The Book of the Law Set Aside: Understanding Its Role in Covenant and Priesthood
- Charles
- Jul 29
- 10 min read
The Covenant Shift: From Levitical Obligation to Melchizedek Freedom
When Yeshua inaugurated the New Covenant, He restored access to the original covenantal order that predates Sinai. The Book of the Covenant, written in the Ten Words and sealed in blood before the golden calf, was reestablished as the governing charter of the Kingdom. In contrast, the Book of the Law was added after the breach to impose a guardian system until the Promised Seed came. In Messiah, the Melchizedek priesthood is no longer bound under the administration of the Book of the Law because the function for which it was given—holding a rebellious nation under guardianship—has been fulfilled. Hebrews 7:12 states that “when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.” This is not a destruction of YHWH’s words, but a covenantal reallocation. The priest of the order of Melchizedek stands in direct service to the Covenant of Promise and lives by the Ten Words written on hearts, not under the imposed ordinances of the Levitical code.
Everlasting Witness: The Book of the Law as Testimony
To say the Book of the Law has been set aside is not to declare it void or irrelevant. Scripture calls it a witness against Israel (Deuteronomy 31:26). It was placed beside the Ark—not inside with the Covenant tablets—to serve as a testimony to their rebellion and YHWH’s mercy. Because it stands as a witness, it carries eternal weight. Its instructions continue to reveal the holiness of YHWH and the severity of sin. Paul affirms this tension when he says, “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good” (Romans 7:12), while simultaneously declaring that believers are “not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). The Book of the Law remains profitable for reproof and instruction, not as a binding code but as a perpetual tutor pointing back to the covenant reality restored in Yeshua. It functions as a mirror, reflecting both the gravity of transgression and the glory of redemption.
The Function of the Book of the Law in Devotion and Study
Engaging with the Book of the Law in study or devotion is not a return to its imposed yoke. Rather, it is an acknowledgment of its divine purpose. Paul tells Timothy that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). When a Melchizedek priest meditates on a passage from the Book of the Law, he does so as one free from its jurisdiction, yet submitted to its testimony. It becomes a tool of teaching, showing patterns of holiness, covenant order, and the seriousness of sin. It also provides rich shadows that point to Messiah’s work, helping the priest interpret the fullness of redemption. The key distinction is posture: reading for alignment with covenant identity, not as one under the condemnation of its demands.
Addressing the Objection: “If You Sever Them, You Cannot Use Them”
Some argue that dividing between the Book of the Covenant and the Book of the Law creates a theological problem: if the Book of the Law is no longer binding, how can one legitimately use its words in devotion or teaching? This objection assumes that covenantal relevance is tied to binding authority. Scripture refutes this assumption. Paul frequently cites the Book of the Law to teach covenantal truths while clearly stating that believers are no longer under its jurisdiction. He uses Deuteronomy 25:4 (“You shall not muzzle the ox”) to instruct on laborers in the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:9) and Deuteronomy 30 to reveal righteousness by faith (Romans 10:6–8). Paul does not treat the Book of the Law as dead text; he treats it as a living witness that points beyond itself to Messiah and covenant restoration. The division does not sever the words; it restores them to their intended function as testimony and shadow rather than as binding covenant.
Melchizedek Priesthood and the Use of the Law
The priest of the order of Melchizedek functions under a different authority than the Levitical priest. His role is not to maintain the imposed ordinances but to steward the Covenant of Promise and minister the Ten Words written on hearts. Yet his training requires deep familiarity with the whole of Torah—including the Book of the Law—not as obligation but as illumination. Hebrews 10:1 calls the Levitical system “a shadow of good things to come.” Shadows are not discarded once substance arrives; they become evidence of the reality that casts them.
A Melchizedek priest can study, teach, and pray through the Book of the Law because it testifies of Messiah and reveals covenant patterns. What he cannot do is revert to living under it as though the breach at Sinai still stands unrepaired. To do so would deny the New Covenant and the restoration Yeshua accomplished.
