Verse By Verse Devotional On 2 Corinthians By Pastor Jack #70

The Ministry of Death

3:7-8 "But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?"

Paul here refers to God’s covenant with the Israelites administered through Moses as a "ministry of death." He has already referred to it as written on tablets of stone and not upon human hearts (v.3) and as something that kills (v.6). He goes on to refer to it as "the ministry of condemnation" (v.9) "which fades away" (v.11).

In the days of Moses God gave man the law without giving the Spirit (for the most part). He did this to show again that it is "not by might nor by power but by My Spirit." (Zech.4:6) The lesson of history is that because of sin man cannot make it on his own, he does not have it in him to achieve the righteousness of God. In order to walk in fullness of life and according to the divine commands h e needs the power of God -- which comes by the Spirit of God.

Another reason God set up His law in the time of Moses while not giving His Spirit was to provide a setting in which the Christ could finally come and -- by the power of the Spirit -- fulfill the laws demands. Thus Christ showed us vividly the path that must be followed in order to find righteousness: the path of relying on the Spirit and not the flesh, the path of humility and service -- not of pride and self-will, the path of suffering and brokenness, of waiting for our heaven and looking to Him for strength as we march through the valley of humiliation in the footsteps of our Master.

The law of Moses, in all its perfections, was a ministry of death because the Spirit was not given along with it. And man cannot attain to the law of God apart from God’s empowering Spirit.

Well, was anyone in Israel saved during the days of Moses? How can someone be saved by "a ministry of death" and "condemnation"? The point in this passage is that by-and-large the law was a ministry of death, because by-and-large the Israelites did not have it in them to follow it. But this doesn’t mean NO ONE was given grace by the Spirit at this time. We know that Moses had this grace, along with Joshua and Caleb and others. And the basis of their salvation was the same as ours -- it was by faith in the redemption of God. But overall the whole situation was characterized by men not having it in them to walk in the way of God. That is why Paul refers to it as a "ministry of death."

Lord, I praise You for the privilege of living in the era of the Holy Spirit. For You have not left us without a Helper. And what a marvelous Helper He is for us! Please help me to stop thinking that in myself I have what it takes to live the way I need to live. Help me realize and remember that apart from You I can do nothing. Fill me always with a sense of my need for You, and fill me with Your blessed Spirit whom You have sent to be with me forever.