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If you’ve ever had someone commit a crime against you then you know how useful the law can be to protect your rights and ensure that justice is done. Of course, if you are a person who has broken the law – then the law is very inconvenient for you. The law reveals what you have done, and will condemn you as a lawbreaker.
When God gave Israel His Law in the book of Exodus he did more than reveal a set of rules they would use to order their society. He also did two more important things:
- God revealed His character by giving Israel a law that was moral, right and good, and
- God revealed man’s character by showing that man is a lawbreaker, doing what is immoral, wrong, or bad.
Another terms for lawbreaker is, “sinner.” The Bible teaches that all people everywhere are sinners. That means that we have all broken God’s law, whether it is the law revealed in the Old Testament, or the laws of conscience that God gives to every person.
Thankfully, God used the law to reveal something else that would enable all people everywhere to shed the status of sinner and become like the Lawgiver – who is moral, right, and good.
Moses: The Law Revealed
Israel was a nation without Law, and thus, was a nation without direction.
(Proverbs 29:18, II Chronicles 15:3)
In its early formation Israel knew that it was a unique people-group that was created out of a special relationship between Abraham and God, but they knew little else about God’s plan for them. When God revealed His law to Israel, it set them apart with a special status. The law let Israel know they had a special purpose from God.
What do you think your purpose in life is? How do you determine what your purpose is?
Revealing the Law showed Israel its sin, and gave the nation an example of God’s character.
(Romans 3:19-20, Leviticus 11:45)
God’s purposes must be fulfilled in God’s ways. Israel had a special purpose from God, but the law revealed that they could not fulfill that purpose apart from Him. That is because the law revealed that Israel was in rebellion against God, worshipping other gods, or not living a moral life.
Sin keeps us from fulfilling God’s plan for us. Are there any sins in your life that keep you from becoming a good person?
Revealing the Law to Israel gave the nation a purpose: To become a people like the Lawgiver.
(Leviticus 11:45, Deuteronomy 4:5-9)
As Israel turned away from its sin and determined to obey God’s law, they were able to fulfill God’s purpose. God’s purpose was revealed in that He wanted to make them into a nation that had his moral characteristics. If Israel would obey God’s law, He would bless them and use them to show the world who God was.
Do you think God wants you to know Him, and has a plan for your life?
Discuss or Write your personal reflections.
Jesus: The Law Fulfilled
Jesus is the embodiment of the Law, the one who gives direction.
(Luke 24:44)
Jesus was born without sin. The Bible calls Jesus “the Word of God” in human form. As the embodiment of the Word of God, Jesus can provide personal direction for our lives according to God’s Word.
Is your purpose in life determined and steered by God’s Word? What role does Jesus play in helping you determine the direction of your life?
Though the Law reveals our sin, Jesus Christ forgives our sin. He is the ultimate example of God’s character in human form.
(John 1:17, Philippians 2:5-8)
The Law of Moses reveals our sin, but also provides a way that we can be forgiven. God set up a system of sacrifices where the blood of an innocent animal would be shed in the sinner’s place to gain forgiveness. That sacrificial system was a foreshadowing of what was to come later – namely, Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself on the cross for our sins. It is through Jesus’ death that our sins our forgiven. God also demonstrated His character in Jesus’ sacrifice, by becoming a man, living as a man, and dying as a man for us.
What character traits of God do you think are demonstrated by Jesus in His sacrifice?
Jesus’ purpose was to fulfill the Law, and enable us to become like Him.
(Matthew 5:17, Romans 8:29)
The law required a sacrifice for sin. How do you think Jesus’ death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead, fulfilled the Law?
By becoming a man, God was demonstrating that he was becoming like us in form. But he also guaranteed that we would become like him in character. Jesus bridges the canyon between God and man. How do you think this concept fulfills the requirement of the Law that there be punishment for sin, yet allow room for forgiveness of sin?
Discuss or write your personal reflections.
The Church: More than Law
God gives us direction through His word (Law), and Jesus Christ.
(Deuteronomy 6:24-25, 32:47)
The Bible refers to God’s Word as more than a guide for life, Moses referred to God’s Word as our very “life.” Following Jesus’ resurrection, the Apostle Paul called Jesus Christ “our life” (Colossians 3:4). If God’s Word is to be such an integral and important part of our lives, steering the course of our lives, then how much more the person of Jesus Christ?
Can God use His word in your life to give you direction? How does following Jesus change the course of your life?
Since we are becoming like Jesus Christ, we can be examples of the principles of God’s word (Law).
(Colossian 3:16-17, James 1:25)
Being different from the world sets us apart as unique. We are different because of the transformation worked in us by Jesus Christ. When we obey God’s word, we imitate His character, becoming examples of His love and character.
In what ways do you want to be like Jesus Christ? What areas of your life do you feel need the most attention, to be transformed by Jesus?
We fulfill God’s Law when we live for Jesus Christ.
(Romans 2:14-16, Galatians 5:22-25)
How do you think living for Jesus fulfills the requirements of God’s law?
A.C.T.
A – Action Point
What will I do in light of what I have learned?
C – Commune (prayer)
What will I commit to God and ask Him for to help me put what I have learned into action?
T – Tell Others
What kinds of things can I say or do to others to demonstrate the biblical truth I have learned?
