Exodus 2:23-24; 19:1-9a, 17; 20:2; 24:1-11; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; Galatians 4:4-5 – The Covenant of Law (Mosaic), The Covenant of Grace, Part 3

Introduction

Rules! Do we have to have them? Many think that rules or laws just take away all our fun. After all, isn't it fun to just do whatever we want to do? Why do we have rules anyway? Sure, we can't do "anything" we want, but if we aren’t hurting anybody, why can’t we do whatever we want?

But what about that one kid who thinks the rules don’t apply to him? Who thinks destroying other people's property shouldn’t limit his ability to have fun? This kid needs rules and consequences.

The reality is that laws are needed for any society or group of people to function because of the innate evil in us. But is that all that law is for…to keep us from being as bad as we could be and destroying each other?

In this sermon, we will see that God is Our Faithful God who gives a further revelation of the Covenant of Grace to reveal and codify his will for his people to show them how they are to live as his people and to show them how Christ is the only way to fulfill God’s perfect requirements, as well as to show those who will eventually come to Christ their need of him and for all the rest to keep the world from being as bad as it could be.

Exposition

Our first point can be seen in Exodus 2:23-24…the Covenant of Grace is continued in the Covenant of Law. God's deliverance of Israel wasn’t new…God had planned for the Exodus of his people from Egypt. In fact, the Covenant of Law is a continuation of God’s Covenant with Abraham.

Exodus 2:23-24 says, “During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.”

Israel has been in Egypt for over 400 years. They were slaves of Pharoah. Moses, probably because he grew up in Pharaoh's house, had seen how the Israelites were being treated by their masters, the Egyptians, and tried to take matters into his own hands by killing an Egyptian who was beating one of God’s people. After he tried to cover up his crime, he knew his secret was out, so he fled into Midian, where he started a family. Moses had likely forgotten about the Israelites who were in bondage, or at least given up the idea of rescuing them, but God didn't.

After Joseph saved Israel, eventually, the kings who knew him died and the Israelites were made slaves. Eventually, the Israelites "sighed" or "groaned" because of how oppressed they were. Many of God's covenant people were probably praying prayers of lament, crying out to God. Things like, why would you allow this to happen to us God? Where are you? Where are your promises? The people's groanings and cries (prayers) to God were heard by him.

And what was his response? He remembered the Covenant of Promise, he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Not that he had forgotten what he promised, but that he would "remember" his covenant when Israel had been in Egypt long enough for the Canaanites to be judged. The Exodus that is about to happen from Egypt is the fulfillment of God's covenant promise to bring salvation to Abraham's offspring.

We are told that God saw the children of Israel, and he knew. The idea is that God had a personal and intimate relationship with Abraham's descendants. He was not distant from his people but knew exactly what they were going through. He knew they were being oppressed and were in desperate need of deliverance. And this is what he did. He rescued Israel from Egypt as he mocked all of Egypt's false gods through plagues. God showed himself mighty and powerful to Israel and the world.

Our second point can be seen in Exodus 19:1-9a, 17, that the Covenant of Law constituted God’s people as a nation. Individually, our choices and decisions can be straightforward. We know ourselves, we know what we should and shouldn't do, so we simply act in accordance with our philosophy and perspective. Families are different, they must work together and have either spoken or unspoken rules about how they function. If we blow this up into communities, to function well, rules must be in place, otherwise, chaos ensues.

An example in Nashua is that you are not allowed to park on the street overnight. All cars must be in a driveway before 12:00am or you will get a ticket. I'm sure this law exists to maintain order. Laws keep societies from falling into anarchy.

And so, for Israel to be a nation, as God promised to Abraham in the Covenant of Promise, they needed laws. Thus, when God delivered his people, he made a Covenant of Law with them so that they would be formally established collectively as his people and he as their God.

But God’s giving of laws is much different than society’s. God gives laws to show his people how he wants them to live. Why? so that God can be among them. God's presence requires holiness, which is why all throughout Leviticus, you see the phrase "be holy, for I am holy." You could say, "Be set apart, for I am set apart." The laws given to Israel set them apart as God's people.

