the end of the law

I've recently been reading "The End of the Law: Mosaic Covenant in Pauline Theology" by Jason C Meyer. He has great discussions about the old-ness of the Old Covenant and the new-ness of the New Covenant. He does excellent exegetical work in 2 Cor 3-4, Gal 3-4, and Rom 9-11. The discussion may be seemingly peripheral, but it's ripple effects are very significant.

In the introduction, Meyer begins with an old Puritan proverb/poem/hymn. Spurgeon attributed it to John Bunyan, but others believe it to be John Berridge. It's really beautiful.

To run and work the law commands

Yet gives me neither feet nor hands

But better news the gospel brings

It bids me fly and gives me wings

GRACE iS DANGEROUS

Paul knew it in Romans 6. "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never be!" What's interesting, though, is that Moses understood this in Deuteronomy 6 as well.

Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Deuteronomy is a series of three "sermons" by Moses on the plains of Moab before the people enter the land. In each sermon, Moses is reminding the people of what God has done and wants them to do. You can sense that the people are not getting it like they should. Still, Moses is relentless in depicting God's gracious dealings with them.

Later, in Dt 30, Moses says that he has set before them life or death and blessing or curse. He pleads with them to choose life/blessing. In Dt 31, God pulls Moses aside and essentially tells him that the people are going to choose death/curse over life/blessing. They are going to forget and neglect the grace of God. They will not remember the extent of His promises to their fathers. They will will not cherish that He brought them up out of bondage and freed them. 

What is even more bothersome is the fact that in the land, they persist in this. Then, under their judges, they become even more selfish [Jdgs 21.25]. Under their kings, the nation is divided! When the prophets preach, they don't listen. And when their Messiah comes, many reject Him. 

Of course, we are never like this?

But there is something different about this New Covenant grace in which we stand. We don't necessarily get it all the time [see Apostle Peter], but we have been given the Spirit in a way that they had not. God's covenant people are no longer physically, ethnically, and/or geographically defined. So now, by the Spirit and because of the work of the Messiah, we, as his people, can now see and experience further grace when we don't fully understand grace. There is something humbling, odd, sweet, and dangerous about that. This kind of grace must birth faith, hope, and love. This kind of grace does not yield apathy, passivity, and pride.

May it be so with us.

"BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS"

This phrase is used four times in Joshua 1 [1.6, 1.7, 1.9, 1.18]. Why so repetitive? 

First off, Joshua was still a new leader. He was likely shaking in his rookie boots. He saw what kind of consequences Moses had for direct disobedience.

Second, Moses was Israel's ideal leader and he had just died. Moses was prophetic, priestly, and "knew YHWH face to face" like nobody else ever has [Dt 34.10-12]. Tough act to follow.

Third, YHWH told Moses in Dt 31.16-21 that the people weren't going to be the greatest snapshot of godliness in the days to come. They were going to prostitute the covenant love of YHWH. Needless to say, Joshua wasn't leading 1,000 saints. 

Fourth, Josh's job was to conquer the promise land. This is easier said than done when those in the promise land not only out number you, but are sometimes huge Goliath-ish fellows.

An 18th century rabbi [the Vilna Gaon] maintained that "strong" referred to the body and that "courageous" referred to the emotions. Even if this is a false distinction, noticing the above four reasons why Joshua needed to hear this repeated proves that YHWH is holding out a holistic hope to Joshua. 

He does the same to us in another Joshua.

Of course, Jesus was His Greek name. Both He and rookie-warrior Joshua would have gone by the Hebrew or Aramaic "Yeshua" [meaning "YHWH is salvation"]. This new Joshua grants present hope because He leads into a promise land where there is pure and eternal rest [Heb 4.1-11].

i hope i get old like Moses and John Wesley

Although Moses was 120 years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated [Deut 34.7].






















Today I entered on my eighty-second year and found myself just as strong to labor and as fit for any exercise of body or mind as I was forty years ago. I do not impute this to second causes, but to the Sovereign Lord of all. It is he who bids the sun of life stand still, so long as it pleases him. I am as strong at eighty-one as I was at twenty-one; but abundantly more healthy, being a stranger to the headache, toothache, and other bodily disorders that attended me in my youth. We can only say, "The Lord reigneth!" While we live, let us live to him [John Wesley].

there’s no in justice with God [Rom 9.14]

9.15 [says to Moses]
9.16 [so then....]
9.17 [says to Pharaoh]
9.18 [so then....]

"for what the Law could not do, God did..." He showed mercy.

John Bunyan was in prison for 12 years. There he wrote one of the best sellers of all time. The Baptist tinker painted Moses and the Law with such striking imagry that you must keep reading. The dialogue is Faithful telling Christian of the assaults he has met on his journey. Faithful describes an old man he met named Adam the First, who tried to persuade him to go to his home and be his servant.

Faithful: Why, at first I found myself somewhat inclinable to go with the man, for I thought he spake very fair; but looking in his forehead, as I talked with him, I saw there written, “Put off the old man with his deeds.” Then it came burning hot into my mind, that, whatever he said, and however he flattered, when he got me home to his house he would sell me for a slave. So I bid him forbear to talk, for I would not come near the door of his house. Then he reviled me, and told me that he would send such a one after me that should make my way bitter to my soul. So I turned to go away from him; but just as I turned myself to go thence, I felt him take hold of my flesh, and give me such a deadly twitch back, that I thought he had pulled part of me after himself: this made me cry, “O wretched man” [Rom. 7:24]. So I went on my way up the hill. Now, when I had got above half-way up, I looked behind me, and saw one coming after me, swift as the wind; so he overtook me just about the place where the settle stands... But, good brother, hear me out. So soon as the man overtook me, it was but a word and a blow; for down he knocked me, and laid me for dead. But when I was a little come to myself again I asked him wherefore he served me so. He said because of my secret inclining to Adam the First. And with that he struck me another deadly blow on the breast, and beat me down backward; so I lay at his foot as dead as before. So when I came to myself again I cried him mercy: but he said, I know not how to show mercy; and with that he knocked me down again. He had doubtless made an end of me, but that one came by and bid him forbear.

Christian: Who was that that bid him forbear?

Faithful: I did not know him at first: but as he went by, I perceived the holes in his hands and in his side: Then I concluded that he was our Lord. So I went up the hill.

Christian: That man that overtook you was Moses. He spareth none; neither knoweth he how to show mercy to those that transgress the law.