Trying To Envision Life Under the Patriarchal And Mosaical Dispensations
Posted: Thursday, November 03, 2011
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
The lives of Adam and Eve were utopian in the beginning. God had placed their every need within their grasp, in a beautiful and comfortable setting. Until they disobeyed Him.
Eventhough the devil had assured them they would not die, they did die spiritually. They were separated from God’s shelter and his protection. They were put out of the garden and became as man is today, responsible for supplying their own livelihood by the “sweat of their brow”. Once outside of this utopia, the woman, and all women thereafter, were given the agony of giving birth to children. Man was saddled with hard work providing food, clothing and shelter for his family. And, when one considers the fact that there were no tools available for helping him, this could have been a very trying lifestyle. There is no doubt that God directed them in many ways, because we are told that their second son became one who raised livestock, presumably sheep since it is referred to as a flock. He may also have domesticated and raised other animals as well.
Another difficult portion of their lives was their spiritual life. That of being obedient to God. When I say difficult, it was as it is today, opposed to some natural lusts and preferences. The Instructions given by God to man were spoken, either directly or via visions and dreams. And, these instructions were given to the patriarchs…the fathers of the clans or households, which were huge. It is not stated, and is unclear, how far down the line it was before, or if, he spoke to another. Seemingly, it was intended that these instructions should be passed on from father to son continuously. It may very well have been so except when special needs arose for God to intervene.
We have recorded where he spoke to Adam and Eve, and later to Cain. He may have spoken to both Cain and Abel since we read the following:
(V.3)And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
(V.4)And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
(V.5) But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (Genesis 4:3-5 KJV)
Since God obviously spoke to Cain to let him know his sacrifice was not what had been commanded, then he may very well have commended Abel for his.
There are no more direct communications from God to man recorded until he spoke to Noah which was some 1500 years later. This seems also plausible since the entire population had abandoned God’s laws with the exception of Noah and his family. Over the years, it seems that all had gradually failed to pass the teachings of God to their offspring.
After the global flood had come and gone, God communicated directly with Noah and gave him and his sons directions as to how they were to conduct their lives according to His same instructions as before the flood. They and their descendants continued to live under the old Patriarchal dispensation and the same thing happened as before, the world was soon mostly evil and away from God again.
God in his pre-creation wisdom had prepared a plan for His Son to come to the earth and being salvation to all men who would obey Him. So the next portion of his plan was to chose the lineage for the coming of His Son. Having found favor in faithful Abraham, He chose him to be the father of His chosen people to furnish that lineage. It was to be through his son Isaac and Isaac’s son Jacob, who would have twelve sons. These twelve men would become the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel. When these tribes had been taken captive in Egypt, God’s providence allowed Him to miraculously bring them out of their bondage and then gave them the law of the second dispensation. An extensive written law given them through Moses who was a type of the coming Messiah. This law was similar to the older law with a few exceptions. It was written so as not to be forgotten and it carried with it many promises. That of prosperity and health if they obeyed it but pestilence, hunger and disease if they failed to obey.
Paul, an apostle in the New Testament explained that it thusly:
Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. (Romans 7:13 NAS)
In a little plainer language, he is saying that, since it was written down, sin took on a stronger appearance. That it could not easily be ignored or passed over as not being very bad.
He also gives us these remarks concerning the reason and import of the law:
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
(Galatians 3:24-25)
A schoolmaster as mentioned in their time, referred to a man appointed to go with, or lead children from their homes to the school and return, which sometimes was some distance and not without some danger. It did not refer to a school teacher.
Now, Paul says, after that faith is come, refers to the law of Christ which is based on faith in Him, we no longer have need of the Old Testament Law. Jesus says, on more than one occasion, that “If you love me, keep my commandments.” The kind of love mentioned means that of faith, awe and respect. Unlike the emotional love one has for his family but simply believing He is the Son of the Living God who is omnipotent and omniscient. How can anyone fail to have awe and respect for someone who could create this universe by speaking?
The Law of Christ, also similar to the first two, but no longer holds one under bondage of sin. It is written in the hearts of man. As long as one has unwavering faith in Jesus Christ and exerts his most sincere efforts to obey him, God knows his heart and if he sins willfully, he will not be acceptable to Him. But if one is sincere and lives his life desiring fully to be in obedience, God will not impute sin to him if he stumbles unintentionally.
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31-34 KJV)
We are freed from our sins and they are remembered against us no more when we obey and are added to his kingdom, by him. For this cause, we are not still under bondage as they were under the law of Moses. They could only roll their sins forward each year by sacrifices and those who followed that faithfully, received the remission of their sins when Jesus died on the cross.
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