Let’s look particularly at Exodus 19:4-8 ,“’You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” So, Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

In this passage, we see what God requires of Israel and what God commits to do. God's purpose of redeeming Israel is that they would be a special people group who would be his treasured possession. This group of people would be constituted as a special nation, a set apart nation, a kingdom of priests who have a special relationship with God.

God's requirements of Israel are straightforward. The law, the Ten Commandments, the rules for meeting with God in the Tabernacle and priesthood, and other judicial laws particularly concerning Israel.

God would do four things. First, Israel would belong to him like no other people did; they were his and he was theirs. Second, they were chosen to have a spiritual relationship with God; they were to be a light to the nations that would show who God is, what he requires, and how they could have a relationship with him. Every person in this nation would be an ambassador of God. Third, they would be made into a kingdom, a real nation; no longer just a band of nomads, but a legitimized nation. Fourth, they were to be holy or set apart; chosen to be in his covenant.

Our third point can be seen in Exodus 20:2, the Covenant of Law is based upon God’s initiation and grace. The giving of the law is synonymous with the Covenant of Law and was never based on merit but was always based upon God's grace. The law was given because of what God had brought about.

Prefaces are important. You may not read them, but they tell the story of why and how a particular book came about. Reading a preface helps understand the author's mind and purpose and perhaps even get an understanding of what is being read.

Notice the preface to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:2, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Here, God states that he is Yahweh, their God. They are his people. God brought them out of Egypt, out of slavery. His initiation, his grace, has made them a people. They receive the law because of his action. God saved them, and so before he gives the stipulations, he reminds them of how they got here.

The implications that God is the initiator and his people are saved by his grace alone are huge. Our feeble faith is not the thing that ensures we are saved; Jesus' person and work are. Our program is not what brings about such wonderful rescue, God's program is. We can't say that we contribute anything to our salvation, except our bondage. It was this way for Israel, and this way for us. Nothing has changed. Just like Israel was happy to stay in bondage in Egypt, so we, without God giving us new hearts, would be happy to stay in our sin and misery.

Our fourth point can be seen in Exodus 24:1-11, the Covenant of Law established. The law was received and accepted after the deliverance, atonement, and purification of the people, not as a way for them to receive this. The law is how God expects his people to live as his people, and they live with him as their God.

In Exodus 24:3-4a, 7-8 we read, “Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. …Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

The preface to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:2 and this passage show something incredible, God’s action comes before his command. Israel is not in covenant with God because they have done well, in fact, their forefather, Abraham, was an idolater that God called out of sin and rebellion. They are not in the covenant because they did well or were perfect. Instead, they are in covenant with God because God rescued them. They are his people because of God’s initiation and grace.

God saved his people, and so they are to live and act like his people; they are to live this reality out. But how should they act? The Ten Commandments as found in Exodus 20:3-17. This appears to be referenced in this passage as "the Book of the Covenant." The Book of the Covenant outlines the general principles that God desires and requires his people to live by. These can be summed up by two primary things, to…love God with all our being and love our neighbor.

The law as was given to Israel at Sinai was read to the people as part of this covenant ceremony. This was the stipulation part of the covenant. They must obey God's laws. They happily committed themselves to this and agreed to do everything God told them to do. They knew they were in a covenant because God rescued them. They expected stipulations and were happy with them. They knew that these stipulations didn’t earn their salvation, for they were already saved, rather this was what God expected of them as redeemed people.

And so, to solemnize the covenant, blood was sprinkled upon the people. This blood was called the blood of the covenant. The people of Israel vowed that they would uphold their end of the covenant, and God vowed that he would uphold his end. The people took a blood oath and bound themselves and their descendants to God's covenant.

Some might say, why would they agree to this? They were rescued by God, and there was no way they would receive the land promise without his help. They were happy to take this oath because they had been rescued and freed by God.

It should be the same with us today. Jesus Christ is the lamb that took away our sins; we have been buried with Christ in his death, and the blood of the lamb was poured out for us for the forgiveness of sins. He has rescued us. Because of this, and especially since he has given us new hearts, we love him and desire to please him, so we keep his commandments. When we hear Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where he gets to the heart matters of the law, we should say, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient." Our redemption by Christ should cause us to obey with joy and delight. Hearts that don't desire to obey probably don't know the freedom that he has given them and are, therefore, more than likely not in covenant with him.

