Israel’s godly leaders throughout the Old Testament called for obedience to the law of Moses (examples: Joshua 1:7-8; 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:24-25; Ezra 7:10). Israel’s rebellion was rebellion against the law of Moses. Their repentance meant returning to obey the law of Moses. The importance and stability of Moses’ great covenant should never be minimized. It was their covenant and deserved their full obedience. Indeed, 1,000 years later, one of the final Old Testament prophets, Malachi, wrote these words in his conclusion:
“Remember the law of My servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.” (Malachi 4:4; Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai)
When Jesus came 400 years later, He continued Malachi message, in even stronger terms. Jesus declared,
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-19)
Jesus taught fellow-Israelites to obey the law completely.
Jesus Himself was an Israelite, under God’s covenant for Israelites. As Paul wrote, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4). Jesus was under law, specifically the law of Moses. He therefore obeyed that law and taught His fellow-Israelites to obey that law completely (examples: Matthew 7:12; 8:4; 22:36-40; 23:1-3,23).