this a spectral creature with

fur like the sun and eyes

the color and number of rainbows or

a dreadful ursus with golden claws

to cause men to fall down

dead?

Heaven Bears

I have never heard of such

magnificent beasts until I

reread

the sentence again and

again realizing that heaven bears

is about weight and glory

of the divine Son’s praise.

A Doxology to the Lion

of Judah. Let heaven

and earth

bear the weight of His worth.

Psalm 98
A Psalm.

1 Sing to Yahweh a new song,
For He has done wondrous deeds,
His right hand and His holy arm have worked out His salvation.
2 Yahweh has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the eyes of the nations.
3 He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Make a loud shout to Yahweh, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to Yahweh with the lyre,
With the lyre and the sound of singing.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Make a loud shout before King Yahweh.
7 Let the sea roar, as well as its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy
9 Before Yahweh, for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with equity.

Last week our church had our first music camp, the Emmanuel Hall Music Camp, in the days leading up to our annual Christus Rex Festival. The music camp went very well, and the kids did a great job. They had a performance Friday evening to kick-off the Rex Festival (more on that later). During the music camp, I was asked to be one of the teachers on the schedule for Bible class. The theme for the music camp was Sing a New Song, and the kids learned multiple songs and it all culminated in a both groups singing together, O Sing a New Song to the Lord. Yes, in parts, and they did a fantastic job.

Here are some notes on Psalm 98 from my teaching time with the kids.

The command from this Psalm is to sing to God, to give Him praise for the wonders He has done with His right hand, His holy arm, that has worked His salvation to His people.

The primary wonder that God’s people sing about in the Old Covenant is a significant time that God showed forth His power and might saved His people, and all the world heard about it.

This was the exodus from Egypt and their baptism through the Red Sea. The salvation from Yahweh that Rahab and the Canaanites had heard about, and it caused their hearts to melt within me. They lost all courage and bravery when they heard about God had done.

The great wonder of salvation was shown when God redeemed Israel out of Egyptian slavery. God showed His power, the might of His arm through the Ten Plagues upon the land.

The Ten Plagues.
1. Nile turned to blood.
2. Frogs.
3. Gnats.
4. Flies.
5. Death of the livestock.
6. Boils.
7. Hail.
8. Locusts.
9. Darkness for three days.
10. Death of the firstborn - Passover.

Each plague showed forth that God, Yahweh, is God and all the idols of Egypt are exactly that, false gods: deaf, blind, and dumb idols. God showed forth His strength in overpowering Pharaoh as well. Pharaoh had the thought that all the Hebrews belonged to him, his possession, but they were only his slaves because God had allowed it to happen.

God had given the Hebrews over to Egyptians slavery because while they were in Egypt, in the land of Goshen, after only a generation, the Hebrews began to worship the Egyptian gods, and well, “If you all don’t want Me,” God says, “then have life under the Egyptians and see how much you like that.” Joshua 24:14-15.

False worship always leads to slavery and death.

But God kept His promise, He redeemed our fathers and mothers through the Passover blood of the lamb, and baptism through the Red Sea. Blood and water made the Hebrews a new creation, the nation of Israel. There are many Psalms about this event, and when God brought them out of Egypt and conquered their enemies, we are told that God did this, He redeemed them, with the might of His right arm.

And here our Psalm says to sing a new song about that event. Why, why would God’s people be commanded to sing a new song?

1. Because new generations always come. Israel existed because God redeemed them from Egypt, and the next generation was a free nation because of what had happened in the past. Did David go through the Passover and Red Sea? Well, of course not.

But King David received the benefits from the exodus out of Egypt. He and everyone else, was brought into the promises of God made way back then in history. The exodus was David’s story too.

And 2. Because God continues to redeem, to save His people. There are many more instances of God overcoming the enemies of His covenant people, and these salvific events are worth singing about.

Now with those two things in mind: there are always new people coming into the covenant, and God is always active to save His people, we can see why this Psalm is important for us today too.

Your parents are Christians, and guess what? You kids are Christians. And when you have children what will they be? Christians.

But how many of your parents where there in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead? Any of them? How about you kids? Where you there? No. None of us, and so, like David who received the blessings of the exodus even though he was not there, we all receive the blessings of Jesus even though we were not there when He died and rose from the dead.

So, you kids need to sing songs to God for His wonders, and perhaps, one of these days, you kids will write some new songs for the church to sing.

