God's Law (of the Old Testament), does it promise eternal life?

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   mishpatposted 9 years ago

   If someone has a verse or two from the OT that states the Law was a way of salvation, i.e., eternal life, would you please post it.  Let's keep it simple and stay away from commentaries and opinions. Is it stated in the Old Testament or not.  Thanks.

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      SirDentposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I have nothing for you.  Eternal life is spoken of but not by following the law.

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      oceansnsunsetsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Verses in Deuteronomy 11 came to mind, yet they are still referring only to this life, except maybe for one verse that seems to extend a little beyond.  See verse 21 in particular.  This is still seeming to me to be referring to this life, or the life of the planet perhaps, when it says heavens. 
      
      "16Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. 17Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. 18Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
      
      22If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him— 23then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. 24Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. 25No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.
      
      26See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. 29When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses. 30As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, westward, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh, in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal. 31You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you have taken it over and are living there, 32be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today."
      
      I would have to think more on this.  I don't recall it off hand.  The OT seems to be about what brought death to us, what took eternal life from us.  The OT seems to be about setting up a case that the law isn't sufficient alone.  We break it. The best of the best of them couldn't keep it. (IS this now commentary? lol)  I am stopping myself now from going further.

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   Sed-meposted 9 years ago

   But I really, really want to make a commentary.

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      SirDentposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        Have at it if you really, really want to!!!

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         Sed-meposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I would just say that I agree with you, that in Rom 4 it says that faith is the key. "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
         
         In Habakkuk 2, it says "The righteous will live by faith."
         
         The law is just a light that reveals our sins to us. If we were not aware that we were sinners, we would not know our need for a savior.

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   mishpatposted 9 years ago

   Thanks all for the input.  Since we don't have much feed back as yet, feel free to add your comments AND opinions.
   
   I am confident, based on the OT, that the Law's only promises were in regard to a comfortable and long lasting life here on earth, and that only if the Law were followed. 
   
   Then we must becareful when using the word "Law" as it must be understood in context.  Here we are looking at the "Law" (Torah), as the "law for righteousness" (Romans 4:10) as opposed to the several other subjects which are categorized as or labeled "Law" i.e, the entire OT itself, various other parts of OT such as "the Writings, the Prophets" and so on.
   
   We have the Bible that at times can stump "greatest" theologian, on either side of the Cross.  However, the clarity of plan of salvation could not be made more simple, so simple that a child can undferstand.  The problem is not with the Book, but with the reader.

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