God’s original intention was to do the work of the new creation on the fallen man of the old creation according to His promised grace. However, because fallen man did not know his own weakness and corruption and therefore did not realize his impotence and his need of God’s grace, God temporarily changed the way of His work of the new creation on the fallen man of the old creation. That is, He gave the fallen man the law, which was established according to what He is. Thus, in His work of the new creation on the man of the old creation, He initiated another dispensation, the dispensation of law, which extended from Moses to the coming of Christ.
God’s intention in setting up the dispensation of law according to His economy was to accomplish the following things through the law:
From the time that God called Abraham to be the father of a new race in God’s new creation to the completion of the grace that He promised to Abraham was a long period of approximately two thousand years. Four hundred thirty years after He gave Abraham the promise, the descendants of Abraham, the chosen people of God, became foolish and stubborn. Knowing neither themselves nor the grace of God, they were arrogant and stiff-necked. Therefore, on the one hand, God caused His chosen people to contact Him and to fellowship with Him through Christ, who was typified by the tabernacle and the offerings, that they might enjoy the riches in Christ as the grace that He promised to Abraham. On the other hand, He preserved them in the divine economy by giving them, through Moses, the holy and righteous law, which was established according to Himself, who is love and light.
God did not decree the law that His chosen people might keep it by themselves; rather, His intention was that they would satisfy the requirements of the law through the offerings, which typified Christ, and thereby be guarded. After He gave the law to the children of Israel, He began to deal with them according to the law through the offerings and the tabernacle. He did not intend for them to contact Him through the law; rather, He intended for them to contact Him according to the law through the offerings and the tabernacle. This is the fulfillment in type of the grace which God promised to Abraham. Suppose an Israelite committed a certain sin. According to the law, that one should be condemned, perhaps even put to death. However, the sinner could present a trespass offering, which was a type of Christ. The trespass offering was then offered on the altar by the priest. In this way the sinner could be forgiven. Therefore, he was not cut off by God; rather, because he had satisfied the righteous requirements of the law through union with the sacrifice, which typified Christ, he was blessed and was able to contact and fellowship with God, be at peace and be one with Him, and enjoy His riches. Thus, he was kept in the way of God’s new creation.
Through Moses God gave the law as the custodian of His chosen people, to guard them as the sheepfold guards the flock. Before Christ came, God’s chosen people were watched over and guarded under law, as the sheep are watched over and kept in custody in the temporary sheepfold (since the pasture is the permanent place for them to stay), so that the thieves may not come to steal, kill, or destroy them (John 10:10). Persons such as Moses, Samuel, David, and the prophets and saints in the Old Testament were all kept by the law in this way.