Articles
The Old Law - Romans
The Old Law - Romans
"Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God" (Romans 3:1–2)
Throughout history God made covenants with people: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Israel, David, etc. There was the Old Covenant (testament) and there is the NEW covenant. It is amazing to me how many people simply ignore this aspect of their bible. Yes, the whole 'bible', all sixty-six books, is inspired of God. No, they don't all directly apply to us. So it is with the covenant that God made with Israel through Moses.
Paul speaks of it here saying that the Jews (NOT everyone) were entrusted with the oracles of God (Rom. 3:2).
Earlier He wrote of the "Gentiles, who do not have the law" (2:14).
He stated: "What the law says, it says to those UNDER IT" - (Rom. 3:19).
He will write in chapter 9: "They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen." (9:4-5).
This is in agreement with what the Psalmist wrote many years before: “19 He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. 20 He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His ordinances, they have not known them. Praise the Lord!” (Psalms 147:19-20).
BUT NOW, even the believing Jewish people are free from the obligations of that law. NOW concerning that covenant/law we read in Romans 7: "Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God" (Rom. 7:4). Again Paul wrote of the old law: "But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code (Romans 7:6). Paul identifies the very law that we are dead to and released from is the law that said 'Thou Shalt Not Covet' (Rom. 7:7).
While we are not under the demands of the Old Covenant, we ARE in a covenant relationship with God through Jesus. We can say even as Paul did that while we are NOT under that law we are “under the law of Christ” (1Cor. 9:21). We are HIS Disciples and are taught to obey all things that HE has said: “18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus is our perfect sacrifice and thus “He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” (Heb. 5:9). Are you His disciple? Are you obeying Him?
Hugh DeLong
