When you read Leviticus, there’s lots of laws that may seem confusing to us, like the ones about the clean and unclean animals! What are we to do with this? If it’s ok to bacon today, then what about the 10 commandments, are they still valid? How shall we live?
It’s helpful to see that there were different types of law in the Old Testament, some of them had to do with Israel as a nation, laws such as how to use their land, and penalties for violating the law. These laws may be useful for nations today, but as the church is not a nation they are not binding on the church.
Other laws were to do with the religious ceremonies, such as the clean and unclean foods, special festivals and the sacrificial system. The apostle Paul tells us that such things are “a shadow of the things to come, the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:17)
But there is another category of law that is still binding today and that is the moral law, as summed up in the 10 commandments. God’s unchanging standards reflect His holy character and are for our good. We will never get right with God by keeping the law, remember Exodus 20 follows Exodus 19, rescue comes first! But if you have been rescued by Jesus, then you will want to keep God’s moral law because you love Him and want to please Him.
We won’t ever keep the law perfectly, but our reading from Hebrews 4 reminds us that we have a high priest who was tempted in every way, yet without sin. Because of His perfect sacrificial death for us we can draw near to the throne of grace and receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
How shall we live? As forgiven sinners, by the help of the Holy Spirit we should seek to keep God’s moral law, not to earn His favour, but because we are His dearly loved children and we want to please our loving Heavenly Father.
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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