Page 74 - Laying Down the Law

The Missing Pieces

ne aspect of the Law of Moses that many Christians have failed to properly
Oexamine today is the unique setting in which the Law was intended to be carried
out. The Law was given to a peculiar people, at a specific time, under a unique
government, and carried out by a priesthood especially ordained to oversee its
implementation.
According to the Jewish Rabbi Maimonides, there are 613 Laws found in the five
books of Moses. Maimonides listed 365 negative Laws (prohibitions), one to
correspond with every day of the year. Additionally, he listed 248 positive Laws.
In 1990 Chofetz Chaim published the book “Sefer HaMitzvot HaKatzar.” In this
book he determined that it was only possible to observe 77 of the 365 negative
commandments of the Law today, and 194 of the 248 positive commandments. Of
this number, 26 of the Laws could only be carried out by those who reside in Israel.
If one does the math, only 21% of the Laws of Moses stated as negative
commands can be observed today. Only 44% of the entire body of commandments
can be observed, and this number drops to 40% if a person resides outside of Israel.
What this reveals is that Yahweh intended the Law to exist in a very specific
environment. When Moses presented the Law to the children of Israel in the
wilderness, it was possible for them to observe 100% of the commandments of God.
One of the chief requirements for this to occur was that the people receiving the Law
had to belong to a nation that adopted the Mosaic Law as its legal code. The nation’s
rulers had to provide an environment where the Law’s commandments could legally
be observed, while also enforcing the penalties of the Law.
A priesthood also had to exist in order for many of the requirements of the Law
to be fulfilled. Tithes and offerings were to be delivered into the hands of the
priesthood. Sacrifices were to be performed by them. A vast array of Laws required
the involvement of the priesthood. For example, Yahweh declared it to be the priests’
role to inspect houses where mold was present to determine whether the mold could
be eradicated, or whether the house must be torn down. Another example of priestly
responsibility was determining whether a woman accused of adultery was guilty, or
not. This is observed in the following unusual procedure.

Numbers 5:16-22
And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before Yahweh. The priest shall
take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is on the
floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. Then the priest shall stand the
woman before Yahweh, uncover the woman's head, and put the offering for
remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the
priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse. And the priest
shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, "If no man has lain with you,
and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband's
authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse. But if you have