Man's Need for the Law

Looking at Exodus starting in chapter thirteen, we see how God takes His chosen people from captivity and begins to build a relationship with them. The first thing we see is that God does not have them take the easy route, but instead takes them into the wilderness so that they will not see the battle and be frightened back into captivity. Our lives as believers take on this same situation when we first come to Christ and want to go and fight the battles. If God allows us to do so and we are challenged and come out not victorious we can be scared and return to where it was "easier". As Israel wandered around the wilderness they often grumbled about wanting to go back to Egypt because they were not happy with what God was providing for them. Time and time again God delivered them and proved to them that He would provide.

God wanted more for Israel, and wants more for His believers than for us to just be delivered. He wants us to work toward His righteousness. In order for us to know what God views as righteousness He had to give the children of Israel commandments on how to live. Exodus twenty breaks down the law into ten commandments, but Christ broke them down into two areas only. The first four deal with how we are to relate to God, and the fifth through the tenth deal with how we are to deal with our neighbor. This covenant that God made with Israel was a conditional covenant that would promise blessings for them and each other if they would keep this law. That brings us to the second reason why the law was given, so that the children of Israel and we can see that we can see the character of God, but know that we can never attain to the character of God. The Law does not provide a way to salvation, nor make one righteous, it is only through faith that salvation comes and trying to keep the law is only an expression of a believers love for God.

God then in the last chapters of Exodus sets up a way that Israel could approach Him in the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle being an illustration for the present time shows us that we too need a high priest to approach God due to our sin nature. That high priest is Jesus Christ which intercedes for us continually. Knowing what Christ has done for us, may we each live to glorify Him daily.