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Did Not Moses Give You The Law - John 7:19
Did Not Moses Give You The Law - John 7:19
Did Moses write the books of the law (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy)? This question has been debated more than 100 years. There have been many theories and speculations concerning who is believed to be the author(s) of the books of Moses, yet, the testimony of the bible, as a whole, keeps pointing us to Moses, the man of God.
Joshua wrote: “…just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones on which no man had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. He wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written, in the presence of the sons of Israel” (Joshua 8:31-32).
The writer of 1 Kings wrote: “Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn” (1 Kings 2:3).
Likewise, 2 Kings records: “But the sons of the slayers he did not put to death, according to what is written in the book of the Law of Moses, as the Lord commanded, saying, "The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor the sons be put to death for the fathers; but each shall be put to death for his own sin."” (2 Kings 14:6).
Later, Daniel records: “Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him. "Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. "As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth” (Daniel 9:11-13).
Reading Ezra we note: “Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their orders for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses” (Ezra 6:18).
Nehemiah states: “On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God” (Nehemiah 13:1).
Malachi concludes the OT writings saying: “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel” (Malachi 4:4).
Turning to the New Testament simply adds to this testimony. Paul states: “For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness” (Romans 10:5).
Then Peter said as he quotes from Deut. 18:15: “Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you” (Acts 3:22).
The clincher, for those who are disciples of Jesus, is that Jesus said so! First, "But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?” (Mark 12:26). Then in discussing divorce: “He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way” (Matthew 19:8). Again, in speaking to the Jewish leaders He said: “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" (John 5:45-47).
While there are others*, this brings us back to today’s statement where Jesus plainly asks: “"Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?" (John 7:19).
Thus, the statement of Abraham to the rich man: “But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' (Luke 16:29). Finally, Jesus warned the Jewish leaders: “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me” (John 5:46).
Believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that he was not only with God in the beginning, but was (is) God, I trust that He knew who wrote the books! What do you think?
Hugh DeLong
*The list of such witnesses is even longer than the above and would include Acts 15:1; 28:23; Rom. 10:19; 1 Cor. 9:9; 2 Cor. 3:15; Luke 24:27, 44; Matt. 8:4, plus numerous other OT references. BUT, if this doesn’t persuade you, adding these others would do no good!
