The Insufficiency of the Law- Exodus 20:18-21

All the people perceive the signs of God, see the manifestation of God, from the bottom of the mountain—including the trumpet sounds. They are afraid. Surely to see any manifestation of the holy, almighty God is terrifying. Because they are afraid, they ask Moses to speak to them. They feel if God speaks to them, they will die. The text does not say they will die if God speaks directly to them. It does say they feel as if they will because God is scary. Moses reassures the people. He encourages them not to be afraid. God has not come in order to kill the people or destroy the nation. Instead, God has come in order to test the people. This test is not like the tests we receive in public schools to see how much we know or how well we will do. Instead, this test is more like the tests we go through in real life, the tests that develop us and make us better. The Law being given will produce a fear of God in the people. It is a healthy fear of God that will cause people to reject sin. Did you catch that? It is not the Law that will keep people from sinning. One cannot stay pure from sin just by keeping the Law. Sin is something that a law code cannot keep us from. This Law is meant to make Israel longevous and prosperous as a nation, not to make people righteous. The Law does, though, help us to know and fear God. When we fear God, a matter of the heart, we will reject sin. Our rejection of sin has to do more with the condition of our hearts than with our ability to keep a set of rules. The Law does not parse out what is sinful and what is not. There are moral laws in the Law, but some of the things are matters of civility or ritual rather than sin. Fearing and knowing God through the Law is more important than trying to obey the whole degree of the Law, especially for non-Israelites. God is good. His Law is good. Only God can justify and sanctify us; no law can do that—even a law God gives. Why? The Law is not God. Many people think they find life in the Law. But, the Law testifies about God. Life is only found in God (cf. John 5:39-40).