By showing Israel the perfect standard of holiness and obedience that God expected from them, the Mosaic covenant served to lead God’s people to Christ (Galatians 3:24). It did this by showing them the perfect righteousness that only Christ could fulfil to redeem sinners. Israel was never able to perfectly meet the terms of the Mosaic covenant despite their best efforts. Their failure to do so was meant to point them to Jesus Christ and encourage them to plead with God for grace and mercy, holding fast to the promises that God made to Abraham as they looked for a coming Saviour.
In the person of Jesus Christ, God’s promised Saviour finally came (Galatians 4:4–5). His life and death shows us the full extent of God’s commitment to save a people for himself. The Son took on human flesh and lived a life of perfect holiness. The Son suffered on the cross in order to appease the Lord’s anger against sin. And as a result, all those who have faith in Jesus Christ can have the assurance that despite our sins and failures, God will not leave us. He who gave his own Son in order to rescue us from exile will most certainly not take his presence from us.
1 But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel.