Episode 2493 - Lesson 8 - Thursday - August 21 - The Law as God's Promise for Us

The Law as God’s Promise for UsRead Romans 3:20-24. Though Paul is very clear that we cannot be saved by keeping the Ten Commandments, how then should the commandments function in our lives?The Hebrew meaning of the term dabarim used in the writing of Moses to describe the Ten Commandments (Exod. 34:28, Deut. 4:13, Deut. 10:4) does not literally mean "commandments," but "words." This "word," dabar (singular), can have the meaning of a "promise." That is why, in numerous places (1 Kings 8:56; 2 Chron. 1:9; Neh. 5:12-13; Deut. 1:11; Deut. 6:3; Deut. 9:28; Josh. 9:21; Josh. 22:4; Josh. 23:5), dabar is translated either in a noun or verb form expressing the idea of promise.Ellen G. White offers an insight into the function of the Decalogue: "The ten commandments … are ten promises."—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1105. The Decalogue should be understood as promises from God that will guide us on the right path so that He can do wonderful things for us. But we must obey them.Read Romans 10:4. How should we understand Paul’s statement that Christ is the "end" of the law?Paul states that Jesus Christ is the telos of the law, but not in the sense that Christ abrogates the law or does away with it. Instead, this means that Christ is the goal and intent of the law; it does not mean that His atoning sacrifice terminates the validity and perpetuity of it.On the contrary, Paul speaks about the importance of the law, about its legitimacy, and about its enduring authority (Rom. 3:31, 1 Cor. 7:19, Gal. 5:6). The meaning of the word telos is primarily purposeful and goal oriented, not time related. Christ is the key to unlock the true meaning and purpose of God’s law. Thus, it would be incorrect to state that Christ invalidated, superseded, or abrogated the law. Christ is the goal of the law, the One to whom it points.How does the law point us to Jesus? That is, what does the law reveal to us about ourselves that would indeed point us to Jesus?