Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator. (Gal 3:19 NRSV)
Now a mediator involves more than one party; but God is one. (Gal 3:20 NRSV)
I have been talking about exegesis. What about these verses? What do I think?
To understand the Old Testament, we really need the new. We will get really muddled otherwise. The Old Testament seen correctly shows us just how wonderful and powerful the New is.
Galatians, like Hebrews, is a powerful exposition of the supremacy of the New Covenant. Galatians Ch3 is a fabulous overview of the sweep of Biblical revelation. Paul starts in v1-5 by reminding the Galatians that they received the Holy Spirit because Christ was crucified and they believed. They did not receive Him because they observed the Law. No-one observes the Law. Christ fulfilled the spirit of the Law perfectly, but even he did not observe the letter of the Law, see Matthew Ch12 for example.
Galatians 3v7 quotes Hosea 6v6. God desires mercy, not sacrifice. We can see here that the Old Testament itself tells us that God's heart is not really in the Law as a governing system! Psalm 51 v16 tells us the same thing, with David typically expressing things in terms of God's emotions. David says
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. (Psa 51:16 NIV)
The same David who inspires us to be close to God's heart, and who clearly found delight in God's presence, here gives us insight into what God does not find pleasure and delight in. Oddly enough, it is aspects of the Law; sacrifice and burnt offering! Now God is in harmony with himself. If he finds no delight in something, it is because it is not his best. The law does not reflect the best heart intent of God!
The Law hinges on man's performance. Mercy hinges on God's performance. God, understandably, prefers his performance in us to our performance without him.
Galatians Ch3 goes onward from verse 6 by explaining that there is a continuity between the situation that existed between God and Abraham and the situation with us under the New Covenant. The Law is portrayed clearly and firmly as a departure from this flow, see v10-13.
The Gospel is concerned with promise. Abraham believed in a God who makes promises. He believed God, and he also believed the promises. The Gospel is primarily about believing in promises. We are exhorted to live in the good of the promises, but we are commanded to believe the promises themselves. The promises are about the total sufficiency of God in our lives, starting with forgiveness of sin and new life symbolized by baptism. Blessing comes to those who believe that God has answered everything.
Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. (Gal 3:7 NIV)
So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Gal 3:9 NIV)
There is a resonance, a thread, a continuity between Abraham and the New Covenant believer, so much so that the passage says that the Gospel was preached to Abraham, v8. It does not just mean that Abraham was told that all nations would be blessed through him. Abraham was aware that the basic nature of Gospel relationship with God entails faith, and believing. It means walking relationally with God.
Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (Gal 3:6 NIV)
In this passage, the Law is portrayed as a departure from Gospel faith. The Law demands righteousness. The Gospel credits righteousness to us because we have believed.
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." (Gal 3:10-11 NIV)
The Law was given through Moses. It was given to those for whom Moses personally pleaded, the Israelites, the physical seed of Abraham. An analysis of Exodus shows that these people did not have the faith of Abraham. They did not deeply put their hope in the faithfulness of God. They believed they could establish their own righteousness when they were told the rules.
The people all answered as one: "Everything that the LORD has spoken we will do." Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD. (Exo 19:8 NRSV)
Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. (Rom 10:3 NIV)
The Israelites at the time of Moses wanted contract. God wanted intimacy. From intimacy comes adoration, and from adoration comes surrender. From our surrender comes a place for the life of God in us. That life shows forth in beautiful, natural righteousness.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10 KJV)
This is the empowering dynamic behind the New Covenant, the force field which allows righteousness to spring forth. God is the one who alone is able....
....to satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth.. (Job 38:27 KJV)
The tender shoot of beautiful and righteous fruit in our lives comes forth because we have been close to him.
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. (Isa 61:11 KJV)
I love the KJV for the evocative poetry!
So why the Law? It was a package to meet the Israelites as they were, in their unbelief. Moses pleaded their case to God because they would not listen and believe. So God gave the Law as a supervisor to hold them together as a people and to discipline them until they can see their need for the Gospel.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them (the Israelites under Moses); but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (Heb 4:2 KJV)
It is interesting that the writer does not see God as excusing the unbelief because Jesus was not yet incarnate. God can read all the attitudes of our hearts.
Wherefore the law was our (the Israelites') schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Gal 3:24 KJV)
The best the Law can offer in terms of righteousness is to set forth God's behavioural requirements. In this respect, the Ten Commandments still stand. The best the Law can offer in terms of ritual is to make us aware of heavenly realities, of our eternal advocate and his sufficient sacrifice.
So it is my belief that the Law did not flow directly from God's heart. It was a response to the pleading of a mediator, Moses. And because God will not perform directly that which is not fully upon his heart, the Law was administered (Greek diatasso; arranged thoroughly, set in order, often translated 'ordained') by angels.