Our fifth and last point is seen in 1 Timothy 1:8-11, Romans 3:19-20, Galatians 4:4-5, and Philippians 3:8-12, the Covenant of Law shows us Jesus. The law has very positive effects. For those enslaved to sin, it convicts of sin, restrains evil, and shows a need for Christ. For those rescued by Christ, it is our delight to obey God’s commands and live in gratitude to him as we live for him and desire to be like him.

1 Timothy 1:8-9a, 10b-11 says, “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels…and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.” In Romans 3:19-20 says, “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” And 1 John 5:3 says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”

What good is the law of God? What purpose does it serve? To understand this, we must think about the purpose for those who are in Christ and those who are not. For those outside of Christ, 1 Timothy 1:8-11 tells us that the law is made for lawbreakers. It restrains evil, keeping them from being as bad as they could be, destroying themselves and others. Romans 3:19-20 shows us that it stops people from saying that they are not guilty, it convinces them of their sin.

The law requires a level of perfection that cannot be attained by those under sin, so no one can be cleared when they are compared to the just requirements of the law. It shows them that they are accountable to God. It shows them that they are sinners and need to be saved by God. In other words, not only does it restrain sin, but it convinces them that they are sinners, and shows them that they truly need Jesus.

For those who are in Christ, Spiritual people, those who have already been rescued by Christ, it shows us how we should live, and causes us to delight in Christ even more.

Jesus was born under the law; he redeemed those under the condemnation of the law and made us children. But this law does not make us righteous. As God’s children, we don't earn anything by obeying it; it is simply the air we breathe as it represents God’s desires.

Since by God's grace we are saved, and we are told that we were created for good works, how can we know what these good works are? The answer…the moral law, the Covenant of Law.

Once we move from being under the law's condemnation to being in Christ, the law takes on a different feel. What was bitter to us is now sweet. We can say with the psalmist, "Oh, how I love your law!" We can say as David did, "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul…More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb."

The law is beautiful because the law shows us who God is and what he loves and hates. It reveals the character of God, our Father, and as such, we use it to live out our gratitude and desire to be more like the One who rescued us and called us into his family. We, indeed, are no longer slaves but sons and daughters, children of the most high God. We no longer live in self-righteousness but in Christ's righteousness. We live as people who have been given hearts that long for and live for God.

Application

So, what is your view of the law? If you call yourself a Christian but feel that the laws in the Bible are another way to keep you from having fun or doing what you really want, you have missed Jesus and are losing out on the joy he has for you. The law was given to show our need for Jesus, our failure to love God and others, and also to show us Jesus. The law shows us what he loves and hates. Jesus allowed himself to be born under the law. He loved the law with his whole being. In fact, he was a perfect display of the character of God, which can be seen in the law. Perfect devotion and love of God. Perfect love toward others.

When we look at the law, we see Jesus. We should want to obey and follow it because, in so doing, our lives are more and more conformed to the image of Jesus, our Creator. The law shows us how to live the way God intended. As we obey, we will find ourselves delighting more and more in Christ. We will get to know God better and enjoy him more.

If you wouldn't call yourself a Christian, and feel that God’s laws are antiquated, you need to know these are pictures of God's perfection. These are the things that your Maker desires and requires of you.

If you are not in Christ, you are still under the Covenant of Works, you are still required to obey all these laws perfectly and from the heart. On the great day of judgment, you won't find a balance. God won't compare good works with bad, and if you have just enough good works, you get into heaven. No, one bad deed weighs an infinite amount. They will drop the scale to the endless abyss, and no amount of good work will lift the scale. One violation requires eternal payment.

But the good news is that Jesus freely offers himself for you. He hung on a cross, and bore God’s wrath if you choose this day to Covenant with God in him. Your sin can be put on him. His perfection can be yours. You can receive the Holy Spirit, and your life will live in communion and fellowship with God both now and forever.

All the guilt and shame you have for things past, present, and future can be washed away. Simply confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is the eternal God who gave himself for you, and you can escape the condemnation of the law and delight in God forever.