Galatians 3:17
17 And [de] this [touto] I say, [lego] that the
covenant, [diatheke] that was confirmed before [prokuroo] of [hupo] God [theos] in [eis] Christ, [Christos] the law, [nomos] which was [ginomai] four hundred [tetrakosioi]
and [kai] thirty [triakonta] years [etos] after, [meta] cannot [ou] disannul, [akuroo] that [eis] it should make [katargeo] the promise [epaggelia] of
none effect. [katargeo] KJV-Interlinear
17 What I am saying is this: the
Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a
covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. NASB
God made the promise to Abraham in Gen.
12:3-4. Abraham was then seventy-five
years old.
Moses wrote the Mosaic Law four-hundred and thirty
years later, which was just a few months after the exodus of the Israelites out
from Egypt.
Clearly, the Law as written by Moses came at a much
later date than the time of the promise that was given by God to Abraham.
God made a promise to Abraham when he left Haran
and entered into the land of Canaan.
Note that Canaan was not given to Abraham, but it was a land wherein
Abraham and all of his family lived or moved about, or as the Bible states,
sojourned there during their stay in Canaan.
The Israelites did not receive possession of the
land until after they left Egypt, which would not be for several centuries
later. In fact Abraham was told in Gen.
15:13, that his people would be strangers in the land for four-hundred
years. This time began with the birth
and weaning of Isaac which was thirty years later after the date of this
promise. Ishmael was five years old when
both he and his mother were turned out and Isaac was formally recognized as the
legitimate heir of Abraham. Being
strangers in the land included the time in Canaan which they did not own and
the time in Egypt, wherein they were subjected to bondage until the exodus. And even all of this is symbolic of all of
our receiving ownership of the promise land, which is the new universe in
eternity. That is the one that really counts, and will be forever.
But we stray from our topic a bit.
Faith versus works.
Gods promise is based on faith.
The law as written by Moses is based on works. Faith is achievable by everyone. Works is achievable by no one, with but one exception,
who is Jesus Christ. And Jesus is God
and it should be obvious that only God can live a perfect life.
Anyone who believes that they can live a perfect
life is only delusional at best.
When two parties make a pact or contract or
agreement, and both agree on the terms of that contract, then neither of them
can singularly make changes that would cancel out the original agreement. And this was not done by the giving of the
law.
God made a promise to Abraham, and God is obligated
to keep His promises. Even God cannot renege
on a promise. Once made He is obligated to keep it.
Therefore even though the Law was given even
centuries later, its purpose was not to negate the promise, but in fact it
reinforced the fact that without the promise, there would be no salvation, for
man cannot earn it, neither can he accomplish it by any means other than by the
work of God and thus through faith in that divine work and promise.
Anyone who tries to work their way through salvation
or their spiritual life, is trying to apply works, their own works, as an
addition to or a substitute for, faith. And in that effort, they are out of
line and they have only guaranteed failure in store for themselves.
