ReNEWed COVENANT Ministry

SABBATH BIBLE STUDY

4-8

(2019)

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Compiled by JS LOWTHER
renewedcovenantministry.com
servant@renewedcovenantministry.com

Why The Law?

Pt. 1

All Have Sinned

(Reading some from ESV)

Gal_3:15 To give a human example, brothers: even in a covenant between men, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified (confirmed).
Gal 3:16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.
Gal 3:17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years after this promise to Abraham, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.
Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance (of this promise by covenant) comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but (the scripture says) God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
Gal 3:19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.
Gal 3:20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
Gal 3:21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.
Gal 3:22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Gal 3:23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.
Gal 3:24 So then, the law was our School master or (child guardian) until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a school master as children,
Gal 3:26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Good news that seems to not be so simple for some, a good news that by its very name and nature as good is in opposition to what is bad, and bad news.

The bad news is that All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom 3:23 , notice the phrase ‘fall short’ this is present tense, right now beside our past sin we still fall short or lack the glory of God, it is because of this lack on account of us being lesser in glory we are in need of the greater to do good things for us, and these good things are contained in the Gospel, they are: Justification, sanctification and Salvation- all are part and parcel of the Good news delivered by Christ to us.

This set of messages is by no means meant to say that without knowing sin you cannot have faith, for the sin nature you have inherently gained from your Fathers and that sin will testify to that with little to no knowledge of the definition of sin.
Yet by learning what sin is and what righteousness is will undoubtedly teach and re-teach a lesson we all need to keep close at heart Rom 8:3-4 … God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Understanding the good news the bad news is necessary to first allow us to see why good is good and bad is bad.)

In all generations the question of ‘Why the Law’ occurs?

The question ultimately asks the LORD for his reason of legislating sin by his Law.

Why did God tell us not to do some things?

And the answer is quite attainable throughout scripture, but is best spelled out by Paul in this reading of Galatians and can be simply seen that it was to teach us like children our need for Faith, particularly the need of Jesus in order to be justified or made righteous by Faith.

While there is no place in the book of Genesis one can turn to not see Faith before the law of Mt. Sinai, or sin before the 430 years mentioned here in Galatians (after Abraham’s promise), yet Paul chooses the time of the giving of the national law of Israel to make his point plain. Of course Paul does not believe sin started or originated by the standards of Law set down at Mt. Sinai contrary to the scriptures, but rather that this moment in history for Israel and the world is an amazing moment, it is both the fulfillment of part of God promise here spoken of how Abraham’s Great nation would be great not only in number but also in it’s standards of judgment and righteousness (Gen_12:2), in that part of the Law’s purpose the Law was to be Israel’s “wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the other peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near…?” Deu_4:6-8
And so even the National Law has its origins in the promise of Abraham what it also reveals is that no people have the knowledge of sin. By having the one, you must embrace the other, for sin in simply the failure of one to the Law of God, and all of this is a matter if justice by God’s standards or righteousness by God’s acceptance.

The national law laid the Eternal Logic of God Down for man in a written code, and so this point in time is best used to understand death reigning by sin; and sin being chargeable by the knowledge of the law.
And so Paul plainly says “death reigned from Adam to Moses…” (Rom_5:12-14)
And by the institution of the Law in its full form in some way death’s reign was checked, and this check is seen in the lesson the Law also speaks to Righteousness, said as well by Paul in Rom_7:7… I had not known sin, but by the law… and this is the impact of Sinai and all that surrounds it in the history of the world, that though according YHWH God’s unchanging and eternal Justice by one standard God’s Righteousness… an everlasting righteousness, and a law which is the truth.

(Psalms 119:142). This thing was once and for all set down for man in this revelation, that is that though Adam was made up right Ecc_7:29 man have sought out many inventions., the word inventions is none other than other ways to compute or reason differently than the way God made them, and the law God impressed in his likeness and image which before Adam’s fall was uprightly made.

But after this death started to reign the uprightness was gone from his nature and only a fallen nature was left. Thus with a degeneration of uprightness by God’s Law, his rightness and righteousness and all the Justice which surrounds it man has need to be taught the law which defines sin, therefore:
This Law is that which defines sin :1Jn_3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
And so the lesson is realized what sin is by the law, and it concludes us or imprisions us as law breakers. It is like being a child in any form of class or training and a guardian of the lesson in paced over you, not to keep you in as its primary focus but to teach you rightly.
When you learn the rules or motions of any given subject, which in this case is the subject of Faith Paul is speaking of and which can be seen in all interactions of God with man, this lesson is not designed to cripple the child who can learn the lesson, but rather this School master shuts the child up to drive the child to understand the need for faith as the base element of the righteousness of the law, Faith in Christ is taught by every age recorded in scripture by application of the lens of God’s law to see the boast of sin, particularly in this age we now abide for us:
Gal 3:23 Now before faith came, we were held under the law, bound until the coming faith would be revealed.
Gal 3:24 So then, the law was our School master or (child guardian) until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a school master as children,
Gal 3:26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

With this understanding, let us also consider those pre-Christian examples when death reigned even before Moses, even directly after the fall Hebrews 11 makes it evident that Faith had this same function as Paul speaks of in Rom_1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Actually a quote from Habakkuk 2:4, and it is as well implied that the Faith Adam’s folk had in the promised Messiah, which Abraham was promises to generate from his own loins was the focus of this Faith, knowing that according to the Gospel first preached the seed of the woman to come would crush the head of sin Gen_3:15 .

