19.3 The Precepts Of The Lord Are Right

Table of Contents

The Text

Psalm 19:8a (CSB) The precepts of the LORD are right, making the heart glad;

And

Hebrews 9:22 (CSB) According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

And

Hebrews 10:4 (CSB) For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

The Chapter

Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties, all which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are, by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only law-giver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away.

The Confession

Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits

Hebrews 10:1 (CSB) Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the reality itself of those things, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year.

Colossians 2:17 (CSB) These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ.

There is a much common saying and I find it to be a great rule of thumb when readihg the Bible, "The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed."

Whatever we trying to figure out the Old Testament and what it means, remember Beloved, we have the Christ. You do not have to figure out the author's intentions of what they wrote in the Old Testament (or in the New Testament, for that matter). You don't have to figure that out because you and I can't figure it out.

Whatever the OT authors wrote down, we know two things absolutely. One, they were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). Two, they were writing about Christ (Luke 24:27). Whatever we could surmize and theorize about writings of the Old Testament, are just that--theories and surmizes. But with our heads down in the text, in our hearts, we should be keeping our eyes upon the Christ!

John 3:14–15 (CSB) “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties

1 Corinthians 5:7 (CSB) Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.

Or take another passage about the Passover:

Exodus 12:6–7 (CSB) You are to keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight. They must take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they eat them.

We know what it meant in their day--God will pass over the houses with the blood on the doorposts. But what does that eternally mean? Christ is our Passover Lamb!

Revelation 12:11 (CSB) They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they did not love their lives to the point of death.

Revelation 5:9-10 (CSB) You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slaughtered,
and you purchased people
for God by your blood
from every tribe and language
and people and nation.
You made them a kingdom
and priests to our God,
and they will reign on the earth.

all which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are, by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only law-giver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away

Colossians 2:14–17 (CSB) He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him. Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ.

Ephesians 2:14–16 (CSB) For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death.

Not all are called to be teachers. Not all called to preach or evangelized. But the one thing that all sons of God are called to do: herald his good news that the Son is alive and he rules and reigns. We might not go to seminary. We might not have even a study Bible. But you can be confident that when you proclaim the Scriptures to one another, you can rest assure that they are from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4) speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27).