Galatians 1-3

I needed about 13 minutes to read the first half of Paul’s letter. Being in the middle of a study of this letter of Paul I find it hard to focus on only one part.  But it is in 3:24 that Paul gives the best explanation and purpose of the Law of Moses.  Sometimes I get hung up on the details of all the sacrifices and rituals.  From the New Testament writings it appears that the Jews had turned many of the object lessons God had created into empty ritual with no meaning.  Paul points out that all of these things were intended to lead the people to hope in something, someone, who would end the endless stream of animals and grain before the altar of fire.  That person is Jesus.  In his one sacrifice cleans every sin that the animals’ blood could not, celebrated a first harvest of souls that would never grow in a field, and passed through the fire of death to open the path for every true worshipper of God into the Holy of Holies.  The Law was our school escort, our bus driver to bring us to Christ, and find the true teaching of God’s grace that he had prepared before the creation of the world.

What a picture.

Stuart