The Covenant of Law (Part 2)

Last week we read about the Mosaic Covenant- namely the exodus and the ten commandments. Now, this week we will be learning about the sacrificial system and the challenge God give for His people to KEEP this law.

As we will learn, day and night the smoke of sacrifices were always going up to the heavens. And every day, the law was to be kept.

As humans, we’re always doubting whether we’ve done enough. As parents, when our kids go down, we often have talks about whether we’ve treated them well, or taught them the right things.

When God gave His law, he also gave a sacrificial system for those who would break it.

He knew this- when (not if) we sin, that our hearts would bear a heavy burden. And so He gave a system that made it feel right.

Come Thou Fount

O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;

I love this hymn because it diagnoses the hardest part of following God. The same heart that believes in Him also wanders from Him.

The Israelites would also learn that obedience and sacrifices wouldn’t be enough for them.

The problem is much deeper. So the hymn writer says: here’s my heart; O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.

Let us pray

1. The Sacrificial System

A. Introducing the Tabernacle and the system of sacrifice. (Point to the back of the handout)

Exodus 29:38–46

[38] “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. [39] One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. [40] And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. [41] The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. [42] It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. [43] There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. [44] I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. [45] I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. [46] And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. (ESV)

Please look at the back of your bulletins

BLANK “When the blood was poured out, the message to Israel was unmistakable: God's holiness cannot compromise with sin. A price must be paid, a life must be given, and the gravity of our transgression is measured by the death of the innocent.” Dr. Thomas R. Schreiner

These sacrifices show the need for the shedding of blood, but as such they are a shadow of Christ.

Hebrews 10:1–4

[1] For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. [2] Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? [3] But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. [4] For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (ESV)

B. Historic Context for the Priestly Tasks

They are continuously attentive to the worship of God, performing their duties night and day. There is no intermission in their sacrifices; they are offered daily, at the public expense; and the priests offer them, and that twice every day, both in the morning and in the evening.

— Flavius Josephus, Against Apion, Book II.8

The temple never closed. There were essentially sacrifices going up 24/7. There were 24 divisions of Levite priests. Each served one week at a time. Most served two weeks a year in the temple. In each division there were 6 smaller houses called Batei Avot (father’s houses) that worked on a day.

Mishnah Shekalim 5:1 “These are the officers in the Sanctuary: Johanan ben Phinehas was over the seals... Ben Ahijah was over the bowel-sickness [internal diseases]... ”

The Sabbath On the Sabbath, the workload actually doubled. This would be an all hands day- all 6 smaller houses would join together and work.

Hebrews 10:11–14 ESV

11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Even the priests had to make daily grain offerings every day. Half in the morning, half at night.

2. Blessings and Curses

Keep in mind, the parents of all the people being told this died. They essentially have a summary and law given to them again by Moses, who by this time is 120 years old, having never diminished in age.

A. The Law/Commandment/ Word is not too hard, neither too far.

Deuteronomy 30:11–14 ESV

11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

A hallmark of the Mosaic covenant is that through Moses we have the written Torah. John 5:46 “46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.”

This word was given to Israel. Not hidden in a language only for priests. Plain and inviting to

The commandment isn’t too hard. These things are all obtainable, not requiring extreme strength or wisdom.

The commandment isn’t far away. God has not hidden His word from us. In Moses time it was preached to all. In modern times it’s in your hands.

B. Following the Law gives either life or death

Deuteronomy 30:15–18 ESV

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.

v15 The Bible is a matter of life and death.

Hebrews 4:12 “12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

“The bible isn’t safe anywhere you touch it. It cuts life on one side, death on the other.”

v16 IF is the first word. It’s a conditional. It implies a THEN. You will multiply and be blessed. (see Deut 28:1-6)

v17 But IF we do not, then we will be cursed. (see Deut 28:15-19)

“Israel isn’t told ‘you’re my elect people so you’ll be blessed if you walk in my ways, or don’t walk in my ways it doesn’t matter.’” No, they’re told IF you walk in my ways you’ll be blessed.” - Al Mohler

Today, Christians, our challenge is to live holy lives as well. 1 Peter 1:16 “16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

C. The Purpose of the Law

Deuteronomy 30:11 ESV

11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.

Steph Curry 91% free throw average. League average is 79%. This is something kids are taught on their first practice. Just get good- and you can do it. 9 out of 10 times. Why not 100? Is a free throw hard? No, it is one of the easiest shots is basketball. It’s done when you’re fouled, so literally everyone stops and waits for you to shoot it. It’s easy. But doing it every time? No.

What we’re meant to see here is that none if this is too physically or mentally difficult for us. It takes zero effort to not covet my neighbors house. It is easy to bring a lamb to a temple and let the priest do his job. None of this is especially hard.

Yet, we still rebel.

Adam and Eve are given an easy law. Don’t eat the fruit. And yet they do. Keeping the law isn’t difficult for our minds or our bodies. Its difficult for our hearts. The law has exposed every man and woman who has ever lived as someone who doesn’t want to obey God.

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

THIS is why we need a new heart.

Ezekiel 36:26 ESV

26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

D. The Better Covenant

Romans 10:5–10 ESV

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.

This part is about Deuteronomy 30, the righteousness of law keeping.

Romans 10:5–9 ESV

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

PRAISE TEAM please come up at this point.

Now, Paul takes these words and makes them his own. No longer is it the law that is close to us, but now Jesus.

v6 Just as the Israelites didn’t go up to heaven to get the Law, but God brought it down. So, John 3:16 “16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

v7 Just as the Israelites didn’t go under the sea or abyss to get the Law, so Acts 2:24 “24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”

v8 Now Paul says “the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” but this time, the word is the word of faith we proclaim.

Now, the IF totally changes.

It is no longer IF you follow the law you will live long and inherit a land.

It is now IF you confess Jesus is Lord and believe God raised Him form the dead you will be saved.

In the Mosaic covenant, your blessings for obedience are as follows:

You will live long and die in your old age. 2. You will inherit a land promised to your Fathers.

In the New covenant, your blessings are as follows

You will live forever 2. You will inherit Heaven, the home of your Father.

Extra:

R.C. Sproul Quote: The grounds of your justification are the perfect works of Jesus Christ. We're saved by works, but they're not our own.