The faith of the Law

Faith and Law are almost oxymoronic and for the most part are not used in the same context in the Bible. Yet as we examine the sacrificial instructions to combat sin in the early chapters of Leviticus we notice how the law requires individuals to have faith beyond simple legalism.

There were different sacrifices required for different types of sin. If one sinned intentionally then a ram was expected, otherwise a female goat or a lamb. Further the type of sacrificial object was also dependent on the financial status of the individual. The poorer ones could bring a dove instead of livestock, while the poorest of the poor were only required to use flour for their offering.
These are only a few of the many intricate details we notice in the sacrificial instructions.

Despite all these instructions of the law, it was up to the individual to respond through faith. Atoning for sin was a costly process. Thus an individual really had to believe in God’s forgiveness via the sacrificing before doling out money for a creature. Further, due to the proactive onus on the giver to initiate the sacrifice, one could easily pretend they were sinless and offer no sacrifices, and everyone would be none the wiser. Similarly, the individual could choose to offer a sacrifice that was beneath their financial means pretending they could only afford such an item. Yet faith in God’s sacrificial provision caused the individual to confess sin each time and bring the appropriate object needed to atone for their sins.

As David intuitively realized, God does not delight in sacrifices. He looks at the heart. As individuals came to God with a pure heart of faith and chose to be honest in offering the right sacrifices, God’s legal process of the law was able to atone for their sins. Thus faith in the law offered benefits for Old Testament adherents, and teaches us New Testament believers to have faith in the new law: Grace in Christ.