What came first the law or Moses' hike up Mount Sinai? Many people would have you believe the law only applies to the Israelites and was first instantiated on Mount Sinai. However, there are examples of the law being enforced well before Moses' and the Israelites embarked on the Exodus. Let's look at some of these examples and discus what it means for us today.

Part one of the Keeping the Sabbath series focuses on whether or not the Sabbath was abolished, as some claim.

This post contains several cross references of important topics discussed in the Book of Law.

This post covers the last third of Moses' second address in Deuteronomy 21-26. In these chapters Moses talks about familial issues (such as marriage and parenting), murder, rape, tithes and fair business practices.

The history, origins, and contents of Deuteronomy are examined. Deuteronomy is one of the most quoted books of the Bible.

Numbers 5 discusses a few points that were meant to help the Israelites sort out their day to day problems. These points address issues of purity, restitution and jealousy.

A discussion of the Sabbath.

Leviticus 19 and 20 touch on the 10 commandments, found fully in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 , as well as, summarizes additional laws the Israelites were expected to follow. In essence, this chapter's purpose is to tell the Israelites how God expected them to carry themselves and how to treat others.

The fourth book of the Bible is Numbers, and like the other four books of the Pentateuch ( Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , and Deuteronomy), Numbers was written by Moses (the discussion on this is in the post for Genesis ). The name, inspired by the censuses taken in chapters 1 and 26, comes from the Greek Arithmoi , which is the name of the book in the Septuagint. In Hebrew, the name of the book is Bemidbar . Bemidbar translates to "Into the Wilderness," depicting the location of the Israelites throughout the book.

What does it mean to be unclean? That is an important question one should ask themselves while reading these chapters in Leviticus (or when thinking on the topic in general). As someone who grew up on a farm I can attest that God definitely didn't mean clean and unclean in a literal sense because chickens, considered clean in the Bible, are some of the dirtiest animals I've ever seen.

The title Leviticus comes from the Greek word meaning "relating to the Levites. [1] In Hebrew, the name for the book is Vayikra, which means "and he called"—possibly relating to God calling on Aaron and his sons to fulfill the obligations of sacrificial law ("and he called" is the first thing said in the Hebrew version).

The law is one of the most misunderstood and confused portions of the Bible. These misunderstandings are often the cause of disbelief, the source of argument, and a stumbling block for believers who are unsure (and often unaware) of the what and how the laws apply. It is important to understand that God's moral law still stands today, but the judiciary law which delegates punishment for breaking the law does not. Before we start talking about the laws Moses gives the Israelites in Exodus 22 & 23, take a minute to brush up on how Biblical law applies today, if you are confused. I have a post discussing this issue entitled The Law .

Some insight on Biblical law.

Discussion on The Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai.