By David M Rogers

www.BibleTruth.cc

Published:February 2011

Updated: March 2022

Table of Contents

Abraham's Seed

The Inheritance Given Through a Promise

What Torah was "Added"?

Galatians 3:15-22 (New International Version)

Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.  The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.  What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.  For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. 

What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.  A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.  Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.  But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

I've presented this text using the New International Version because it is a familiar translation, but we will examine the meaning of the text below and present a translation that more accurately represents the meaning of Paul's line of reasoning.

Abraham's Seed

First, Paul begins this section of his letter by making a statement about man's covenants in general:

Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.  (Galatians 3:15, NIV)

Human covenants, agreements and contracts, once signed, cannot be changed or annuled by one of the parties involved. Any human contract is legally binding on both parties. Only if both parties want to change anything about the contract can it be done.

Next, Paul applies this principle to the promises Elohim made to Avraham:

The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. (Galatians 3:16, NIV)

Paul is referring to the details of the Hebrew text.  In several places where the promises are articulated, the Hebrew text reading "seed" is in the singular.

The blessings and promises given to Avram are first recorded in Bereshith (Genesis) 12:

Yahuwah had said to Avram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Bereshith 12:1-3)

Then in verse seven, as Avram and his household are entering into the land of Canaan,

Yahuwah appeared to Avram and said, "To your descendants (Heb. “seed”) I will give this land." So Avram built an altar there to Yahuwah, who had appeared to him.

Though many English translations render this text "to your descendants," the Hebrew reads, "to your seed."  The promise is given to Abram and one particular offspring of Abram's!

Again, when Avram was 99 years old, some 24 years later, Yahuwah appears to him and reiterates the promise:

I will give the whole land of Canaan--the land where you are residing--to you and your descendants (Heb. “seed”) after you as a permanent possession. I will be their Elohim." (Bereshith 17:8)

Now this promise is developed a short time later when Yahuwah identifies this "seed" who will inherit with Avram:

But I will establish my covenant with Yitzchak, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year. (Bereshith 17:21)

Though the promise for one particular seed is identified as Yitzchak (Isaac), the promise has more than one meaning.  Though Yitzchak was indeed the direct seed of Avram, the promise actually referred to another direct seed of Avram.  Paul explains that the "seed" promised is Messiah:

The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Messiah. (Galatians 3:16)

Messiah, then, is the Seed to whom the promises apply.  Messiah is to inherit the whole land upon which Avraham walked.  Messiah will rule and reign over this inheritance during the Messianic Age.

Then, in order to verify the promises Yahuwah spoke to Abram, he initiated two covenants with Abram to confirm his word. And this is why Paul started out this discussion with talk about human covenants. Elohim's covenants with people operate the same way. Elohim cannot break his own covenant with Abram.

The first of these two covenants is when Abram questioned how Elohim's promise could come about since he didn't yet have a son.

It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, [there appeared] a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. On that day Yahuwah made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendant(s) I have given this land, From the river of Mitzrayim as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: Genesis 15:17-18

This covenant confirmed the promise Yahuwah made as recorded in Genesis 12:7:

Yahuwah appeared to Avram and said, "To your descendants (Heb. “seed”) I will give this land."

The second covenant Yahuwah made with Abram is recorded in Genesis 17. It is the covenant of circumcision:

"I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly." Abram fell on his face, and Elohim talked with him, saying, "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. Genesis 17:2-4

And on down in the text, the stipulations of this covenant were given:

Elohim said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. Genesis 17:9-11

This covenant confirms the promises of Genesis 12:1-3. Elohim had told Abram that he would be a father of many nations and that all the world would be blessed through him.

By stating the promises and then confirming them with covenants, Yahuwah was showing that these things were certain to come to pass because Elohim had firmly decided that it would be so. Paul's point is that the law which came later could not affect the promises Yahuwah had already established.

The Inheritance Given Through a Promise

Next, Paul explains the relationship between the inheritance and the law and the promise:

What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.  For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. (Galatians 3:17-18, NIV)

Elohim made this promise to give the land to Avram and to his descendants - meaning, to his seed, the Messiah.  Then, 430 years later, Yahuwah met his people on Mt Sinai and gave Mosheh the "Law."

Abraham was commended for his fidelity even before he was circumcised:

Then the word of Yahuwah came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir."  He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars-- if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."  Avram believed Yahuwah, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Bereshith [Genesis] 15:4-6)

This encounter took place well before Avraham received the commandment of circumcision.  Elohim's promise preceded the commandment of circumcision and it was not, therefore, contingent upon circumcision.

The point Paul is making is that the Torah given later at Sinai did not annul the promise of inheritance of land nor did it replace the promise.  Rather, the Law was complementary to the promise.  The inheritance does not depend on the Torah.  Elohim has promised to give it to the Messiah, Avraham's Seed.

What Torah was "Added"?

If the inheritance was given as a promise and is not contingent upon the Torah, then why did Elohim give his people the Law?  First of all, we should understand what "Torah" or "Law" Paul is referring to here.

What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.  A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.  Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.  But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:19-22, NIV)

There was a "Law" that was given at Sinai that was a temporary "Law."  Paul says that this Law was given at Sinai but was no longer needed once the "Seed" came.  What can he possibly be talking about?

