Galatians 3:19
“Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.”
There were two covenants in the Old Testament; the Abrahamic and the Mosaic. The first was a one sided promise. God guaranteed to bless and prosper Abraham and his descendants. All they had to do was to follow. The second covenant was about how to act and eventually how to address wrongs done.
The problems started long before those involved. Adam and Eve introduced that. Their rebellion prompted a distance in the relationship. The Lord was seeking to remedy that situation. It was a multistep plan. Abraham’s promise was step one. This initial covenant tells us much about the Lord. It’s more than, “I come in peace”, but “I want to bless you”.
Showing good intensions was important, as people conjure many things in their minds. The naturalistic religions see god in the hurricanes and volcano blasts. They see Him as angry and powerful and if the people are to appease Him, drastic measures are to be taken. Many peoples in history resorted to sacrificing their children. While the Lord was disappointed with sin and wanted it addressed, He first came to us wanting to bless us.
Once we trust in Him, He brings up the problem, sin and poor behavior. That’s where Moses came in. The Lord gave the expectations of behavior, then how to address it. Thus began a better relationship. God was with the people and they served Him. This was in place for 1600 years. While good, it was cumbersome and distant and only meant to be temporary.
All these covenants and relationships were pointing to Jesus. He addressed the blessing and dealt with sin. The actual plan was completely off everyones radar. There were two descriptions of the messiah in the Old Testament, the conquering king and the suffering servant. Due to those differences some thought them as two different individuals. We now know it’s one, but separated by thousands of years. His first coming was about suffering for the sins of the world. He will return one day as the conquering king.
What a monstrously large task. All the sins of everyone who lived in all places for all time were laid on His back. Only God could do that and rise again. Thus giving hope for all. Today’s verse asked, “Why the Law?” It was the second point of God’s plan, to address the topic of sin and it’s consequences. Our first parents introduced it to the world. The Lord demonstrated through Abraham that He wanted to bless us. But the Law was meant to address sin and how it was to be dealt with, through blood.
Lord, thank You for Your blessings. Thank You for the great cost You paid in dealing with sin. Your love for us is so great. You created us even though You knew we would spoil it and You would have to pay the great cost. Thank You.