Volume 41      Number 3                                                                                  November 1998

"Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land." (Mt. 27:45) Not only was there darkness over the land, but it must have been the darkest, most agonizing day for God in all time and eternity.

Yet from that dark day dawned the light of salvation for all men who would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, obey the gospel and live the Christian life.

On that day a fountain was opened for the cleansing of our souls from the ugly stains of sin. (Zech. 13:1) God-given prophecies concerning the Lord's Anointed were fulfilled. "He was cut off from the land of the living." (Isaiah. 53:8) With final breath He cried out, "It is finished." He had come to do His Father's will, and He had faithfully fulfilled His mission. He taught men truth and godliness. He lived a sinless life. He died for our sins.

The years that He spent on earth in human form had been exceedingly hard. He had been misunderstood, unappreciated, ridiculed, blasphemed, spit upon, crucified. Now it was over. He bowed His head. The earth life was ended.

That was not all that ended that day. The Ten Commandment Law given to the nation of Israel at Sinai in the days of Moses also ended. That Law was a training course or a "school master" (Gal. 3:24) "to bring us to Christ." It was not given for all nations, or for all time. On that day that Christ died the Law was fulfilled.

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." (Mt. 5:17) He did not come to cast the Law aside as trash. He respected the Law, and as long as He lived He taught the Jewish people to obey it, for until His death that Law was binding for the Hebrew people. As surely as heaven and earth stood, not a jot or tittle would pass from the Law until it was fulfilled. (Mt. 5:18) In that day that He died it was all fulfilled. (Mt. 5:17, Luke. 24:44) He broke down the wall that divided the Jews and the Gentiles "having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross." (Eph. 2:15-16) That Law which was given to Israel as God's elect, but which made distinction regarding all Gentiles, "He has taken out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." (Col. 2:14) Therefore it is written, "Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Rom. 10:4) For even as He had earlier been baptized "to fulfill all righteousness" (Mt. 3:15), it was also right and according to God's divine plan that He die for the sins of men of all nations, thus abolishing the Old Testament Law.

However, let it be well understood that the Old Testament is not to be forgotten, nor is it to be neglected in study, "For whatsoever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." (Rom. 15:4) "These things became our examples." (1 Corinthians. 10:6) "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

Can we truly comprehend how richly blessed we are to live in this dispensation of time, a period in which we are not looking for the birth of a Savior who can redeem us, but instead knowing that He has come, and that He died for our sins, and now is enthroned at the right hand of God making intercession for us? Shall we not rejoice that we are not under the bondage of the Old Law with all its sacrifices of burnt offerings, and animal blood, and incense? Thanks be to God that Jesus Christ made one sacrifice for sins forever! (Heb. 10:12) And we are blessed with the privilege of being "a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people" (1 Pet. 2:9), "a holy priesthood" offering up "spiritual sacrifices" (1 Pet. 2:5), offering ourselves as "a living sacrifice" (Rom. 12:1) and living for Him who died for us. (2 Corinthians. 5:15) Truly we are under a "better covenant." (Heb. 7:22) Ours is a "better hope" than was available under the Old Law. (Heb. 7:19) God has given us a "better covenant" and "better promises." (Heb. 8:6) We have "a better and enduring possession" in heaven awaiting us, rather than a mere land here on the earth. (Hebrews. 10:34)

Oh, how grateful, how appreciative, how thankful we should be! May we never fail to praise God for His goodness toward us. Perhaps one of the most important lessons that we can learn from the Old Testament Scriptures is that God demands obedience. People who disregarded the Old Law were put to death without mercy. (Heb. 10:28) Remember the penalty for homosexuality (Lev. 20:13), for cursing and blaspheming the name of the Lord (Lev.24:14-16), for murder (Lev. 24:17), for a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath (Num. 15:32-36), for a rebellious son (Deut. 21:18-21), etc. Remember how God dealt with Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10), and how He sent fiery serpents. (Num. 21) Remember the story of Uzzah. (2 Sam. 6:6-7, 1 Chronicles. 13:9-10) "Now these things happened to them as examples" for us "and they were written for our admonition." (1 Corinthians. 10:11)

We must learn to honor God's Word and to obey the commandments that are given for us. We must obey the gospel and live in subjection to the Law of Christ. We have blessings and opportunities that the ancients yearned for. Let us be diligent and fervent serving the Lord and preparing for eternity.