Let’s keep reading Psalm 98, verse 2, “Yahweh has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the eyes of the nations.”

Did God keep what He did to Egypt in rescuing the Hebrews a secret? No.

Has God kept the salvation we have in Jesus a secret? No. Which nations of the world have Christians gone to telling people about Jesus? All of them. The whole world is being filled with the knowledge of God and His salvation.

Verse 3 says, “He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”

Why did God choose Israel? Because He chose to love them. That’s it. The salvation of the Hebrews from Egypt was because God chose to love our fathers and mothers and save them. Through Israel, Jesus came, and and through Jesus all the earth has seen the salvation of God. Why did God choose to save you? Because He chose to love you. Is there any other reason that God has chosen to save you? No, none whatsoever.

How should we respond to all that God has done for us in His love?

Verse 4 says, “Make a loud shout to Yahweh, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises!” God likes loud music. We should be excited and lively when we sing God’s songs, when we gather for the church and worship Him, because God’s victory in warfare on our behalf is the best.

Think of a man who is a warrior in our church. If he went out to battle the bad guys trying to hurt us and he won, what would you do? Celebrate! And probably celebrate loudly.

Music camp is teaching you how to celebrate with skill. We want to sing loud and well, because God is worthy of skillful praise, and we want to offer Him our best because of what He has done for us.

But not just with our voices, because verse 5 says, “Sing praises to Yahweh with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of singing.”

What is a lyre? Someone who does not tell the truth! God wants us to sing with deceivers, is that right?

No. A lyre is stringed instrument, sorta of like a harp or a guitar.

How do you play a lyre? With your fingers, right? This is the instrument that King David used. Can anyone remember a story in the Bible when David plays a lyre, a harp?

In 1 Samuel 16 we read this story about King Saul, and David when he was a young man.

“Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh terrorized him. 15 Saul’s servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you. 16 Let our lord now speak to your servants who are before you. Let them seek a man who is a skillful musician on the harp; and it shall be that when the evil spirit from God is on you, he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me now a man who can play well and bring him to me.” 18 Then one of the young men answered and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one who is understanding in speech, and a man of fine form; and Yahweh is with him.” 19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David who is with the flock.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a wineskin of wine and a young goat and sent them to Saul by David his son. 21 Then David came to Saul and stood before him; and Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer. 22 So Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David now stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 Thus it happened that whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.”

Do you know what takes place next in David’s life? He kills Goliath.

David’s first place of warfare is within the covenant community and worship. His first battle is with his fingers, chasing demons away by playing music. Then, after worship, he goes to battle and delivers God’s people from Goliath, a flesh and blood enemy.

So, when David writes this in Psalm 144, what could David be talking about?

“Blessed be Yahweh, my rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
My fingers for battle;”

David is talking about both: worship as warfare and physical battle.

Next, verse 6 says, “With trumpets and the sound of the horn, Make a loud shout before King Yahweh.”

What is a trumpet? A brass instrument, used for announcing the entrance, the arrival of the king.

So, we have two instruments, a lyre and a harp. Have you ever thought about what instruments do? They glorify and amplify the music you make with your body.

Do you know how your voice works? What is in your throat to make sound? Vocal chords. What is on the harp? Chords. When you speak, your vocal chords vibrate to make sound. Well, how can we make that noise our vocal chords can make louder, and more consistent? If I pluck a guitar in the same spot it is going to make the same sound each time. Strings amplify, strengthen, the voice.

What does a trumpet amplify? Your mouth! The lyre is an extension of the person’s vocal chords. The trumpet is the extension of the person’s mouth.

What about a drum. What would you say about the drum? What does it amplify and glorify? Your hands.

You see, when we learn music skillfully it is an extension of the praise of the person. We don’t sing without instruments unless we have to, but we want glorified music which requires glorified humanity.

The lyre is glorified vocal chords.

The trumpet is glorified mouth.

But it is not just people that need to praise God, but all of creation. Verses 7-8 say,

“Let the sea roar, as well as its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing for joy.”

Has anyone ever been by the sea? Remember what it sounds like: a cheering crowd, a celebrating host. A multitude of people roaring.

The Psalm says, “the sea and all its fullness.” What is the fullness of the seas? Fish, of course. This is an important theme in the Bible.

The seas represent Gentile nations. In the old world, humanity was divided into two groups. Israel and the nations. Where did Israel live? The Promised Land. Our fathers and mothers were people of the land. The Gentiles are the seas.

