Since becoming a Christian, some of the biggest doctrinal arguments that I have witnessed has been people adamantly claiming that "God's people are no longer SAVED by the law; it has been abolished; and we are no longer required to keep it." Although, I don't generally partake in doctrinal arguments with others, I do have an issue with this Biblical stance. No where do I find that the law was given to the Hebrews to provide a means of salvation. In fact, in the New Testament, Paul, who was highly trained in Jewish law, makes some very strong statements to the contrary.
The purpose of the law was not to provide a way of salvation from sin, but to reveal and condemn sin.
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient. I Timothy 1:9a;
For by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20b;
The law was the pattern of things that would be fulfilled through the Messiah. The children of Israel entered the Mosaic Covenant with the Lord, promising to keep the pattern year after year to ensure that truth was passed down from generation to generation to God's special people.
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Galatians 3:23-24)
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. Hebrews 10:1
As part of the Mosiac Law, the children of Israel received mercy and temporary cleansing through Levitical sacrifices. The animal sacrifices provided a means whereby sin was temporarily "atoned for by offering a substitute." It was a symbol of innocent life given or sacrificed for guilty life. These sacrifices were temporary measures and prefigured Christ's sacrifice which truly and permanently atoned for our sin. The Jewish people did not understand this symbolism until after Jesus was crucified and resurrected. (Luke 18:31-34)
The Lord orchestrated a plan to have the children of Israel be a very unique group of people throughout all of human history. They were charged with carrying the cryptic plan for the salvation of all mankind for thousands of years! God's purpose for Israel was that they should be a holy nation, composed of a kingdom of priests, who would perform worship and rituals that pointed to the coming Priest who would provide an everlasting sacrifice.
"Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a particular treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine; And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel." Exodus 19:5-6
Unlike other covenants God gave to Israel, which were sovereignly established and eternal, the Mosaic Covenant was temporal and conditional. It required obedience. God knew that Israel would not, could not keep it, even though they promised they would. (Exodus 19:8) So, God sent His only Son to redeem a covenant breaking people. Matthew 15:24
There's so much I wanted to write about in this section of Biblical text. I especially love learning more about the symbolism of the tabernacle and Passover foreshadowing the coming of Jesus and believe it should be a powerful tool to reach Jewish people for Christ. However, I've felt like I was to lay out some connections from this text between Israel and the church, in order to examine who the church is in God's plan.
The children of Israel waffled back and forth between obedience and rebellion to God. At times, they continued offering sacrifices and following the law, sometimes in accordance with God's instructions and sometimes not. Sometimes they practiced pagan worship. God allowed them to be taken into captivity and then orchestrated an amazing return to the Promised Land. After the time of Christ, they were dispersed for almost two thousand years, until 1948. There has not been another group of people on earth that has continued for thousands of years. No one can rightly argue that the Israelites are anything less than a "peculiar treasure above all other people".
However, at the time of their Messiah, on the most part, they rejected Jesus as the Savior. All praise be to the Lord, He accepted the Gentiles as His own! The church has been described as being graffed into the vine. We, who were not part of the original tree, were taken and put into the tree! Let's look at the admonition that Paul gives us in Romans 11.
"And if some of the branches (children of Israel) be broken off, and thou (Gentiles), being a wild olive tree, wert graffed into among them, and with them partakest of the root (Jesus) and fatness (blessings) of the olive tree (God's family); Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee.
We have not replaced the Jewish nation as God's special people, but rather we have been given the blessed position to become part of God's Holy plan for humanity. God has charged the church with carrying on His plan of salvation to the whole earth. We are the ones to carry out His work on the earth during this time. Let's examine several texts that speak to our place and our requirements.
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." I Peter 2:9
"Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus 2:14
"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." I Peter 2:5
"If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15
"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." James 1:25
Jesus says, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." John 14:23
"And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." Revelation 1:6
In Exodus 24 Moses took the book of the covenant and read in the audience of the people: and they said, "All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning these words."
Jesus has shed His blood for us, and we have joined into covenant with Him. We are a peculiar people to Him, graffed into His tree. Israel abandoned their position through disobedience and disbelief. New Testament scripture is clear we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Let us not be disobedient and disbelieving, but always faithful to be about God's business!
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