Regarding Moses - Revisiting an Old Sermon
While searching the web for the phrase “Preaching Moses”, I came across a sermon entitled, How Christians Should Regard Moses.
In this sermon, the preacher declares that in history there were only two occasions in which God gave a public sermon from heaven. The first, he declared, is found in Exodus 19 and 20. The second public sermon given by God, according to this preacher is described in the New Testament’s book of Acts in the second chapter. Though not recorded by the preacher of this sermon, both of these events are reported to have taken place during the third month of the Hebrew year, 50 days after the Hebrew Festival of Passover, at the Feast of Shavuoth or Pentecost..
The author of the sermon was not interested however in finding correlation between the two events, but rather in pointing out the distinctions between the sermons designated by him; (1) the Law and (2) the Gospel. His sermon was intended to declare once and for all that “these two sermons are not the same”. Note the language of the sermon on this very point from the text of the preacher’s sermon.
“Now the first sermon, and doctrine, is the law of God. The second is the Gospel. These two sermons are not the same. Therefore we must have a good grasp of the matter in order to know how to differentiate between them. We must know what the Law is, and what the gospel is. The Law commands and requires us to do certain things. The Law is thus directed solely to our behavior and consists in making requirements. For God speaks through the Law, saying, “Do this, avoid that, this is what I expect of you.” The Gospel, however, does not preach what we are to do or to avoid. It sets up no requirements but reverses the approach of the Law, does the very opposite and says, “this is what God has done for you; he has let his Son be made of flesh for you, has let him be put to death for your sake.” So, then, there are two kinds of doctrine and two kinds of works, those of God and those of men. Just as we and God are separated from one another. So also these two doctrines are widely separated from one another. For the gospel teaches exclusively what has been given us by God and not – as in the case of the Law – what we are to do and give to God.”
The preacher continues in his sermon by comparing the two sermons to two kingdoms; (1) the temporal and (2) the Spiritual – where the temporal equates to the Law and the Spiritual to the gospel.
He then identifies yet another kingdom that resides between the temporal and the spiritual – one that is half and half as it were. According to the preacher, it is constituted by the Jews, with commandments and outward ceremonies which prescribe their conduct toward God and men.
From this platform, he goes on to attempt to show that “here the Law of Moses has its place.” While admitting some good within this middle kingdom, he is clear to show that those things which apply to Gentiles are only those which are “written by nature into their hearts”. He is preaching this on behalf of a group he refers to as enthusiasts. This group “reads Moses (the Law), extol him and bring up the way he ruled the people with commandments. They try to be clever, and think they know something more than is presented in the gospel; so they minimize faith, contrive something new, and boastfully claim that it comes from the Old Testament. They desire to govern people according to the letter of the Law of Moses, as if no one had ever read it before.”
He sees no way to reconcile the two sermons. In fact he places them against one another using very strong language. Notice the following quote from his sermon.
“We would rather not preach again for the rest of our life than to let Moses return and to let Christ be torn out of our hearts. We will not have Moses as ruler or Lawgiver any longer. Indeed God himself will not have it either.”
He further tells those present at his sermon to tell those who would preach Moses to simply respond with the statement that “Moses has nothing to do with us”.
The sermon goes on to state that the Sabbath is abolished and in fact he goes so far as to say that “not one little period in Moses pertains to us”.
Finally he seeks to set the record straight and inform the laity of why we should even keep Moses at all and not as he puts it, “sweep him under the rug”. He identifies three things “to notice in Moses”.
• Certain commandments are good for Christians. Not, says he, because Moses gave them, but “because they have been implanted in me by nature” and “Moses agrees exactly with nature”. He goes on to share which commandments he gladly and willingly accepts.
• He says that he also accepts those things in Moses that he calls “the promises and pledges of God about Christ” – promises that as he puts it, “sustain faith”.
• The third thing to be seen in Moses as worth keeping it around are “beautiful examples of faith, of love and of the cross, as shown in the fathers, Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and all the rest”.
The sermon discussed above was delivered on this very date (August 27, 1525), 482 years ago by a preacher named Martin Luther as part of a series of seventy-seven sermons on Exodus preached between October 2, 1524 and February 2, 1527.
I could not let the day pass without taking notice that I stand with Jesus against Martin Luther on the anniversary of his sermon and declare that NOT one jot or one tittle will in no way pass from the Law until all be fulfilled – stating further that whoever breaks one of the least of the commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven, but whoever does and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
This gives me more reason than ever to Preach Moses Every Sabbath in the Synagogue – for those that abide in Christ ought to walk even as Jesus did.
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The torah reading this week, means “see”. It begins with Moses declaring to the people that 2 ways are before them; a way of blessing if they keep the commandments and one of cursing if they do not keep the commandments.
