A Righteous Standard
In the book of Exodus, when Israel came out of Egypt, God sought to teach them an important truth: Israel needed to rely on God to meet all of their needs. God would provide for his children, his firstborn son, Israel.
Deliverance from Egypt, a pillar of fire to lead them by night, a pillar of cloud to lead them by day--- their well-being was sure. God would provide their every need! The God of the universe had chosen them, and he would keep them.
Surely this people saw and learned the greatness of God and served Him with all their heart, relying on Him and trusting Him with their lives!
No, they did not learn.
And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: … Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. - Exodus 16:2-3
God provided for them their water and their daily bread. Yet they continued to murmur despite the LORD being merciful. The Lord reminded them of what he had done in Exodus 19 and followed by offering them a deal.
5 …if ye will obey my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation… - Exodus 19:5-6
If they would agree to God’s covenant and do what he said, these people would be above all people! A kingdom of priests! An holy nation! But the people of Israel evidently did not examine themselves when they answered together, “All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.” (Exodus 19:8) Thus the law entered, and the deal was made.
God was trying to teach them a very important truth. They couldn't do this law. They needed Him!
“And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.” (Deuteronomy 6:25) Moses states. But the wise and the prophets of Israel would begin to see and describe the problem.
Failing the Test
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? - Jeremiah 17:9
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. - Isaiah 64:6
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. - Psalm 32:1-2
The law given by Moses to Israel began to make clear one thing and one thing only. Man has a sin problem. The law is holy and just and good! (Romans 7:12) But, oh, how dark the hearts of men!
Man has never and will never, be able to right himself with God. It is made evident in scripture, Doing the law could never save you from your sin, the law can only condemn, and you need to be set free from the law. You need God’s mercy and grace, and you need His righteousness imputed to you.
Lesson Learned
In this dispensation of grace, God has made it abundantly clear (in case the problem wasn't clear already) what it is men can do for their own sin problem. They can do nothing. It is belief in what God has said, not your works, that matters.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. - Romans 4:5
What has God said for you to believe today that He will count as righteousness?
God today has revealed that Jesus’ work on the cross is the only work that could pay for anyone’s sin. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as a payment for your sins is not only what makes forgiveness possible, but today, the very thing you must believe to receive imputed righteousness and justification before God. (Romans 4:24-25)
The works of the law have never saved a single soul, but the law can point you to Christ, who is the just and the justifier. (Romans 3:26)
...the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. - Galatians 3:24
Thank God for his grace, the only means of salvation.