A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

The giving of the Law to Israel came in three forms. First, the commandments
emphasized the righteous will of God in a broad summary statement. This was followed by the
judgments or ordinances which governed the social life of Israel and are collected in what came
to be described as the Book of the Covenant (21:1-23:33; cf. 24:7). The third expression of the
Law took the form of the ordinances which governed the religious life of Israel. Most of these
instructions were given to Moses in the plan of the tabernacle or in the Book of Leviticus after
the tabernacle was established.
The Book of the Covenant was a practical expression of what the Law of God meant in
the lifestyle of the average Hebrew man or woman. It functioned much as precedent functions in
our present legal system. When a dispute had to be resolved that did not seem to be the classic
textbook case, the Book of the Covenant could be consulted by the judge to discern how the
matter should be resolved. It included prohibitions against occult practices and sexually deviant
behavior, but it also included much more. No one would dispute it was wrong to commit an act
of premeditated murder, but what if in the midst of a struggle a pregnant wife is accidentally hurt
and a baby is born prematurely and dies? (Ex. 21:22-25) It was wrong to steal another man’s
grain, but what if while burning out an unwanted thorn bush, part of the fire spread accidentally
and damaged your neighbor’s crop? (22:6) It was agreed that mob violence was wrong, but what
about the one who incites the mob, if he himself is not actually involved in the subsequent
violent act? (23:2) In each of the above mentioned cases, the Book of the Covenant had specific
instructions as to how the case should be decided.
The third expression of the Law, the ordinances which governed the religious practices of
Israel was the Law which Jesus came to fulfill. While they were specific instructions to be
followed literally by the Jews who lived under Law and may be reinstituted as part of the
memorial temple and sacrifice system during the dispensation of the fullness of times or 1,000year
kingdom or Millennium as it is sometimes called; the primary meaning of this part of the
Law for us today is found in its typical significance. The details of this aspect of the Law are a
rich picture not only of Christ but also the Christian life. In interpreting the typical significance
of the Law, a good safe general rule of thumb is to only accept types which are clearly endorsed
in Scripture and never rest a belief or practice solely on your interpretation of the type. If the
type is valid, it will illustrate a truth more clearly taught in another statement probably to be
found in the New Testament.
THE TABERNACLE
(Ex. 25:1-40:38; Ps. 90) (1445 B.C.)