Opus 2025-169: Contrast

The law of the Old Testament stands against the blood of the New, not against grace.

Grace is present from Genesis to Revelation.  All depends upon the decision of God to extend his power in whatever realm it’s needed.  It can be the grace leading to salvation.  You can see the grace of Jesus growing in His knowledge and wisdom.  Witness the grace that saved us from Hitler and the Nazis in World War II.  Grace has always been with us.

What is different is the blood.  The Old Testament sacrificial system did not forgive sin.  Yes, it made atonement, but it did not remove the sin and cleanse the heart.  That was the role of the blood.  Sacrificing a bull and pouring his blood on the altar was a type.  A type is an activity, a ritual or thing which points down the road to something more significant.  I believe Hebrews tells us there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood.  That blood was poured out on the cross, it did not happen in the temple.  Yes, blood was shed.  But that blood that was shared in the temple was not adequate for all mankind.  That’s why John said, “Behold the Lamb of God Who cometh to take away the sins of the world.”

What got me started on this?  I was again looking at Deuteronomy 28.  The first 14 verses talk about the blessings from following the law of God and keeping the commandments.  The rest of the chapter. which is really long, on all of the curses produced by disobedience.  I just read the blessings today.  As I was reading, my radar was turned on looking for any promise of forgiveness of sin and eternal life.  I didn’t see it.  Maybe I just missed it.  Maybe it’s there somewhere.  I will check again.  But I don’t think so.

Every promise given in the first part of that chapter deals with boots on the ground.  One of the things that I think I keep seeing is that the purpose of the law was to give Israel the advantage in their cultural and civic living.  There’s a place earlier in Deuteronomy, where it says that as long as the law is kept it will help them to conquer the promised land.  The law has a place.  Any pagan culture could have adopted the law and it would improve the quality of life and standard living.  It would not bring them salvation, nor make them the chosen people.

Israel did not become the chosen people because they excepted the law.  They became the chosen people, because God pointed at them and said, “You.”

We are not the chosen people but we can rejoice in the standards and values shared with us by the law of God.

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