Deuteronomy 6-7; Romans 7

6 continues to set up the special relationship of the LORD and the people through the law.  The people are to teach it to their children so all may go well in the Promised Land.  It defines the Great Commandment quoted by Jesus in the New Testament (in verse 4).  The LORD reminds them to go over it when they enter the land promised to the Patriarchs, that they are not to put God to the test.  Finally, it is required they teach it to their children, the law and the story of the Exodus, so their children will know where they came from.


7 begins with harsh language of exterminating the nations of Canaan.  The LORD so commands so that the religious impurity of those people shall not contaminate the Israelites.  It goes on to recognize that these nations are larger and more powerful than Israel, but the LORD fights for Israel, not them.  Again comes the reminder, keep the law and the LORD will fight for them.  Israel should not fear, remembering what the LORD did for them coming out of Egypt.  The promise is that the LORD shall fight in advance of His people, so long as they obey.


Romans 7 is a powerful contradistinction to Deuteronomy 6 and 7.  Paul continues to chip away at the sanctity of the law of Moses.  He uses the example of death freeing you from the law, citing the example of a widow free to marry versus the constraints on a divorced woman.  The simile is that as the widow is freed from the law because of death, so are we freed from the law because of death. 


But Paul will not go so far as to condemn the law.  That would be too radical a departure from the Church in Jerusalem.  Rather, he recognizes it condemnatory nature.  We know we are sinners  because of the conviction of the law.  And when we know we've sinned, we have a desire to sin more.  We are then left in the struggle that we lose, as people of flesh who cannot overcome the power of sin on our own. 


We are at war with ourselves, our spirits desiring to obey the law, but our bodies dragging us down.  Left to our own devices, we are lost.  But Paul ends the chapter with the rhetorical question of who will rescue us?  The answer is Jesus Christ.