Recently I’ve had a lot of questions about the Law of God. Questions such as: what is the relationship between the Old and New Testaments; how does the Law apply to us today; what is the relationship between Israel and the church? These questions are theologically essential because our answers to them will determine how we understand God’s providence, His work in history and His plan for the future. These questions are not just theologically significant but how we understand these issues will also motivate how we live as followers of Jesus Christ. In beginning to think about these questions it becomes clear that this is a tree with multiple branches requiring a great deal of thought, discussion and application. In the coming days it is my desire to investigate a number of these branches. I believe the best place to start is with the Westminster Confession of Faith’s description of the nation of Israel as “a church under age.” (XIX:III) This simple statement is exceedingly profound, biblically accurate, theologically significant and practically helpful.
This simple phrase helps us to see the Bible as a unit that reveals God’s plan for His people. It is not two books telling two different stories, but rather it is one story: a biography of God and His people. It tells of birth, growth and maturity. The nation of Israel encompasses the first part of the story – the people of God in their infancy. The infancy of the church is seen in the way God addressed and cared for them. The Old Testament could be said to be childlike (not childish) because in it God speaks to the people in stories, illustrations and pictures. Westminster says:
“God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament.”
Everything about the ceremony of the Old Testament was to serve as a picture or illustration of what was to be accomplished in Jesus Christ. The theological reality of substitutionary atonement (a truth that is difficult to explain to children) was revealed on the Day of Atonement by the sacrifice made in the holy of holies. The incarnation of Christ was pictured in the tabernacle the place where God came to earth to meet his people. Freedom from the bondage of sin was prefigured in the Egyptian slavery and Exodus. These examples could go on and on. The Old Testament is a picture book intended to teach the children of God (Israel) about his great work in anticipation for the maturity that would be experienced by those who received the Spirit of God and a law written on their heart.
This brings us back to the Law. The Law was intended for the immature (there is more that will need to be said about the Law in future posts so please don’t think this is the final word on the matter). Paul is clear in Galatians when he says:
“But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”
Children, because of their ignorance, need much greater supervision than those who have grown to maturity. One of the benefits of maturity is the understanding of how important it is to do what is right even if there is no law forbidding what is wrong. The same is true for the church under the headship of Christ; it has grown, by the grace of God, to maturity and so its relationship with the pictures and laws of an immature church has changed (Galatians 2:19).
If God’s providence permits we will investigate some of those changes in the days and weeks to come.