When you go to the sea, what does it try to do to the land? It tries to eat it. The sea keeps taking bites out of the land, and if God did not restrain the seas, the waters would swallow and cover the land.

The Assyrians, the sea, came down to Northern Israel, the land, and took some. Then came again and took some more.

If the Gentile nations are the seas, what would be the fullness of the seas, the fish? The people of those nations.

So, what is Psalm 98:7 talking about? “Let the sea roar, as well as its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it.” This is called parallelism in poetry. The Psalm compares the seas and their fullness to the world, the nations, and those who live in them. All the people in the world are called on here to praise God.

Verse 8 says “Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.”

Have you ever heard a river clap? When the water rolls over rocks, and turns on the bend, the waters hit each other. Slap! Everyone start clapping right now, some fast, some slow. It will sound like a lively river.

What about mountains singing for joy? Who has been to the top of Mount Helena before? What happens up there? Wind! It is like the mountain has a voice, and it is howling out praises to God who made it.

But lets think about these things again just like we did with the seas. Who has rivers of living water? We do. Jesus has given to us the Holy Spirit, who is like a river of living water within us and flowing out from us. And don’t forget that we are also trees planted by streams of living water, Psalm 1 says. Those with living waters are to clap their hands.

What do mountains represent in the Bible? Kingdoms. God was present on Mount Zion. He gave His Law from Mount Sinai. Mountains represent God’s special Kingdom. There is a promise in the Bible that God’s Kingdom will be an ever growing mountain that will fill the whole world.

So, we have in verse 7 the Gentiles praising God. And in verse 8 we have Israel the covenant members with living water praising God. Gentile and Jew, we could say.

When do these two things, the Gentile seas and the Mountain of God’s kingdom come together?

Through Jesus. Through Jesus, Jew and Gentile are joined as one, a new body, and new creation, a new people.

Gentile people are symbolized by fish and the covenant people are like sheep.

When Jesus comes, as we read in the Gospels, what does Jesus make His Apostles? Does He say to them that they will now be shepherds of sheep? No, as you remember, He tells His disciple that they will be fishers of men. Before this, all in the Old Covenant, we don’t read about fishermen at all. Kings are shepherds. Prophets are shepherds. Then Jesus comes, the Chief Shepherd, and He sends His people out into the nations, into the seas, to bring the fish in.

Whose Kingdom is the largest mountain in all the world? The prophet Daniel tells us it is Jesus’s Kingdom, it is the church. The church is the grand mountain so big it is filling all the earth.

And finally verse 9 says this,

“Before Yahweh, for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with equity.”

The Psalm ends with the assurance, the certainty, that God is the Judge of all the earth, and He will do what is right. Why is this a comforting hope?

Well, because God will not let any evil thing go unpunished. Every bad man and woman will be judged for their evil deeds. When Pharaohs hurt the church, when Roman soldiers kill Christians, when evil people do evil things to us or to our brothers and sister. When a bully hurts you. When a thief steals from you and thinks he got away, did he? Did any of them?

Can the police catch every bad guy? No. So, how do we know that all bad men will be held accountable? Because God is the Judge of all the earth.

What about us though? Have you sinned and broken God’s Law? Have you ever lied? Stolen anything? Hurt someone on purpose? What about that? How does God bring judgment on you? Aren’t you afraid? Should we be afraid? To answer this we need to go back to the beginning of our Psalm.

Back in Egypt, how could people get out from under the judgment of the Tenth Plague: the death of the firstborn? What could they do? Judgment was coming and there was nothing people could do to stop it, but there was a way to get our from under the judgment.

Hebrew and Egyptian could do this: Someone has to die for them. At the Passover, who died as a replacement for the firstborn? The lamb. The people who believed God through the word of Moses killed that lamb and put its blood on the door of their homes, so when the Angel of Death, the Angel of Judgment came into the land, He saw that blood, and said, “Oh, someone has already been put to death here.” And the Angel passed over the house.

How does this happen today? How do we come out from under the judgment of God for our sins? Through Jesus, of course. He is the Lamb of God, He is our Passover Lamb, and when we sin, how then do we get out from God’s judgment?

What does every sin of our deserve? What would be righteous of God and equitable, fair, for Him to do? Kill us.

But He doesn’t. Why? Because Jesus died for us, in our place, as our replacement. When God looks at us, He says, “Well, Someone already died for this.”

