A Jew who broke one of the Ten Commandments was not left to the condemnation of the commandment alone — the law itself pointed him to the sacrificial, priestly, and ritual provisions God had added to the Ten Commandments.
Les Feldick teaches that God knew Israel would break the commandments, so He gave the whole system of law — the religious, ritual, sacrificial, priestly, and civil provisions — as the way to deal with that breaking. The commandments themselves could only stop every mouth and make all the world guilty before God. The sinning Jew was to follow the law's own prescribed provisions for approaching God, not merely claim to be doing his best to keep the commandments.
Romans 3:19-20 — Shows precisely what the law did for the Jew under it — stopped every mouth, made the world guilty, and gave the knowledge of sin rather than rescuing the sinner.
Romans 8:3 — States what the law could not do — it was weak through the flesh — which is the reason the law pointed beyond itself to God's provisions.
The Scripture records that God gave the Ten Commandments to the nation of Israel, opening with the words, "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (Exodus 20:2). The law spoke to those who were under it: "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" (Romans 3:19). The same passage declares, "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). The commandments were not given to make a person righteous; they were the standard that gave the knowledge of sin and left every mouth stopped before God. Scripture also shows that merely possessing the law did not excuse a person who broke it: "Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?" (Romans 2:23). Hebrews 8:7 confirms that the first covenant was not faultless, "then should no place have been sought for the second."
Les Feldick teaches that the Jew was the one under the law. God gave Israel the Ten Commandments on tables of stone, plain as day, and then the whole system of law that went with them — the religious, the ritual, the sacrifices, the priesthood, and the civil law — with the Ten Commandments at the heart of it all. Les points out that because man being what he is, even Israel was going to be shortly breaking the commandments, God had to give the whole system of law. God added all the rituals, the regulations for dealing with one another, the stipulations for the priesthood, and the instructions for the tabernacle in order to bring in the religious system of the Law. In other words, the law itself provided the way for a sinning Jew to deal with his failure before God. Les also shows that the Law was weak through the flesh and could not do what was needed — it could not save. The whole system of Moses included constant washing to show the very mind of Israel that sin was a filthy thing. The commandments exposed the sin; the system God added pointed the sinner to God's prescribed order of worship and sacrifice rather than a private decision to ignore the broken commandment.
Les Feldick explains that after the law was given, "man being what he is, even Israel, they're going to be shortly breaking it." So God gave not only the Ten Commandments but the whole system of law. That system included the moral law (the Ten), the civil law for making compensation when someone did wrong, and all the rituals, priesthood stipulations, and tabernacle instructions that made up the religious system of the Law.
No. Les Feldick teaches that the Law — the Ten Commandments, the whole sphere of Judaism — could not do what it was weak through the flesh to do. Scripture is clear that by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. The law stopped every mouth and made all the world guilty before God; it did not rescue the sinner.
Les Feldick points to Paul's argument in Romans 2: "Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery?" Paul referred back to the Old Testament behavior of many of the priests — the sons of Eli were awful, and even the people of Israel knew it. Those who made their boast in the law and then broke it dishonored God, so that His name was blasphemed among the Gentiles.
Les teaches that in the Old Testament economy, for the priest to be prepared for the Day of Atonement — or a young priest made ready to enter the priesthood at age 30 — the first thing required was washing, and washing some more. Throughout the whole system of the Law of Moses there was that constant washing, to show to the very mind of Israel that sin was a filthy thing.
The 3 Parts of the Law & Why They Don't Save You
believe." What's the next word? Believe. Now I told my class the other night, I hope no one ever accuses me of simply promoting an easy-believism. In other words, believe in the Lord Jesus and you're all right. I never teach that. When I talk about believing, or faith plus nothing, I'm talking about a belief and a faith that is so rock-solid, that you can honestly say that with all my being, I kno…
The Jew Under the Law
Les identifies the nation of Israel as the people under the law and explains that the whole system of law — sacrifices, priesthood, civil law — had the Ten Commandments at its heart.
The Law Anticipates Disobedience
Les teaches that because Israel would break the Ten Commandments, God added the whole system of law — moral, civil, and religious — as the provision for dealing with that breaking.
The Added Rituals and Priesthood
Les shows that God added rituals, civil regulations, priesthood stipulations, and tabernacle instructions to the Ten Commandments to bring in the religious system of the Law.
The Law's Weakness Through the Flesh
Les explains that the Law and the Ten Commandments could not do what was needed because they were weak through the flesh — the law could not save.
Boasting in the Law While Breaking It
Les shows from Romans 2 that Jews who boasted in the law while breaking it dishonored God, citing the behavior of priests like the sons of Eli.
Washings Show Sin Is Filthy
Les teaches that the constant ceremonial washings throughout the Law of Moses — including preparation for the Day of Atonement — were given to show the mind of Israel that sin was a filthy thing.
The Law Given Specifically to Israel
Les notes that the Ten Commandments were given specifically to the nation of Israel, while their moral fabric underlies every society.
Exodus 20:2: I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
The opening words of the Ten Commandments that Les reads, establishing who gave the law to Israel.
Romans 3:19: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Shows the effect of the law on the Jew under it — every mouth stopped and the whole world guilty before God.
Romans 3:20: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
States plainly that no flesh is justified by the deeds of the law; its purpose is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 2:22: Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Paul's rhetorical question to Jews who taught against adultery while committing it themselves.
Romans 2:23: Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
Paul's rebuke that boasting in the law while breaking it dishonors God.
Romans 8:3: For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
The verse Les paraphrases when he says the law could not do what it was weak through the flesh to do.
Hebrews 8:7: For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
Les points to this verse to show the first covenant was not faultless.
He was to turn to the system of law God had added to the Ten Commandments — the religious, ritual, sacrificial, and priestly provisions. Les Feldick explains that because Israel would break the commandments, God gave the whole system of law, with the Ten Commandments at its heart.
Les Feldick teaches that the law was weak through the flesh — it could not do what needed to be done. Scripture says by the deeds of the law no flesh is justified, for by the law is the knowledge of sin; the commandments stopped every mouth and made all the world guilty before God.
The priests had to wash repeatedly — even to be prepared for the Day of Atonement — and throughout the whole system of the Law of Moses there was constant washing. Les Feldick says this was to show the very mind of Israel that sin was a filthy thing.
Watch the Teaching: The 3 Parts of the Law & Why They Don't Save You