THE LAW WAS THERE IN THE BEGINNING, AND IT IS FOR ALL DISPENSATIONS

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Millions of Christians profess to be living a sanctified and holy life; however, when one looks at most people professing to be sanctified and holy, one finds great contradiction. When it comes to the “sanctification and holiness” proclaimed by many, things are ironically expressed and illustrated. Sanctified and holy (set apart and holy) is all about doing what the Most High God stipulates; He has specified the boundaries that determine what is sacred and what is not. Apostle Peter states this expressly: 1 Peter 1:15-16 “15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

The Most High God has clearly instructed His servants to write and distinguish between what is holy and what is not in the law and the prophets. Many claiming to be holy and sanctified do things that are contrary to what God has commanded; they:

• Disregard the fourth commandment and worship on Sunday.
• Disregard the dietary and cleanliness laws despite clear instructions from the Most High God (Leviticus 11, Deuteronomy 14, Isaiah 66:15-17, Isaiah 65:4, Daniel 1:8).
• Disregard the feasts days outlined by the Most High God in Leviticus 23, and embrace pagan-derived feasts brought by the perverted version of Christianity coming out of Rome.
• Celebrate the pagan feast of Easter despite a strong warning from the Most High God to avoid such an idolatrous event.
• Disregard most commandments in the Old Testament in the name of “the laws are not for this dispensation; they are done away with”.
• And lots more.

For someone with a sound understanding of the Bible, one would understand that the laws are not done away with except the law of animal sacrifice and all associated rituals. So, why would people claim to be sanctified and holy and yet disregard the laws and commandments of the Most High God? Why would someone profess “Sanctification and Holiness” and yet be willfully breaking the commandments of the Most High God? The same yardstick determining the boundary between what is holy and what is not is neglected. Does anyone wonder why people claim to be sanctified and holy and break the same commandments that set apart (sanctify) and make holy? The answer is not far-fetched: It is all because of the false idea that the laws of God He commanded Moses to write down are not for this current dispensation; this idea is part of a broader doctrine of DISPENSATIONALISM. Many have unknowing keyed into this false doctrine. Because of this doctrine, many people comfortably live a partially sanctified and holy life. People have created an abridged version of the set of laws and commandments of the Most High God—this sub-setting is not from God.

In this complete article, we will look at the false idea that the laws of the Most High God are only for particular dispensations or people. We will build precepts from different parts of the Bible, and in the end, you will discover that this doctrine is dumb and silly. It is a doctrine devised by the Devil to trick people into breaking the commandments of the Most High God.  

While not every element in this theological system is wrong, the doctrine/system of dispensationalism has many flawed elements—elements flawed on multiple levels. For example, we have already written extensively debunking the doctrine of the pre-tribulation (or mid-tribulation) rapture, one of the critical doctrines of this system. We’ve also written a short article debunking the idea that Israel is separate and distinct from the church. Israel and the church are the same; the church started in the wilderness and not in the Acts of the Apostles period.

This exhaustive article will focus on an aspect of this theological system (dispensationalism) that teaches that certain laws of the Most High God are not for this dispensation—each dispensation has its own rules. This system teaches that commandments like the feast days and the dietary and cleanliness instructions are not for the so-called New Testament Church.

Whenever one talks to the dispensationalists about keeping the commandments of the Most High God, one of the critical answers that come from them is, “we are in a different dispensation, and we don’t have to keep this or that commandment”. This argument is unwise, showing spiritual understanding diluted to the high power. In this article, we will walk through the Bible to illustrate that the Most High God’s commandments, laws and statutes have always been there, and it is for all dispensations.The dispensationalists claim that under grace, one can disregard the fourth commandment, the cleanliness and dietary laws, the feast days outlined in Leviticus 11, and much more. This idea is not only unwise but very dangerous. Let us begin.

IN THE BEGINNING

When it comes to standards, the Most High God expects high standards; He doesn’t accept second best. The Most High God never changes (Malachi 3:6). But, as wrongly postulated by many, the Most High God never leaves people to their conscience—He always specifies what He expects of man without ambiguity. Just like the entire works of Jesus can not be written down in a book (John 21:25), not every commandment, in the beginning, was given and passed in a written form from generation to generation. Therefore, the Most High God has been consistent. So let us begin with the first man, Adam.

