There has been a great deal of interest in the Bible’s Ten Commandments recently. Some have stated that all but one of them is applicable to modern mankind. Others have become very upset because governments have taken a stand on having them removed from government buildings.
A close study of Exodus and Leviticus, however, reveals that they never were applicable to anyone but Israelites, and that much more than the 10 were involved. Time after time in these two books reference is made to the commandments in them being made to and for Israel. Gentiles are not being considered, except in certain cases where such would be dwelling among the Israelites. These commandments belong strictly to what is often considered the Old Testament, which was a guide for Israel until Christ ushered in His New Testament, which applies to everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. (See Galatians 3:17-29.)
Too often, modern man has failed to truly study the Bible, and thus, he has concluded that every command given to Israel is just as binding today as it was when delivered by Moses directly from God concerning Israel’s destiny. One needs to ask certain questions, though. Among the first to be asked is, “To whom was the passage addressed?” God answered this over and over in Leviticus. To take the passage out of that context is to make it a pretext (i.e., a lie), and to teach it in that way is to lead people away from the basic teaching and place their souls in danger!
Instead, the teacher needs to teach Scripture in the total context and leave his student with a true knowledge of God’s rule for living in the present world. The Law of Moses contains many good moral laws, but to bind them on others is adding to what God has revealed. As stated by the aforementioned Scriptures, those laws were a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. However, once having come to Christ, we should not seek to go back to the schoolmaster which was to bring Jews to Christ (Galatians 3:24-25).
We need to be striving to learn what is required by Christ’s New Testament. Several of the principles set forth by the Old Testament are repeated in the New Testament. It behooves all of us to learn what they are and live by them. Our future home in heaven depends on it!