So, what do you do when you sin and realize you were wrong?

You ask God to forgive you because Jesus died for you.

You see, everyone will be judged by God. Every last person, and we are either judged for sins in the blood of Jesus, which means we are forgiven. Or we are judged apart from Jesus, which means we will be condemned for our sins.

Where do we want to be? With Jesus, or without Jesus? With Jesus. So, kids, stick with Jesus always, and keep singing new songs to praise God for the wonders He has done.

I answer, No. It is not necessary for a criminal to be a Christian to be punished justly according to the Law of God. If a Muslim commits murder, we do not let him go free because he is not a convert. We execute him because God’s Law says that if you spill a man’s blood, by man your blood will be spilled.

We do not let an atheist thief go free because he is not converted. In a Christian republic the thief would be brought to justice regardless of what “god” he worshiped. God’s Law is about justice, and as we read from Psalm 19 previuosly, God’s Law is useful for converting the soul. It may, in fact, be the civil justice demanded by God’s Word that brings a person to repentance to the King of kings. It is applied to all men regardless of their covenantal status.

What I have next are some pieced-together thoughts about God’s Law and its application today. This is not a final word, of course, but hopefully a helpful word on the topic.

It is often said that the Law of God is divided into three categories, the Three-Fold Division of God’s Law.

1. Judicial, or civil.
2. Ceremonial.
3. Moral.

Many hold to this division, and it has its usefulness I suppose, but then they say that the only thing binding today is the moral Law.

These distinctions can be helpful, but we have to realize that they are artificial. The Bible nowhere speaks of God’s Law like this.

I think that the case can be made that all of God’s Law is civil, ceremonial, and moral at the same time. You cannot divide any of God’s commandment from morality. God’s Law flows from His character, and God is love. The whole of God’s Law is about loving God and loving neighbor and when Jesus said that, He did not finish His statement and say, “Only the moral Law though.”

And who sets the standard for this division anyway?

Think of the laws of circumcision. Are they civil, ceremonial, or moral?

It is a civil law as a mark of nationality belonging to Israel.

It is a ceremonial law as a ritual entrance into God’s covenant.

It is moral law because it has a punishment for those who reject it for their household: they would be cast out of Israel, excommunicated (Gen 17:14). It is a civil, ceremonial, and moral good to apply circumcision to your whole house.

But wait, there’s more! What has circumcision always pointed to?

Romans 2:29 says, “but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”

But this is not a New Testament reality only, it is the teaching of the Law of God itself!

Deuteronomy 10:16 says, “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.”

And Deuteronomy 30:6 says, “And Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

Circumcision of the flesh has always been about the faithfulness of hearts. See also Jeremiah 4:4.

God gave Abraham circumcision as a covenant sign, and then God gives Moses the laws of circumcision in Exodus and Leviticus, and after 40 years of meditating on God’s Law day and night Moses says that the law concerning the cutting off of foreskin is to be obeyed and it is a Law about the reality of your heart.

Where do we put the laws of circumcision? Civil, ceremonial, or moral?

Here is another example, “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together” Deuteronomy 22:10. First, who in the world would do that? If you yoke an ox and a donkey together, no matter how hard you try, you will not plow a straight line. The ox will pull the donkey all over the place! So, why is this a Law? No one was doing this practically. Is it civil? There are no criminal punishments attached to this law if someone was silly enough to try it. Is it ceremonial? There is nothing to relate it to the Tabernacle or Temple or the laws of clean and unclean. Is it a moral law? The law says nothing about it being evil to plow with a donkey and ox yoked together.

I think Paul reveals that this law is is all of the above however: it is civil, ceremonial, and moral.

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

‘I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

This Law in Deuteronomy is civil because it has to do with marriage. Marriage is not an institution only found in the church, it was created before the fall for all the world. This law is ceremonial because it has to do with covenant keeping. It is moral because it is disobedience for an ox to marry a donkey, a Christian cannot marry an ass, it is sinful.

What about this other one, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain” (Deut 25:4) Civil, ceremonial, or moral?

All of them? Paul address this law in 1 Corinthians 9:8-14,

“Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.’ Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?

Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.”