Watch verse 16: the Lord God commanded the man (Adam); and whenever God commanded something, it is automatically a law and should be obeyed and carried out. The Most High God specified what He expected of Adam and his wife Eve—their disposition to the Tree of Life and other fruits in the Garden. This commandment, as we will see further in the article, is one of the numerous commandments that God commanded them. Notice something very striking in verse 17: for when you eat from it you will certainly die. Can you see that the Most High God never changes? You may ask, how? Let us see! What is the Bible’s definition of sin? 1 John 3:3 defines sin. Is it not what was there in the beginning? If a man breaks the commandment of God, a sin is committed. What is the wage of sin? Has the Most High God changed the standard? Let us see:

• Genesis 2:17: for when you eat from it you will certainly die.
• Ezekiel 18:4: Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
• Ezekiel 18:20: The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
• Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Has the Lord changed the wages of sin from the above bullet points? No! The Most High God never changes from dispensation to dispensation. Where did Apostle Paul get the idea that sin’s wages are death? Did Apostle Paul create this idea from scratch? No! Apostle Paul quoted from the Scriptures. It has always been there since the beginning that the wage of sin is death. Apostle Paul is not stating something new. As we dig deep into the word of the Most High God, you would see the idea that the laws are only for certain dispensations falls apart like a house of cards. What other commandments did the Most High God command Adam, Eve and his family? If there are, are they still standing today? Let us see:

Read the above passage carefully; notice that both Cain and Abel brought an offering to the Most High God. Notice verses 4-5: “And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect?” What was the reason the Most High God had respect for one but not the other? Let the Bible give us the answer. From generation to generation (or dispensation to dispensation), the Most High God is consistent in terms of the standard He accepts. So let us see why one offering was accepted, and the other was rejected.

From the above passage, we can see that the Most High God does not accept a sub-standard sacrifice. MALACHI 1:6-8 is not a new thing that the Most High God instituted at the time of Malachi; it was there in the beginning. In the beginning, God did not accept a sub-standard sacrifice; at the time of Malachi, He was not accepting a sub-standard sacrifice; in our current dispensation, He is not accepting either.

Notice Genesis 4:7 “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?” Why is the Most High God saying this? Because He has already specified the standard of a good sacrifice. Cain knew the standards but thought he could get away with offering to God that cost him nothing. The Most High God would have accepted the sacrifice if Cain had done well.  

David, a man after God’s heart, what did he do? Let us see:

Why is David saying that He would not offer unto the Lord that which costs him nothing? This commandment was there in the beginning and is for all dispensations. David knew that very well. Can you see that the Most High God is consistent from generation to generation (dispensation to dispensation)? Let us dig further to see.

Look at the time of Prophet Haggai; did the Most High God lower His standards? Were people allowed to offer God substandard service? No! The time of Haggai the prophet was no different. The house of the Lord lieth in ruins, which was unacceptable before the Lord. They offered the Most High God a substandard service, and the consequence was great; watch verses 6: “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.”

Can you see the consequences in verse 6? Let us read further—verses 9-10:

“Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. 10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.”

Can you see the wages of disobedience? From the beginning till now, the Lord has been consistent. The people who frequently run to the writings of the Apostles to find a cover for offering a substandard service, do you think Apostle Paul will get you off the hook? Let us see:

Can you see what Apostle Paul is saying in the above passage? He says we should offer what is acceptable to the Most High God. Where did he get the idea of offering something pleasing to the Most High God? From the Scriptures! He was not coming up with something new. This standard has always been there since the beginning.

With the abolition of the law of animal sacrifice and all associated rituals, we don’t offer animals and burnt offerings; our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost, and we offer God what is acceptable. Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins; why did the Most High God accept Jesus as a sacrifice for man’s sins? Because His life was perfect and acceptable, and the sacrifice on the Cross was perfect and proper before God.

The Most High God is consistent in standard from dispensation to dispensation. Let us see further the commandments God gave Adam, Eve, and his family.

Look at the above passage; Cain killed his brother Abel, and was that accepted? No! What makes killing at the time unacceptable? Was it conscience? Killing a soul was a sin because the Most God has already commanded them not to kill. Cain was punished because he sinned by killing his brother Abel. Watch Exodus 20:13: Thou shalt not kill. In the ten commandments, the Most High God says thou shall not kill; He only reminded people what was there in the beginning. Killing a soul was not accepted in the beginning; it was not during the time of Moses and not when Jesus came. Watch this:

Matthew 5:21 “Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:”

The Most High God has been consistent from the beginning till now; from dispensation to dispensation, the standard remains the same. The Most High God never creates different standards for different dispensations.

