Wednesday | 08 July 2026
Highlighting the connection between our infirmity and discord in our marriages, houses and churches, the apostle Paul introduced the subject of our infirmity by drawing attention to the problems in Christ’s first marriage at Mount Sinai and the new marriage covenant of the Spirit established on Mount Calvary.
The Law, given at Mount Sinai, was the marriage covenant between the Son of God and the children of Israel, whom Stephen described as ‘the church in the wilderness’. Act 7:38.
The Lord, through the prophet Jeremiah, commented on this marriage by saying, ‘Behold, the days are coming … when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah – not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them.’ Jer 31:31-32.
The Law was given as a covenant to minister life and blessing to those who kept it and participated in the culture of offering prescribed by the Law. It was a tutor to bring the nation of Israel to Christ. Gal 3:24. The life ministered through the Law was not ‘zoe’, but rather blessing, healing, health and prosperity. Exo 15:26.
Men and women who walked in the faith of Abraham obtained this blessing. However, as a nation, the culture of the children of Israel was to walk after the flesh. That is, through the exercise of their knowledge of good and evil, they took hold of God’s Law for their own ends. This led only to religious idolatry and cursing. Notably, this fleshly covenant was ended on the cross.
Paul declared, ‘For the woman [the church at Sinai] who has a husband [the Son of God] is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives [it is their marriage covenant]. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband.’ Rom 7:2.
Further Study:
Exodus 19
References:
Act 7:38
This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us.
Jer 31:31-32
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah — not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
Gal 3:24
Therefore, the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Exo 15:26
And said, ‘If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.’
Rom 7:2
For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband.