I was driving down the highway, having a lively conversation with my family when suddenly, I saw bright lights come out of nowhere flashing in my rearview mirror.

I had no intention of speeding, but that didn’t matter.  The officer had evidence.

The time I spent sitting in my car as the officer reviewed my information in his patrol car was humbling.  All I could do was sit there patiently, awaiting the inevitable ticket he was preparing.

Then, I began to think of why the law was there in the first place –  to keep me, my family, and other drivers safe.  So, while it was an unpleasant experience, I understood the big picture.

Without the law,  I wouldn’t have gotten a ticket.  But, without the law, the roads would be chaotic and our lives could be in jeopardy.

Some of the laws that God had for His people seemed a bit extreme. They were asked to sacrifice animals for wrongdoing against a neighbor, working on the Sabbath, and withholding wages, just to name a few.  I can’t even imagine the work involved in sacrificing the animal as it had to be done in a very specific way and I don’t imagine they had gloves back then.

Without the law, there was no need for sacrifice. But, without the law, there would be no standard and no opportunity to practice faith in God.  According to John Piper, “… the law did not call for meritorious works, but for the obedience which flows from faith.”

There is no way anyone of us can fulfill the law…just like there was no way anyone could fulfill the law.  But, Jesus did, and that’s why he came.  We needed Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice to fulfill all those incredibly detailed laws.

So, the next time you decide to do some leisure reading through Leviticus, remember that Jesus came to fulfill every one of those commandments.  And he did it all through the act of love.

“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” Galatians 5:14

~Betsy

*photo credit: Jordan on unsplash.com