What did the New Testament say about Abel? Let us see:

Can you see what Matthew and Apostle Paul wrote about Abel? What makes Abel a righteous man? Because Abel obeyed all the laws, statutes, and commandments of the Most High God. To be considered righteous, there must be a standard distinguishing between what is right and what is not. People were not left to their consciences, as claimed by the dispensationalists. Can you see that the argument that people were left to their conscience is very feeble?

The commandments of the Most High God have been there since the beginning, passed from generation to generation. How do we know this? Let us see:

Look at the above passage; how did Lamech know that killing a soul was a sin? The commandments were passed unto them from generation to generation. He killed a soul, and he knew very well the wages. The commandments of God were passed from dispensation to dispensation; let us see the life of Enoch, who was living in the same period as Lamech.

Enoch walked with God; how does one walk with God? The Bible answers itself; let us see:

We can see how Enoch walked with God; he pleased God by keeping all his statutes, laws and commandments. The commandments of the Most High God were there in the beginning. Enoch kept the commandments of the Most High God and was not left to his conscience alone. Enoch was a prophet; who were the people he was prophesying to? He was prophesying to his generation. What was he prophesying? He was prophesying the commandments and instructions from the Most High God.

Can you see the silly idea that people were left to their conscience in one of the dispensations? The Bible never taught this. Apostle Paul and Matthew knew there were commandments, laws and statues of the Most High God since the beginning, and Enoch kept all of them perfectly.

Let us see the life of Noah:

The above verses are some of the numerous passages that talk about Noah. Noah had three sons (Shem, Ham and Japheth), and these three are the progenitors of all after the great flood that engulfed the Earth. Let us look at the life of Noah.

Look at the account of Noah in the above passage; Noah was a righteous man and found grace before the Lord.  Noah was a perfect man and a preacher of righteousness. Watch verse 5:  the wickedness of man was great. What determines the boundary between what is wicked and what is not? Because the commandments of the Most High God were there at the time. People were not left to their consciences. Just like Enoch walked with God, Noah walked with God; Noah was a righteous person; he obeyed all the statutes, laws and commandments of the Most High God.   Notice verse 12:  “for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.” The ways of the Most High God were pure, but flesh (man) corrupted His ways. Can you see that there is nothing new on Earth? There was violence during the time of Noah, and God condemns it; is violence permitted in our time? No! The preacher says there is nothing new under the sun, and yes, you will truly discover that there is nothing new under the sun. The commandments that we have today were there in the beginning.

2 Peter 2:5 “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;”

What Noah was preaching during his time is the same thing we preach today. Noah was preaching against violence; today, we are preaching against violence; Noah was preaching against killing; today, we are preaching against killing. There is nothing new under the sun; we are not doing something new. Can you see that the righteousness that Apostle Peter is preaching to people is the same righteousness that Noah embraced? There is nothing new.  

And what is the consequence of practising wickedness? Let us see; the Most High God has been consistent—He never changes!

• GENESIS 6:17: 17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
• GENESIS 18:20: And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
• Genesis 19:24: Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;
• Revelation 21:8: 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

PROVERBS 11:21 “Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.”

The Lord inspired King Solomon to write the above text; the wicked shall not go unpunished. Has the Lord been faithful to His word? Has the Lord honoured what He inspired King Solomon to write in Proverbs 11:21? Yes, He fulfilled His words. Look at the above bullet points: the Lord destroyed the earth with a flood because of wickedness; Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with fire and brimstone because of wickedness; the next is our generation—fire and brimstone waiting for the wicked. Can you see that the Most High God is consistent in what He does? His standard for righteousness has always been the same since the beginning. The idea that the standard for righteousness changes from dispensation to dispensation is a lie; this is a false doctrine from the father of lies—the Devil.

So many people think that when Moses received instructions (Torah) from the Most High God, those instructions were given for the first time—this is not true. Most of the instructions that Moses received were there, and they were not new. How do we know? Let us see.

