quote:

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21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.
22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.
24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

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The Law as protective custody.
Under the Law, sacrifices were an ongoing concern. The redeemer was to be a more permanent solution.

I was thinking about Job last night. Job probably lived before the Abrahamic covenant, maybe a contemporary of Melchezidek. He made continual sacrifices and had the testimony from God Himself that he was an upright man, blameless in all his ways. Done deal? No. Later in his book Job says "I know that my redeemer lives and will one day take his stand on the earth". Here Job is saying four things:

1. Even though I make continual sacrifices that are pleasing to God, that is not enough. I need one final sacrifice, a redeemer.
2. That redeemer is alive now.
3. That redeemer is not on earth.
4. That redeemer will come to earth.

Job realized that he needed a final sacrifice that would end his need for continual sacrifices. And Job knew that only God Himself could provide that sacrifice. Job looked ahead to Jesus, we have the advantage of looking back to Him.

"For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:13, 14)




Even though the skies are blue, don't they let the sunshine through?

Edited by - Laika on 05/06/2003 11:04:59 AM