The Ten Commandments and the Ceremonial law

The Bible speaks of two great Laws. Law Number 1 is the Law of God (“the Ten Commandments,” or “Two tablets of the Testimony,”) also known as the “Moral Law,” the “Law of Love” and the “Decalogue.” Law Number 2 is the “Law of Moses” (the “Book of the Law,” or “Book of the Covenant,”) also known as the “Mosaic Law,” the “Ordinances” and the “Ceremonial Law.” Is there a relationship between the Ten Commandments and the Ceremonial law? Absolutely. If an Israelite sinned, he broke Law Number 1, the Moral Law of the Ten Commandments. He then had to bring his offering according to Law Number 2, the Sacrificial Law to receive forgiveness. This is the relationship between these two laws. Law Number 1 defines sin, as sin is the transgression of the Moral Law, the Ten Commandments. 1 John 3:4. Law Number 2 defined sacrifices, the Ceremonial Law which was the remedy for sin.

When the Israelite sinned, he broke the first law. To make atonement for his sin he had to obey the second law. This ceremonial law can easily be identified in the Scriptures. It talks about circumcision (a religious Jewish rite), sacrifices, offerings, purifications, holy days, and other rites associated with the Hebrew sanctuary service. So here are two very distinct laws of which this fact is unmistakable. Jesus Christ permanently took the place of Law Number 2 when He cried out “It is finished” and bowed His head and died. When the unseen hand tore the temple curtain from top to bottom, this signified that the Ceremonial law was once and for all nailed to the cross. Note how Hebrews 9:1 below explains that the first covenant had also the ordinances of this ceremonial sanctuary system, but are gone in the New Covenant now leaving only the Ten Commandments which God writes in our hearts and minds. See also Hebrews 8:10 at the bottom of this page.

Hebrews 10:8-10 says, “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin you wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do your will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Hebrews 9:1 “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.”

While the word ceremonial is commonly spoken of in scripture the term ceremonial law is not. In the King James Bible, it is normally translated to ordinances which the Strong's dictionary translates to being a ceremonial law or law of ordinances. As it was a system of commandments given by God to Israel, there can be no doubt that it was a law that involved ceremonies so you will more often hear it called the Ceremonial law.

The following table gives an overview of the various feast Holy days that were part of the ceremonial law. This law was written in a book by Moses (hence two of its names, Book of the Law and Mosaic Law) and you will note that this law had several ceremonial sabbaths that so often get confused with the fourth Commandment (written in stone by God) of the Ten Commandments which is the Sabbath of the Lord and is eternal for everyone as are the other nine Commandments. The ceremonial sabbaths on the other hand were temporary for literal Israel only and were nailed to the cross.

Does the contents of the above table look like the Ten Commandments? Silly question I know but some would tell you yes! Despite the unmistakable difference, it is sad that some Christians still teach that there is no distinction between the two laws and it is normally these same people who say that the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross. Satan has being lying to Christians about obeying God since Adam and Eve, still is, and has no shortage of excuses to try and convince Christians that they don't have to obey the Ten Commandments. If this group acknowledges both laws, then their reason for not obeying the Ten Commandments is gone. I can imagine that some confusion does come from the Old Testament where the term commandments is sometimes used in the context of referring to both laws since the Jews were bound to obeying both. However, there can be no doubt that one law was indeed practiced to make reconciliation for sin. No person that has a good understanding of the Word will have any difficulty in seeing this. There is a huge difference between theft, murder or adultery etc, and having to sacrifice a lamb for the sin he has committed. Normally, those that fail to see the obvious truth here are those that do not want to acknowledge one or all of the Ten Commandments, and often condemn others that love and teach the law in obedience to God. It is my prayer that these people would devote their energy to winning souls to the kingdom rather than teaching others their heresies in trying to avoid loving obedience to our heavenly Father. I thank God that this group is in the minority.

