“Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”
—Galatians 3:24 

Reflection

Many people ask an important question when it comes to the Law in the context of God’s covenants: If God knew His people would be unable to follow the Law perfectly, then what was the point of it? Why were His commands so specific, why did they demand so much from the Jewish people, and why were there so many laws?

In their lack of understanding, many people disregard the importance of the Law. In light of Jesus, they sometimes minimize its role, making it irrelevant both today and in the past.

But the Law was, and still is, anything but irrelevant.

Jesus said He came to fulfill the Law, not abolish it. He went even further, saying, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18).

That means the Law had a purpose in Old Testament times, and it continues to have a purpose. Understanding that purpose helps us receive a greater revelation of God’s ultimate plan, which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

One of the profound mysteries of the Law is its dual nature. From the time God first gave His commandments to the Israelites, the Law took on a twofold nature: an original purpose, expressed in the time of Moses, and an eternal purpose, expressed through Jesus Christ for all time.

This is important because we cannot understand the Law simply by asking what God commanded Israel to do. We must also ask why He established those commandments and how His purpose ultimately points us to Messiah. As Paul wrote, the Law became our tutor to lead us to Christ (Galatians 3:24).

Yeshua did not come to erase what God had spoken through Moses. He came to fulfill it.

When we understand this, we stop seeing the Law as something disconnected from Jesus. Instead, we begin to see the continuity of God’s plan. The God who gave the Law is the same God who sent His Son, and His purposes were moving toward their fulfillment in Messiah.

So rather than dismissing the Law as irrelevant, we should allow it to deepen our understanding of God’s ways and of the One who came to fulfill them. As we understand both the function and the purpose of the Law, we begin to see more clearly how God’s plan comes together in Jesus Christ.

Application

• When reading the Law, do not dismiss it as irrelevant. Ask what it reveals about God’s purposes and how those purposes point us toward Yeshua.
• Let the Law deepen your understanding of God’s plan and of Messiah, who brings that plan to its fulfillment.

Prayer

Father, give me wisdom to understand Your purposes in giving the Law and how Your plan is fulfilled in Yeshua. Keep me from dismissing what You have spoken simply because I do not yet understand it. Open my eyes to see the continuity of Your plan from Moses to Messiah. Help me know You more deeply through everything You have revealed in Your Word. Thank You that Your purposes find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Amen.