Why did God give the Israelites a Law that they could never obey fully?

[onlinebuddy]

I would say they were always under grace, God has always dealt with mankind by Grace. We know this because of the great murderer and adulterer who was also called the friend of God. As David said, Sacrifice and burnt offering you did not desire.

What the law did was show man he needed God. He was able to see his sin, and had no excuse. He was also shown the way to redemption. The murder or slaughter of the lamb.

Grace is a characteristic of God. God does not change like shifting shadows; so I agree with you that he was as much a graceful God in the OT as he is now. However, the Law was devoid of grace. Every sin had to be paid or atoned for.

David received God's grace and forgiveness because he repented. However, he could not stop the consequences of his sins. He lost his child through Bathsheba. His son, Absalom plotted against him and slept with his wives...etc

We, who are under the New Covenant, have been freely and generously given the grace of God (Eph 1:6-8) through Jesus, who was the atoning lamb sacrificed once and for all.

The law left man (including us) without excuse. It showed man that he could not make it on his own without the grace of God. Therefore no one can say, "I can attain salvation by my own works." If anyone says this, he must be told about the huge failure of Israel, who tried to do the same thing.

 

[RedTent]

What wonderful postings! If I may add my 2 cents:

Firstly, God did not give the Israelites a heart that would understand and obey, when they were in the desert, according to the following verse

Duet 29:4 “Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.

God taught us about His ways and principles through the Hebrews.

Everyone above 20 years of age died in the desert after roaming therein for 40 years.

The Hebrews had become so Egypian in their understanding, it was only the new generation that could fully understand God. Also, they were rebellious.

Next, when the younger generation was about to leave the desert and enter Canaan in Deut 29, God bound them with the Mosaic Law.

This was a covenant of obedience and could not make them righteous or could not save them

Please read Psalm 119 to understand about “law”. Often the word in Hebrew means instructions rather than law. If you study the cults of the Egypians or other cults of the times you will see how awful it was to live under these ideas and how blessed people are by living by God’s ways. God never gave grace to the Hebrews based on their obedience. Think of David, how God loved Him yet he even murdered!

About the blessings and curses of the law: God has mercy and forgives when we ask, always has.

If you steal something you are going to be punished. It will result in your eternal death, also. You can ask forgiveness and repent and escape eternal death, but you are still going to have to go to jail, or whatever the result of your act is.

Psalm 119 is too long to copy here, but what a wonderful picture of law!!!

 

[Eccl12and13]

So God does punish the children for the sins of their fathers, doesn't he?

So they stand cursed as per the Old Covenant, don't they?

You are correct! As a nation, the children of Israel were cursed AND, according to God's word will be cursed until His return.

But I must add that ALL will be held accountable for the sins that they commit individually;

Ezek.18
[4] Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
[20] The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.


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[joshhuntnm]

To demonstrate that we need a Savior. See book of Galatians.

 

[spacefreak]

the best answer i can give is that GOD knows that us humans are NOT good enough to keep his law, thats where grace and mercy comes in. GOD'S law is a guidline of sorts that we are supposed to try our best to follow like the 10 commandments, etc even though we can't keep everyone we need to try be the best christ like christians and humans that we can be

 

[Nashah]

Firstly, God did not give the Israelites a heart that would understand and obey, when they were in the desert, according to the following verse
Duet 29:4 “Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see,
nor ears to hear.


Everyone above 20 years of age died in the desert after roaming therein for 40 years.

Next, when the younger generation was about to leave the desert and enter Canaan in Deut 29, God bound them with the Mosaic Law.
This was a covenant of obedience and could not make them righteous or could not save them.

In Lev 26 we read about the blessings and the curses attached to the Law.

EVERY SINGLE PERSON would have to obey EVERY SINGLE COMMANDMENT of the Law.
Even if a single person failed to obey, the entire nation would be cursed!!!
Isn't that too rigid and strict?

Since the Jews could not obey the Law, they stand cursed.
If I'm not mistaken, the nation of Israel will one day be restored. However, ALL the terrible curses of the Law would fall on them before that.

Doesn't that sound unjust?

