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    For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    In today’s reading, we see both of the elements of Paul’s great testament of the law and gospel from Romans 6:23. The law came into focus when the Israelites once again chose to sin against God by engaging in sexual immorality and idol worship with the Midianites. Yet, the zealousness of Eleazar brought about a covenant between God and the man that promised him and his descendents the priesthood of Israel.
    The new covenant of salvation has those same elements of law and gospel. Under the law, we are condemned to death apart from God because we seek after the things of this world and the gratification of our own sinful flesh. Because of the law, we become aware that we need a savior. Then, under the Gospel, we are redeemed as a gift of God by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for those very sins exposed by the law. Because of this new covenant, we are promised a place in heaven because of our faith. Just as Eleazar was promised the priesthood of Israel, so too are we promised the priesthood of the redeemed through Jesus Christ.
DLH
