When God speaks, does He need to affirm what He promises by an oath? The simple answer is, "No". God does not need to put Himself under oath for somebody else to hold Him to account. He is God and whatever He says has ultimate authority. But throughout the Bible, many people have needed reassurance that what they have heard has really come from God (Matthew 14:28).
The Christian's 'hope' is the confidence that all God's promises will be fulfilled for our blessing and His glory as we trust in Him. Only Jesus can bring together all the promises and power of God to build His kingdom and be its King (1 Peter 1:3). Although we must wait, our 'hope' is sustained by faith in God's Word even though we groan under suffering (Romans 8:23-25).
Paul describes the Old Testament law as 'our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ' (Galatians 3:24 KJV). The 'schoolmaster' was really an educated slave put in charge of the children to give them their basic schooling. In order to prepare people for the coming of Christ, God placed illustrations or models of Christ in the Old Testament.
Tithing is a normal part of honouring God. It was embedded into the Mosaic law, declaring that a tenth of all income belongs to the Lord (Leviticus 27:30-32). The tithes were to be given to the priests, as God's representatives, to provide their support: but a tenth of what they received was also to be given directly to the Lord as a sacrifice (Numbers 18:26).
How can we understand something we have never encountered? An architect will commission a model to be made. Although small, it gives a good impression of the shape and style of the building and how it fits into its environment. God used that approach to help His people understand.
Why change things? In the fast-moving world of today we need to harness technology and adapt to shifting market forces. But for some new managers, change is simply an opportunity to make their mark – and not always for the best. So why did God change the system of priesthood from what He prescribed to Moses in the Law (Numbers 3:5-10)? It was an important question for the Hebrew-background believers to whom this letter was written.
Because our minds are finite, we cannot know what we have not experienced, or learn from the experience of others. We must therefore look back to make sense of the present and the future. It is difficult to imagine how Hebrew-background believers would have thought about discarding so much of the religious way of life they had been brought up to obey, unless a new future had been promised.
A covenant is a promise. In the Old Testament [Old Covenant] God promised to bless His people if they obeyed His Law, and to curse them if they disobeyed (Deuteronomy 11:26-28). When they unintentionally broke the Law they could offer a sacrifice so that their sin would be overlooked, but there was no sacrifice for intentionally defiant sin (Numbers 15:30). Certainly, the Law set the gold standard.
Our world suggests many ways to peace: through work or meditation, through religion or recreation. There is some temporary comfort, but can they bring lasting peace to a guilty conscience or confidence of being fully accepted by God? The Bible and personal experience agree that the answer is 'No'. Many people are sustained by the love and provision of parents and do not know where to turn when they die. Others hang onto the advice and care of pastors as though their relationship with God depends on their spiritual mentor.
The problem with every religious system is that all their officials and priests, ministers, pastors, elders and deacons - are sinners who, themselves, need saving from God's wrath (Romans 5:9).