The Most High God found Noah to be righteous of all the men living on the face of the Earth. So, let us pause and ask a question: what made Noah a righteous person? The answer is not far-fetched; Noah kept all the commandments and laws of the Most High God. The dietary and cleanliness laws have been there since the beginning. The dietary and cleanliness instructions Moses received were just a reminder of what was there in the beginning. Notice verses 2 and 8: Noah was also instructed to take beasts (animals) that are unclean to the ark. When the Bible says beasts are unclean, is it literal or metaphorical? The Bible isn’t referring to something metaphorical—the same unclean beasts outlined in Leviticus 11, Deuteronomy 14, Isaiah 66:15-17. The dietary and cleanliness laws were there in the beginning; the Most High God instructed people not to eat unclean animals because all animals are good, but not all are good and clean for food. These animals remain unclean from dispensation to dispensation. Let us see:

• GENESIS 7:2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
• GENESIS 7:8-9 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, 9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
• ISAIAH 65:4 Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
• ISAIAH 66:15-17 15 For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many. 17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord.
• DANIEL 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
• Acts 10:14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

Can you notice that these animals remain unclean and are not to be turned into food from dispensation to dispensation? Can you see what Prophet Isaiah wrote? People eat swine’s flesh and broth of abominable things in their vessel. What makes eating these animals abominable? The Most High God created these animals (unclean animals) to maintain balance in the ecosystem, but to be turned into food. Perverting the purpose of the Most High God translates into “abomination”. When God creates something for a specific purpose, deviating from that purpose results in an abomination. Are these animals still unclean today? The facts speak for themselves; let us see:

Can you see these animals’ risk levels with the above passage as an example? The risk level of animals designated as unclean is several times higher than that of animals designated as clean. Pigs don’t have a strong framework for eliminating toxins, bacteria, and other microbes; they can develop dangerous strains of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, just like humans. When people eat these meats, people are exposed to toxins and hazardous microbes. Can you see some of the reasons why people get sick? People eat swine’s flesh and broth (all sorts of) abominable meats in their vessels (dishes). Can you see that the so-called Pentecostals are teaching people to eat things harmful to their health? Why are we deceiving ourselves that dietary and cleanliness instructions are done away with? Cleanliness should be embraced by all people—whatever the dispensation is. Any pastor or Christian leader teaching people to disregard the dietary and cleanliness instructions is being wicked against the people he is leading—either wilfully or in ignorance. Why? Telling people to ignore instructions to keep them in good health is wickedness.

People have massively misinterpreted the writings of Apostle Paul to think he came and permitted people to eat unclean things. Apostle Paul never allowed people to eat unclean things. We have written extensively on this. Please refer to our article on The Physical and Spiritual Dangers Of Eating Unclean Meats.   When the Most High God says these animals are not clean, they are scientifically unclean. People have massively ignored the instructions from the Most High God and turned all unclean beasts into food. When it comes to obeying dietary instructions, even educated people cannot think clearly—people’s capacity to think clearly and correctly has been severely diluted. Doesn’t it taste nice if you add salt and seasoning to any unclean meat? Yes, it does! Does adding salt and seasoning make it clean meat? No! The unclean meat industry is multi-billion-dollar, and people are turning these animals into food in sheer disobedience to the word of God. The pig carries thousands of harmful bacteria and viruses and has a severe build-up of toxins that heat alone cannot remove. Unclean animals have long been a source of diseases, but because people make money raising and consuming these animals, people ignore the warning from the Most High God. Who have bewitched people to think we can turn all animals into food? Who did this to us? The Devil did! He is out to steal what gives us good health. Ignoring the cleanliness and dietary instructions, one falls to the deception of the Devil. The Devil is stealing a precious commodity—your health.

John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Even the least student in a Biology class knows that these animals are unclean. How? Let us do a Biology 101 lesson for people still eating these animals and cannot think properly; people are blinded by salt and seasoning. Crayfish, for example, is unclean because it does not have fins and scale; let us go beyond “not having fins and scale”. So how does this creature feed? Where does this creature live? This creature lives in brackish water and feeds on dirt in the water. They clean the water by eating up all the particles in the water. Even people who raise crayfish commercially know that without brackish water (dirty water), crayfish can’t survive. Their food consists of all the dirt in the water; they perform the job of cleaning inside the water—they are bottom feeders. What of catfish? They are bottom feeders (any marine creature that lives on the seabed and feeds by scavenging) as well; all these animals have a severe build-up of toxins. These animals’ toxins level is higher than acceptable levels. What these animals eat ends up getting concentrated in the flesh of these animals. Crawfish present a significant danger to people with diabetes. Can you see even elementary Biology reveals the truth about these animals? With a simple Biology 101, you can see that these animals are scientifically unclean. If these animals are taken to the laboratory for in-depth analysis, you will be speechless! You will see that turning any and everything into food is a dumb idea! The people making money out of these don’t want you to know/give attention to these facts.

