Thanks for joining Part Three – Moses in the Book of Romans. Last week, I “interrupted” our Moses series with a “Jesus Freak” movie interview (that I hope you enjoyed), so let’s recap. In Part One, Volume 276, we examined Moses in the Gospels, and Part Two, Volume 277, focused on Moses in the Book of Acts. So, if you were living your best life, dedicated to glorifying Almighty God, and happened to miss either study, catch up now. While the rest of us wait, listen to this extraordinary 15-year-old performance.
Everyone ready to forge ahead? First, let’s review the overarching theme of Moses in the New Testament with the introduction that appeared in the two previous studies:
“Moses is best known as the ‘lawgiver’ because God gave him the Ten Commandments, which form the foundation of Western civilization. Furthermore, Moses’ leadership, judgment, and faith in one God are essential to understanding ancient Jewish history and tradition. That is why Jewish New Testament writers (all Jewish except Luke) reference Moses’ legacy in connection with the identity and mission of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the Law and the prophets, proving He was the Jewish Messiah.”
That introduction is reflected in St. Paul’s epistles (formal letters sent to a person or group), where Moses is referenced in Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, also alluded to in Galatians, and mentioned in 2 Timothy.
The law of Moses vs. the teaching of Jesus, as discussed by Paul below, is a recurring New Testament theme and remains relevant today. For example, I wrote in Part One, Vol. 276: “..occasionally, fellow Jews equate Moses to Jesus, saying, ‘Jews have Moses and Christians have Jesus.’” Such thinking makes me cringe.
In Romans, Paul wrote about the Law given to Moses and the problems Paul saw with people being declared righteous by God for those who only lived under the law:
“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin (Romans 3:19-20).
Paul again emphasizes the importance of the law:
“I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law” (Romans 7:7). And wrote that the law is “holy, righteous and good ” (Romans 7:12). But because of Jesus Christ taking on our sin, the law is insufficient for salvation. Law reveals sin but cannot justify the sinner.
What Paul wrote next is the key takeaway in the law of Moses vs. Jesus conflict:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering” (Romans 8:1-3).
Then Paul discusses that only God can provide mercy, quoting what God said to Moses:
“What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Romans 9:14-16).
Yikes! That is a great reason to love, serve, and trust the Lord. We all want His mercy! We can’t get enough of His mercy! Pray for His mercy to be upon you and your loved ones. For the context of Paul’s writing, we return to Exodus when God was establishing His relationship with Moses:
“Then Moses said, ‘Now show me your glory.’ And the Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ But he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live’” (Exodus 33:12-23). (The link includes the wider passage, which is a fascinating “getting to know you” dialogue.)
In Romans Chapter 10, Paul wrote his prayer to God for the Israelites to be “saved.” This helps explain why, when I was growing up Jewish, my non-Bible reading mother told me that the New Testament was anti-Semitic. See Vol. 276. As a general rule, Jews (except Messianic ones like me) never think in terms of being “saved” by Jesus.
In his prayer, Paul explains the law of Moses, where righteousness is based on a person’s adherence to the law, and how it has been superseded by belief in Jesus. Of course, that was very controversial:
“Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: ‘The person who does these things will live by them’” (Romans 10:1-5).
Paul continues writing about how his fellow Jews and Gentiles will be saved:
“The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10: 8-9). Paul further addressed that theology when he wrote:
“As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,’ for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:11-13).
Yes, I believe what Paul wrote with all my heart, soul, and mind. But from personal experience, as a Jewish believer in Jesus, evangelizing to fellow Jews that they will be “saved” by calling on the name of Lord Jesus is considered traitorous, for I have been called a traitor! And to that I say, Praise Jesus! Amen!
Tune in next week for part four of Moses in the New Testament. Please share this series with your Jewish friends who will be surprised by how prominent Moses is in the “Jesus Bible.”
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer. Her book, “Bible Study For Those Who Don’t Read The Bible,” reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. “Part 2,” reprints Vols. 57 –113. Order it here.
She is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit, dedicated to building a future permanent Shroud of Turin exhibit. News! Announcing the location for a long-term national Shroud exhibit. You can join our effort!
This article is reproduced from Townhall.com.
