The Law as Wisdom (Christ and the Law Pt. 2)

Introduction

Luke 2:22-38

Luke 24:44 - Everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

Recall:

Exploring the topic of “Christ and the Law” as a way to unpack its usage in various passages in the gospel according to Mark.

Last week, we introduced six points about the Law concerning what it is/is not.

The Law is Prophecy

The Law is Wisdom

The Law is History

The Law is Not Our Means of Righteousness Before God

The Law is Not a Giver of Power

The Holy Spirit is the One Who Gives Us Power to Live Righteously Before Him

Recall:

In this list, we described how Christ fulfilled the Law through its messianic expectations. Namely, the Law (first five books) gives us tons of prophetic statements which are fulfilled by Jesus:

Gen. 3:15

Gen. 22:17-18

Gen. 49:10

Num. 24:17

Deut. 18:15

We also noticed how the Law in its fullest sense could only be filled by God Himself sitting on the throne. Who is able to enforce the law against sin when it is not obvious even to two or three witnesses? Only God

(We used Num. 15:32-36 with the Sabbath breaker as a historic example of this)

Our Goal For This Week is to talk about the Law as Wisdom

Namely, that the earliest Christians continued to use the law in a couple of key ways:

The law provides practical instruction.

The law discloses or serves as the constant defining measure for morality and what God deems as “right” before Him.

Defining Wisdom

Getting from point A to point B in the most efficient and effective manner

Vertical and Horizontal Axes of Wisdom

We were created and commissioned to fill the earth with the glory of God

Gen. 1:28 and Hab. 2:14, Num. 14:21

People who lack reference to the law redefine success to their peril.

Prov. 1:8-19

The man of blood might reach “wealth” as their point B faster than another, but they will pay dearly in the day of visitation. (1 Pet. 2:12) They have not acted wisely because they have not properly accounted for what is real and true.

See also Mark 8:36-37 (What does it profit a man who gains the whole world and loses his soul?)

The Writings and the Law

Taking the above, the Psalms and the Proverbs hinge on seeing the Law and the words of God as akin to treasure.

Ps. 119:72, 127

Pr. 2:1-5

NOTE - These statement would have been true of Christ who lived without sin and said that it was his FOOD to DO His Father’s will (John 4:34)

OT Points to Christ —> Christ accomplishes His work and imputes righteousness and His Holy Spirit to Us —> We return to the OT with a lens of love that Christ would have had.

Paul and the Law

1 Co. 7:19 - Paul can sometimes feel confusing about the Law.

Recall:

Romans 6:14 and Romans 3:31

So, Paul, what are you doing here?

Paul Wants to Bring Us to the ‘Obedience of Faith’

Rom. 1:5 and Rom. 16:26

Life which is so saturated with trust in God that obedience to Him is the natural outflow of that life.

Obedience that is sourced in faith — Where does your life come from? How are you mustering your strength to do anything? Faith. Belief in God.

“Power of Solar Energy”

2 Co. 10:3-6 - Destroying arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

NOTE - Paul does not think “faith” and “obedience” are mutually exclusive terms. HOWEVER, we can understand Paul better through a covenantal framework.

2 Cor. 3:4-6 - Paul sees himself and the apostles (as well as Christians in general) as ministers of a new covenant.

Paul’s Covenantal Background

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Ezekiel 36:25-28

Deut. 30:6

What is the essential argument of these NEW COVENANT passages in the OT?

God is going to change your heart

So that you become a people who love the Lord God well and

become obedient from the heart.

Paul Using Law

So, it’s not a surprise when we see Paul doing things like the following:

1 Timothy 5:18 - Deut. 25:4 and Luke 10:7 (Very Interesting)

Possibly an example of 1 Tim. 1:8

Eph. 6:1-3 (Ex. 20:12)

Perhaps a better passage would be Romans 13:8-10

Is Paul arguing for standards not found in the Law? NO.

Rather, Paul is conceptualizing the Law in much the same way that Jesus does in Matthew 22:36-40

The “Law” can be summed up from a command/ethics standpoint of:

Loving God and Loving Neighbor

NOTE - Christians are not leaving these behind when they follow Christ. Instead, Christians have been given renewed passions to pursue this love with a greater intensity than ever before.

How Does Sabbath Track Into This Conversation

Sabbath was created as a day of rest, but I think we could move this into the column of “loving God.”

See Lev. 23:2-3

So, if we are tracking the “Sabbath Law” down - it would look something like this:

Love God

How?

Rest on the Sabbath, and Worship Him.

How?

Don’t Work, Allow the Priest to Perform Sacrifice for you. (Num. 28:9-10)

What do I do to not work?

Follow the Spirit of the Law

Cleaning the Chocolate Bowl Example

Question: How is this wisdom?

Just as Paul utilized the Law to instruct Timothy on practical matters of ministerial pay or children on the benefit of obeying parents, we can reflect on the fact that our inability to rest often destroys us.

The phrenetic pace at which we live our lives is unsustainable. We are more anxious, disconnected, and emotionally frazzled than ever before. Our relationship with God buckles under the pressure of life. We need rest. God knows this about us, so the Sabbath — being something that God did not need but modeled for us anyways — is a display of His wisdom in leading us in ways that we should go.

Question: How is the Sabbath Christological? (How does it point to Christ?)

Hebrews 4:1-10

By faith in Christ we have been given rest because our righteousness is not determined by works of the Law or by performance. What the Sabbath does is it points to the Sabbath giver who provides for us by becoming our sacrificial High Priest (see Heb. 4:14-5:6)

Why Wrestle Through This Language?

Your ability to see your relationship with the Law helps staple the Testaments together where you can read both in good spirit.

Your ability to do what we are doing helps you see Jesus in the text of the Old Testament in a way like never before.

You won’t feel disjointed in your life as a Christian.

Living righteously, for the Christian, is not calculous. We live according to the Spirit of Christ that dwells in us in absolute freedom. If you are at odds about what is true, then you possess a word to study and meditate on. As you continue to spend time in the Word of God reflecting on the person of Christ, the math of life gets simpler and more instantaneous so that you can live in the “obedience of faith” without tremendous struggle.

1 Cor. 11:1 (Paul) - Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ

Prov. 30:2-5

Agur gives us words which we can reflect on.

He took the words of the Law and looked forward: He knew of a Son to come who gathered the wind in his fists and wrapped up the waters in his garment.

This would be fulfilled in Christ (Mark 4:39-41)