THE TWISTED FIRST COVENANT

“The ten commandments are based on a call for faith in the God of the exodus, just like the moral teachings of the NT are based on a call for faith in the Lord of Good Friday and Easter” John Piper (ref#277).

FATHER, from Genesis to Revelation Your entire Bible holds the one theme: Your people trusting in You.  The subject of “faith” did not instantly appear with Your 2^nd Covenant.  It would be well for all Your chosen ones if we would just trust in Your instructions.  However…

For some simply trusting You is not an immediate concept.  I, for one, spent many years trying to love and be loved by You through my own efforts.

“Sin is essentially man’s failure to trust in God, an act or state of unbelief” The Reformation Study Bible (ref#56, p13, [Gen 3:6]).  “…the human heart would much rather offer to God its works, no matter how costly, than humble itself to confess sin.  That is the reason why man is always predisposed to go the way of works” Roy and Revel Hession (ref#100, p80).

“…concerning Israel…they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness” (Rom 9:27, 10:2-3 ESV).  “…in…the covenant God had made with them, they perverted His grace by seeing it as dependent on their own law-keeping” The Reformation Study Bible (ref#56, p1631, [Rom 10:3]).

“Why did Israel fail to achieve right standing with God through the law?  They did not pursue obedience to the law in humble trust, but tried to make it a means of establishing their own righteousness” The ESV Study Bible (ref# 125, p2174, [Rom 9:32]).

“…many in Israel twisted the Mosaic law into legalism.  That is, they severed it from its foundation of faith…and thus turned the commandments into a job description for how to earn the wages of salvation” John Piper (ref#277).

“The law never commanded anyone to try to merit his salvation.  The law is based on faith in God’s promises, not on legalistic strivings.  The mistake of Israel was not in pursuing the law, but in pursuing it by works instead of by faith” John Piper (ref#277).  “The Jews’ zeal and sincerity does not lead them to salvation.  The broader principle is that many sincere, ‘religious’ people are wrong in their beliefs” The ESV Study Bible (ref#125, p2174, [Rom 10:2]).