For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw nigh to God. Hebrews 7:19
Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to live in Old Testament days, conducting your life according to the Law of Moses? In one way, it might have been simpler, because the law was all written down word-for-word as God required you to live. If you followed it exactly, you were OK; if you didn’t follow it, you had to fall back on the sacrifices and the functioning of the priests in the tabernacle or temple. Some people say that keeping the law would solve all of our problems today. One legalist had the following to say about it: ‘If we followed the 10 commandments we would have safe streets, children would honour their parents, adultery would no more happen, we would have secure marriages and happy homes. We found out folks that if we keep these commandments our society would improve over night to perfect.’ But if it is so simple, why doesn’t it work? It didn’t work in the Old Testament days and it doesn’t work now. Our text has the answer: the law made nothing perfect. The law does not provide its keepers the power to keep it. That’s why we need the better hope that our text speaks of.
In the Old Testament economy, there was a line drawn through the world that separated the people. On one side of that line stood the keepers of the law, the Jewish followers of Moses. On the other side of the line stood all of those who rejected or were ignorant of the law. There is a line drawn through the world today, too. On one side stand all those who have obeyed the Gospel and have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. On the other side of the line are all those who have not yet obeyed the Gospel. Those who have obeyed the Gospel have received the better hope. Does that mean they are now all perfect? In two wonderful ways, it does.
I don’t feel perfect today. And if you are honest, you don’t either. We slip and slide and stumble in our Christian experience. We frequently disobey. But those who do not possess God’s salvation are worse off than us, because they can do nothing but disobey, even if they try to keep the law. The law never gave anybody the power to keep it. But God’s salvation does. With our salvation comes the Holy Spirit, to enable obedience. Our salvation also enables us to draw nigh to God. The law produced a distance from God, because only one man was permitted into His presence. But our salvation enables all of us to come into His presence. And eventually, when we enter His presence forever, we will enter into the perfection of it all.
The better hope enables us to obey our Lord today. The better hope also brings us near to Him today, and forever. – Jim MacIntosh