Galations 3:10-23
10*But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all these commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”* 11*Consequently, it is clear that no one can ever be right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”* 12*How different from this way of faith is the way of law, which says, “If you wish to find life by obeying the law, you must obey all of its commands.”* 13*But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”* 14*Through the work of Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, and we Christians receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.
The Law and God’s Promises
15*Dear brothers and sisters,* here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. 16*God gave the promise to Abraham and his child.* And notice that it doesn’t say the promise was to his children,* as if it meant many descendants. But the promise was to his child—and that, of course, means Christ. 17*This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. 18*For if the inheritance could be received only by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God gave it to Abraham as a promise.
19*Well then, why was the law given? It was given to show people how guilty they are. But this system of law was to last only until the coming of the child to whom God’s promise was made. And there is this further difference. God gave his laws to angels to give to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. 20*Now a mediator is needed if two people enter into an agreement, but God acted on his own when he made his promise to Abraham.
21*Well then, is there a conflict between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could have given us new life, we could have been made right with God by obeying it. 22 But the Scriptures have declared that we are all prisoners of sin, so the only way to receive God’s promise is to believe in Jesus Christ.
23*Until faith in Christ was shown to us as the way of becoming right with God, we were guarded by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until we could put our faith in the coming Savior.
Romans 10:1-4
1*Dear brothers and sisters,* the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is that the Jewish people might be saved. 2*I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3*For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Instead, they are clinging to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. They won’t go along with God’s way. 4*For Christ has accomplished the whole purpose* of the law. All who believe in him are made right with God.
Galations 5:1-4
1*So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
2*Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ cannot help you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey all of the regulations in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.
2Corinthians 3:7-11
7*That old system of law etched in stone led to death, yet it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. 8*Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory when the Holy Spirit is giving life? 9*If the old covenant, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new covenant, which makes us right with God! 10*In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new covenant. 11*So if the old covenant, which has been set aside, was full of glory, then the new covenant, which remains forever, has far greater glory.
OLD COVENANT
Exodus 20-
1*Then God instructed the people as follows:
2*“I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt.
3*“Do not worship any other gods besides me.
4*“Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish. 5*You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god! I do not leave unpunished the sins of those who hate me, but I punish the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations. 6*But I lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commands, even for a thousand generations.
7*“Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
8*“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9*Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, 10*but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any kind of work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11*For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; then he rested on the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
12*“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God will give you.
13*“Do not murder.
14*“Do not commit adultery.
15*“Do not steal.
16*“Do not testify falsely against your neighbor.
17*“Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else your neighbor owns.”
18*When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the horn, and when they saw the lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.
19*And they said to Moses, “You tell us what God says, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us. If he does, we will die!”
20*“Don’t be afraid,” Moses said, “for God has come in this way to show you his awesome power. From now on, let your fear of him keep you from sinning!”
21*As the people stood in the distance, Moses entered into the deep darkness where God was.
Proper Use of Altars
22*And the Lord said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: You are witnesses that I have spoken to you from heaven. 23 Remember, you must not make or worship idols of silver or gold.
24*“The altars you make for me must be simple altars of earth. Offer on such altars your sacrifices to me—your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Build altars in the places where I remind you who I am, and I will come and bless you there. 25*If you build altars from stone, use only uncut stones. Do not chip or shape the stones with a tool, for that would make them unfit for holy use. 26*And you may not approach my altar by steps. If you do, someone might look up under the skirts of your clothing and see your nakedness.
Exodus 21
1*“Here are some other instructions you must present to Israel:
2*“If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. 3*If he was single when he became your slave and then married afterward, only he will go free in the seventh year. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife will be freed with him.
4*“If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. 5*But the slave may plainly declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.’ 6*If he does this, his master must present him before God.* Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever.
7*“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. 8*If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. 9*And if the slave girl’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. 10*If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. 11*If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment.
Cases of Personal Injury
12*“Anyone who hits a person hard enough to cause death must be put to death. 13*But if it is an accident and God allows it to happen, I will appoint a place where the slayer can run for safety. 14*However, if someone deliberately attacks and kills another person, then the slayer must be dragged even from my altar and put to death.
15*“Anyone who strikes father or mother must be put to death.
16*“Kidnappers must be killed, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves.