So, you can see the idea that the dietary and cleanliness instructions were meant for a different dispensation is a dumb idea. It does not add up. The unclean animals have always been unclean since the beginning. Pause and think: so, for the past dispensation, these unclean animals were not good, but somehow (supposedly), with the coming of Apostle Paul, these animals are now good for us even though their nature has not changed? So, who has bewitched us into this kind of thinking?

The Most High God has been consistent; you will soon see most of the commandments given to Moses were not new—they have been there since the beginning. Watch this:

Genesis 9:4 “But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. (KJV)”

Genesis 9:4 “But you must never eat any meat that still has the lifeblood in it. (NLT)”

The instruction not to eat meat with blood was there in the beginning. It’s not a new instruction—and God has been consistent.  

Can you see that the Most High God is consistent from dispensation to dispensation? Moses did not receive a new instruction but a reminder of what was already there. Can you see that the instructions of the Most High God were there in the beginning, and it is for all dispensations? Notice verse 6:

6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Can you see that God is reminding them not to kill? There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

I once had a conversation with a Christian leader who thought that the Gospel is not about keeping the dietary instructions—we are to eat any and everything. So, is your line of thinking the same as this Christian leader I had a conversation with? The Bible is full of blueprints—let us see what the Bible says concerning defiling oneself with food that defileth.

Have you thought about Daniel? Let us see his account.

Do you understand why Daniel refused a portion of the king’s meat? If all that is required is to pray over it and meat is sanctified, why didn’t he do it? Why didn’t he accept the king’s meat, pray, and eat it? Daniel took the instructions of the Most High God seriously. So why would meat defile a man? Let us see from the Bible.

Leviticus 11 is one of the passages containing the Most  High God’s dietary instructions to his children. So, when Daniel says he will not defile himself with a portion of the king’s meat, he simply obeys the instructions in Leviticus 11. Daniel and the whole of Israel were in captivity, and their captors were heathens—they had no reverence for the commandments of the Most High God—they ate all manner of unclean meat—meat that defileth.

Food for thought: Daniel would not defile himself by eating unclean meats, but somehow Apostle Paul came and permitted people to defile themselves—Is that right? Do these two correlate? Daniel did not defile himself with a portion of the king’s meat that is unclean, and as Christians, we are not permitted to defile ourselves by eating unclean meats. The standard of the Most High God is the same for all dispensations. What of other commandments? Let us see further:

Notice two critical things in the above passage:

• Drunkenness.
• Honouring one’s parents.

Was drunkenness a good during the time of Noah? No, it was not! Was dishonouring one’s parent a good during the time of Noah? No, it was not! Can you see that there is nothing new? Part of the ten commandments says, “honour thy father and thy mother”; Moses was not receiving a new instruction—it was a reminder of what’s there already! Apostle Paul condemns drunkenness; where did he get the idea from? It was there in the beginning. Apostle Paul says: “Children obey your parents in the Lord”; he wasn’t stating a new commandment. Instead, he was quoting what has been there since the beginning. The Most High God’s commandments (laws, statutes, instructions) have existed since the beginning and never changed from dispensation to dispensation. So, if some people choose to dishonour their parents, will those people be blessed or cursed? The answer is obvious! Cursed!

Notice the critical issue in the above passage: Pride and Not giving glory to God. The Most High God hates pride and people not giving Him credit. He deserves all the praise. This attitude was not good in the beginning and is not good now. How? Let us see:

• What happened to King David when he numbered Israel with the wrong motive? He numbered Israel with a view of trusting in his strength rather than the Lord. What happened to him? He and all of Israel were severely punished! (1 Chronicles 21).
• What happened to King Nebuchadnezzar when he gave God not the glory?
• What happened to King Herod when he exalted himself above God? He was smitten!
• What happened to Belteshazzar as he and his concubines drank wine in vessels that belonged to the temple of the Lord? The kingdom was taken away from Him.

We can see that from dispensation to dispensation, the Most High God doesn’t accept pride— people exalting themselves above God. The Most High God is consistent in terms of His principles and standards from dispensation to dispensation. Can you see the idea that different dispensations have different rules is hollow? Very hollow!

THE CALL OF ABRAHAM—FROM ABRAHAM TO MOSES RECEIVING THE LAW

The Most High God called Abraham (then Abram) and gave him instructions; let us read further to see what happened between Abraham and Pharoah.

