“WHEREFORE then the law?” (Gal. 3:19).
This inquiry of “the Pharisees, which believed” was not limited to the law of God, although that, being the chief of all laws, was of course the principal thought in the inquiry. But from the beginning of this study of the book of Galatians we have found that there was involved not only the moral law, but also the ceremonial law—indeed all that God had given. And this, because all the service of the Pharisees was a service merely of law; since their only idea of justification was justification altogether by law, and their only idea of salvation altogether by works.
Therefore with “the Pharisees, which believed” this inquiry extended also to, Wherefore then the Levitical law? Wherefore then the sacrificial system? Wherefore circumcision? What was the use of all these, if salvation were not attained by any of them? Such was the only use they had ever made of any of these things: indeed, this was the only conception that they had of them.
They expected perfection from the Levitical priesthood; the same from circumcision; and the same from all that was given by the Lord. Their only idea of their use was that justification, salvation, came to them in the doing of these things - by the doing of them. But this was all error, and was a perversion of the true intent of all that God gave. Justification was not by any of these, nor by all of them together, any more than it was by the law of God. Justification was always by faith; and the sacrificial system, and all the services and ceremonies of the Levitical law, were only means which God gave, by which faith was expressed: the sacrifices were means of expressing faith that they already had in the great Sacrifice that God had made.
And this same query, and for the same reason, is raised today by thousands of “Pharisees which believe,” in their enmity against the truth of the gospel. For this reason alone, “Wherefore then the law?” is a live question today, and always will be a live question wherever the truth of the gospel—righteousness by faith—is preached.
But there is a greater reason, than that, as to “Wherefore then the law?” being a live question today and always. It is a true and proper question always, in the inquiry after the truth as it is in Jesus. For in the whole divine economy of the times of Israel, there is precious truth, rich instruction, and glorious light, for all who would be taught of God. This was all there for the people of Israel of old; but through carnal-mindedness and its self-justification, they missed it. And because Israel did thus miss it, thousands of professed believers today, stumbling over Israel’s failures, neglect and even reject all the great riches, which Israel missed, but which were then and are now for all people. For to the people of the very last days it is written: “Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments” (Mal. 4:4). And “the Christian who accepts the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, will look at Bible history in its true bearing. The history of the Jewish economy from beginning to end, though spoken of contemptuously, and sneered at as ‘the dark ages,’ will reveal light, and still more light, as it is studied.”
“Wherefore then the law” of Levitical priesthood, sacrifice, offering, burnt offering, and offering for sin, the sanctuary and its ministry? —It was all only the divinely appointed means of expressing the faith that they already had, and that had already brought to them the righteousness of God without any deeds of any law.