The Law is fulfilled

So the question raised by the previous post about difference in the law gives rise to another. Which of these rules can we ignore as products of the law, which are eternal, and which were good, but now outdated? We have laws about honouring the Sabbath, what animals we can touch, and not muzzling your oxen. Jesus said he came to fulfil the law, not to strike it out. But in some instances he has done just that. Fulfilled it, so there is no need for us to follow it anymore. The purpose of the law or rule, has been met.

Let me give you an example.

In Genesis, GOD makes the earth, and rests on the seventh day.BUT... until the exodus, and the 10 commandments, he never commanded anyone else to do so. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob etc all worked 7 day weeks. In fact I am not sure if the concept of the week had been established yet.

In Exodus, once GOD has justified and saved his people, he gives them rules for sanctification. One of which is "Honour the sabbath" It was not a day to rest, or to spend with your family, but rather a day to focus on GOD. A time to set aside everything else, and focus on setting yourself right with GOD so you could approach him.

Why?

I think GOD knew how his people's minds worked. He knew that they would need to be brought back to him all the time. At this stage in history having a personal relationship with GOD was not an option. Only a few select people got to do that. The rest had to rely on regular sacrifice, ritual and purification. So once every 7 days they were forced to put aside their lives, and focus on doing whatever they needed to do to come into his presence.The people would purify themselves and approach the tabernacle. (But not go in, because they could not be in the presence of GOD, only the priest did that.)

Interestingly enough I read somewhere once that the human mind only focuses for 7 minutes before you need to do something to re-focus on the issue at hand. Maybe this was the same thing. If you didn't focus on God every seven days, you might lose focus.

Now we have a personal relationship with GOD through Jesus. We don't need to wait a week to spend time with him, we can approach him every day. We can rest in his presence all the time, not just when purified by the priest and invited to the tabernacle. Jesus himself said 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" Mark 2:27

Of the 10 commandments, nine of them are repeated in the New Testament. Jesus speaks in favour of all nine commandments, adding on to some of them. (Do not murder OR hate; Do not commit adultery OR lust.)The only commandment that is never re-enforced by Jesus, is the Sabbath.

Rather he 'frees' us, because there is no longer a need to wait for the say of the Sabbath, we can come to GOD now.Jesus has fulfilled that law for us, so we are no longer ‘bound’ by it, even if we choose to honour it, and GOD, by setting aside a day a week to focus on him.

I just don’t believe he will send you to hell for stopping on the way home from church to buy bread and milk.

Personal opinion of course.