17*“Anyone who curses father or mother must be put to death.
18*“Now suppose two people quarrel, and one hits the other with a stone or fist, causing injury but not death. 19*If the injured person is later able to walk again, even with a crutch, the assailant will be innocent. Nonetheless, the assailant must pay for time lost because of the injury and must pay for the medical expenses.
20*“If a male or female slave is beaten and dies, the owner must be punished. 21*If the slave recovers after a couple of days, however, then the owner should not be punished, since the slave is the owner’s property.
22*“Now suppose two people are fighting, and in the process, they hurt a pregnant woman so her child is born prematurely. If no further harm results, then the person responsible must pay damages in the amount the woman’s husband demands and the judges approve. 23*But if any harm results, then the offender must be punished according to the injury. If the result is death, the offender must be executed. 24*If an eye is injured, injure the eye of the person who did it. If a tooth gets knocked out, knock out the tooth of the person who did it. Similarly, the payment must be hand for hand, foot for foot, 25*burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
26*“If an owner hits a male or female slave in the eye and the eye is blinded, then the slave may go free because of the eye. 27*And if an owner knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave, the slave should be released in payment for the tooth.
28*“If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull must be stoned, and its flesh may not be eaten. In such a case, however, the owner will not be held liable. 29*Suppose, on the other hand, that the owner knew the bull had gored people in the past, yet the bull was not kept under control. If this is true and if the bull kills someone, it must be stoned, and the owner must also be killed. 30 However, the dead person’s relatives may accept payment from the owner of the bull to compensate for the loss of life. The owner will have to pay whatever is demanded.
31*“The same principle applies if the bull gores a boy or a girl. 32*But if the bull gores a slave, either male or female, the slave’s owner is to be given thirty silver coins* in payment, and the bull must be stoned.
33*“Suppose someone digs or uncovers a well and fails to cover it, and then an ox or a donkey falls into it. 34*The owner of the well must pay in full for the dead animal but then gets to keep it.
35*“If someone’s bull injures a neighbor’s bull and the injured bull dies, then the two owners must sell the live bull and divide the money between them. Each will also own half of the dead bull. 36*But if the bull was known from past experience to gore, yet its owner failed to keep it under control, the money will not be divided. The owner of the living bull must pay in full for the dead bull but then gets to keep it.
Exodus 22
1*“A fine must be paid by anyone who steals an ox or sheep and then kills or sells it. For oxen the fine is five oxen for each one stolen. For sheep the fine is four sheep for each one stolen.
2*“If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty. 3*But if it happens in daylight, the one who killed the thief is guilty of murder.
“A thief who is caught must pay in full for everything that was stolen. If payment is not made, the thief must be sold as a slave to pay the debt. 4*If someone steals an ox or a donkey or a sheep and it is recovered alive, then the thief must pay double the value.
5*“If an animal is grazing in a field or vineyard and the owner lets it stray into someone else’s field to graze, then the animal’s owner must pay damages in the form of high-quality grain or grapes.
6*“If a fire gets out of control and goes into another person’s field, destroying the sheaves or the standing grain, then the one who started the fire must pay for the lost crops.
7*“Suppose someone entrusts money or goods to a neighbor, and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house. If the thief is found, the fine is double the value of what was stolen. 8 But if the thief is not found, God* will determine whether or not it was the neighbor who stole the property.
9*“Suppose there is a dispute between two people as to who owns a particular ox, donkey, sheep, article of clothing, or anything else. Both parties must come before God* for a decision, and the person whom God declares* guilty must pay double to the other.
10*“Now suppose someone asks a neighbor to care for a donkey, ox, sheep, or any other animal, but it dies or is injured or gets away, and there is no eyewitness to report just what happened. 11*The neighbor must then take an oath of innocence in the presence of the Lord. The owner must accept the neighbor’s word, and no payment will be required. 12*But if the animal or property was stolen, payment must be made to the owner. 13*If it was attacked by a wild animal, the carcass must be shown as evidence, and no payment will be required.
14*“If someone borrows an animal from a neighbor and it is injured or killed, and if the owner was not there at the time, the person who borrowed it must pay for it. 15*But if the owner is there, no payment is required. And no payment is required if the animal was rented because this loss was covered by the rental fee.