And so there are certain systems set in place which YHWH God has contained in His Word that allow the ignorant flesh to see a glimpses into the judgment faculties of God’s reason or logic, the way God Judges the actions of men which he has made by his will and endowed with a will of his own yet lesser in all regards including glory and power. Man may not tell God what he will do is the point, God may and does both tell man what to do which telling we call a command or commandment, that is a law, and in the event a law is broken God has willed this to be sin, the Greek implies the missing of a mark, and in fact the mark is a mark of truth or witness:
Doctrinally this is important, because the word’s in Hebrew cHeT and Greek A-Martano indicate a thing being rightly or wrongly cut, so it is used descriptively of sin, and in the first time in Genesis 4:7 where we see “sin” spoken of by name
Gen_4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen_4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
All of this doing well is in regard of respect:
Gen 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
Gen 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Gen 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
It is to this account that sin is found, that is in God not having respect unto Cain’s work, when he brought his offering.
Sin was shown in what Cain did, but the root of the sin was in God’s respect and as the story progresses we see so much more in the heart of Cain , though he brought an offering to YHWH, though he has a communication with YHWH. Cain’s deep rooted inability to be accepted was in who Cain was, even this is evident in the contemplation YHWH God himself asks Cain to consider and answer for:
Gen 4:6 YHWH said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
This most important aspect of the consideration of our rooted sin and how it bears the weight of this wicked tree, the simple question of why and where that leads us, to be accepted? or if sin lie at the door?
Often we are caught up in the fruit which we bring forth and judging that as if it were done perfect enough or up to God’s standards, and the answer has been had that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom_3:23 and Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no one can be justified in God’s sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom_3:20
So then where is Cain’s murderous root truly found? Even when he is engaged in communication with God? it is in the cause of his fallen countenance, it is in the cause of his anger it is in Cain’s will, willing to come to the sacrifice or offering and do something by the law but unwilling to change to be accepted, a change which has the respect of God.
And this ability to have respect is rooted in faith:
Heb_11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
When you consider the little we know about Cain before he murdered his brother Abel, all we really know is that :

1. Cain worshiped YHWH by offering to him 4:3 (as bib Abel)
2. YHWH didn’t respect
a. Cain or
b. his offering 4:5
3. YHWH speaks to Cain concerning
a. anger or sorrow
b. and his fallen countenance or lorn look 4:6
4. And YHWH’s warning by way of self reflection “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?” and “if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.”

These are calls to reflection by use of the word ‘If’ , YHWH desired Cain to consider his ways.

The LXX Greek makes this all the more clean in it’s statement of judgment and contemplation, and intentions of the heart as it states Gen_4:7 Hast thou not sinned if thou hast brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? be still, to thee shall be his submission, and thou shalt rule over him.
There are many ways to understand the finality of the statement but it is obvious how Cain divided his judgment again, He being unwilling or perhaps unable to have Faith by which he could obtain witness that he was Justified, God himself would testifying of his gifts.

Cain could not and would not be Righteous regardless of anything he did, if he offered a gift, regardless of what he gave upon the altar, even after a one on one communication with YHWH Cain would not consider his ways and would then not be accepted.
It is not because he didn’t ‘do’ something, like bring the offering of gifts to YHWH, it is because Cain didn’t like the word ‘If’, because in that little word Cain was in need to consider what it takes to be accepted in the prescience of YHWH, and for YHWH to have respect unto fallen man who desires to worship and do according the way of God.
The example we first have, of this first sin in our record of God’s People is the example that is seen in the present day, in every stage of Covenant, of every ordained work God has authored by His Word eternal, we have the primitive example of Cain:
who did do worship by offering
who could commune with God in prayer
but who could not be accepted due to his unrighteous division, and inability to rule himself so he killed his brother as the best alternative: the invisible sin of Pride followed by a series of selfish lazy thoughts to the manifest sin of murder.
Regardless of what Greek or Hebrew lesson you comprehend concerning sin the simplicity of ‘lacking a witness’, that is an unattested is the simplicity of its meaning in regards to Faith.
A-Martano meaning ‘missing the mark” is just an illustrative way to arrange it’s meaning which is similar to the way YHWH is speaking to can in the idea of division. Yet technically the ‘mark’ one is aiming for is undefined that is the Martes / μαρτες.
Biblically, sin in the non-abstract form is best shown in the use of this root of Amartes, in what is said in G267 of Thayer Definition: ἀμάρτυρος /amarturos
1) without witness or testimony, unattested.
This is undoubtedly testified to from Heb_11:4 ( By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness (εμαρτυρηθη G3140) that he was righteous, God testifying (μαρτυρουντος G3140) of his gifts…)
Here in the KJV the word witness and testifying are translated from the same Martur simply referring to evidence of testimony, thus sin in ALL regards in understood as spoken of as without witness – A+Maratus unattested, un-witnessed, untestifiable, having the negative article ‘A’ added to the word for testimony or witness. Thus making it comparable to a false witness, but not technically the same because a pseudo-witness, is another witness that is not true but is asserted to be true falsely, but No-witness or A-Maratus is infact the hollowness, emptiness or vanity of the witness, either before action or after thus the discussion between YHWH and Cain is focusing around Cain’s witness through his gift, the division or portion he has given to YHWH without the witness of faith, both before he appeared for worship, at worship and after as seen in his rejection.

The lesson we have is a lesson of Faith: the witness of Faith in Able that witnessed of his Justified status vs. the lack of Faith which witnessed of Cain’s sin wherein he refused to meditate upon God’s reasoning, even if he appeared for worship, and more distressing, even if he communicated with God concerning his problems.