THE DISPENSATION OF LAW

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Understanding important truths from the Bible…. 

THE DISPENSATION OF LAW

           

Exodus 19:16-20 NKJV

¹⁶ Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

¹⁷ And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 

 ¹⁸ Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.

¹⁹ And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.

²⁰ Then the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 

The phenomena described in Exodus 19:16-20 is spectacular.  The attention it draws from any attentive reader can be only a slight indication of the effect it must have had on the observers.  As this is read, a question comes to mind: Why this overwhelming display? 

The answers lies in two parts.  First it marks a change in God’s manner of dealing with His people.  Where they had been an extended family, they are now to be a nation.  The remarkable introduction of God’s government is meant to impress on them the greatness of their deliverance and the responsibility they had.

As a nation they had both internal and external responsibilities.  They were responsible for the “sojourner” who came to them.  And they were to have a constant diligence against becoming like the nations around them.

Secondly, Israel is given a new order of worship.  Where their worship had been personal and unstructured, it was now to become ordered in every act.  It was no less personal but it was public and pictorial.

The three elements of Israel’s worship – the law, the sacrifices, and the priesthood - were to furnish them an access to God that was always to teach them of their need and God’s grace.  Let none doubt that it did this to the full extent that it was intended. 

It is well that we understand that every change in God’s public dealing with His people is marked by cataclysmic events.  The birth of Christ, the events surrounding the crucifixion and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit are brilliant examples of this. 

The activity around each of these have other significant meanings but they are also attended with such phenomena  as required to impress the discerning reader with the importance God has placed upon them.  As the giving of the Law cannot be ignored so the birth of Christ, His baptism, His death, His outpouring of the Spirit require us to pay attention and to be in awe at God’s wondrous acts. 

Application:

1.       God’s wondrous activity marks once for all events.  Pentecost is an historic event not a present experience.

2.      The Law is given for believers and John lets us know it is not grievous.  I John 5:3 

“ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.