Letter from the Pastor 1/8/2025; Part 3 of 7
INTRODUCTION
Are Christians obligated to keep all of the Old Testament laws? What about the dietary or cleanness laws? If we are not obligated, how do we know which of God’s laws we can set aside? Christians have been asking these questions since the days immediately following Christ’s resurrection, and we’ll do our best to answer them in this week’s letter. Today, we discuss what has been referred to as the ceremonial laws within the Mosaic Covenant.
1: The Law of God Given to Adam[1]
2: The Nature of the Moral Law
3: The Mosaic Ceremonial Laws
4: The Mosaic Judicial Laws
5: The Perpetuity of the Moral Law
6: The Moral Law and Our Salvation
7: The Moral Law and the Gospel
Today, we’re introducing what the Reformers called the “threefold classification” of the Law of Moses; that is the Mosaic laws fall under one of three categories: moral, ceremonial, and judicial.
As we saw last week, the moral law reflects God’s unchanging character and is summarized in the Ten Commandments. The ceremonial law, which we will examine this week, relates to Israel’s worship under the Mosaic Covenant and the judicial law pertains to civil aspects of the Mosaic Covenant which we will examine next week.
SECOND LONDON CONFESSION, 19:3
Today, we will consider paragraph 3 of chapter 19 which reads:
Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties, all which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are, by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only law-giver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away.
EXPOSITION
The Nature of the Ceremonial Law
The ceremonial laws of the Mosaic Covenant regulated the worship of Israel, and contained “typical ordinances.” In other words, the Mosaic laws regarding the Tabernacle/Temple, priests, sacrifices, and rituals served the people in two ways. First, they described how God desired to be worshiped. More importantly, they served as “types” or prefigurements of things to come. They were shadows of a more substantial future reality. Two New Testament passages help us understand this teaching:
For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. (Heb. 10:1, ESV)
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. (Col. 2:17)
The Abrogation of the Ceremonial Law
Because they were only shadows, when the Son of God appeared in flesh, he fulfilled these laws. Christ is the true temple, the dwelling place of God and man. He’s the true priest who mediates between man and God. He’s the true sacrifice. (Heb. 7:27) And only through faith in him, not outward rituals, can we truly be made clean in order to present ourselves to God in worship. Christ’s fulfillment of the ceremonial law means these laws are now abrogated; they carry no obligation under the New Covenant.
The Abiding Value of the Ceremonial Law
If the ceremonial law has been abrogated, we may ask what value it holds for us today. As we read the New Testament we notice that the ceremonial system of the Old Testament is often used to instruct us in right living. For instance, the Apostle Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 5:7
Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Notice that Paul isn’t arguing for the reinstitution of the ceremonial laws, but he knows the ceremonial laws explain and unfold the truth of Christ and our sinfulness. The ceremonial ritual of removing leaven from one’s home during the Passover has become instructive for New Covenant believers in the removal of sin from our lives. In this manner, the ceremonial laws benefit us today. We are not legally bound to remove leaven from our house during Passover; but we are duty-bound before God to confess sin, turn from it, and pursue righteousness before God.
CONCLUSION
You cannot understand the fullness of Christ’s work without the ceremonial law. In order to explain what Christ has done for us, the New Testament continually reaches back into Exodus and Leviticus, showing Christ to be the great fulfillment of the religion of Israel.
Desiring to make Christianity “relevant” to modern people, many pastors and Christians downplay the significance of the Old Testament, especially the Mosaic ceremonial and judicial laws. But all of Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for our instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy:3:16-17) When the Apostle Paul wrote those words to Timothy, the Scriptures he was primarily referencing were the books of the Old Testament. They make us wise for salvation, and therefore, are worth our devoted attention.
Many of you have begun an annual Bible reading plan this month. Pay close attention in the weeks to come as you read the ceremonial law that prepares us to see, understand, and worship Christ in the fullness of his work on the cross as sacrifice and in his office as our Great High Priest.
[1] I have found Pastor Tom Hick’s expositions on the confession helpful. They can be accessed here: https://www.fbcclintonla.com/ss-1689-Confession.html