God's Better Way

(We did an activity. One volunteer was about to receive the death penalty, another volunteer loaned them money to atone for the crimes they committed so they can get out of jail and another volunteer was the judge. No matter how much money they gave the judge, it wasn’t enough to pay for their sins, so they were sentenced to death.)

In the old covenant people were justified by burnt offerings and they made amends for their sins. Amends means to compensate or make up for a wrongdoing. (Leviticus 1:4- The person bringing it is to lay his hand upon its head, and it then becomes his substitute: the death of the animal will be accepted by God instead of the death of the man who brings it, as the penalty for his sins.) Instead of the Israelites dying because of their sins, the burnt offering of animals took their place.

Exodus 20:1-17

During their Exodus God gave them the 10 Commandments and if you continue to read there are more laws He gives: laws concerning people, property laws, general laws, etc.

Leviticus 26

2. What comes to your mind when reading that? Let’s compare and contrast obeying God vs. disobeying God? Sin allows the enemy to wreak havoc in your life.

Obeying God:

Regular rains with good crops

Will chase away their enemies 

They will have peace

Live safely 

God will be among them

Disobeying God:

They will be sick

God will be against them

Will run from their enemies

Land will not yield crops

Bring war against them

Will be conquered by their enemies

Food supply will be destroyed 

Will eat their own sons and daughters

Will not respond to their incense offerings.

Will be prisoners of war and slaves

Live in constant fear

Jeremiah 25:1-11

Jeremiah 39:1-16

There was punishment for their disobedience just like God said. 

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Before Christianity the jews had to obey a bunch of rules (as apart of their covenant with God) to be justified, but they never made them right with God. Circumcision, the 10 Commandments and the rest of the laws just showed them that they were sinners. We all know how the Israelites were and time after time they were being judged for not keeping His laws. 

We finished the activity: The inmate on death row received money that said “the blood of Jesus” on it and with that money they were able to get out of jail.) This money represents what Jesus did for us on the cross. God made a new covenant (contract, agreement) with the blood of Jesus. He came up with a new, better way for our justification by sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. His blood was the ultimate sacrifice for sins. 

Hebrews 8:7-13

Hebrews 9:13-15

Hebrews 9:25-28

Hebrews 10:1-20

The old system of Jewish laws gave only a dim foretaste of the good things Christ would do for us. The old system was a representation of what was to come.

(Leviticus 26:13 -For I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, so that you would be slaves no longer; I have broken your chains so that you can walk with dignity.) Just like God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He sent Jesus to die on the cross for us so that we’d no longer be slaves to sin. People in sin are walking around with invisible (spiritual) chains that keep them bound. Bound means certain to do something. Some synonyms are certain, destined and doomed. Being a slave to sin is to be certain, destined and doomed to do whatever the devil wants you to do. Thankfully God used the blood of Jesus to break sin’s power.

Romans 7:1-6

Romans 8:3-8

3. What did you get out of tonight’s lesson?