why then the law

The next two blog posts are going to address two ideas from a passage in Galatians. Galatians 3:15 – 20 says:

15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.

We have just read through the law and we are about to read it again – Deuteronomy. You might be asking yourself – “what am I to get from these laws?” Or “am I supposed to follow some and not others?” Well in Paul’s letter to the Galatians he poses his own question about the law – “Why?”

Why the law if God made a promise to Abraham and his offspring?

Now Paul answers this question by saying that the law was added because of transgressions. Now the great thing about the having a printed Bible is that we all have easy access to our own Bibles and can try to see what Paul is saying. So let’s check Paul out. Let’s flip to Leviticus and then Numbers (these are only two examples).

In Leviticus 8 – 10, the story of Aaron and his sons begins with great success. Israel successfully consecrates Aaron and his sons as priests for the Tabernacle and the Lord accepts Aaron’s offering. If you haven’t read it – you need to. It is intense (9:22-24). But guess what happens next. Paul calls it transgression. We call it sin. Aaron’s sons offer an unauthorized offering in chapter 10 and instead of fire coming out from God and devouring the sacrifice, the fire devours and consumes them.

Right after the sons are consumed Moses and Aaron get in dialogue about eating. See 10:16-20. I make this note because it is noteworthy.

So if Paul is correct, what will be next in Leviticus? That’s right – MORE LAWS. “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions.” Chapters 11 begins with another long section of laws and guess what type of laws begin this section – Eating laws. Interesting. Moses and Aaron were arguing about what to eat and now just two verses after their argument God gives eating laws.

Now lets move to Numbers 13 to see if we can see this same pattern. We all probably are familiar with this passage. It is the passage where Israel sends out 12 spies into the Promised Land.

Moses mentions that on the day their 40-day mission started it was “the season of the first ripe grapes.” (13:20) And the men even “cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes.” (13:23) When the men come back to the people to bring news of their spying the even show them “the fruit of the land.” (13:26)

Sadly we all know what happens next. Only Caleb and Joshua believe the promise of God and the other ten spies influence Israel not to believe God. They sin. Chapter 14 is all about the sin of Israel and then Moses intercedes for them. What will happen next? LAWS.

Beginning in chapter 15 there are new laws concerning sacrifices. Interestingly, they are not really new sacrifices. These new laws only add one thing to the sacrifices – wine. (See 15:5,7, 10) So basically the spies go in to the land, see the grapes, the people sin, and now there are new laws concerning with wine. This is so interesting, but there is more.

At the end of chapter 16, God gives a law about tassels. Basically a tassel is a Hebrew WWJD bracelet. A tassel was to be sewed onto the corners of their garments so that every time that they looked at the tassel they would be reminded “not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.” (15:39-40)

I highlight the “follow” because Moses intentionally used it here. The word “follow” is used in the entire Hebrew Bible very rarely. Moses though uses this word here to tie his writing together. The word “follow” is used in chapter 13. This word is translated spy out in chapter 13. Most of your Bibles should even note this at the bottom of your page. After the spying in 13, God now says don’t spy out after your own heart.

Do you see how the sin of the people is connected to the law? Paul does. I do.

So what? What is the big deal? The big deal for Paul is that the law does not bring the righteousness that we need to be saved. Stop trying to work for your righteousness. Believe in Christ. “So then, that law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith…if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” (Gal 3:24-26, 29)

This is a big deal. I need to mediate on it. Meditate with me.

TG