And again in 1 Timothy 5:17-18, “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’”

This law from Deuteronomy is civil, ceremonial, and moral. It is civil because the laborer is worthy of his wages. If a person does work and the promise of payment is not given, that is theft that would be brought to the elders in the gate. It is ceremonial because it pertains to the proper care of pastors in the church as they serve in the liturgy and teaching. From the tithes of the community the pastor is cared for. It is moral because this law pertains to the ongoing livelihood of those under your care. It is morally good for an employer to pay his employees.

Paul does not see a division in the Law like many today do.

Ox and donkey is about Christians marrying pagans.

Muzzling an ox is about paying your workers.

If Paul can take the Law of God and apply it like he does, why can’t we? Paul does not function within the paradigm of the Three-Fold Division of the Law, and we should not be bound to do so either.

Well if everything I have said so far is true, then why have things changed from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant?

We are permitted to eat shellfish and bacon, and shellfish wrapped in bacon, and we don’t have to bring animal sacrifices to church anymore. What’s up with that?

Well, let me back up a moment, one objection to the idea of theonomy is that God did not judge the nations of the world in the Old Covenant based on the Law that He gave to the covenant nation Israel, and that is true enough. God did not do that.

God judged the nations of the world based upon how those nations treated His image bearers. We look over in Amos 1:3-5, and we read,

“For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron.
4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael,
Which shall devour the palaces of Ben-Hadad.
5 I will also break the gate bar of Damascus,
And cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven,
And the one who holds the scepter from Beth Eden.
The people of Syria shall go captive to Kir,”
Says Yahweh.

And again in verses 13-15,

“For three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead,
That they might enlarge their territory.
But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah,
And it shall devour its palaces,
Amid shouting in the day of battle,
And a tempest in the day of the whirlwind.
Their king shall go into captivity,
He and his princes together,”
Says Yahweh.

And God says this same sort of stuff to Gaza, Tyre, Edom, and Moab.

I think that this has changed in the New Covenant. The Davidic King of the Old Covenant (David, Solomon, Jerobaom, and so on) had a localized reign in the nation of Israel. The king was bound to administer the Law within the covenant nation, the borders of Israel and Judah.

But now the Everlasting Davidic King, Jesus, the King who sits on the throne forever and ever is the King of all the nations. All the kingdoms of the world are His (Ps 2). The time of ignorance is over (Acts 17:30), and all nations must be taught to obey God’s Law (Matthew 28.18-20).

So, now let me go to my first question: why has there been a change in the Law from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant?

There undoubtedly has been a change, and this is what the book of Hebrews address quite thoroughly with the shift from David and Aaron to the Melchizedekian Priest-King Jesus.

The Law was mediated through the Levitical priesthood in the Old Covenant. The Ten Commandments and the Book of the Law were kept in the Tabernacle and Temple, and the only possible way that the Law can be changed is through a change in the priesthood.

We have a Davidic King in Jesus Christ because He is from the tribe of Judah and line of David, and Jesus is also our High Priest, but Jesus is not from the tribe of Levi, so how can this be?

Hebrews 7:11-16 says,

“Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 1For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.

For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment [think of the laws of the flesh in Leviticus, for example], but according to the power of an endless life.”

I know that there is a lot there to unpack, and we won’t do that here, but what I want to point out is that the Law of God today is not administered through a Levitical High Priest nor a localized king in Jerusalem, but rather a Melchizedekian High Priest King, and because of that change in priesthood, there is now necessarily a change in the Law.

For example, the food that was once unclean in the Levitical system, is now declared clean in the Melchizedekian priesthood. We see this in Mark 7 and Acts 10 with Peter’s three-fold vision. That is law of the flesh being undone for the new world Jesus brought in.

If a woman in the Old Covenant, under the Levitical priesthood, was on her period, she was unclean. Not so in the New Covenant under the Melchizedekian priesthood. That is a law of the flesh.

In the Levitical system you had to approach God through the blood of bulls and goats, but in the Melchizedekian priesthood we still approach God through sacrifice and blood, but it is the once-for-all sacrifice of the Spotless Lamb. In the Melchizedekian priesthood the High Priest Himself is the sacrifice. That is a change in the law of the flesh.

How else does this shift from the Levitical to Melchizedekian priesthood change the Law?

Well, there is no longer a priesthood that perishes, but a priesthood of all believers through our undying High Priest, Jesus. No more a singular localized place of worship, but true worship takes place all over the world in the assembly of the saints (holy ones). We have new covenantal sacraments. We have a greater presence of the Holy Spirit. There are no more veils of separation, but we have the full entrance into the presence of God. Not multiple washings, but one baptism.

