In Israel’s exodus we see the power of God displayed. In the giving of the Law we see the holiness of God revealed. Please note that the exodus preceded the giving of the Law. The Law wasn’t given first, because the Law couldn’t provide liberty. The Law, rather, provided safety. If God was going to be Israel’s King, and if they were going to be His representatives on the earth, then they were going to need a Law (Ex. 19:5-6)
As citizens of America, we have freedom. There are laws that govern our way of life as free people. Laws, for example, against murder. Freedom may be taken away if someone murders another. We can conclude that the same law that protects, is the same law that punishes.
Though the Israelites were freed from Egypt, they were still enslaved to sin. The apostle Paul wrote, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law” (Rom. 7:7). God, through the Law, revealed what was in the heart of every person. In other words, the Law provided a mirror into man’s heart, which included murder, idolatry, theft, adultery, and so forth (Ex. 20:1-17). The Law didn’t provide a means for salvation. The Tabernacle, and its sacrifices, administered a temporary agency for cleansing.
Accordingly, the Law disclosed God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness. The Law, nevertheless, provided protection for living in God’s kingdom as God’s peculiar people. The same Law that protected, was the same Law that punished. Assuming that Israel kept God’s commands, they would enjoy God’s blessings. If they broke God’s commands, then they would suffer the consequences.
Moreover, as New Testament believers, we have a greater law, the law of the Spirit (Rom. 8:2). Jesus Christ made us free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:3). Jesus accomplished what the Law couldn’t do, He freed us from the enslavement of sin. Through the Holy Spirit we are able to delight in God’s laws, and live holy as He is Holy!