ICS Daily Devotions
Jesus Fulfilled The Law
Deuteronomy 28:1-2,15 (NKJV) Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God… But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.
The Israelites in the Bible lived under the Mosaic Law in Old Covenant, which was not perfect. It was also a conditional covenant. It included blessings and curses when one obeyed the voice of God and the laws of God.
The promises of blessing in the Mosaic covenant were based on the basis of obedience to the voice of God and observance of His commandments. The nation of Israel would be high above all the nations on the earth. All the blessings would overtake them. They would be blessed in the city or the country side. The fruit of their body would be blessed. The fruit of the ground, the cattle and the herds would be increased. Their kneading bowl and basket would be blessed. They would be blessed in their coming in and the going out. Their enemy would come in one way and flee in seven ways because God would defeat them. The Lord would command the work of their hands be blessed and their storehouse to be full. They would only lend and not borrow. They would be the head and not the tail. All the nations of the earth would call them blessed!
In case they would fail, however, the curses of disobedience towards the voice of God and the laws of God were dreadful. It was exactly the opposite of the blessings. Everything that they do would not succeed, regardless whether it was in the city or countryside. Their land, cattle, herd, flock, and everything that they set to do would fail and not increase, including all agricultural products. They would not enjoy the fruit of their labor. There would be sicknesses, illnesses, pain and sufferings in their land. They would be defeated by their enemies. Their family members would not do well. The nation would be conquered. They would be ashamed of themselves.
Deuteronomy 30:19( NKJV) I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.
God asked the Israelites to choose the obvious choice. Obedience was condition of blessing, but sinful mankind was bent toward disobedience. The Old Testament was faithful to set a clear standard that would always expose sin in God’s people and reveal His holiness.
It turned out to be difficult to maintain the Old Covenant to perfection and God’s people failed to fulfill their part of it. God’s laws were written on tablets of stone and brought conviction of sin. They revealed a corrupt heart that resists God’s will. The Old Testament laws gave His people no power to keep those laws. They had a heart of stone and were rebellious in their ways. Therefore, we witnessed how God had to lift His hands of protection so that they were destroyed by their enemies.
The law was a schoolmaster that revealed to us the weakness of man and our spiritual bankruptcy. Therefore, it was supposed to push the people to seek the grace of God and the work of Jesus Christ that grant us justification by faith in what He has done for us on the cross of Calvary. Jesus is the answer to the weakness and the struggle of men against the carnal nature, temptation and sin!
Galatians 3:10-14 (NKJV) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the Law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Jesus was the fulfillment of the unconditional Abrahamic covenant so that all the nations of the earth would be blessed! Jesus’ work on the cross led to a propitiation for our sins and met the requirements of the law for us. We are justified by faith and have the imputed righteousness upon us if we believe. We are given a new heart and are blessed with His Spirit. We are able to yield to the voice of God through the new creation, which is what the Old Testament people were not able to do. God’s plan with humankind never fails. We can just thank God for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, for setting us free from the law of sin and death!
Sermon series: Our Church experiencing God Together (CG campaign 2)
