Bible Study Notes

Friday March1, 2019.

The Law and the Promise.

Galatians 3 verse 15 - 29

Vs 15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. 16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God [a]in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, [b]kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our [c]tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 but after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

- In this chapter Apostle Paul is teaching us that:

1. The Law cannot change the Promise.

2. The Law is not greater than the Promise.

3. The Law is temporary.

4. The Law requires a Mediator.

- No man can understand how faith defines reasons to understand the Law and the Promise.

- Genesis 12 v 1 – 3 says “ Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

- Genesis 46 v 1 – 4 says “So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”

And he said, “Here I am.” 3 So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph [a]will put his hand on your eyes.”

- God made a covenant with Abraham that was the first Promise to man.

- Covenant was there before the Law. We have reference in the book of Genesis which emphasised that God spoke to Abraham in his sleep (Genesis 12 v 1 - 3)

- God spoke to Jacob in his sleep (Genesis 46 v 1 - 4) that’s what Paul is explaining to the Galatians when he talks about the 430 years of the Israelites in Egypt because of their transgressions/sins.

- That was direct covenant/Law.

- Joseph was elevated; Thus the supernatural experience

- Laws were given to Moses (Exodus 19); Moses was the mediator.

- Therefore the Law has no capacity to withdraw.

- Only Grace has the capacity to withdraw from us when we continue in sin.

- Law cannot change the promise.

- Abraham had 2 children who represented the law and the promise:

- 1: Ishmael was seed of the Law

- 2: Isaac was seed of the promise/to inherit.

- All this was pointing to our Lord Jesus Christ who is the seed of our promise (Genesis 21 v 12/Galatians 3 v 16)

- That is why we need to walk in promise: Jesus Christ is the promised seed.

- Paul was preaching to the Galatians who had turned away from the promise. “For the seed of a woman shall crush the serpent.”

- Meaning the temporary law, cannot be great than the permanent covenant.

- Therefore God's love and grace will always bring us back to God: (Genesis 3 v 15/1 John 3 v 10 - 12)

- The Husband represents God, as the church is the wife of the Lord.

- What we need more is the promised seed that is our Lord Jesus Christ.

- Israel versus the Nations is an example of comparison of the promise and the law.

- Jesus Christ versus the Pharisees (Matthew 28 v 29 - 33) is an example of Counterfeit believers/non believers versus true believers.

- Our aim is to see Christ that we may know him.

- Therefore Law cannot change the Promise regardless of what solutions the Law brought. The Law is there to guide people back to the Promise.

- Account of the Law impresses a lot of earthquakes, fires and thunderstorms in the Old Testament.

- (Hebrews 12 v 18) Jesus Christ is our new covenant. The Mount Zion full of Grace because of his Blood which cleanses all sin unlike the blood of Abel.

- With the death and resurrection of Christ, the law was done away, and now its righteousness demands are fulfilled in us through the spirit.

- That is why it is important to keep the 10 commandments.

- Jesus says He will leave us the Holy Spirit our mediator (John 14 v 26): therefore Promise is greater than the Law.

- Jesus talks about fulfilling the law in Matthew 5 v 17 - 20.

- Acts 7 v 53 The Law was dispensed from God through the Angels to Moses then to the people which shows that this was 3rd hand information and the Law is temporary, for the Law required a mediator which was Moses but now we do not require a mediator (mediator stands in between 2 parties and makes sure that they understand each other and or may meet in the middle) when dealing with God.

- This shows that God loves us because we are dealing with Him directly.

- We are the benefactors and we should benefit from this relationship.

- Galatians 3 v 20, Mediator represents 2 parties, God is One (1) Therefore: Law requires a Mediator, Law is a Guardian, Law cannot change the Promise, and Law is not Greater than the Promise.

- The work for the guardian was preparation for the child’s maturity. Once the child came of age, he no longer needed the guardian.

- The law performed its purpose, the Savoir has come and the “guardian” is no longer needed. It is tragic that the nation of Israel did not recognise their Messiah when he appeared.

- The law was only given to reveal sin, and to prepare the way for Christ.

- The law created differences and distinction not only between individuals and nations, but also between various kinds of foods and animals, Jesus Christ came not to divide but to unite.

- The law perpetuated these distinctions but God in His grace has declared all men to be on the same level that He might have mercy on all men, (Rom 11 vs:25-32)

- And finally the law could have never made us heirs of God. (Gal 3 vs 29) because we are heirs of spiritual blessings of God through the promise he gave to Abraham.