What God Joined Together - Family Radio

Israel. After Christ had hung on the cross, the physical aspect of these laws was
no longer to be obeyed. Now only the heavenly meaning inherent within these
laws is to continue. When Christ hung on the cross the great curtain that
separated the holy of holies from the holy place was torn apart from top to
bottom by the finger of God. This signaled the end of the literal, physical
keeping of the ceremonial laws. From that time forward the eyes of believers
are to be focused only on the spiritual teachings set forth in the ceremonial
laws as opposed to the literal, physical keeping of the ceremonial laws.
In fact, when the New Testament church met together to decide which of
the ceremonial laws were to be obeyed by saved Gentiles, they concluded in
Acts 15:28-29:
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater
burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to
idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication:
from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
Thus, the observance of ceremonial laws ended. The ceremonial laws ran
the gamut from blood sacrifices and burnt offerings to the dimensions and
characteristics of the temple building and laws concerning planting fields and
weaving cloth.
These laws were to be obeyed by Israel literally, as earthly experiences,
but they were to realize that the earthly event was only a shadow or type of
some aspect of God’s salvation. In Colossians 2:16-17, God emphasizes this
principle: “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect
of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow
of things to come, but the body is of Christ.”
Included within the ceremonial laws were laws concerning marriage.
Three of these were especially noteworthy.
BELIEVERS ARE NOT TO BE UNEQUALLY YOKED WITH
UNBELIEVERS
The first of these three laws was given to national Israel when they were
coming into the land of Canaan. Deuteronomy 7:2-4:
And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite
them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor
shew mercy unto them: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy
daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take
unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they
may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you,
and destroy thee suddenly.
The first part of this commandment points to the spiritual judgment of the
unsaved at Judgment Day, when believers will judge those who must be sent
2 What God hath joined together...