The Purpose of the Law
The nature of man and hell are complete opposites to the nature
of God and heaven.
Ps 33:4-9 (8) Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Ecc 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Why?
(14) For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil
· Once Adam corrupted his heart man’s ability to worship and commune with God on his own was also corrupted. Man began to move away from God. Man quickly lost their fear and their awe God.
· God bringing every secrete thing into judgment was shown to man with the flood and at the tower of Babel.
The purpose for the law
Rom 3:20, 5:12-14, 5:20, 7:7
· Sin was made manifest through the law. But with knowledge came responsibility. Man became responsible for each and every sin committed. The penalty for sin was seen; the reason for death is that the penalty had to be paid.
· Heb 10:3 The sacrifices cause sin to be remembered.
Through the law the nature of God was declared
· Holiness belongs to God, He is holiness
· The law revealed the holy character of the one and only God and that His holiness demands holiness from His people. Leviticus 11:44; 19:2; 20:7–8, 27.This demand has not changed 1Thes 4:7; 1Peter 1:15-16
· Ps 89:14 He is the God of justice, judgment, mercy, truth
Through the law the true nature of man was revealed.
· Rom 3:10, 23, 19 The law was not to offer salvation but to declare that all the world is guilty before God.
· Rom 3:20 Why was impossible to be justified by the deeds of the law? Ro 7:14 The carnal nature of man often overrides the spiritually of man.
The law set the nation of Israel apart as a witness to the Gentiles.
· Ex 19:5 They were chosen to be a peculiar treasure unto God above all people. “For all the earth is mine”: choosing Israel was His sovereign choice not to be questioned.
· Deu 4:1-8 The witness Israel was to have to the Gentile nations and provoke them to seek their God.
The nation of Israel only looked at the physical acts the law demanded. They made a conscience choice to obey or not to obey the physical demands. They never realized the law was spiritual and that their carnality never allowed them to keep the spiritual law. (This aspect of the law was revealed to us through Paul.)
The law provided the opportunity for the nation of Israel worship their LORD in spite of their sinful nature.
· Forgiveness of sin was available through the sacrifices and offerings for the individual and nation
Ř the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. (Lev 4:20, 26, 31, 35); 5:10,13,16,18); 6:19; 19:22)
· The yearly feasts were times when the all the people were to come together and celebrate what the LORD had done.
The law was the standard by which the people were to follow once in the land of promise. (Deu 27:3; Heb 11:9 with Gen 15:18)
· Lev 25:18 Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.
The law paved the way for the coming of the Just One!
Act 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Gal 2:16, 20; (3:24-25 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.)
Php 3:9 ¶ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Ro 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Mt 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.