Is The Law Forever?

Duration Of The Law

The following passages are used to prove that the law is to be followed for all eternity.

Exodus 12:14 – And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever (‛ôlâm).

Leviticus 23:41 – And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever (‛ôlâm) in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

Leviticus 24:8 – Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting (‛ôlâm) covenant.

Exodus 31:16 – Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual (‛ôlâm) covenant.

Exodus 12:17-24 – And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever (‛ôlâm)... And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever (‛ôlâm).

Exodus 31:17 – It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever (‛ôlâm): for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

Leviticus 16:29,31 – And this shall be a statute for ever (‛ôlâm) unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:... It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever (‛ôlâm).

Leviticus 23:21 – And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever (‛ôlâm) in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

Leviticus 23:31 – Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever (‛ôlâm) throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

2 Chronicles 2:4 – Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever (‛ôlâm) to Israel.

Psalm 119:159-160 – Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness. Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever (‛ôlâm)

Deuteronomy 5:29 – O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever (‛ôlâm)!

Leviticus 10:15 – The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine, and thy sons' with thee, by a statute for ever (‛ôlâm); as the LORD hath commanded.

Meaning Of Forever

The word “forever” (‛ôlâm) in these verses is used to refer to commands or traditions that were to be continually observed by the Israelites. The Hebrew word does mean forever, but not always; it can also mean a period of time that is long. Context is what defines the definition of the word.

FOR EVER
‛ôlâm (o-lawm')
properly concealed, that is, the vanishing point; generally time out of mind (past or future), that is, (practically) eternity; frequentative adverbially (especially with prepositional prefix) always: - always (-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, [n-]) ever (-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world (+ without end).

The fact that the word ‛ôlâm is used for "forever" doesn't necessarily mean the law was intended to be eternal. Some interpretations see ‛ôlâm in reference to the law as established for a specific historical context and society. They are not always seen as eternally applicable.

These ordinances were not intended to be practiced forever; they weren't always permanent. Their connection to the temporary tabernacle and temple systems indicates this.

Examples Meaning A Long Time

Here are some examples of when the same word for “forever” (‛ôlâm) is used to mean a “long time” and not for all eternity.

Exodus 21:6 – Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever (‛ôlâm).

Numbers 10:6-8 – When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys. But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever (‛ôlâm) throughout your generations.

This is a command for what Israel had to do while wandering in the wilderness before entering the promised land. The word ‛ôlâm can be translated as forever or perpetually throughout your generations.

From its context, however, we know that this does not mean that it is a statute forever and ever. This is a command only until they reach the promised land; at that point, there will no longer be a camp that needs to get up and move. This law was not intended to last forever.

God had previously declared that the generation of Israelites, who were freed from Egypt, would not enter the Promised Land. For them, this command might as well have been forever because it was going to last beyond their lifetime.

Deuteronomy 15:16-17 – And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever (‛ôlâm). And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

If a servant reaches the time when he's to be set free and he wants to remain with the family, then he can decide to be attached to that family forever. But, of course, he can't be attached to that family forever or for all eternity because he's going to die at some point and no longer be a slave to that family.

Numbers 25:10-13 – And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting (‛ôlâm) priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

Even though the priesthood had already been exclusive to the sons of Aaron, God said that the priesthood would forever lie within the family of Phinehas. Nothing in this context restricts that; it's going to be in his line forever. So does Phinehas' line hold the priesthood forever? No, they did not. They do maintain it for a very long time, from his time all the way through the book of Judges and into the time of Samuel.

1 Samuel 2:30 – Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever (‛ôlâm): but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Here God declares that the priesthood will depart from this line of Eli, even though He promised it would go on forever. However, God can change what He said in the past; even something He said would be forever. It's important to note that the covenant was always based on obedience and devotion to God. If that covenant is broken, their priesthood can be revoked.

Leviticus 16:34 – And this shall be an everlasting (‛ôlâm) statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Isaiah 42:14 – I have long time (‛ôlâm) holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.

Jeremiah 2:20 – For of old time (‛ôlâm) I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.

Exodus 27:21 – In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever (‛ôlâm) unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

Exodus 29:9 – And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual (‛ôlâm) statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.

2 Kings 5:27 – The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever (‛ôlâm). And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

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Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

- The Christian King