The above passage accounts for when Pharoah takes Abraham’s wife, Sarah. Sarah was a charming woman. Pharoah’s princess saw the beauty of Sarah and recommended her to Pharoah. Watch verse 17: The Lord plagued Pharaoh and his household—why? He took someone’s wife. Adultery was forbidden in the beginning. The ten commandments (thou shall not commit adultery) is a reminder of what’s been there since the beginning. The Most High God is consistent from dispensation to dispensation; watch this:

MATTHEW 5:27-28

“27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

There is nothing new under the sun; adultery was forbidden right from the beginning and is still the same today. God is very consistent in principles and standards. Abraham was a righteous man—he obeyed all the laws, statutes and commandments of the Most High God. Watch what God says:

Notice verse 5: my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

Where did Abraham get the Most High God’s laws, statutes and commandments? This is the same set of laws, statutes and commandments that were there in the beginning—the set of laws that Abel obeyed—the set of laws that Enoch followed and prophesied—the set of laws that Noah obeyed and preached. In those days, the laws, statutes and commandments were largely passed from dispensation to dispensation (generation to generation) in a form not written. The laws, statutes and commandments were there since the beginning, and they never changed—the Most High God remains consistent. In the next section, we will further illustrate that the laws were there initially and were meant for all generations. The idea that one generation was required to keep the weekly sabbath, but now people can break it is flawed; the idea that past dispensations were needed to keep the dietary and cleanliness laws but not the present dispensation is deeply flawed.  

The above passage accounts for when Lot, Abraham’s nephew, was captured. Abraham went out to rescue Lot and was victorious in his mission. Notice verse 20: Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Why did Abraham give Melchizedek (King of Salem—King of Jerusalem) a tithe? Where did he get the idea from? Who taught him? Tithing is not a new idea—it was a system of giving to the Most High God and was there initially. Abraham gave tithe as an appreciation to the Most High God. It was passed from generation to generation. After God made a covenant with Abraham, notice what God said to Abraham:

GENESIS 17

“17 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.”

Why is God telling Abraham to be perfect? What kind of perfection? This perfection was simply about keeping the commandments of the Most High God. His commandments are not burdensome and grievous (Deuteronomy 30:11). This is the same perfection that Elizabeth and Zechariah attained (Luke 1:6)—the same perfection that Jesus called on His followers (then and now) to aim for (Matthew 5:48). Can you see that the Most High God is consistent from dispensation to dispensation? From Abel to Abraham to Elizabeth and Zechariah to Jesus, He expects perfection; He is constant.

The preacher says there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9); the laws that Moses received were a reminder; those laws were there in the beginning.

The fourth commandment: Exodus 20:8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Notice something in the above verse; what is it? Remember! Why remember? Because the commandment has always been there, Moses received a reminder.

Can we prove that what Moses received was a reminder? Absolutely! See Tables 1 and 2.

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

In the preceding section, we illustrated that Moses’ commandments were there in the beginning, even before Moses was born. The commandments of the Most High God never change—the same standard before Moses—the same standard during Moses’s time—the same standards during the prophets—the same standard Jesus enforced—the same standard the Apostles upheld—the same standard you and I are to live. When Moses received the law, he received something already there—a reminder, not a new thing. The ten commandments summarise the commandments. Can we illustrate that these commandments existed before Moses went up the mountain to receive the law? Sure! Let us see it in Table 3:

We can see that the ten commandments are not new; all these instructions were there in the beginning; the Most High God clearly instructs without ambiguity concerning what they should do and should not. The Most High God is consistent in principles and standards; He never changes. Regarding the tithing laws and instructions, people are quick to reference Abraham giving a tithe to Melchizedek to substantiate their claim that the tithing law was there before Moses. Why are they not doing the same with the other set of laws? The fourth commandment was there even before Moses received the law; why are they not obeying that? Can you see how hypocritical people are? They are in the business of nourishing their pockets. The law was there in the beginning and is for all dispensations; the law serves as a critical reference and landmark point, as we will see later in this article. When the nation of Israel was formed, specific instructions, like guidelines relating to the temple service, were created. But otherwise, you can see that these instructions were there initially. The instructions (Torah) that Moses received were mainly a reminder. What did they use from Joshua to Malachi to Jesus to the Apostles? What set of instructions did they use as the standard for righteousness? Let us see. Let us profile the prophets and the Apostles and see what they used as the bedrock for righteousness, prophecy and writings.