I know and believe that God is perfectly just. However, I would like to hear your comments and understanding on the above.

You are kinda using a bad story as an example. It can be shown in Numbers 14:1 that it was not one person who spoke up about not going into the promised land... but "all the congregation" so all of those who had a voice in matters (those whom are 20 and older) got punished for the lack of faith they had when God had already done so many miracles for them. This punishment is by no means unjust. And by no means was this punishment based upon one or even a few people.

And as for why to the law, one can simply explain it as a way for God to show how we can not be righteous on our own and for our need for a savior.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Grace is a characteristic of God. God does not change like shifting shadows; so I agree with you that he was as much a graceful God in the OT as he is now. However, the Law was devoid of grace. Every sin had to be paid or atoned for.

Yep, that is why the law could never save anyone, all it could do was condemn. Because ALL have sinned and fall short of the mark.

David received God's grace and forgiveness because he repented. However, he could not stop the consequences of his sins. He lost his child through Bathsheba. His son, Absalom plotted against him and slept with his wives...etc

Exactly. this is the part people do not get. We are forgiven by our faiht in Christ. but the consequence of sin is not removed. The more we sin, the more we suffer. That is why God wants us to follow him. Not to be a dictator, and satan wants us to believe, but as a loving father who wants what is best for his children.

We, who are under the New Covenant, have been freely and generously given the grace of God (Eph 1:6-8) through Jesus, who was the atoning lamb sacrificed once and for all.

The law left man (including us) without excuse. It showed man that he could not make it on his own without the grace of God. Therefore no one can say, "I can attain salvation by my own works." If anyone says this, he must be told about the huge failure of Israel, who tried to do the same thing.

Amen and amen. we can't live up to this standard, and wont until we are ressurected and given a new body free of sin.

 

[Eccl12and13]

God gave laws for the same reason ANY other government gives laws; for order!

Let's read what is to come in the future;


Isa.9
[6] For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
[7] Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Now let's read of a law that will be kept during the reign of Christ;

Zech.14
[16] And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
[17] And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
[18] And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.


Now didn't God tell us this His feast days were to be kept FOREVER?

And here we see them still being kept during Christ 1000 year rule here on earth.

Now if God is requiring ALL of the nations on the earth to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, what of His other laws?

Do you think God will have laws that are to be obeyed when He returns?


Let's read who it will be that will rule with the Lord;

Ezek.34
[23] And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
[24] And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.

Ezek.37
[25] And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.


Now what is it that David will be feeding the people? How will David rule the people without laws?


God gave His laws for order. He gave them then for order. We have those same laws NOW for order. And we will have those SAME laws in the future for order!



.

 

[onlinebuddy]

God gave laws for the same reason ANY other government gives laws; for order!

Let's read what is to come in the future;


Isa.9
[6] For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
[7] Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Now let's read of a law that will be kept during the reign of Christ;

Zech.14
[16] And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
[17] And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
[18] And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.


Now didn't God tell us this His feast days were to be kept FOREVER?

And here we see them still being kept during Christ 1000 year rule here on earth.

Now if God is requiring ALL of the nations on the earth to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, what of His other laws?

Do you think God will have laws that are to be obeyed when He returns?


Let's read who it will be that will rule with the Lord;

Ezek.34
[23] And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
[24] And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.

Ezek.37
[25] And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.


Now what is it that David will be feeding the people? How will David rule the people without laws?


God gave His laws for order. He gave them then for order. We have those same laws NOW for order. And we will have those SAME laws in the future for order!



.

I agree with you that there will always be order under God's (or Christ's ) government, since God is a God of order.

To me, keeping the Jewish feasts is a matter of one's conscience.

The feasts correspond to various stages or events in the history of Israel (some events that are still to come).
Jesus has fulfilled most of the feasts, and I guess few are yet to be fulfilled. However, a Christian is not obligated to keep these feasts. They are not connected to salvation.

If a Christian keeps the Jewish feasts it's up to them, and no one must judge them. If a Christian decides not to keep the feasts, no one must judge them either. The Jewish feasts are merely a shadow leading to Christ.

