[
It would be worthwhile to read Exodus 20. Before God gives the commandments, He makes a statement concerning redemption...He brought them out of Egypt. He has been gracious and merciful towards them. To try to understand the commandments of God without first understanding His grace and mercy relegates the law to becoming either an unjust taskmaster (which they had just come out from under) or a list of do's and don'ts on which to base God's approval.
They already enjoyed God's approval. This should have been clearly seen by what God had done. So the law should have been seen as the way or as befitting a redeemed people. That is to say, the purpose of the law was always to reflect grace. When sin was committed, the appeal should have been to God's mercy as pictured in the animal sacrifices.
So fast forward to today. What purpose does the law fulfill for us?
Does it provide justification? No.
Does it establish a legalistic relationship between us and God? No.
Does it provide sanctification? Again, no.
What it does do is show us how unholy and unlike Christ we are, and the impossibility of ever becoming so apart from grace. It should cause us to come face to face with our failures and in humility and contrition to call afresh upon God for His divine aid.
God's people have always been a people of grace. The law, for God's people, serves as a reminder of just how much grace we need.
here’s the difference though and what we should consider this is the laws disposition in every way
“Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.”
Exodus 23:20-21 KJV
this isn’t the case with the New Testament there is no unforgiving angel set over the gospel instead it is God speaking to his people in person
the law isn’t about pardoning sin or being merciful infact the le ineteucte the people “ do not show any pity or mercy to the sinner put them to death “ like this
“And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness,
they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And the LORD said unto Moses,
The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.”
Numbers 15:32, 35-36 KJV
Is this actually Jesus speaking this ? Ot is it the angel God gave authority over the people under the law?
Is this Jesus disposition “ I’ll never pardon your sins “ or is this Jesus disposition
“And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man,
thy sins are forgiven thee.”
Luke 5:20 KJV
“Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”
Luke 7:47-50 KJV
Would Jesus command this ?
“And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife,
the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”
Leviticus 20:10 KJV
And then turn and disregard it like this ?
“they say unto him, Master, this woman was
taken in adultery, in the very act. Now
Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
…So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them,
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her,
Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And
Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,
I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
John 8:4-5, 7, 10-12 KJV
Do you see how the laws words written on it make it impossible for a sinner to be forgiven ? Like this
“The
hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and
afterward the hands of all the people. So
thou shalt put the evil away from among you.”
Deuteronomy 17:7 KJV
jesus would never command this but an angel who was given authority whos it says shall not pardon any transgression that angel would have to say this because he doesn’t forgive
“Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for
he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.”
“Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.”
Leviticus 24:14 KJV
Jesus words ? Or the unforgivingg angel set over the law ?
what purpose does the law serve then ?
“Wherefore then serveth
the law? It was added because of transgressions, ( it was an addition because of sin )
till the seed should come to whom the promise was made;( until Jesus came forth with the gospels promise of life )
and
it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”( God turned over the people to angels because they worshipped the idol )
Galatians 3:19 KJV
“And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices By the space of forty years in the wilderness? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Figures which ye made to worship them: And I will carry you away beyond Babylon. Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 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: who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.”
Acts 7:41-43, 51-53 KJV
we need to understand there are two seperate testaments one was defiles by sin when it began the other came to redeem mankind from the results of sin according to the law which says
anyone and everyone who sins must die and there is no pardon
“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine:
the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
Ezekiel 18:4 KJV
But the gospel Jesus pays the price of death of every person to redeem the sinner and give them a new life having thier sins washed away and given the true word of God that gives life
One Testament is meant to impute sin and hold everyone guilty without pardon
“Now we know that
what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law:
that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for
by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:19-20 KJV
and the New Testament is designed to remit pardon sin making those guilty sinners new and clean and forgiven children of God not imputing sin against them but remitting sins from them
As you see the ot purpose is to impute and hold guilty of sin the new is this opposite
“and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
Luke 24:46-47 KJV
the law didn’t begin in Jerusalem but the gospel and great commission began in Jerusalem