JOSHUA

The law, which was there in the beginning, reinforced when Moses received a written form, is what Joshua was reminded to keep and guard. Joshua and Caleb were successful—how did they become successful in their walk with the Most High God? Let us see:

Can you see what made Joshua and Caleb successful? Obedience to the laws, statutes and commandments. Is our yardstick for success different from that given to Joshua? No! Joshua obeyed the commandments; we are to follow his examples—not just obeying a subset of the law but the entire law. Throughout the book of Joshua, you can see references made to the law several times. Let us see other passages where Joshua stresses the importance of keeping the commandments:

The Most High God is consistent. People’s spiritual understanding has been severely diluted to think that Apostle Paul came to permit them to break certain commandments and yet be successful like Joshua and Caleb. Apostle Paul never taught people to violate the laws of the Most High God.  

THE JUDGES

The judges appointed during this period, who were they? And what was their job description? God established the Judges to judge the affairs of the people of Israel. Matters were brought to them, and they judged and directed the affairs of Israel. The question that we should ask is, what yardstick were they using to judge, lead and direct the affairs of Israel? Let us see:

The Most High God set the Judges in place to guide them (Israel) to obey the laws He instructed them through Moses. Can you see the reference point hinges on the laws Moses received? The above passages show that the judges were to lead Israel to obey the laws, statutes, and commandments the Most High God instructed Moses to write. The Most High God has been consistent—His standards never change. In the following tables, we will illustrate that the word of the Most High God is forever settled in Heaven (Psalm 119:89). In summary, the prophets were sent to enforce what Moses received (See Tables 4-8)—they acted according to the laws and not against it. The tithing verses (Malachi 3:6-10) that people passionately obey because it brings money to the church and the overseers; why did God send Malachi to remind Israel? Israel had backslidden and stopped following the laws of the Most High, including the tithing instruction. Malachi was sent to restore a backslidden Israel to return to keeping the laws, statutes and commandments of which the tithing instruction form part.

MALACHI 4:4

“Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.”

DISCUSSION

So many Christians, including preachers and pastors, use the doctrine of dispensationalism as an argument to avoid keeping the commandments of the Most High God. When one talks to people about keeping the commandments of the Most High God, one gets responses like these commandments are not for this dispensation. As we have seen, the Most High God is consistent regarding standards—He does not change(Malachi 3:6). The idea that the laws of the Most High God He commanded Moses to write down are done away with is deeply flawed on multiple levels. It is unwise to say we don’t have to keep the commandments of the Most High God. There are only two sets of laws—Obedience and Sacrifice. If you fail to Obey, there has to be a sacrifice for it. The Most High God only replaced the sacrificial system with the sacrifice of Christ. When you sin (break God’s commandments and laws), the Most High God pays for that with Christ’s sacrifice. Do you think, as modern-day believers, we don’t have to keep the dietary and cleanliness laws because they are not for our dispensation (as wrongly taught and claimed by many)? Do you think that keeping the sabbath is not for the current dispensation? The prophets were sent to remind people of the laws, statutes, and commandments, as seen throughout this article (see Tables 4-8). Jesus reminded people of the laws, statutes, and commandments, and so did the apostles. The New Covenant does not do away with the law; it makes it more binding. So, let us see some passages of the Bible to see if the arguments the dispensationalist are pedalling will stand:

The above passage is an excerpt from Isaiah 66; this passage is a future coming prophecy—it will happen at the second coming of the Lord. Notice something in verse 17: the Lord will destroy those eating pork and all unclean meats—why? Everything boils down to the Most High God’s commandments before, during and after Moses. Let us pause and ask, do you think the new covenant cancelled the dietary and cleanliness laws? If the new covenant nullified the dietary and cleanliness laws, why would Jesus destroy those eating pork and all unclean meats at His second coming? Were the dietary and cleanliness laws cancelled but would be re-enacted again? Can you see that the arguments of the dispensationalist are very hollow? Their ideas don’t add up. So, God gave commandments for the other dispensations to keep them healthy, but not this dispensation? Can you see how absurd this argument is? The truth is, the Most High God has been consistent—eating pork and other unclean meats is an abomination, no matter the dispensation. Let us see another example.