I am yet to study the versus provided by you and ascertain the context. Thanks anyway.

 

[clarkthompson]

It has been or faith in God's Word that has always saved us not law or works. In the old testament the Jews showed their faith by following the law God gave, the law did not save them faith in God's Word did, Today all those who accept God's Word or now, as we know him Jesus who died for us. We have grace but works show we have God's grace.

 

[hopesprings]

Personally, I think the answer is quite simple. God gave the Israelites a law that they could never fully obey to point us all to Jesus. He is the only one who can and did completely obey the law - he was/is sinless. That is why He was the perfect sacrifice, because the law saw fulfillment in Him. Everything that happened in the Old Testament, the Law included, happened to point us to Jesus. The entire bible is God's story of redemption.

Anyways...that's my two cents...

 

[nathan3]

This thread brings this scripture to mind:


Mat 5 :
17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 

[WordGaurdian]

Firstly, God did not give the Israelites a heart that would understand and obey, when they were in the desert, according to the following verse
Duet 29:4 “Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see,
nor ears to hear.


Everyone above 20 years of age died in the desert after roaming therein for 40 years.

Next, when the younger generation was about to leave the desert and enter Canaan in Deut 29, God bound them with the Mosaic Law.
This was a covenant of obedience and could not make them righteous or could not save them.

In Lev 26 we read about the blessings and the curses attached to the Law.

EVERY SINGLE PERSON would have to obey EVERY SINGLE COMMANDMENT of the Law.
Even if a single person failed to obey, the entire nation would be cursed!!!
Isn't that too rigid and strict?

Since the Jews could not obey the Law, they stand cursed.
If I'm not mistaken, the nation of Israel will one day be restored. However, ALL the terrible curses of the Law would fall on them before that.

Doesn't that sound unjust?

I know and believe that God is perfectly just. However, I would like to hear your comments and understanding on the above.

I can see your problem, but let me put your mind at ease, God is just.


I am going to give you a couple of examples and hopefully this will clear up things for you.

1
A young girl grows up with her parents who happen to be porn stars both and neither of them are saved. As such walking naked in public is not seen as something weird nor is having sex openly. That is how she grows up. When she is 16 years old she decides she is going to have sex with a guy and tells her parents, who ok's it. Now is that what she is doing wrong?

Yes of course. Even though she never learned what is right concerning the deed. It is still wrong according to God... and most of society.

Just so the law was never there to put curses on the people, but to aid them in becoming a great nation.
A lot of people think that with Jesus the law was taken away. He Himself said He does not take away the law of God, but fulfill it. But He destroyed that which was manmade. Because remember even though Moses inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote down the law. It has been a whole lot of years since then. And people tend to attach their own methods. So that which was not suppose to be there Jesus discarded. And that which was correct and made by God was kept as is. And He merely fulfilled it by giving us the grace to be able to complete the law.

And so that we can live, willfully by it, but not out of our own ideas but to the actual meaning of what God's intend was.

 

[WordGaurdian]

One more example. If God tells you: if you jump off a cliff, then you will surely fall and kill yourself.

Why does He tell you that? Couldn't He just wait till you try it for a few times, before He tells you?

 

[Trax]

This issue is a pride issue. When the Israelites first came out of Egypt, and they complained, God just resolved their complaints, no punishment, no anger, no curses. They were under grace. God just gave to them. However, after the Israelites said "All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do," (Exodus 24:3) they were making a statement of pride, saying that they could do everything God commanded, obeying all the laws. From this point on, they moved out of God's grace and into the realm of pride. Now when they failed to keep God's commandments, that's when God's anger was kindled, and plauges and curses came upon them. The issue was pride.

Prior to Exodus 24:3, whenever the people complained, God just gave to them. Moses even got fed up with their complaints. In Exodus 17, the people complained about not having enough water, and what did God do? God gave them water. He didn't get angry, no curses, no plauges. Numbers 11 people complained about the mana God was giving them and wanted meat. They got meat, and they also got a plauge when God's anger was kindled. What's the difference? Numbers 11 is after they made the prideful statement in Exodus 24:3, whereas in Exodus 17, they were under grace.

