In the Bible, there is a pattern we can find that begins when sin enters the world. Disobedience results in judgment; however, judgment is followed by a path to redemption through sacrifice. The Lord made the first sacrifice when he shed the blood of animals to clothe Adam and his wife. He would also make the last sacrifice offering his own body and blood, whereby he would clothe humanity in his righteousness.

When a given path of redemption is no longer obeyed, judgment is imposed—in some cases, it is without remedy—for the spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man.

After Jacob went to Egypt to dwell during the famine, the children of Israel strayed from the Lord and began worshiping the Egyptian gods, and they were placed under bondage for their sins.

Four hundred and thirty years later, God raised Moses and delivered them out of Egypt. In the wilderness, the written law was given to Israel because, beforehand, the conscience alone had proven to be too weak to produce obedience and was ineffective in achieving righteousness. Therefore, the Lord implemented a stronger means to free humanity from the yoke of sin by reinforcing the conscience with the written law, which included judgments for transgressions and sacrifices for redemption.

Moses was chosen to receive the law directly from God to strengthen the conscience and make it stronger. And he commanded the Children of Israel to write down the laws, keep them always before their eyes, and teach them to their children.

Thus, by writing down the law along with its penalties, sin was magnified, aiming to awaken the conscience and have a greater effect on the hardness of men’s hearts. However, in time, the written laws were habitually broken, and sacrifices became merely routine, leading to hearts becoming hardened to it as well. After being miraculously delivered out of Egypt, given the law in writing, and placed in their own land to be a separate and holy people, they again forsook the Lord and turned to the idols of Egypt and the other nations around them that they had failed to drive out as commanded.

As conscience alone failed to bring about righteousness, so also the written law, which followed afterward to convict the conscience, also failed to bring forth obedience because of the hardness of heart.

The nations again faced judgment, and in his wrath, God destroyed many great kings and nations. Eventually, He even destroyed his own people, Israel. And He caused them to be carried away captive out of their land, and scattered them among the nations.

Nonetheless, by the foreknowledge of God, provision was made for salvation greater than the conscience and the law, and having found David a man after his own heart, He promised him that through his seed He would send a Savior who would dwell within his people and deliver them from their sins.

This is he of whom Moses spoke: “I will raise up a prophet from among their brothers like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And it will be that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.”

The prophet spoken of is Jesus Christ, of whom Moses was a foreshadowing. He is the perfection of grace and the finality of salvation, and there is no other name given whereby anyone can be saved. Upon his return, he shall reign in righteousness forever and ever.

Continued in Part 3: