Dispensation of Law

Exodus 19-Acts 7

 
Steward

Moses (Exod 19:3)
 

Man's Responsibility

In this dispensation, God very clearly defined what was good and evil so that man was utterly without excuse as to how to please God morally and spiritually.

Man's responsibility was to obey the voice of the Lord (Exod 19:5) and all of the commandments constituting the law which had the following components:

1. MORAL: The Ten Commandments were given to govern the moral life of Israel (Ex. 20).
2. CIVIL: The judgments were given to govern the individual Israelite in his dealings with others (Ex. 21). 
3. CEREMONIAL: Provisions were formulated by which an atonement for sins could be made (Lev. 16).

The Law, or the Mosaic Covenant, was conditional. Those who were placed under it were responsible for keeping all of the Commandments. There were 638 commandments that Israel was expected to keep (see Lev and Deut). Israel would receive the blessings of God when Israel obeyed His voice (Ex. 19:3-7).

Note Exod 31:14-16 (who was this commandment applicable to?), Numbers 15:32-36, Mt 12:1-8, Col 2:16 (what about this one?) 
 

Major Events (or Characteristics) of this Dispensation 

Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years due to their disobedience. It is here that we learn of their comfort in Egypt and their lack of trust in God (Exod 16:2-3, 17:2-3, 32:1, etc). It should have taken them less than a month to reach their destination!!!

Moses was given the blueprint for the tabernacle, the Aaronic priest-hood and mode of worship of the congregation (Exod 25:8-31:17)

Once in the land, Solomon built the more permanent temple (1 Kings 6) which was destroyed (2 Chron 36:19-20) and then rebuilt in Ezra and Nehemiah's time and which was extended about the time of the birth of the Messiah. This temple was also destroyed in 70 AD (prophesied by Christ in Mt 24:2) and will be rebuilt very soon (When God takes up where He left off with the house of Israel). (See notes on Dispensation of Grace and the Church).

Note the recurring verses throughout the bible, God's desire for a people: Gen 17:8, Exod 29:45-46, Jer 24:7, 31:33, 32:38, Ezek 11:20, 14:11, 34:30, 37:23, 27, Zech 8:8, 2 Cor 6:16, Rev 21:3. This people was Israel (2 Sam 7:23), is currently us (2 Cor 6:16) but will again be Israel during the Kingdom though we too will in a future day be trophies of His grace (Ephes 2:7). 

Israel despised Theocracy and desired a king like the other nations (1 Sam 8:19)

God promised that David's kingdom would be everlasting and that his seed would build Him (God) a house (2 Sam 7:5-16) This kingdom's everlasting king will be the Lord Jesus Christ in the Kingdom Dispensation once God takes up His people Israel again. (From the time of David, Israel expected The King Of The Jews!). The history of the kingdoms is seen in the vision interpreted by Daniel in Daniel 2. 

The dispensation was also characterised by many judges (Judges), many kings (few good, many evil) (1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chron), several notable miracles, many prophets see Mt 21:33-44).

God's appearances to man and His miraculous signs grew fewer and fewer until there was about 400 years of utter silence, no voice of God, no prophets, no signs until the arrival of the promised Messiah! (Note last verse of Malachi!)

The seed comes (Mt 2:1-2), note the expectation of the wise men and Jerusalem. It was not joyous as the carols say but uneasy, Herod wanted all boys under 2 to be killed, (Satan's attempt to eliminate the seed once again! Mt 2:16-18, compare with Exod 1:16, proof that Satan is not omnipotent because he got it wrong both times. The Messiah was not to come through Moses who was a descendant of Levi but through Judah and, he failed to locate and kill the right child in Herod's day as well. Even when he did get Him crucified, God raised Him from the dead with power! Romans 1:3-4.) 

The Gospel of the Kingdom (Mt 3:2, 4:17, 4:23, 9:35, 10:7, 24:14, Mt 10:5-6) is preached to the lost sheep of Israel (as opposed to the Gospel of Paul 1 Cor 15:3-4, Rom 2:16, 16:25, 2 Tim 2:8) preached to all.

The King of the Jews is despised and rejected (Mt 11:21-24, Mt 21:43, 22:41-46, Mk 15:13, Isa 53:1-5)

The Jews were given one last opportunity to repent nationally but they did not! They stoned Stephen after his convicting message cut them to the heart! (Acts 7:54-60) 

God's dealing with the House of Israel was put on hold temporarily (Romans 11, Zech 10:6, Mt 21:43-44 etc)
 

Man's Failure

  1. Idol Worship (Ex. 32:1-.6, Judges 3:7, 8:33, 1 Kings 9:9, 2 Kings 17:9, 16, Jer 22:9, 1 Cor 10:7). 
  2. Unbelief (Num. 13:26-33). 
  3. Murmuring (Num. 16: 1-8, 1 Cor 10:10). 
  4. Fornication (Num. 25:1--3, 1 Cor 10:8). 
  5. Rejection of Messiah (John 19:15,16). 
Also see Jer. 31:31-32, Jer 17:9, Isa 1:1-18, Isa 29:13, ... Neh 9:6-31, Romans 3:10, 3:20-23, Jas 2:10 etc.
 

Judgment

This dispensation had several judgments which include:

  1. The Assyrian Captivity (2 Kings 17:4-6; 15-18). 
  2. The Babylonian Captivity (2 Chron. 36:11-21). 
  3. The temporal setting aside of Israel in unbelief after the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:54-60, 28:27-29, Romans 11 predicted in Mt 21:43-44)
  4. The Crucifixion of the King of the Jews, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the promised seed (Gen 3:15) which was threatened by Satan's plans but never in danger by God's overruling. The Lord Jesus Christ was judged on behalf of the world, fulfilling the law (Mt 5:17, John 3:16, Romans 3:23-25, 6:23, Heb 10:9-14, 1 John 2:2, ...).
Grace and Salvation

By the shedding of the blood of the lamb of God, atonement was made for the sin of all mankind and provision was made for whosoever believeth (John 3:16, Rom 10:9-13, Heb 10:9-14, ...) to be saved! 
 

What can we learn from this Dispensation?

In innocence we wanted the knowledge of good and evil, in conscience we wanted rules and human government, in human government we wanted promises, in promises we wanted black and white definition, but even with the law so carefully defined, we failed. We need a Saviour! 

When they were able to commune directly with God in tangible person, when they heard His voice, felt His presence, saw His miraculous wonders, carried with them His presence in a physical tabernacle, were physically fed, given water, clothed, rescued from their enemies, fully provided for and given prophet after prophet after prophet to confirm His word and remind them of all He had previously done for them, they did not accept His final Word to mankind, the Messiah (Heb 1:1-2, 2:1-2)! 

These things were written for our instruction (1 Cor 10:11). It is clear from scripture that we cannot say that if only God did this or if only God performed a miracle or if only God spoke audibly that we would live better lives, that our loved ones would be saved or that our assembly's spiritual growth would increase. God's dealings with man in previous dispensations clearly demonstrates that this kind of reasoning is false.

We have also seen that contrary to popular teaching, the Lord Jesus Christ, the promised seed, was to be the King of the Jews before the Church was even revealed to man. He is never called King of the Church but the Head of the Church. We learn that God's covenant with the Jews was always conditional. What is the Christian's relationship with Him? Is it conditional? (See notes on The Dispensation of Grace for the answer.)
 

J Stephen
29/11/98
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