If I don’t have to do anything because God has done it all why then do I have to be kind? Why do I have to love people? Don’t you ever just want to break the rules?
The Galatian followers of Jesus must have been trying to interrupt whoever it was who was reading out this letter from Paul: “Why the Law of Moses then? Why did God bring the law?” So we enter into this central message of the letter and we are going to find out.
Paul is making clear once again the covenant, the promise of blessing to all nations as the most important truth to hold on to.
“Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.” (Galatians 3 v 15-18)
- The Law 430 years after the covenant does not do away with the blessing to all nations of salvation and grace.
- The Law is not something new from God which replaces the old.
- It does not mean God decided to introduce rules on order to receive what was originally given as a grace.
- If a promise then later on has conditions attached to it then it negates the promise.
Paul takes us back to that covenant in Genesis 15 that He made with Abram. Though it is beyond our understanding in our culture when covenants are signed in pen or in a previous generation we may remember signing a deal by spitting on our hands before shaking the hand of the other (I’ve never done that one!) the covenant with Abram was binding. It was ‘signed’ by arranging 2 halves of the dead animal either side creating a thoroughfare and the persons would walk through it, it was a declaration saying basically, “may I die if I fail to keep this covenant.”
Genesis 15 v 10 “So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side”
However, Abram was tired that day! On the day of the covenant he fell asleep! It was meant to be. God made the covenant not Abram. It was God in the presence of fire who walked in the thoroughfare. God sealed the deal. God signed the promise. The blessing to all the nations through a singular seed, His Son Jesus Christ, who did die on a cross, was promised because God made it.
- The law does not do away with that event.
- The law does not make you acceptable to God.
- The law does not give you the promise of blessing.
- That event speaking into the generation when Jesus walked the earth and for all future generations does. That covenant still speaks today.
It does not answer the question but it is crucial before the questions are answered.
If you do not understand and if you have not fully grasped and accepted and are living by this amazing promise then you will not be able to move into what Paul says next.
Dwell a little more on this amazing grace!
Missions Paul 