Reproof and Instruction: The Law’s Continuing Utility
Even set aside as covenantal administration, the Book of the Law remains a plumb line. When a believer strays, its words can convict—not because they reimpose legal condemnation but because they reveal the standard of holiness and the weight of grace. When a community needs instruction in order, the narratives and commands of the Book of the Law provide patterns of discipline and worship. They teach the seriousness of approaching YHWH’s presence and the cost of covenant breach. The difference is in the application: the Melchizedek priest uses these words as a tool of restoration, not as a weapon of condemnation. The Book of the Law becomes a guide that shepherds the heart back to the Ten Words written within, harmonizing external witness with internal covenant reality.
The Everlasting Witness and Covenant Literacy
The distinction between the Book of the Covenant and the Book of the Law is not about discarding words but about restoring covenant literacy. The Ten Words inside the Ark are the heart of the Covenant of Promise. The Book of the Law beside the Ark is the testimony of failure and mercy. Together they form a complete picture of YHWH’s dealings with His people. The Melchizedek priest who understands this can move with precision in teaching. He can lift passages from Deuteronomy to reveal faith righteousness without placing hearers under the yoke of Levitical administration. He can draw from Leviticus to highlight holiness and sacrificial patterns, pointing to the finished work of Messiah. In doing so, he honors the everlasting witness of the Book of the Law while remaining faithful to the freedom of the New Covenant.
Covenant Division as Covenant Fulfillment
To divide between the Book of the Covenant and the Book of the Law is not to sever YHWH’s words; it is to rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Yeshua Himself models this division in the Sermon on the Mount, where He lifts the heart of the Covenant of Promise above the imposed ordinances. He does not discard; He fulfills. Paul follows the same pattern, distinguishing the righteousness of faith from the works of the law while using the law to illustrate faith’s power. This covenantal division magnifies both sets of words: the Book of the Covenant as eternal governance of the Kingdom and the Book of the Law as everlasting witness and testimony. The argument that one cannot use the Book of the Law if it is set aside collapses under the weight of apostolic example and covenant logic. Setting aside as administration does not equal erasure as testimony.
Living as Witness-Bearers
The Melchizedek priest who stands under the New Covenant carries the weight of testimony. He lives with the Ten Words inscribed on his heart and with the Book of the Law echoing as a witness behind him. He understands that every shadow in Leviticus and every command in Deuteronomy points to Yeshua and the covenant restoration. His relationship to the Book of the Law is not one of fear but of reverence. He reads its words as family history: a record of failure, mercy, and redemption. In teaching, he does not shy away from quoting its commands; he frames them in their covenantal context, using them to instruct without reimposing. In devotion, he can pray through a passage on holiness or justice, not to earn righteousness but to align his heart with the God who authored both covenant and law.
The Ever-Present Tutor
Galatians 3 describes the law as a tutor to lead us to Messiah. A tutor’s role ends when the student comes of age, but the lessons remain. The Melchizedek priest who meditates on the Book of the Law is not submitting to the tutor’s authority; he is recalling the lessons to deepen his covenant identity. This is the posture of maturity: using the words without being bound by them, honoring the testimony without rebuilding the guardian system. The everlasting witness of the Book of the Law continues to instruct, reprove, and guide—not as a chain but as a signpost pointing to the Covenant of Promise fulfilled in Yeshua.
Covenant Continuity and the Use of All Scripture
Those who argue against dividing the Torah often fear fragmentation of Scripture. Yet the division between the Book of the Covenant and the Book of the Law is not fragmentation but covenant clarity. It allows the priest to use all Scripture with precision, honoring each word in its proper covenantal function. The Melchizedek priest is not discarding Leviticus when he lives outside its ordinances; he is placing it where YHWH placed it: beside the Ark as witness. He is not severing Deuteronomy when he cites it in teaching; he is using it as Paul did, as a voice that testifies of faith righteousness. This covenantal approach enables the use of the entire Torah without confusion, letting the Ten Words govern while the Book of the Law instructs.