Do you know that the above passage is something related to the future? Jesus instructs His disciples that when they see the Abomination that Makes desolates, they should flee to the mountains or the wilderness (Revelation 12:14; Matthew 24:15-18). They should also pray for their flight not to be on the Sabbath day or in the winter. The dispensationalists have told us we don’t have to keep the Sabbath, but Jesus is telling us what to do in the future concerning the Sabbath. If the Sabbath is done away with, why would Jesus say to His disciples to pray for their flight not to be in Winter or Sabbath? The idea that the 7^th day Sabbath (or other High Days) have been changed is inaccurate; men attempted to change the commandments of the Most High God. If the Sabbath had been done away with, Jesus wouldn’t have given them the instruction to pray for their flight not to be in the Winter or on the Sabbath. The Great Whore that sitteth upon many waters attempted to change the Sabbath—it was not from the Most High God.

Can you see that the dispensationalists’ arguments (the sabbath is not for the current dispensation) are very hollow?

If you want to enter into life everlasting, keep the commandments. Remember, the New Testament was not written at this time. Which set of commandments was Jesus referring the enquirer to keep? The laws and the prophets. Elizabeth and Zechariah kept the laws very well.

Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?

 If Jesus were physically present, what would be His answer to the above question? Let us see.

HEBREWS 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

MALACHI 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus will re-echo what He said to the enquirer: if you want eternal life, keep the commandments.

What other things would Jesus tell you and me? Let us see:

• JOHN 8:11 “She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
• JOHN 5:14 “Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”

In other words, Jesus is saying go and do not break the commandments (the whole law, statutes and judgements) of the Most High God. Sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4).

The argument that people make is that one cannot keep all the commandments. Before I address this argument, let us look at this example. For example, if you have a son, give that son a list of tasks to do: take out the trash, wash the dishes, take the dog for a walk, and wash the clothes in the washing machine. The washing machine is broken. So, what would a foolish son do? Since the washing machine is broken, I might as well not do all of the tasks. So, what would you expect a wise son to do? A wise son would do what he can and leave what he can’t do; he would take out the trash, wash the dishes, take the dog for a walk, and leave the clothes since the washing machine is broken.

With the laws, statutes and commandments of the Most High God, have you done what you can do?

1. You can keep the dietary and cleanliness instructions; have you done it?
2. You can keep the feast days outlined in Leviticus 23 to the best of your ability; have you done it?
3. You can stop keeping idolatrous feasts like Easter and Christmas; have you done it?
4. You can keep the fourth commandment; have you done it?
5. You can keep away from adultery and fornication; have you done it?
6. You can keep the ten commandments; have you kept them?
7. And lots more.

Ask yourself, honestly, what are the things you can do? Keep the laws, statutes, commandments, and judgement of the Most High God to the best of your ability. Don’t be like the foolish son but the wise son in the above example. 

Jesus died and gave us liberty, but what kind of liberty? Freedom to break God’s laws and commandments? No! Some see keeping the laws of God as bondage, but is that true? No! Keeping the laws and commandments of God is not bondage; the laws of God are meant to protect us, keep us in good shape and health, and ultimately give us eternal life. What does GRACE mean?

Let us explain: Obedience and sacrifice are the two sets of law. If one fails to obey a commandment, an atonement is required. Under the Old Covenant, the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins completely. See the passage below.

Hebrews 10:4 “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

Why can the blood of bulls and goats not take away sins completely? Under the Old Covenant, if one commits certain sins, there is no opportunity to repent; one will have to die. Let us see some examples:

• LEVITICUS 20:13 “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
• LEVITICUS 20:16  “And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”

What did the sacrifice of Jesus bring to us? Liberty! Liberty in what sense? Jesus’ sacrifice means if one commits sins like homosexuality and bestiality, one will not die but have a chance to repent. Isn’t that a great liberty? Yes! Jesus gave us freedom (gift of grace) to draw close to the Father. The liberty that Jesus brought is not the liberty to break God’s laws, statutes, judgments and commandments.

SUMMARY

The Most High God’s laws have been there since the beginning. Before Moses, during Moses’ time, during the time of the prophets, Jesus and the apostles, the standards of the Most High God remain the same—they never change. If God requires native-born Israelites to keep the dietary and cleanliness laws, what makes you think God will accept what is unclean (physically and otherwise) because you are a non-native-born Israelite? If God requires native-born Israelites to keep the feasts outlined in Leviticus 23, what makes you think God will allow you as a gentile to replace His feasts with pagan-derived feasts like Christmas and Easter? One standard for all—Israelites and Gentiles. The standards the Most High God expects are the same from dispensation to dispensation—it never changes.