Over the last several postings, we’ve seen that even in the Old Testament, right standing before God was obtained, not through acts of outward obedience, but through faith and a transformed heart. These were always the main things in the Law. But, did the Israelites ever really see it that way, or did they have other interpretations of the Law and how one came to a right relationship with God?
The short answer is, no. What followed the giving of the Law, and especially during the inter-Testament period leading up to the advent of Christ (~ 400 hundred years), was a sad corruption of what the Law was and is. Instead of being considered the blessing from God which it was[1] , it was simultaneously denigrated and elevated above it’s place. That is, during the centuries following the giving of the Law, it was misunderstood and mischaracterized to the extent that by the time Jesus began His ministry, Israel was in the throes of the worst form of legalism.
George Ladd and Millard Erickson have both written on this and observed that during this period, the Law cam to be seen as the grounds for hope, salvation, justification, righteousness, life, resurrection and the means by which God’s kingdom would be established (sort of a primative theonomy). In short, “the law came to be viewed as an intermediary between God and man”. That is, in the minds of many, the law, instead of pointing towards the saviour, became the messiah instead!
In the next posting, we’ll see what Jesus and the Apostles had to say about the subject.
[1] I know there are some who are right now aggitated by that statement and would cite New Testament examples to show that the Law was a burden. To them I say, “Just wait, we’re not in the New Testament yet! Wait a couple more posts, and we'll get there!”
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