TO GIVE A HUMAN EXAMPLE, brothers and sisters, even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
COMMENTARY FROM RICHARD KEW'S Thought of the Day:
If I understand Paul's line of argument here, he is asking us to look at the place of the law in Old Testament faith as an interim expedient between the promise made to Abraham by the Lord God that his offspring (Jesus) would be a blessing to all the families of the earth. The law provides cover between the initial promise being made by God, and its fulfillment in Jesus. The law is like a gift to us, like a governess so that we can recognize right from wrong, but it does not make us right with God---that can only be done by the death and resurrection of Jesus. The law provides discipline, it does not provide salvation. We can thank God for it, but we have much more to thank God for in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
THANKSGIVING FOR THE DAY
For the Savior who lived, taught, healed, died, rose again for us, ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit we give thanks and blessing to the Almighty,
INTERCESSION FOR THE DAY
Let us pray that we may learn to live righteous and holy lives, but always depending on Jesus.
COLLECT FOR THE DAY
My prayers and alms, imperfect and defiled, were but the feeble efforts of a child; Howe'er performed, it was their brightest part, That they proceeded from a grateful heart. (A short poem prayer by the 18th Century poet and hymn writer, William Cowper, who grew up just a couple of hundred yards from where I went to high school.)
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