Bible Readings — Bible Questions Answered

Moral and Ceremonial Compared

By whom was the ten-commandment law proclaimed? BR-ASI9 265.1

“And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone.” Deuteronomy 4:12, 13. BR-ASI9 265.2

How was the ceremonial law made known to Israel? BR-ASI9 265.3

“And the Lord called unto Moses, . . . saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering,” etc. Leviticus 1:1, 2. “This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offering; which the Lord commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that He commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the Lord.” Leviticus 7:37, 38. BR-ASI9 265.4

Note.—“3. Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, 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 are now abrogated under the New Testament.”—Westminster Confession of Faith, chap. 19, in Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom (Scribner’s), vol. 3, p. 641. BR-ASI9 265.5

On what did God write the Ten Commandments? BR-ASI9 265.6

“And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone.” Deuteronomy 4:13. BR-ASI9 265.7

In what were the laws of sacrifices written? BR-ASI9 265.8

“And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might . . . offer unto the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses.” 2 Chronicles 35:12. BR-ASI9 265.9

Where were the Ten Commandments placed? BR-ASI9 265.10

“He . . . put the testimony into the ark.” Exodus 40:20. BR-ASI9 265.11

Where did Moses direct his law book to be placed? BR-ASI9 265.12

“Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 31:25, 26. BR-ASI9 265.13

What is the nature of God’s law? BR-ASI9 266.1

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” Psalm 19:7. “We know that the law is spiritual.” Romans 7:14. BR-ASI9 266.2

Note.—“The law of God is a divine law, holy, heavenly, perfect. Those who find fault with the law, or in the least degree depreciate it, do not understand its design, and have no right idea of the law itself. Paul says, The law is holy, but I am carnal; sold under sin.’ In all we ever say concerning justification by faith, we never intend to lower the opinion which our hearers have of the law, for the law is one of the most sublime of God’s works. There is not a commandment too many; there is not one too few; but it is so incomparable, that its perfection is a proof of its divinity.”—C. H. Spurgeon, Sermons, 2d series (1857), p. 280. BR-ASI9 266.3

Could offerings make perfect the believer’s conscience? BR-ASI9 266.4

“Gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience.” Hebrews 9:9. BR-ASI9 266.5

Until what time was the ceremonial law imposed? BR-ASI9 266.6

“Meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.” Hebrews 9:10. BR-ASI9 266.7

When was this time of reformation? BR-ASI9 266.8

“But Christ being come an high priest, . . . having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Hebrews 9:11, 12. BR-ASI9 266.9

How did Christ’s death affect the ceremonial law? BR-ASI9 266.10

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.” Colossians 2:14. “Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances.” Ephesians 2:15. BR-ASI9 266.11

What signified that the sacrificial system was ended? BR-ASI9 266.12

“Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” Matthew 27:50, 51. BR-ASI9 266.13

In what words had the prophet Daniel foretold this? BR-ASI9 266.14

“And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.” Daniel 9:27. BR-ASI9 266.15

Why was the ceremonial law taken away? BR-ASI9 266.16

“There is a disannulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in thereupon of a better hope, through which we draw nigh unto God.” Hebrews 7:18, 19, R.V. BR-ASI9 266.17

How enduring is the moral law? BR-ASI9 267.1

“His commandments . . . stand fast for ever and ever.” Psalm 111:7, 8. BR-ASI9 267.2