This is what the book of Hebrews is about.

Do I have everything figured out? No, not at all.

Do I know how each and every Law from the Old Covenant applies, or does not apply? Nope, I don’t.

And that’s alright. I would feel a little more pressure if my mayor or governor was asking me for help, but he isn’t.. The church has time to figure this stuff out.

But I do know that God’s Law is good because God is good, and we are His people who must obey Him if we love Him.

For Jesus tells us, ““If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

The word theonomy comes from two words, theos and nomos, which simply means God’s Law. Theonomists and theocrats, whatever title they choose, desire the Law of God to be the Law of the land in every nation. That might sound scary, like some form of Islam, or it might sound like something that goes against the gospel, but I want to show from the New Testament that the Law of God is abiding and obligatory, not just for Christians, but for all men made in the image of God.

A thought experiment to help prove my point: which is better, God’s Law or man’s law? You see, all Christians are theonomists, they just don’t like to admit it. God’s Law is better than man’s law. One brings liberty, the other tyranny.

So, is theonomy against the gospel or superseding it? Well, that depends on how a person defines the gospel. If the gospel is simply that Jesus died for the forgiveness of our sins, then it certainly may seem that way.

And if anyone says anything like this, “if we obey God He will be pleased with us,” we get the tut-tut, because that’s work righteousness. Jesus came to die for the forgiveness of our sins, we are not obligated to obey the Law because that is merely merit. Right?

Well, even that argument is kind of lame. Hebrews 5:9 says, “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him…” Salvation belongs to those who obey Jesus.

The gospel is bigger than “Jesus died for our sins.” The gospel is the announcement of victory, it is the announcement of Jesus’s victory over sin, death, the devil, and the adamic world. It is the announcement that in His victory He is now the Lord of heaven and earth, it is the announcement of a Kingdom that is overwhelming the old world.

And a King with a Kingdom has a Law.

Now, if God’s Law is just, and it is, and you take it away, what you are left with is unjust laws of men filling the void. Man is given over to sin, there is no spot of humanity that is not stained by the corruption of sin which is rebellion against God. Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Hebrews 2:2 says that every transgression received a just punishment in God’s Law. It is all there, isn’t it? If we reject God’s Law, we are replacing true justice with the injustice of man’s speculations.

Here are few things the Law of God provides:

An eye for an eye justice does not leave the whole world blind, thanks Ghandi, but you’re wrong. An eye for an eye justice stops the spread of excessive violence. Eye for an eye Laws in Scripture prohibit tribal wars, and blood feuds like the Hatfields and McCoys. It prevents Lamechs from taking their own vengeance, “I have killed a man for wounding me.”

An eye for an eye ends an offense, it does not escalate it.

God’s Law forbids anonymous accusations. There is no anonymous tip-line, because the person making the accusation against someone else is held accountable to prove the accusation true, they must be the first one to bring about the just punishment if the accusation is indeed true, and if the accusation is false, they receive the penalty that would have been due to the other person.

If a man accuses another man of murder, and the case goes to court, and the accusation is proven false, then the accuser is put to death. Tell me, how many false accusations would there be in a culture that had laws like this?

God’s Law also requires at least two witnesses for an accusation to be brought before a court, and those two witness, or accusers are the first ones to throw stones at the criminal if execution is the just penalty. The people are the ones who put the criminal to death publicly. Nothing is done behind the scenes. This would curb criminal activity quite speedily.

The Law of God is also about restitution and restoration. There are no prisons in God’s Law. If I steal something, and I cannot pay you back the required amount for restitution, then I become your indentured slave until my debt is paid. Say it takes me five years to pay my debt to you, in that course of five years I learn a trade and I learn discipline to work hard. I become competent at the job, because you trained me and I have been doing it for five years. I become a productive member of society, rather than living on the taxes taken from the people making them all my victims. What’s more, if you were my master, or my employer, as we would say today, would you rather let me go, or would you offer me a job? I imagine that I would become quite proficient after five years, and it would be a huge loss to lose me. Rather than being a thief, I would be obeying what Paul says, get a job and bless others (Eph 4:28).

You are paid back, and I become a productive member of society and no one else is made a victim. Our current system of injustice makes society a victim of criminals. When a man steals and is caught and goes to prison, there is no restitution nor restoration, but now the criminal is stealing from all of us because the society has to pay for his stay in prison, and his sex change operation if he wants one.

