The Law was given to us for three purposes. The first and most important is point out our sinfulness. Romans 3:20 says, “Through the law, comes the knowledge of sin.” I was just reminded of how well the Old Testament points out our sin as I was reading God’s words to Moses in Numbers 30. Verse 2 says, “A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do!” That last phrase, “He must do exactly what he said he would do,” is the convicting part. My mouth often outruns my mind, and over commits body to do what I’m unable to follow through on. Thus, again, I’m reminded of how far short I fall of God’s standard.
I’m thankful for the 2nd purpose of the law; to point me to Jesus Christ. I need a savior. My righteousness is like a boat full of holes, but his righteousness is as solid and secure as it can be. I have hope because he rescues me from my sinking boat and pulls me into his solid secure boat. He carries me across the sea to God’s celestial shores. In His righteous boat, God sees us as if we’ve always done exactly what we’ve said. Aren’t you glad!
The third purpose of the law is to give us a standard to live by. We are to always strive to “do exactly what we said we would do.” God wants us to become like him. He wants us to be godly in all our relationships.
Numbers 23:19 tells us what God is like. It says, “God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried through?” The assumed answers are of course, “No, Never!”