08/12/19 REFINING AND RANKING THE LAW OF GOD

08/12/19 REFINING AND RANKING THE LAW OF GOD

Rabbis listed 613 laws of Moses. Prophets refined, simplified the list of laws: David (twice), Isaiah (twice), Micah, Amos and Habakkuk.

MOSES received the law from God and early Rabbis listed 613 laws of Moses in the Torah.
Prophets and Jesus did not change the revelation of God, but God used them to refine and reduce the laws to a simplified form.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS

DAVID refined and reduced the list to 11.
Psalms 15:1-5
1 A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

ISAIAH refined and reduced the list to 6.
Isaiah 33:15-16
15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

DAVID refined and reduced the list (again) to 4.
(This was repeated by James).
Psalms 24:3-5
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
(James 4:8).

MICAH refined and reduced the list to 3.
Micah 6:8
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

ISAIAH refined and reduced the list (again) to 2.
Isaiah 56:1
1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

AMOS refined and reduced the list to 1.
Amos 5:4
4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:

HABAKKUK refined and reduced the list to 1.
(This was repeated in the New Testament).
Habakkuk 2:4
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
(Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:.11; Hebrews 10:38).

NEW TESTAMENT

JESUS is God and this is His answer to, which is the greatest of the commandments.
Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

PAUL told us in the New Testament that Love is the fulfilling of the law.
Romans 13:8-14
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Galatians 5:13-14
13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

IT IS NOT A SIN TO TALK ABOUT THE LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. I AM NOT SAYING ANYONE IS SAVED BY KEEPING THE LAW. I AM JUST REPEATING WHAT GOD SAID.
(I added this last statement because there are some people who automatically and fallaciously think that anyone who believes in living a life free from sin is a person who is trying to work his way to heaven on his own righteousness).