Matthew 5:19 says, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least [by those] in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall DO and TEACH them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

The following verse should also serve as a warning to those who teach we no longer need the Ten Commandments.

James 3:1 “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more severely.”

This following passage of scripture gives some detail on what had to be done to make reconciliation for the sin of the people. It involved meat and drink offerings, Holy day festivals (feasts) in the monthly new moons and on the various ceremonial sabbath days, such as Passover and the day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) for instance, which were yearly ceremonial sabbaths.

Ezekiel 45:13-17 “This is the oblation that you shall offer; the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of wheat, and you shall give the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of barley: 14 Concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, you shall offer the tenth part of a bath out of the cor, which is an homer of ten baths; for ten baths are an homer: 15 And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel; for a meat offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make reconciliation for them, saith the Lord GOD. 16 All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel. 17 And it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.”

No Christian who loves God and is not in denial should have any trouble in noting that the above passage of scripture is not referring to the Ten Commandments but a law of bondage that was followed to make reconciliation for sin which is the breaking of the Ten Commandments. 1 John 3:4

Paul in his letter to the Colossians writes that the ceremonial law (ordinances) was a law of bondage (Galatians 4:9-10) which was against them and was only a shadow of things to come, for example, Passover was a shadow of the crucifixion when the true Passover Lamb of God died for everyone, and fifty days after Passover was the Feast of weeks, which was a shadow of Pentecost and coincided with the giving of the Ten Commandments. See the previous table above for more detail. This is what Colossians 2:17 refers to in regards to a shadow of things to come.

Paul is explaining to the Colossians that this Ceremonial Law with its sacrificial system pointed the people to the coming of Jesus. Every time a beast was sacrificed and its blood shed in the old Jewish temple, it was a reminder that someday a Saviour would come and die for their sins. This is why John the Baptist pointed to our Lord Jesus Christ and declared, “Behold the Lamb of God.” This is why Paul says to the Colossians let no man therefore judge you for no longer following the previously prescribed meat and drink offerings, the Holy feast days and all the ceremonial sabbaths that were part of the ordinances of the ceremonial law. To continue in this law of sacrifices would be to deny what Christ did on the cross for us.

It seems the older translations taken from the original Greek are often more accurate than modern translations where more and more detail and understanding of Biblical times seems to have become lost. Many modern translations have translated this passage out of context as they failed to understand the issue of meat and drink offerings and translated this to food and drink. There NEVER were unclean drinks, only unclean foods and these had no relationship to the ordinances that were nailed to the cross but meat and drink offerings did and fit the context 100% perfectly. The following is taken from “Alexander Campbell's Living Oracles 1835, The Sacred Writings of the Apostles and Evangelists of Jesus Christ, Commonly Styled the New Testament. Translated from the Original Greek.” This passage has been heavily focused on here as there is so much misunderstanding with these verses. You will note the perfect parallel to Ezekiel 45:17 above, which should leave no doubt in ones mind that the context of Colossians 2:16 is entirely the ordinances of the ceremonial law. Parentheses are added.

Colossians 2:14-17 “Having blotted out the handwriting of the ordinances concerning us, which was contrary to us, he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross: 15 having spoiled governments and powers, he made a show of them openly, having triumphed over them by it. 16 Let no one, therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink [offerings], or in respect of a festival, or of a new moon, or of sabbaths; 17 which are a shadow of the things which were to come, but the substance is of Christ.”

Note that the Greek word for “ordinances” in Colossians 2:14 is “dogma”, pronounced “dog'-mah” and the Strong's definition is “a law (civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical): - decree, ordinance.” Strong's dictionary states this is a law and that this law is ceremonial which is also called the “Ordinances,” the “Book of the Law,” the “Mosaic Law” and the “Law of Moses” etc. The Thayer dictionary is more direct and says the “Law of Moses” outright. Thayer Definition: “The rules and requirements of the Law of Moses; carrying a suggestion of severity and of threatened judgment.” As explained earlier, the Law of Moses is not the Ten Commandments, thus everything in Colossians 2:16 is part of the ceremonial law and the sabbath days are of course ceremonial sabbaths (plural) and not the Sabbath of the Lord. See also Adam Clarke and Albert Barnes Commentaries.

The table below makes it easy to see the perfect parallel between Colossians 2:16 and Ezekiel 45:17, which no one can dispute is speaking of the ordinances of the ceremonial law with the prescribed sin offerings. This should leave no doubt in ones mind that Colossians 2:16 is referring to the Jewish feast days, such as Passover, that all ended at the cross as they pointed forward to the work that Jesus did on the cross. Jesus became our Passover Lamb and hence ended the Passover feast and the associated ceremonial sabbath and sacrificial lamb offering. See Ezekiel 45:13-17 quoted previously.

The same passage has also been quoted below from King James Version Bible since most Christians know this translation can be trusted as it is recognized to be one of the most accurate and reliable Bible translations. Note that Holyday and Feast day or Festival are synonymous as also quoted by the Strong's dictionary. Parentheses are added.

Colossians 2:14-17 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink [offerings], or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”

See the following verse for confirmation that the ordinances were by the hand of Moses and is separate from the whole law and the statutes.

2 Chronicles 33:8 “Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the WHOLE LAW and the STATUTES and the ORDINANCES by the HAND OF MOSES.”

To still observe all the various Holy days that took place in various seasons as well as yearly Holy days such as the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and monthly such as the New Moon celebrations would be putting us back into unnecessary bondage and imply that the work of Jesus on the cross was not finished and incomplete.

Galatians 4:9-10 which says, “But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.”

Paul is obviously not exhorting you can simply ignore anything that is a day, month or year in the Bible such as the Sabbath of the Lord as some have wrongly concluded. He is referring to something that includes all of these things, which is and can only be the ordinances of the ceremonial law. Galatians 4:9-10 is talking about bondage and servitude and the ordinances of the ceremonial law were exactly that, which Paul also states in Colossians 2:14 and throughout the book of Galatians. Note that the ordinances Paul speaks of in Colossians 2:14 are described in verse 16 and of course did have days [holy DAYS], months [new moon] and years [sabbaths days], which were yearly eg; Passover sabbath.

This is just one of many passages the enemy has abused to keep people from one of God's Commandments, but he has also attempted further confusion by raising a minority group who insist everyone else is deceived and that we must still keep the feast days that actually were nailed to the cross. They exhort that these were pagan days, months and years, which unless God made a Covenant with Moses on Pagan days (would be blasphemous) is impossible. See the Galatian heresy on confusion between laws for detailed information and other misunderstood passages. See also Albert Barnes and People's New Testament Commentaries. While the ordinances were bondage, the Ten Commandments on the other hand is the Perfect Law of Liberty.

James 1:25 “But whoso looketh into the Perfect LAW of LIBERTY, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

And just so there can be no doubt what is being referenced above…

James 2:11-12 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if you commit no adultery, yet if you kill, you are become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak you, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the LAW of LIBERTY.”

If we see in scripture a law that speaks of observing days, months, seasons and years and or various offerings and bondage etc, we know it is speaking of the sacrificial law that ended at the cross. If the passage of scripture is centered around loving God or man, then we can be sure it is referring to the Ten Commandments or the two great Commandments that sum up this law. See Matthew 22:35-40 and Romans 13:9. Having now covered much of the required ground work, let the Bible itself using the following table give a clearer distinction between these two laws.

There is an extreme amount of confusion not only between the Ten Commandments and the Ceremonial law but also specifically between the fourth Commandment the Sabbath and the ceremonial sabbaths. This being the case, the table below has been given that relates specifically to the Sabbath of the Lord and the ceremonial sabbaths with some facts and questions that will hopefully clear up any misconceptions.

