With all their minute and burdensome injunctions, it was an impossibility to keep the law. Those who desired to serve God, and who tried to observe the rabbinical precepts, toiled under a heavy burden. They could find no rest from the accusings of a troubled conscience. Thus Satan worked to discourage the people, to lower their conception of the character of God, and to bring the faith of Israel into contempt. He hoped to establish the claim put forth when he rebelled in heaven,--that the requirements of God were unjust, and could not be obeyed. Even Israel, he declared, did not keep the law.

Det var en umulighed at overholde loven med alle deres smålige og besværlige forskrifter. De, som ønskede at tjene Gud, og som forsøgte at overholde de rabbinske forordninger, arbejdede under et pres af tunge byrder. De kunne ikke finde fred for deres bekymrede samvittigheds anklager. Således arbejdede Satan på at gøre folket modløst, at forringe deres opfattelse af Guds karakter og at bringe Israels tro i vanry. Han håbede at stadfæste det, som han havde hævdet, da han gjorde oprør i Himmelen: at Guds krav var urimelige og ikke kunne efterleves. Han erklærede, at selv Israel ikke overholdt loven.