Readings:
Isaiah 33-35
Romans 7:1-6

Isaiah 33-35

All these prophecies of judgment against Israel, Judah and their neighbors, are not without cause. Every time a judgment is issued against a place or people, it’s because of sins they committed and covenants they broke. They were told ahead of time what the consequences of their actions would be, and the went ahead with them anyway, and now the consequences are arriving.

But God will not leave his people as orphans, and promises repeatedly, just like I’m chapter 35, that a redemption will come and the land will be healed after their chastisement.

Romans 7:1-6

Paul makes a point that when someone dies they’re no longer bound by the law, and likens this to how a spouse can’t remarry while their former spouse is living, but are free to do so when they have passed away. Then he extends that point to how Christ died and we have joined in his death through baptism and so are free from the law.

The law is respected and was the first stage in the story of salvation for God’s people, but it was imperfect and Paul likens it to a captor. That might seem harsh, but in reality it was a trap. It showed the expectations God had, but didn’t provide any help or assistance in a supernatural way. It gave a benchmark that was never attainable, and that’s why we see the people of the old covenant fail over and over, it’s because they couldn’t live up to the law.

According to Christian tradition, the Law is holy, spiritual, and good, yet still imperfect. Like a tutor it shows what must be done, but does not of itself give the strength, the grace of the Spirit, to fulfill it. Because of sin, which it cannot remove, it remains a law of bondage. According to St. Paul, its special function is to denounce and disclose sin, which constitutes a “law of concupiscence” in the human heart. However, the Law remains the first stage on the way to the kingdom. It prepares and disposes the chosen people and each Christian for conversion and faith in the Savior God. It provides a teaching which endures for ever, like the Word of God.

CCC 1963

Readings:
Isaiah 36-39
Romans 7:7- 25