Galatians 5:1b
"...and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Now
let's see what the Apostle Peter said about the Law. Come back to Acts
chapter 15, and pick up the text at that great Jerusalem counsel. This
is when the Judaizers and the Jewish leaders, and that included Peter
and the eleven, were coming down hard on the Apostle Paul. Remember his
message for teaching the Gentile believers was faith in the finished
work of the Cross + nothing. But those at Jerusalem were trying to
convince him that those Gentiles also had to practice circumcision and
keeping of the Law and all the statues and ordinances for them to be
saved. (Acts 15:1-5) And we know that Paul adamantly refused to accept
that.
Then finally Peter wakes up, the Holy
Spirit gave him a big push, and he realizes that - "Hey, years ago up
there in Caesarea, God used me to take the Word to a Gentile by the name
of Cornelius." We know that Peter witnessed the salvation of those
Gentiles, and again God had the long term in view, not the near, so God
had Peter all primed and ready to come to Paul's defense by using
something that took place 12 years earlier. It doesn't say 12 years here
but chronologically that's what it was.
Acts 15:7
"And
when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them.
Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice
among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the
gospel, and believe." Now look how Peter describes the Law in verse 10.
Acts 15:10
"Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples (the believers up there at Antioch who had become believers of Paul's Gospel) which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"
Now goodness sake what was the yoke? The Law! The Law was a heavy
yoke of bondage. We've made that point before that living under the Law
was severe. For example if the old High Priest goofed in one little
detail, what happened? He was dead! We don't know how much truth there
is to it, but you've all heard the account that the High Priest actually
had a rope around his ankle when he went in behind the veil. Now if
that be true we can see why, because if he would have goofed with any
part of that ritual on the Day of Atonement, he was a dead man. And of
course the Hebrews realized that was always a possibility so they had a
rope on his foot to drag him out. They certainly couldn't go back behind
the veil and carry him out. But the point we're making here is that the
Law was SEVERE! It was like a heavy yoke on the neck
of an oxen, and a yoke is never an easy burden to bear, and that's what
the Law was. We've said that it was a corral and tutor which served to
hem in, keep them separated and was used to train and was intended to
keep the Hebrews separate from those around them, but it failed to do
so. All right now coming back to Galatians chapter 4 once again. Paul is
using that same analogy, that the Law was the flesh, it was like a
heavy yoke, it only brought in bondage. Just as Aaron's priesthood could
only deal with the external. Now verse 25 of Galatians 4.
Galatians 4:25a
"For this Agar is (typically now in the allegory) Mount Sinai in Arabia,..."
Now
you've heard us say that we feel that the Apostle Paul spent one year
at Sinai. What one great event do you always associate with Sinai in
Arabia? The Ten Commandments. Now, that's what Paul says. Hagar is a
picture of the giving of the Ten Commandments on Sinai. Now let's go on.
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