Feast Days, Ceremonial Ordinances & the Perpetual Ten Commandments

Distinct Categories of Biblical Law

  • Two separate legal codes repeatedly identified in Scripture:
    • Moral Law / Ten Commandments (Decalogue)
    • Written directly by God (Exodus\,31:18).
    • Engraved on two tables of stone and placed inside the Ark (Exodus\,25:16).
    • Called “the covenant” (Deuteronomy\,4:13) and “thy law” (Daniel\,9:11).
    • Ceremonial / Mosaic Law (statutes, judgments, ordinances)
    • Authored by Moses (Deuteronomy\,31:9–26).
    • Handwritten in a book, placed in the side of the Ark as “a witness against thee.”
    • Contained curses, penalties, feast-day regulations, circumcision, priesthood, yearly sabbaths, etc.

Evidence of Separation in the Old Testament

  • Moses distinguishes two laws at Sinai (Deuteronomy\,4:13–14).
  • God reiterates the dual framework (2\,Kings\,21:8).
  • Daniel’s prayer contrasts “thy law” with “the law of Moses” (Daniel\,9:11).
  • Characteristics table:
    • Authors: God vs. Moses.
    • Material: Stone vs. parchment/book.
    • Location: Inside Ark vs. pocket on side.
    • Content: Eternal moral code vs. temporary rites/curses.

New Testament Confirmation of Two Laws

  • Ceremonial code described as handwriting of ordinances “against us” (Colossians\,2:14).
  • Paul praises the Decalogue as “holy, just, good, spiritual” (Romans\,7:12, 14) (present-tense verbs show continuing validity).
  • Circumcision debate:
    • Law of Moses demanded it (Acts\,15:5).
    • Paul: “Circumcision is nothing … but the keeping of the commandments of God” (1\,Corinthians\,7:19) ⇒ two laws in view.
  • Hebrews explains change of priesthood: Jesus from Judah necessitated abolition of “law of a carnal commandment” (Hebrews\,7:12, 16)—i.e.
    ceremonial law, not the moral one.

“Statutes That Were Not Good” (Ezekiel 20)

  • Israelites polluted God’s Sabbaths ⇒ God also gave them statutes “not good” (Ezekiel\,20:24–25).
  • Ten Commandments = “holy … good”; Mosaic statutes = “against,” “not good.”

Moral Law Pre-dates Sinai

  • Cain rebuked for murder (Genesis\,4:7) → sin existed ⇒ law existed (Romans\,4:15;\,1\,John\,3:4).
  • Joseph calls adultery “sin against God” (Genesis\,39:9).
  • Abraham kept God’s “commandments … laws” centuries before Sinai (Genesis\,26:5).

The “Added” Law of Galatians 3

  • Added (430\,\text{years}) after Abraham because of transgressions (Galatians\,3:17–19).
    • Transgression presupposes an existing law (Decalogue) already violated.
  • Duration: “till the Seed (Christ) should come.”

What Was Blotted Out?

  • Colossians 2 links blotting to:
    • Meat / drink offerings
    • Holy-days
    • New-moons
    • Sabbath days which are a shadow (Colossians\,2:16–17).
  • Ten Commandments mention none of these; therefore reference is to annual festal sabbaths (Trumpets, Day of Atonement, etc.) (Leviticus\,23:24, 27, 32).
  • Distinction specified: ceremonies are “beside the Sabbaths of the Lord” (Leviticus\,23:37–38).

Cross Event

  • Veil rent (Matthew\,27:51) ⇒ sacrificial system obsolete.
  • Day before the Cross: Sin not to bring a lamb.
  • Day after the Cross: No longer required—ordinances abolished (Ephesians\,2:15).
  • Stealing wrong both days ⇒ Decalogue unaffected.

Ten Commandments in Heaven

  • Sanctuary pattern on earth mirrors heavenly original (Hebrews\,9:24).
  • John sees “the ark of His testament” in heaven (Revelation\,11:19).
  • If law inside were abolished, Christ would mediate over an obsolete statute—absurd.
  • Law therefore foundational to divine government & last-day judgment.

New-Covenant Judgment Standard

  • James cites commandments 7(“Do not kill”), 6(“Do not commit adultery”) and calls whole code “law of liberty” (James\,2:10–12).
  • Breaking any one of the 10 makes one “guilty of all.”

Sabbath as Special Test

  • In Exodus 16 God used Seventh-day to “prove” Israel (Exodus\,16:4).
  • Modern stigma: easier to refrain from theft/adultery than to keep an unpopular Sabbath—thus unique test of love.

Hebrews 4: The Sabbath Remains

  • Writer removes sacrifices, priests, etc., yet states: “There remaineth … a \textit{sabbatismos}” (literal: “Sabbath-keeping”) \Rightarrow still binding (Hebrews\,4:9).
  • Key terms:
    • \kappa\alpha\tau\alpha\pi\alpha\upsilon\sigma\iota\sigma (katapausis) = spiritual rest.
    • \sigma\alpha\beta\beta\alpha\tau\iota\sigma\mu\omicron\sigma (sabbatismos) = literal Sabbath observance.
  • Verse 10: Believer who has spiritual rest also ceases from works “as God did” on the seventh day (Hebrews\,4:4, 10) ⇒ physical cessation modeled on Creation.
  • Sabbath memorializes both Creation and personal salvation-rest.

Parallels to Other NT Ordinances

  • Like baptism (memorial of death to sin) and communion (memorial of Christ’s sacrifice), Sabbath is ongoing physical sign of an inward experience.

External Scholarly Support

  • Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, Dwight L. Moody, C. I. Scofield, Billy Graham, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown all see Colossians 2 abolishing ceremonial law, not Decalogue.
  • J-F-B Commentary on Hebrews 4:9: “This verse indirectly establishes the obligation of the Sabbath still.”

Ethical & Theological Implications

  • Remove law ⇒ no sin ⇒ no need of Saviour; hence law’s permanence undergirds gospel.
  • Christ’s mediatorial work meaningless without a valid moral standard.
  • Final judgment based on Decalogue; obedience evidences genuine faith.

Summary of Key Distinctions

  • Ten Commandments: Eternal, spiritual, holy, constitution-level, written by God, inside Ark, still binding, focus of judgment, includes weekly Seventh-day Sabbath.
  • Mosaic Ordinances: Temporary, carnal, handwritten, contained curses, located beside Ark, pointed to Christ, abolished at Calvary; covered sacrifices, feast days, annual sabbaths, circumcision, Levitical priesthood.

Practical Take-Aways for Exam

  • Remember 10 vs.
    >90 statutes—Decalogue uniquely limited.
  • Know textual proofs: Ex\,31:18;\,Deut\,4:13–14;\,Col\,2:14–17;\,Heb\,4:9–10;\,Rev\,11:19; etc.
  • Be able to explain Heb 4 Greek terms and Creation parallel.
  • Articulate why annual feast sabbaths ended yet weekly Creation Sabbath “remains.”
  • Connect sanctuary typology to ongoing heavenly ministry and the law beneath the mercy seat.