The Weight of Words
YHWH’s words do not vanish. Whether in the Book of the Covenant or the Book of the Law, they carry eternal weight. The Melchizedek priest who grasps this understands that setting aside as covenantal administration does not equal silence. These words remain powerful in devotion, potent in teaching, and necessary in correction. The division is not about use but about function. The Book of the Covenant functions as active governance. The Book of the Law functions as perpetual witness. Both are profitable; both are holy. The priest lives in the freedom of the New Covenant while carrying the testimony of the old as a reminder of grace and a guide to holiness.
Covenant Integrity and Scriptural Fidelity
Maintaining the division between the Book of the Covenant and the Book of the Law upholds covenant integrity and scriptural fidelity. It honors the sequence of redemptive history, acknowledging the breach at Sinai, the imposed guardianship, and the restoration in Yeshua. It allows the priest to use the Book of the Law with authority without reimposing its yoke. This is why it remains valid in study and devotion: its words are YHWH’s, carrying His holiness, pointing to His Messiah. To discard them would be to discard a witness YHWH Himself preserved. To live under them would be to deny the work of Messiah. The Melchizedek priest stands between these errors, using the words rightly divided, teaching covenant truth with the whole counsel of Scripture.
Conclusion of Thought
The Book of the Law set aside as covenantal administration does not render it obsolete. It remains an everlasting witness and testimony, profitable for reproof and instruction. The Melchizedek priest uses its words in devotion and study, not as one bound but as one free, honoring their function as shadow and tutor. The division between the Book of the Covenant and the Book of the Law does not sever Scripture; it restores covenant order, allowing the whole of YHWH’s words to be used with precision and reverence under the New Covenant.
The Book of the Law is called an “everlasting witness” not because the word everlasting appears in Deuteronomy 31:26, but because of its covenant function and placement.
In Scripture, anything placed before YHWH in the sanctuary serves as a perpetual testimony unless He removes it (cf. Exodus 16:32–34; Numbers 17:10).
Deuteronomy 31:26 commands the Book of the Law to be set beside the Ark “as a witness against you,” and in covenant terms, a witness (ed) stands until the covenant breach it records is fully judged or redeemed.
Even under the New Covenant, Paul affirms its ongoing role for reproof and instruction (Romans 3:19–21; 2 Timothy 3:16). Thus, calling it an “everlasting witness” describes its enduring function as a testimony to rebellion and redemption, preserved beside the Ark and still profitable for teaching, correction, and pointing to Messiah.
Inductive Study: The Book of the Law as Everlasting Witness
Observation Questions
What does Deuteronomy 31:26 reveal about the placement and purpose of the Book of the Law in relation to the Ark?
How does Hebrews 7:12 connect the change of priesthood to a change in law?
In Romans 7:12, how does Paul describe the law, even as he teaches freedom from its jurisdiction?
What does Galatians 3 teach about the role of the law as a tutor, and what happens when the Promised Seed comes?
How does Paul use passages from the Book of the Law (e.g., Deuteronomy 25:4, 30:11–14) to teach New Covenant truths?
Interpretation Questions
How does distinguishing between the Book of the Covenant and the Book of the Law clarify their functions in redemptive history?
Why is the Book of the Law called an “everlasting witness” rather than a “lasting covenant”?
What does it mean that the Melchizedek priest is “no longer obligated to live those words as before”?
How can the Book of the Law still be “profitable for reproof and instruction” if it has been set aside as covenantal administration?
In what ways does the placement of the Book of the Covenant inside the Ark and the Book of the Law beside the Ark reflect their covenantal roles?
Application Questions
How can you engage with the Book of the Law in personal study without falling back under its yoke?
When using passages from the Book of the Law in devotion or teaching, what steps can you take to ensure they are framed in covenant context?
How does seeing the Book of the Law as a witness change the way you view its commands and narratives?
What does living as a priest in the order of Melchizedek require in terms of covenant literacy with both the Book of the Covenant and the Book of the Law?
How can you use the patterns and shadows in the Book of the Law to deepen your understanding of Messiah and the New Covenant?
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Instructions:
Use the worksheet as a printed or digital guide to reflect on each question with Bible in hand.
After completing your responses, consult the answer key for insight, clarity, and further scripture references.
Share with your study group, congregation, or discipleship partner for deeper dialogue.
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