This what I was going to post, if no one else had posted it. Well said.

 

[Red33]

Personally, I think the answer is quite simple. God gave the Israelites a law that they could never fully obey to point us all to Jesus. He is the only one who can and did completely obey the law - he was/is sinless. That is why He was the perfect sacrifice, because the law saw fulfillment in Him. Everything that happened in the Old Testament, the Law included, happened to point us to Jesus. The entire bible is God's story of redemption.

Anyways...that's my two cents...

What a wonderful revelation of the goodness of God's redemption to the heart of a believer, who trusts in the living God and made His grace and truth their refuge and fortress. May this be posted on the hearts of all those that roam the streets of Jerusalem who still are seeking the coming of Messiah.

 

[onlinebuddy]

You are kinda using a bad story as an example. It can be shown in Numbers 14:1 that it was not one person who spoke up about not going into the promised land... but "all the congregation" so all of those who had a voice in matters (those whom are 20 and older) got punished for the lack of faith they had when God had already done so many miracles for them. This punishment is by no means unjust. And by no means was this punishment based upon one or even a few people.

And as for why to the law, one can simply explain it as a way for God to show how we can not be righteous on our own and for our need for a savior.

I agree with you that Israel asked for it due to their mass disobedience in the desert despite all the wonders they saw. Furthermore, even after they entered the land of Canaan, the children of Israel became idolators. At one point, they did not want God to lead them, and became proud and asked for a human king.

As for my original question about- why God gave the Israelites a Law that they could not obey fully- I guess even if God made the Law as easy as a piece of cake, the Israelites would still not obey. They time and again broke the basic and foremost command: To worship God only and not idols.

 

[onlinebuddy]

The Children of Israel, while they were in the wilderness, were disobedient, and by their disobedience salvation was gained by the nations....

A few words are sufficient to the wise........

Your post brought to mind these verses:
Rom 11 (NIV)
11Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.


Rom 11 (NIV)
25I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.


Thanks for your valuable contributions from time to time

 

[onlinebuddy]

As I meditate more on this topic, more answers come to mind.

In Num 14, God wanted to destroy Israel, and continue his covenant with Abraham through the posterity of Moses.
Moses pleaded for Israel, and God relented.
Now I'm convinced that there were no righteous people in the desert at that time.
Otherwise God would not have thought of destroying the entire nation.

I say this because, in Gen 18, when Abraham pleaded to save Sodom, God was willing to save Sodom if there were just 10 righteous people.
Unfortunately for Sodom, there were none (and Lot, though being unrighteous, was saved on Abraham's request).

In Jer 5 God told Jeremiah that he would save Jerusalem if there was even one righteous person among the common people.

Therefore, taking into consideration God's great mercy, I deduce that there were none righteous in the desert. Therefore those who were 20 years and above died in the desert.

After the children of Israel crossed over to Canaan, they repeated the sins of their fathers, and therefore the nation of Israel stands cursed. They stand cursed, not because of how difficult the Law was, but because of their disobedience.

 

[Red33]

As I meditate more on this topic, more answers come to mind.

In Num 14, God wanted to destroy Israel, and continue his covenant with Abraham through the posterity of Moses.
Moses pleaded for Israel, and God relented.
Now I'm convinced that there were no righteous people in the desert at that time.
Otherwise God would not have thought of destroying the entire nation.

I say this because, in Gen 18, when Abraham pleaded to save Sodom, God was willing to save Sodom if there were just 10 righteous people.
Unfortunately for Sodom, there were none (and Lot, though being unrighteous, was saved on Abraham's request).

In Jer 5 God told Jeremiah that he would save Jerusalem if there was even one righteous person among the common people.

Therefore, taking into consideration God's great mercy, I deduce that there were none righteous in the desert. Therefore those who were 20 years and above died in the desert.

After the children of Israel crossed over to Canaan, they repeated the sins of their fathers, and therefore the nation of Israel stands cursed. They stand cursed, not because of how difficult the Law was, but because of their disobedience.

Lot was just, a justified man, according to the scriptures in (2Pt 2:7). Look it up and it was not according to any request from Abraham.