The Facts:
Our God is a God of infinite wisdom.
God is all knowing. (Omniscience)
God is love. (1 John 4:8, 16)
God's Ten Commandments are a law of love. (Moral law)
The Ceremonial sabbaths were observed as a result of sin. (Were not love)
The Sabbath of the Lord is for personal quality time with our Creator. (A love Commandment)

The Questions:
Why would our God of infinite wisdom put His Sabbath in His law of love if it is not a law of love?
Why would our omniscient God put His Sabbath in His eternal law of love if it's not eternal?
Why didn't God put His Sabbath with all the ceremonial sabbaths if it was to end at the cross?
Why didn't God put His Sabbath with the Jewish ceremonial sabbaths if His Sabbath was only for the Jews?
Did God's eternal law change, that Jesus said would not change by a Jot or Tittle till heaven and earth pass?
Did God's love for us diminish or end at the cross?
Does God no longer want personal, quality Holy time with Him on His Holy Day anymore?
If yes, then why didn't Jesus remove the 7th day since it would be obsolete, and change to a six day week?

The Sabbath truth:
God did not include His Sabbath with the ceremonial sabbaths that were nailed to the cross because His Sabbath is NOT a ceremonial Sabbath. God did not include His Sabbath with the ceremonial sabbaths that were just for the Jews because His Sabbath is for EVERYONE. How could our God of infinite wisdom place a Temporary law in an Eternal law or a law that is NOT love in a law that IS love? Our God is not a fool and “is not the author of confusion…” 1 Corinthians 14:33. God put His Sabbath in His Moral Law of Love because it is a Law of Love and a very special one that is a SIGN it is God we Love and Worship and that we are His children, and it is a SIGN that it is God that makes us Holy. Who would not want to be a part of this SIGN? It is NOT a sign when we keep another day. To do so is to profane the Holy and to try and make Holy the profane. Only God can make a day Holy.

Ezekiel 22:26 “Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.”

Exodus 31:16-17 “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a PERPETUAL covenant. 17 It is a SIGN between me and the children of Israel FOR EVER: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.”

Before responding the above passage does not apply to you and that you are not a child of Israel, please understand the following. Today there is the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16) and the Israel after the flesh 1 Corinthians 10:18. The Israel of the flesh are those that are Jews by birth. The Israel of God is anyone who belongs to Christ and is under the New Covenant. There are many Christians who do not understand that if we are Christ's then we are spiritual Jews and the Israel of God. Observe below who the New Covenant was ONLY made with. If you reject this truth then you cannot be under the New Covenant. See also Romans 2:28-29, Romans 9:6-8 and Galatians 3:28-29. When the Jews rejected God's message from Stephen (Acts 6:8-7:60) and stoned him, the following statement became fact. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly and so if we are God's children then we are Abraham's seed and therefore children of Israel and heirs according to the promise. See also the Sabbath FAQ point 15.

Hebrews 8:10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:”

What a beautiful verse. God found fault with the Old Covenant in that the people would not obey the Ten Commandments. So now God has written His law in our hearts and in our minds in hope that it will be our hearts desire to love and obey Him so He can be our God and we can be His people. Select the following link to view a list of some of the Sabbath keeping denominations.

Please Note: God has worked many miracles guiding His web sites to the first page of Google but because of the massive impact this ministry is now having, the Satanic attacks have this family without a wife and mother that we love and miss so dearly and insufficient income. This is also due to an undiagnosed illness that had me bed ridden for months with a 25KG weight loss and has currently lasted 16 months. This ministry has over 120 domain names and growing with a total yearly count of nearly 1,000,000 visits and costs are now thousands of dollars per annum. We desperately require prayer and funds to survive to keep this family together and ministry afloat. Any assistance is greatly appreciated to help keep this ministry growing and spreading truth to the world. Thank you for your prayers and support. Total amount donated this week: $00.00.