Was the Law of Moses in effect while Melchizedek lived?<\/p>\n\t
Melchizedek was a contemporary of Abraham (Genesis 14:17-24). Moses was a descendant of Abraham who lived about 500 years after Abraham died. Therefore it would be impossible for someone to live under a law that was not given until hundreds of years later.<\/p>\n
It is not that these people were without a law, it just was that they did not live under the law of Moses. The law of Moses was for the Israelites. When Moses discussed the law with the Israelites, he specifically stated that it did not exist for their ancestors. “The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive<\/em>” (Deuteronomy 5:3). However, Paul pointed out that sin was in the world prior to Moses and sin cannot exist without a law being in existence. “For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come<\/em>” (Romans 5:13-14). The implication is that they had a form of law to follow, just not the formal law of Moses.<\/p>\n We generally call this period from Adam to Moses the Patriarchal Age. It was the time when the head of each family offered up worship to God. When the Law of Moses came into being, one nation was given a special covenant to follow while the rest of the world remained under the Patriarchal rules. “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them<\/em>” (Romans 2:14-15). When Christ came, the distinction made by the Law of Moses was removed and all the world is now under one covenant. “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace<\/em>” (Ephesians 2:14-15).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: Was the Law of Moses in effect while Melchizedek lived? Answer: Melchizedek was a contemporary of Abraham (Genesis 14:17-24). Moses was a descendant of Abraham who lived about 500 years after Abraham died. Therefore it would be impossible for someone to live under a law that was not given until hundreds of years later.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[23,1092,115],"class_list":["post-15782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-abraham","tag-melchizedek","tag-old-law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":28835,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-the-levitical-priesthood-replace-the-priesthood-of-melchizedek\/","url_meta":{"origin":15782,"position":0},"title":"Did the Levitical priesthood replace the priesthood of Melchizedek?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 5, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: \"For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law\" (Hebrews 7:12). Did the Levitical priesthood replace the priesthood of Melchizedek? Answer: Under the Old Law of Moses, priests came from the tribe of Levi and, starting with David, kings came from the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43838,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/logic-in-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":15782,"position":1},"title":"Logic in the Bible","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry W. Benton While some modern brethren have declared that the logic of \"necessary inference\" has been made up in recent years by \"church of Christ preachers\", the Bible shows that this kind of logic goes back to communication from God and man from the beginning. If anyone should\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54909,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/who-is-melchizedek\/","url_meta":{"origin":15782,"position":2},"title":"Who is Melchizedek?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Who is Melchizedek in the Bible? Some argue he is the pre-incarnate Christ, others believe the Hebrews author is speaking figuratively. If he wasn't Jesus, then how did he rank spiritually higher than Abraham to the point of Abraham giving him tithes? Answer: \"Therefore, if perfection were through the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22186,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-god-choose-the-israelites-as-his-people\/","url_meta":{"origin":15782,"position":3},"title":"Why did God choose the Israelites as His people?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 16, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why did God choose the Israelites as His people? They were the only saved people before the death of Jesus Christ. What about others? Why did God has chosen only Israel as His own people? Answer: \"For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":90615,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-could-melchizedek-be-without-father-and-mother\/","url_meta":{"origin":15782,"position":4},"title":"How could Melchizedek be \u201cwithout father and mother\u201d?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Bob Prichard Melchizedek is one of the more mysterious figures in all of scripture. He is mentioned only in Genesis 14, Psalms 110:4, and in the book of Hebrews. The writer of Hebrews demonstrated that Melchizedek foreshadowed the ministry of Christ, serving as both priest and king. After the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24522,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-jesus-become-a-curse\/","url_meta":{"origin":15782,"position":5},"title":"Did Jesus become a curse?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day, In Galatians 3:10-13, did Jesus become a curse? Please give some insight into this verse. Thanks. 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