In God’s Law, if the judgments of judges and elders in the gates are not heeded, that person is executed, Deuteronomy 17:8-13, for the protection of society.

God’s Law is good and its purpose is to remove wickedness from a people. That is something we should all want.

Now, is this against the gospel of Jesus? No. What the gospel is after is spelled out quite clearly in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The Great Commission, whereby we are commanded to evangelize the whole earth, involves the teaching of God’s Law to all the nations.

Paul goes on to say, in that great letter to the Romans where we learn of the justification by faith that the gospel is the power of God to save for the purpose of obedience in all the nations.

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His Name among all the nations,” Romans 1:1-5.

Paul ends the letter to the Christians in Rome like this, “Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” Romans 16:25-27.

Well, what are they to obey?

Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:3-11,

“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Now we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the Law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.”

The Law of God is good, Paul says, and it is in accord with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God. There is no dichotomy between Law and gospel.

The Law is not contradictory to the gospel at all. What the victory of Jesus Christ does to the Law is that through His life, death, resurrection and ascension, He has turned the letter which kills into the Law of liberty.

It is His sacrifice on the cross that removes the curse of the Law from upon us, He did not remove the Law from us. What was held against us by the Law was the punishment we could not pay for our sins, our lawlessness. We had a debt, we were legally condemned by God’s Law and as our knowledge of the Law grew, so too did the knowledge of our sins, says Paul.

In Galatians 3:10-14 we read,

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ Yet the law is not of faith, but ‘the man who does them shall live by them.’

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

So, Christ’s blood paid the debt. When He died, we died. We are dead to the Law, in what way? We are dead to the demands of the Law as law-breakers. The curse of the Law is removed from us. God’s Law was good and just back then, and there is nothing in the New Testament that has rescinded the Law of God as obligatory, but I would put forth the suggestion that the Law of God is not confined to a singular nation, but the obligation of the Law is extended to all the nations of the world.

James says in James 1:19-25,

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

What “word” is James talking about that Christians should be doing?

James is the first epistle written in the New Testament, I contend. James the son of Zebedee wrote this letter after Stephen’s martyred in Acts 7, and before his own martyrdom in Acts 12. This letter was probably written around 33 AD.

So, when James says to the Christians, “do the word,” what word is he talking about? Well, he says doesn’t he? It is the Law, the perfect Law which is the Law of God.

Notice some of the language that James uses. The implanted word which is able to save your souls, he says. He also says that the law is perfect, and if you do this law you will be blessed in all your doing. What does that sound like?

Psalm 19:7-14 says this,

“The law of Yahweh is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of Yahweh are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether.
They are more desirable than gold, even more than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them Your slave is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
Also keep back Your slave from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Yahweh, my rock and my Redeemer.”

If you do the Law, you will be blessed in all your doing, James says. Where does that idea come from? What would be in James’ heart and mind to make him say something like that? What would be his Scripture?

Psalm 1:1-3 says,

“Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of Yahweh,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.”

Now, lest we think I am crazy, let’s conduct a simple experiment. If I were to ask some Christians what are the two greatest commandments? How would they answer?

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and the second is like unto it, love your neighbor as yourself.” right? But do you remember what Jesus says next?

“And all the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

This is in Matthew 22:37-40, quoted from the Law in Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18. We have the Ten Commandments posted in our courts, but we do not have the two greatest commandments that summarize the entire Law of God. Think about that. The Law teaches us how to love.

All the Law is telling us how to love God and love our neighbor. If someone is found guilty of murder, God’s Law of love says to execute them.

But, sure yeah, nah, who would want that law to permeate the nations of the world? You theonomists are scary. You want people to love God and love their neighbors and have societies where evil people and the wicked are removed!

That’s crazy talk!

So, when we come to passages like Romans 13:1-5, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”

Civil magistrates are to punish evil and to reward the good. Whose law and justice should be the standard of the civil magistrate? How ought a civil magistrate determine what is evil and what is the just punishment for a crime? How would he know what is good and what is a reward?

You see, theonomists do not want the institution of the church to run the nation, rather we want Christians to run the nation.

If you are a Christian and you are in legislature for the state, what kind of laws are you going to make? If you are a Christian and you are voted into the office of a circuit court judge, what is the standard of your determinations for right and wrong, good and evil? Is abortion murder?

Theonomists want the Word of God applied to all of life.

What Christian would disagree with that?