How were people saved pre-exodus

[ryanbouma]

Before God gave instructions to Moses about sacrifices, how were people saved? They sinned, but there was no system in place to atone for their sins. The first death I'm aware of in the Bible was a righteous man, Abel. I presume he went to heaven. He offered a pleasing sacrifice to God. But how was this to be known? Did God judge all of humanity from Adam to Moses based on their faith and ability to follow their conscience?

[theophilus]

Animal sacrifices were offered before God gave the law to Moses. God told Noah to take seven of each clean animal and the first thing he did after he came out of the ark was to offer sacrifices of some of those animals.

If you read through Genesis you will find references to some of the laws later given to Moses. Much of the Mosaic law was a codification of commands already known rather than a revelation of new commands.

[Jac3510]

The same way they were saved after the Law had been given and the same way we are saved today: by believing on Yahweh as He has revealed Himself (see Gen 15:6).

[Gman]

The same way they were saved after the Law had been given and the same way we are saved today: by believing on Yahweh as He has revealed Himself (see Gen 15:6).

Correct Jac.. Now you are thinking Biblically. If Jac ever finds out that the law today is still valid, I bet he will kick some major booty for G-d. Watch out..

[zacchaeus]

Gman took a great little stab lol- but the law never saved, always been faith- one looking toward the cross, and those now who look back at the cross.

[Gman]

Gman took a great little stab lol- but the law never saved, always been faith- one looking toward the cross, and those now who look back at the cross.

Agreed... But we still walk the Torah or law as Christ did.. This is where we can really see His grace..

[ryanbouma]

Thanks guys for the replies. But I'm still a little uncertain of this. If it was only by faith, then why did they need sacrifices ever? Couldn't Jesus have been the only sacrifice ever required. I understand that giving up a portion of your crop or herd was a sign of faith, much like a monetary tithe is today. But if salvation has only ever been by faith in Christ, then why blood of a lamb to cover the sins of those before Christ.

I know this is Christianity 101 but I'm still kind of confused by the necessity of sacrifice or redemption without.

[Jac3510]

Thanks guys for the replies. But I'm still a little uncertain of this. If it was only by faith, then why did they need sacrifices ever? Couldn't Jesus have been the only sacrifice ever required. I understand that giving up a portion of your crop or herd was a sign of faith, much like a monetary tithe is today. But if salvation has only ever been by faith in Christ, then why blood of a lamb to cover the sins of those before Christ.

I know this is Christianity 101 but I'm still kind of confused by the necessity of sacrifice or redemption without.

Yes, Jesus could have been the only sacrifice ever, but He wasn't. Be careful not to look for some logically necessary condition that God was constrained to meet. He could have made salvation dependent on singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" why jumping up and down and spinning in circles if He had so desired. The question here isn't what He could have done, but what He did do.

So if we're not looking for a logically necessary approach to salvation, we are free to look at what the Bible says is the case without reading too much into it beyond that. You asked what the purpose was for the Law if not to bring salvation. There are lots of reasons it was given. To take only on example of many , Paul says one such reason was to increase transgression by bringing about the knowledge of sin (Gal 3:19; Rom 7:7, etc.). The bottom line is that, because of sin, it prepared people for the coming of Christ.

Whatever, then, you want to say about the purpose of the Law, you can't say it was for salvation in any sense of the word. Just because it had not salvific purposes, however, it does not follow that it had no purpose at all. That, I think, is a mistake all too many Christians make. We tend to think that just because heaven and hell aren't part of any particular equation then it doesn't matter. But that's absurd its face, and we would do well to drop that line of thinking entirely.