Fresh Perspective

Now listen!  Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.  For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways.  If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. [Deuteronomy 30.15-16]

The necessity for obedience to God has never changed.  God wants us to obey Him.

Before the Advent of Christ, mankind sinned.  When they sinned, they were required to repent.  Part of the entire repentance process involved animal sacrifices - the shedding of blood.

After the Advent of Christ, mankind still sins.  When we sin, we are directed to repent.  Part of the entire repentance process involves the sacrifice of the Son of God - the shedding of blood - and faith on our part that His sacrifice is sufficient to redeem us.

The choice laid out in Deuteronomy 30.15-16 is the same today as it was the day it was first spoken.  Each of us must decide whether we will opt for life and prosperity in obeying God or, death and disaster in disobeying God.

The difference for us today however is that we are not required to repeatedly offer ritualistic blood sacrifices.  We have been given the benefit of Christ's perfect blood sacrifice on our behalf.  We still must repent however, and we still must obey.  

It is very noteworthy that not all sacrifices were blood.  Some involved grain... i.e. bread.  While blood was the required payment for sin, there were also numerous other required offerings that consisted of bread.  In all the completeness of Christ, we have numerous accounts of Jesus declaring Himself to be the Bread of Life.  Yes, Jesus paid it all!

Most of us naturally understand the fact that we are constrained to obedience even though we live in this blessed age of grace.  We inherently comprehend the need to comply to God's standards even though we remain distinctly human in failing to execute that compliance flawlessly.  However, instead of prescribed ritual and protocol for the required shedding of blood for disobedience, we have Christ to look upon.  Furthermore, we not only have Christ's blood sacrifice for sin offerings, but also His body for all the grain offerings prescribed by the Old Covenant.  In other words, we are free from the requirements of the Old Covenant involving just recompense for our sin and we are free from the Old Covenant requirements involving our peace and well-being (peace offerings, etc.) - Christ has fulfilled all those requirements on our behalf on the Cross.  The only thing Jesus could not do for us was repent.

All of Israel's sacrifices meant nothing unless their hearts were turned to God.  So, the blood of Christ is to no avail to those who refuse to first repent, and then accept it by faith.

There is much more to be considered on this topic, but this fresh perspective has caused me even further appreciation for the Old Testament!

Father, I am amazed again today how You have orchestrated everything involving time and history into Your plan of redemption.  I want to obey You!  I want to repent!  I want to believe in Jesus!  Thank You!