“He answered and said to them, ‘What did Moses command you?’
They replied, ‘Moses allowed for a man to write a certificate of separation, and to divorce.’
Jesus answered and told them, ‘He wrote that commandment for you
because of the hardness of your heart.’”
Mark 10:3–5
Jesus was saying that although God created men and women to be married once, they were bound to sin, thus making divorces inevitable. So, He gave them laws regarding divorce so that they would do the evil they were going to do, the safest way they could do it. We see this same love of God in another place in the law He gave to Moses. Foreseeing that Israel would one day reject Him as their king, God gave them instructions on how best to reject Him and choose a different king (Dt. 17:14–20). He didn’t want Israel to destroy themselves before He sent His Son to save them.
The law was not given for those who hated righteousness (1Tim. 1:9), but for those who hated sin but could not escape its domination over them. God loved those who wanted to do right, even if they could not always do it. Therefore, He gave them the law to guide them in their sin, to save them from the worst effects of the sins they could not escape until He sent His Son. As Paul told the Galatians, “Why the law? It was added because of transgressions, until ‘the seed’ should come” (Gal. 3:19). And in the end, the “seed” came, for God loved those struggling against sin enough to send His Son to purify their souls so that they would no longer need to be guided in wrongdoing because they would no longer desire to do wrong.
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God is so good to man.
Gary
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Good morning,
I see a great love for God’s people in this! God knew that “man at his best state is altogether vanity” without Him and needed help, so he gave them the Law so they could go about doing the wrong they intended to do in the safest way. There was only love in that.
I was thinking as I read this, how wrong I used to feel towards God before I studied the Old Testament with you. Before, I thought the Law with all of its rules and ceremonies was hard and grievous. But the more I studied, the more I saw the tender love from God toward his children “to save them from the sins they preferred”. The Law was intended to make their lives easier, not harder.
Then, it made Jesus’ coming all the sweeter knowing that God sent him to purify our hearts so that we would no longer desire to do any evil thing. We no longer need an external law because Jesus gave his life so we can have clean hearts! I love that we can have clean hearts! And I love the way you ended that we no longer need guidance in our wrongdoing because we no longer desire to do wrong. What a precious gift!
Lee Ann
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John,
This shows the love God had for His people before He sent His son. God knew that they could not keep the law perfectly with only their carnal nature.
I really like the last paragraph. The way you explain the reason God sent His son is very good.
Tom
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I love this sentence: “for God loved those struggling against sin enough to send His Son to purify their souls so that they would no longer need to be guided in wrongdoing because they would no longer desire to do wrong.”
What a good God we serve!
Thank you for writing this!
Donna
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I love how simple the message is here – God knows our humanness and that we can have hardness and stubbornness in our hearts when we want our own way, but He loves us so much that He gave instructions on how to do the least damage to ourselves and others – and then He sent Jesus to change our old nature into His godly nature so we could really live and take care of the hearts around us.
Bess
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I love this! I feel the love of God in it. He knew men were going to fall, to sin, to follow their own ways but he loved them so much he gave them the law as a “cushion” until He sent His beloved Son!
Really love this: “for God loved those struggling against sin enough to send His Son to purify their souls so that they would no longer need to be guided in wrongdoing because they would no longer desire to do wrong.”
That is a love that’s beyond anything in this world! How precious! How humbling!
Michelle
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I like this. These are thoughts man would never think of, that God loved them so much He would guide them in their sin. Whew, that’s love. Then, love them enough to send His Son. This is so good and full of love!
Lou
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This is so good, John! God’s people need to hear this clear and simple message. Thankful for God’s anointing on you to deliver it, if they’ll only take it in. Thankful that we have!
Jim K.
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I know the Law is holy because it’s from God. But after reading this and I feel the Law is less holy than I thought before. It’s an uncomfortable feeling. I certainly can feel the love and mercy in the law but at the same time, I feel like I just learned it’s not the highest standard set by God. It’s a very thought provoking blog post.
Michael
. . . .
Yes, the law was certainly holy. The apostle Paul told us that several times. But he also told us that in comparison to the holiness of God revealed in Christ, the law has no glory at all.
Pastor John
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This is wonderful. I’ve been studying 1 and 2Timothy recently, and these verses where Paul was talking about this stood out to me, but I didn’t understand it as well as I do now after reading your blog.
Studying the law is wonderful to help fine-tune our judgment in things happening around us to help us get ready to rule with Jesus. But as long as we're walking in the Spirit (staying holy), we won’t have problems where we need it used on us!
I love the food you feed us!
Aaron
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God loved His people enough to guide them in their sin, to save them from the worst of the sins they preferred. Then, He loved them enough to send His Son to purify their souls so that they would no longer need to be guided in wrongdoing because they would no longer desire to do wrong.
Oh how this makes my heart sing! For this is my testimony. This is truth that I know deep in my soul. How many times I wanted to just follow “the law” and never did I dream I would one day be set free from even the desire to sin. This truth, this love, is what my Jesus did for me. I know this love in the fibers of my soul, it was sewn in by my Jesus, whom my heavenly Father sent to rescue me.
I love the truth.
Beth D.
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