March 24, 2008 Gal 3:10-18

It amazes me how sometimes, it is only in what seems to be my darkest hours, that I reach out to God in His word. I get angry and lose my temper throughout the day, lacking a meek and quiet spirit. My son's health issues have returned. And my husband has some serious health issues with his back at the moment. So I return to the Bible. I want it to be easier to do this daily.

Galatians 3:10-18

I am so thankful that we are justified by faith and not by the law. In order to be justified by the law you have to follow EVERY SINGLE LAW! And not all of them are written in the Bible. Several are passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth.

I recently heard a Christian woman who before she had become a Christian was studying to become a Jew. She said that a lot of the Jewish laws that are around today are hedges put there by rabbi's in order to prevent anyone from accidentally breaking the law given by God. For example there is a law that you should not kindle a fire on the Sabbath day. When matches were invented, the rabbi's added the law that you shall not strike a match on the Sabbath. When electricity was invented, you could not turn on the light switch (because it might cause a spark). God never said anything about not lighting a match or turning on a light switch, but those laws were added as a hedge around the law that God did give so that no one would accidentally break the law. You can see that Jesus did not think highly of those added laws.

I cannot imagine having not only to REMEMBER all the laws, but trying to make sure not to break a single one. I once heard that the reason God gave us the ten commandments to show us that there was no way we would be able to keep the law. I see shows where someone will go out and ask everyday people if they have ever (fill in the blank with your favorite commandment) and of course EVERY ONE has broken at LEAST one.

I also find it interesting that in verse 16, it mentions the promises made to Abraham and his seed. Seed is singular and Paul points out that is because the seed is actually Jesus. So the promise was made to Abraham and Jesus LONG before the law was every spoken by God to Moses. God's promise will not be made of no effect!