colossians chapter 2. 49:26 The King James Version says, "holy day." 49:30 But really, it's the word "feasts." 49:32 What he's shown in this book is that the word, "chag," 49:36 which is translated here in the Old Testament, "festival," 49:40 here it's the Greek word, "heorté," refers 49:44 not to all of the Hebrew feasts, but it refers particularly 49:49 to the feasts where people had to go to Jerusalem 49:52 to mandatorily be there for those feasts. 49:57 What were those feasts? 49:58 Passover and Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, 50:02 and the Feast of Tabernacles. 50:05 Every male twelve years and older had to go 50:08 to Jerusalem to be there for those feasts. 50:11 Interestingly enough, the word "chag" in the Old Testament, 50:15 which is translated "feasts" in the Old Testament, 50:18 and the Greek word "heorté, which is the exact equivalent 50:22 in the Greek language, refer exclusively 50:26 to these pilgrimage festivals. 50:29 They do not refer to the other feasts. 50:31 You know, because you had the Feast of Trumpets, 50:33 and you had the Day of Atonement, and you had 50:36 also the Jubilee, and you had the Sabbatical Year. 50:39 Interestingly enough, all of those other days 50:43 are called by the word, "sabbaths." 50:46 They were ceremonial sabbaths. 50:48 And so some people argue, they say, "Well Pastor Bohr, 50:51 it says, 'Nobody judge you with feasts or with sabbaths.' 50:54 You're saying that the feasts are the seven yearly feasts. 51:00 Isn't that the same as the sabbaths, 51:01 the ceremonial sabbaths?" 51:03 They're not the same. 51:04 Because the word "chag" in the Old Testament 51:06 and the word "heorté" in the New Testament 51:09 refers only to the pilgrimage festivals. 51:14 Whereas the sabbaths refer to things like 51:19 the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, 51:21 which was a day of rest, the Sabbatical Year 51:24 every seven years, and the Jubilee Year which took place 51:28 every fifty years. 51:31 And so basically what the apostle Paul is speaking about 51:34 when he says, "Let no one judge you in food or in drink," 51:38 there's the food and drinks that are offered with the sacrifices. 51:40 Let no one judge you regarding a holy day; 51:46 it's these pilgrimage feasts. 51:48 And then it continues saying, let no one judge you 51:52 concerning the new moons. 51:53 What is this issue of the new moons? 51:56 Well in the Hebrew religious year, you had seven months 52:02 of the religious year. 52:03 The first month was around our time of Easter. 52:07 Around March and April. 52:09 And the seventh month was around the month of 52:12 September or October. 52:13 And the new moon marked the beginning of each month. 52:18 Now do we have seven months today that we celebrate? 52:23 No, we don't celebrate the seven months in the 52:25 Jewish festivals, right? 52:27 Because they all pointed towards what? 52:29 They all pointed toward Jesus Christ. 52:32 So are we to celebrate the new moons that marked the beginning 52:36 of those months? 52:38 Absolutely not. 52:39 Notice numbers chapter 28 and verses 11 through 19 52:43 where you have the new moons spoken of. 52:46 It says, "At the beginning of your months..." 52:51 To be translated, new moon. 53:20 And then it goes on to speak about the month. 53:23 The word "month" here really is translated in the 53:27 King James Version, "new moons." 53:30 So the new moons were also connected with the seven months 53:33 of the Hebrew religious year which they observed, 53:37 but which we don't have to observe because they were 53:39 fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 53:42 Now what about the sabbaths that are mentioned here 53:45 in Colossians chapter 2? 53:47 Is this talking about the seventh day Sabbath? 53:49 Nobody can judge me if I don't keep the Sabbath? 53:52 Of course not. 53:54 You see, it says in Colossians chapter 2 that these things were 53:58 shadows of things to come. 54:01 Is the Sabbath a shadow of things to come? 54:05 Is the seventh day Sabbath a shadow of things to come? 54:08 Absolutely not. 54:09 The Sabbath was made before sin. 54:14 And the Sabbath does not point forward. 54:17 The Sabbath points what? Backwards. 54:20 It's a memorial of creation. 54:23 And so these sabbaths cannot be the seventh day Sabbath. 54:28 Because the seventh day Sabbath were not shadows 54:30 of anything to come. 54:32 They pointed backward to what God did at the time of creation. 54:40 Now let's cover one final thing before we bring this to an end. 54:44 Leviticus chapter 23 makes a clear distinction between 54:49 the ceremonial sabbaths and the seventh day Sabbath. 54:53 Notice Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 3. 54:56 After verse 2 God has said, "These are My feasts 55:00 that you shall celebrate." 55:02 And then there are seven of them mentioned. 55:04 Notice that He places the Sabbath, 55:06 the seventh day Sabbath, apart. 55:08 It says here... 55:26 And then after mentioning the seven celebrations 55:29 in chapter 23 of Leviticus, we find at the end of the chapter 55:34 in verses 37 and 38, I want you to notice 55:36 there's a distinction between the ceremonial sabbaths 55:39 and the seventh day Sabbath. 55:40 It says there in verse 37... 55:59 And now notice verse 38. 56:16 So are all of these celebrations besides the Sabbath of the Lord? 56:21 Absolutely. 56:22 The Sabbath of the Lord stands apart. 56:25 It is actually a memorial of creation. 56:29 And so Colossians chapter 2 verse 17 ends by saying, 56:32 all of these things were shadows of things to come. 56:36 But the body or the substance is of whom? 56:40 Of Christ. 56:42 So basically, this is the idea. 56:45 Jesus was standing here and He was projecting a shadow 56:50 into the Old Testament period. 56:52 And as people looked at the shadow, 56:55 where was their attention directed to? 56:57 As they looked at the shadow... 56:59 When you see a shadow, what do you do? 57:00 You want to see what the reality is that projects the shadow. 57:03 So in all of these ceremonies, the Jews looked at these 57:07 shadowy celebrations and offerings and sacrifices, 57:11 and that was to lead them to look at what? 57:14 At the reality or the body that was projecting that shadow. 57:18 In other words, the whole system was centered 57:22 in Jesus Christ. 57:24 They were not saved by the law. 57:26 They were saved by grace just like we are today. |
Revised 2014-12-17