7 But if the ministry that produced death—carved in letters on stone tablets—came with glory, so that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (a glory which was made ineffective), 8 how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry that produced condemnation, how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness excel in glory! 10 For indeed, what had been glorious now has no glory because of the tremendously greater glory of what replaced it. 11 For if what was made ineffective came with glory, how much more has what remains come in glory!

REFLECTIONS

Written by Afryll Lio

It’s funny to think of the old covenant as a “ministry that brought death”. Not funny ha-ha but more like “wait, what?” But I guess it’s true. The very fact that we need laws points to an undeniable fact about humans – we aren’t good. If we could get away with doing whatever we want, whenever we want, we would. So God coming in and giving Israel a clear set of laws, and making explicit that the penalty for breaking such laws is death would be, well… a ministry that brings death, because it was inevitable that they would break the laws. Yet the old covenant was still glorious because if by chance you were the perfect human and could follow the laws perfectly, then for you it could indeed bring you into right relationship with God. So the laws God gives us aren’t the problem – we are.

That’s also why the new covenant in Jesus is even more glorious. As believers we are still to obey his commands, but our right relationship with God doesn’t depend on whether we can follow them perfectly. It depends on Jesus’ death on the cross for us. What glorious news!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Afryll is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.