To quote Witness Lee, 'The Law is God's secondary economy'. (RV footnote)
Now a mediator involves more than one party; but God is one. (Gal 3:20 NRSV)
I have been talking about exegesis. What about these verses? What do I think?
To understand the Old Testament, we really need the new. We will get really muddled otherwise. The Old Testament seen correctly shows us just how wonderful and powerful the New is.
Galatians, like Hebrews, is a powerful exposition of the supremacy of the New Covenant. Galatians Ch3 is a fabulous overview of the sweep of Biblical revelation. Paul starts in v1-5 by reminding the Galatians that they received the Holy Spirit because Christ was crucified and they believed. They did not receive Him because they observed the Law. No-one observes the Law. Christ fulfilled the spirit of the Law perfectly, but even he did not observe the letter of the Law, see Matthew Ch12 for example.
Galatians 3v7 quotes Hosea 6v6. God desires mercy, not sacrifice. We can see here that the Old Testament itself tells us that God's heart is not really in the Law as a governing system! Psalm 51 v16 tells us the same thing, with David typically expressing things in terms of God's emotions. David says
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. (Psa 51:16 NIV)
The same David who inspires us to be close to God's heart, and who clearly found delight in God's presence, here gives us insight into what God does not find pleasure and delight in. Oddly enough, it is aspects of the Law; sacrifice and burnt offering! Now God is in harmony with himself. If he finds no delight in something, it is because it is not his best. The law does not reflect the best heart intent of God!
The Law hinges on man's performance. Mercy hinges on God's performance. God, understandably, prefers his performance in us to our performance without him.
Galatians Ch3 goes onward from verse 6 by explaining that there is a continuity between the situation that existed between God and Abraham and the situation with us under the New Covenant. The Law is portrayed clearly and firmly as a departure from this flow, see v10-13.
The Gospel is concerned with promise. Abraham believed in a God who makes promises. He believed God, and he also believed the promises. The Gospel is primarily about believing in promises. We are exhorted to live in the good of the promises, but we are commanded to believe the promises themselves. The promises are about the total sufficiency of God in our lives, starting with forgiveness of sin and new life symbolized by baptism. Blessing comes to those who believe that God has answered everything.
Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. (Gal 3:7 NIV)
So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Gal 3:9 NIV)
There is a resonance, a thread, a continuity between Abraham and the New Covenant believer, so much so that the passage says that the Gospel was preached to Abraham, v8. It does not just mean that Abraham was told that all nations would be blessed through him. Abraham was aware that the basic nature of Gospel relationship with God entails faith, and believing. It means walking relationally with God.
Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (Gal 3:6 NIV)
In this passage, the Law is portrayed as a departure from Gospel faith. The Law demands righteousness. The Gospel credits righteousness to us because we have believed.
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." (Gal 3:10-11 NIV)
The Law was given through Moses. It was given to those for whom Moses personally pleaded, the Israelites, the physical seed of Abraham. An analysis of Exodus shows that these people did not have the faith of Abraham. They did not deeply put their hope in the faithfulness of God. They believed they could establish their own righteousness when they were told the rules.
The people all answered as one: "Everything that the LORD has spoken we will do." Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD. (Exo 19:8 NRSV)
Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. (Rom 10:3 NIV)
The Israelites at the time of Moses wanted contract. God wanted intimacy. From intimacy comes adoration, and from adoration comes surrender. From our surrender comes a place for the life of God in us. That life shows forth in beautiful, natural righteousness.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10 KJV)
This is the empowering dynamic behind the New Covenant, the force field which allows righteousness to spring forth. God is the one who alone is able....
....to satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth.. (Job 38:27 KJV)
The tender shoot of beautiful and righteous fruit in our lives comes forth because we have been close to him.
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. (Isa 61:11 KJV)
I love the KJV for the evocative poetry!
So why the Law? It was a package to meet the Israelites as they were, in their unbelief. Moses pleaded their case to God because they would not listen and believe. So God gave the Law as a supervisor to hold them together as a people and to discipline them until they can see their need for the Gospel.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them (the Israelites under Moses); but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (Heb 4:2 KJV)
It is interesting that the writer does not see God as excusing the unbelief because Jesus was not yet incarnate. God can read all the attitudes of our hearts.
Wherefore the law was our (the Israelites') schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Gal 3:24 KJV)
The best the Law can offer in terms of righteousness is to set forth God's behavioural requirements. In this respect, the Ten Commandments still stand. The best the Law can offer in terms of ritual is to make us aware of heavenly realities, of our eternal advocate and his sufficient sacrifice.
So it is my belief that the Law did not flow directly from God's heart. It was a response to the pleading of a mediator, Moses. And because God will not perform directly that which is not fully upon his heart, the Law was administered (Greek diatasso; arranged thoroughly, set in order, often translated 'ordained') by angels.
To quote Witness Lee, 'The Law is God's secondary economy'. (RV footnote)
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