Social Responsibility
16*“If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to anyone and sleeps with her, he must pay the customary dowry and accept her as his wife. 17*But if her father refuses to let her marry him, the man must still pay the money for her dowry.
18*“A sorceress must not be allowed to live.
19*“Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must be executed.
20*“Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed.
21*“Do not oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.
22*“Do not exploit widows or orphans. 23*If you do and they cry out to me, then I will surely help them. 24*My anger will blaze forth against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Your wives will become widows, and your children will become fatherless.
25*“If you lend money to a fellow Hebrew in need, do not be like a money lender, charging interest. 26*If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge of repayment, you must return it by nightfall. 27*Your neighbor will need it to stay warm during the night. If you do not return it and your neighbor cries out to me for help, then I will hear, for I am very merciful.
28*“Do not blaspheme God* or curse anyone who rules over you.
29*“Do not hold anything back when you give me the tithe of your crops and your wine.
“You must make the necessary payment for redemption of your firstborn sons.
30*“You must also give me the firstborn of your cattle and sheep. Leave the newborn animal with its mother for seven days; then give it to me on the eighth day.
31*“You are my own holy people. Therefore, do not eat any animal that has been attacked and killed by a wild animal. Throw its carcass out for the dogs to eat.
Exodus 24
1*“Do not pass along false reports. Do not cooperate with evil people by telling lies on the witness stand.
2*“Do not join a crowd that intends to do evil. When you are on the witness stand, do not be swayed in your testimony by the opinion of the majority. 3*And do not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor.
4*“If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. 5*If you see the donkey of someone who hates you struggling beneath a heavy load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and offer to help.
6*“Do not twist justice against people simply because they are poor.
7*“Keep far away from falsely charging anyone with evil. Never put an innocent or honest person to death. I will not allow anyone guilty of this to go free.
8*“Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe always hurts the cause of the person who is in the right.
9*“Do not oppress the foreigners living among you. You know what it is like to be a foreigner. Remember your own experience in the land of Egypt.
10*“Plant and harvest your crops for six years, 11*but let the land rest and lie fallow during the seventh year. Then let the poor among you harvest any volunteer crop that may come up. Leave the rest for the animals to eat. The same applies to your vineyards and olive groves.
12*“Work for six days, and rest on the seventh. This will give your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It will also allow the people of your household, including your slaves and visitors, to be refreshed.
13*“Be sure to obey all my instructions. And remember, never pray to or swear by any other gods. Do not even mention their names.
Three Annual Festivals
14*“Each year you must celebrate three festivals in my honor. 15*The first is the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast, just as I commanded you before. This festival will be an annual event at the appointed time in early spring,* for that is the anniversary of your exodus from Egypt. Everyone must bring me a sacrifice at that time. 16*You must also celebrate the Festival of Harvest,* when you bring me the first crops of your harvest. Finally, you are to celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest* at the end of the harvest season. 17*At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign Lord.
18*“Sacrificial blood must never be offered together with bread that has yeast in it. And no sacrificial fat may be left unoffered until the next morning.
19*“As you harvest each of your crops, bring me a choice sample of the first day’s harvest. It must be offered to the Lord your God.
“You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
A Promise of the Lord’s Presence
20*“See, I am sending my angel before you to lead you safely to the land I have prepared for you. 21*Pay attention to him, and obey all of his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sins. He is my representative—he bears my name. 22*But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you. 23*For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. And I will destroy them. 24*Do not worship the gods of these other nations or serve them in any way, and never follow their evil example. Instead, you must utterly conquer them and break down their shameful idols.
25*“You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will keep you healthy. 26*There will be no miscarriages or infertility among your people, and I will give you long, full lives.
27*“I will send my terror upon all the people whose lands you invade, and they will panic before you. 28*I will send hornets ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites. 29*But I will not do this all in one year because the land would become a wilderness, and the wild animals would become too many to control. 30*I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to fill the land. 31*And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea,* and from the southern deserts to the Euphrates River.* I will help you defeat the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you.
32*“Make no treaties with them and have nothing to do with their gods. 33*Do not even let them live among you! If you do, they will infect you with their sin of idol worship, and that would be disastrous for you.
I choose the new covenant which is Christ and Him alone.
