From Moses To Christ

After Moses exhorts the Israelites about their future apostasy, as seen in Deuteronomy 29, he follows this with a prophecy of their restoration in chapter 30.  He says:

Deuteronomy 30:9-16

9 "The LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good. For the LORD will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers,  10 if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  11 For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.  12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'  13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'  14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.  15 See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,  16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.

When Paul the apostle exhorts the believers, especially concerning the fate of the unbelieving Israelites, he uses parallel language:

Romans 10:1-13
  

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.  2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.  4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.  5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them."  6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ down from above)  7 or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).  8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):  9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."  12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

The parallel language between the two passages illustrates how the preaching of the Gospel is compared and contrasted with the preaching of the Law by Moses.  In other words, there is a parallel because of the similarity of language.  There is a similar "giving of the covenant."  But, there is also a contrast, because Jesus brought a change -- else, there would be no need for Paul to speak this way.

A comparison of the two passages shows that the contrast between them is the preaching of the Law on the one hand, and the preaching of the Gospel on the other.  The other contrast is connected with the phenomenal description of Israelite restoration in Deut 30.  How this happens is at that point a mystery.  The nation has just previously in chapter 29 been described as moving into idolatry and exile from the Land.  By some mysterious sudden transformation they are now prophesied to be restored.

That transformation that restores them is exactly the gospel of Christ that Paul speaks of in Romans 10, where he uses the parallel language to Moses.  The continuity of the covenant is that the people of Israel are restored, according to Moses' prophecy in Deuteronomy 30.  The discontinuity of the covenant is the method by which they are restored -- not under the administration of the Law, but under the administration of the Gospel.

By the Gospel, the righteousness of the Law -- the actual spiritual state called for in the Law -- is fulfilled by grace, through the Spirit, in the believers -- who are not under the Law.

The retroactive grace of Christ made believers in those old days, after the Fall and under the Law.  But the ministry was comparatively scant.  And, the Law, with its curses, threatened not only the disobedient but the godly.  The faithless were confirmed in their rebellion by God's good law.  Many, by their zeal for righteousness according to the law, became the worst enemies of Christ.  The "do this and live" revealed the sin of sinners.

But, when Christ came, with grace in place of the curse of the Law, the wholesale display of God's grace came.  The physical Israelites have been cut out of blessings, for the sake of the calling of the Gentiles, but that calling of the natural family of Abraham by God himself cannot be thwarted in the end.  By the power of the Spirit, the glorious picture of Israelite redemption will come true.