It is obvious to those who study Genesis that moral law was known and practiced throughout the years of the antediluvians and the patriarchs.  There are numerous examples of this.  Cain and Abel offered offerings to Yahuwah. The law of murder was known and indicated by the punishment of Cain for killing his brother.

Noah knew the laws of clean and unclean.  He brought onto the ark only one pair of unclean animals but seven pairs of clean animals for offerings which he was to make to Yahuwah.  Abraham built alters to make sacrifice to the Most High. The laws of inheritance were known and indicated by the first born receiving more (double) of all other sons.

The incident with Judah and his sons shows us that the law of a brother taking his brother's widow and raising up seed for that dead brother was known and practiced.  The king of Egypt and the king of the Philistines knew of the law of marriage as indicated by their refusal to take Abraham's wife and Isaac's wife (respectively) to be their own.

Joseph refused to sleep with Potiphar's wife for the same reason.  And Yoseph would not take anything that belonged to his master as his own because he knew that stealing was against Elohim's law.  These and other examples show us that the "Law" of Elohim was know and practiced well before Sinai.

Paul writes that this "Law" which came 430 years after the promises given to Abram was added because of transgression. Since we just showed that "moral law" was known and practiced (and also transgressed) since the beginning, then what "Law" was "added" at Sinai because of transgression which was to be later annulled when the "Seed" Messiah came?

The Book of Hebrews makes this understandable to us:

Now if perfection (life) was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need [was there] for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aharon? For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. Hebrews 7:11-12

The author of Hebrews explains that the system of sacrifices instituted at Sinai was designed to cover sin until the Seed whose priesthood is of Melchizedek would come. Perfection (a complete eradication of sin) could not be accomplished through the slaughtering of bulls and goats. A human being has to atone for a human life. One who bears sin must die because of that sin.

His argument is that the Levitical priesthood was never intended to be the permanent fix for the sin problem. Elohim promised that his Son would established another priesthood after the pattern of the Melchizedek priestood. And with this new priesthood of the Messiah must bring a change of the law - not the moral code, but the Torah (law) regarding how sin is taken care of - namely, the Levitical priesthood.

Then he states:

For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to Elohim. Hebrews 7:18-19

The law of the taberrnacle service and the role of the priesthood was weak and useless in terms of its ability to remove sin. It was only a stop gap to cover sin until the Seed would come along and properly repair the sin problem

This was illustrated by the temple curtain being torn in two from top to bottem when Yahusha hung of the cross.

The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed, while the outer tabernacle is still standing, which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:8-12

The gifts and sacrifices and their associated washings and food and drink were put into operation until that time of reformation would come which Messiah would bring.

The Torah that was added was the Law of the priesthood and the Law of the Holy Place. It was "added" as Paul writes because of transgression of the moral code. This was the means by which Elohim would atone for the sins of his people so that they would be able to approach him to fellowship.

But, these were to be replaced by Messiah becoming the eternal High Priest and his atoning sacrifice was to replace the need for daily and annual sacrifices of animals for atonement under the terms of the New Covenant.

Paul is not talking about moral law here in Galatians.  He is alluding to the sanctuary and high priests ministry in that sanctuary.  The fact that Messiah interrupts that "temporary" law that was added does not in any way affect the promises made by Elohim to Abraham and the patriarchs.

The Law does not impart life! Faithful relationship with the Creator God imparts life.  Therefore the promises are not dependent upon the Law (of the tabernacle).  The "Law" changes (the dwelling place of Elohim is in heaven).  But Elohim does not. His promises are true and faithful even though the means of atonement has changed.  Thus, the promises are not contingent on the Law (of the earthly sanctuary).

Next, Paul describes the law of the tabernacle service as a "mediator."

Now a mediator is not for one [party only]; whereas Elohim is [only] one. Is the Law then contrary to the promises of Elohim? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. Galatians 3:20-21

The Levitical Law mediated between Elohim and man. But the Levitical Law was not opposed to the promises Elohim made with Abram. Nevertheless, it was still not able to impart life. It only served to cover sin until Messiah came to overthrow sin.

So, Paul finishes the thought in verse 22:

But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:19-22, NIV)

Since the wages of sin is death, which is what Elohim told Adam and Chavah in the beginning, atonement would have to be made to those "prisoners" who had commited sin (all of mankind). Thus, we were all prisoners of sin.

Here then is a restatement of this passage in Galatians which, hopefully, can now be understood in its proper context:

Brothers, as a man I say it: a covenant, even though it is man’s, yet if it is confirmed, no one sets it aside, or adds to it.  But the promises were spoken to Abraham, and to his Seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Messiah.  Now this I say, Torah, that came four hundred and thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously confirmed by Elohim in Messiah, so as to do away with the promise.  For if the inheritance is by Torah, it is no longer by promise, but Elohim gave it to Avraham through a promise.  Why, then, the Torah?  It was added (enjoined) because of transgressions, until the Seed should come to whom the promise was made.  And it was ordained through messengers in the hand of a mediator.  The Mediator, however, is not of one, but Elohim is one.  Is the Torah then against the promises of Elohim? Let it not be! For if a (man-made) law had been given that was able to make alive, truly righteousness would have been by (Oral) Torah.  But the Scripture has shut up all mankind under sin, that the promise by fidelity in Messiah might be given to those who are faithful (to Him).

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