This man found 700 decrees that he believed that he must be conscious of and keep every single day in order to live the Bible. How depressing would that be to be constantly focused on the law and trying to keep the law? I wonder if that included the sacrificial system (and I wonder how PETA felt about that one!). Of course, I guess it couldn't include the sacrificial system because I personally don't know of any Levites that are available to offer the sacrifice at the temple (or where there is a temple that qualifies) in order for him to properly offer sacrifice according to the Old Testament Scripture. This guy tried to keep the laws for a year, and only a year, yet those were decrees set out for man to obey every single day of his life.
Wow, I am thankful that we are no longer under the law! Trying to keep 700 decrees would be depressing. We are condemned by the law because no one is capable of keeping it. It is interesting to see that the world thinks that obeying a set of rules and regulations qualifies us as "living the Bible." It goes to show that the world can learn facts about the Bible and know portions of Scripture, but when it comes to understanding, we need the Holy Spirit.
It seems to me that this man, and many who watch the program tonight, will miss the point of the law. The law was given for one reason, and that was to point us to Christ. Man is condemned by the law because no man can keep its 700 thou shalts and thou shalt nots. Man has to face the reality that there is nothing that he can do that will save him because he is condemned by his failure to follow God's law. The article mentions that it was easy to keep some, like "Thou shalt not murder," but I would go so far as to say that this man did not even keep that commandment. Jesus took that commandment and stated that even a man who is angry in his heart towards a brother commits murder. When you get to the very heart of the commandments, everyone is condemned. The law makes man's condition look hopeless. Therefore, man realizes that he must turn to God for grace.
Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the law. He was able to keep all of the decrees. He was able to be righteous in His thought life and His heart. He was able to present Himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins, fulfilling the sacrificial system and bringing it to an end. The law testifies to His place as Messiah and is to point us to Christ as our representative who was able to keep the law. Because we are unable to keep the law, we must depend upon His grace who kept the law. Since He who was sinless and a fulfillment of the law took on our sin on the cross, we can put on His righteousness. By entering into that relationship with Christ, we are called to "live the Bible" by living like Christ. Living the Bible isn't about keeping commands, but by accepting the gift of grace and living in that grace to become more and more like Christ.
We need more people in the world living the Bible by living in grace instead of trying to keep the 700 decrees. We can't expect the world to understand without the Holy Spirit, so we need to pray that the Holy Spirit will change minds and hearts. We also need to proclaim the gospel to the world, including living the Bible as a redeemed, holy people. We need to take opportunities to share the gospel by pointing out condemnation under the law, but also by pointing out God's grace through Jesus' sacrifice.
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