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>When you fulfill the terms of a contract, what happens? Are either parties involved still bound by that contract?


Good question. Depends on the terms of the contract. One of those terms is duration. Everlasting seems pretty long. God is the one making the promises, and He is the one who sets the duration of His being bound to follow through on it. Noah and the rainbow: everlasting. To be God to Abraham and his descendants: everlasting. Land inheritance (through specific descent of Isaac and Jacob): everlasting. Sabbath: everlasting. Levitic priesthood, salt covenant, priestly portions of offerings: everlasting. Land rights: perpetual (kinsman redeemer comes into play here later) Davidic throne: everlasting. Lots of perpetual statutes and ordinances, but I think you take my point.

Mosaic covenant: Living in the land (being alive, in community with the nation, and dwelling on God's chosen property): conditional upon wholehearted obedience. There's a reason only Caleb and Joshua made it in. There's a reason why the blessing and curse cycle is ongoing. If Jesus ended the Mosaic covenant and thus the blessing and curse cycle, then they wouldn't have been kicked out 40 years after his death. If Jesus is in the business of redemption, and He isn't redeeming His own kin (at least at the very end, as promised), then the reliability and justice of Jesus as God or even His agent comes into question.



In a ratified contract, both parties eventually get what they want if they're faithful to uphold their ends. God is faithful, tho every man (excepting the God man) be found a liar. Imo, Jesus fulfilled His individual part of the contract God made with an entire nation into which He was born, and thus is the heir to the things the nation was promised, and is the principal heir, by virtue of also being King. He has chosen to share His property with the brothers who reconcile with Him and His father, as an eldest son distributes property rights to those sons who obey the will and testament of their father. He hasn't distributed eternal inheritances yet (you seen any eternal crowns or streets of gold lately?), and won't do so until He returns and everyone is having a bbq with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom that comes from heaven. In the meantime, I don't think that this absolves anyone from their duty to obey their contracts if they want what it stipulates is to be granted to them by obedience - living lives of peace in their land. So as Paul says, we establish the law.


>And what does this entail, exactly? Am I, being circumcised by deception and against my will, bound to the Law of Moses?


Good question. There are two circumcisions. The first is an outward sign of the promise God made to Abraham and which was commanded to be continued through the Israelite nation in perpetuity. It is a sign of faith, but a physical sign is insignificant compared to what matters - keeping the commandments of God. This is the second circumcision that God desires, the one of the heart, whereby even those who are physically uncircumcised are considered as if they were circumcised, because they obey the God in whom they believe. Circumcisiom is negated by disobedience... So even tho all have fallen short, God has decided to be the justifier of the circumcised and uncircumcised both.


So my inclination is to say no, if you're not born a member of the Jewish nation. It's not a responsibility to which you were given at birth, to obey the specific laws your people swore to God to uphold. If you were born into the American nation, you have a responsibility to steward it on behalf of the Lord in his absence, because your ancestors swore to uphold laws of our own nation. This is different than voluntarily joining yourself to another nation, thinking that action alone will reconcile you to God (in contrast to the specific means whereby He gave for all to be reconciled to Him) and win you some place in another land. If you choose that, then you have chosen to obligate yourself as such to their rules for appropriate behavior. If God wanted you to be a Jew, you'd have a Jewish mom (see: Timothy). Otherwise, you're among the nations who will be joyful at the arrival of the King and sing his praises and testify to his wonders on behalf of you and your nation. The Jews must stay Jews and praise the work of God on behalf of the sons of Jacob. And the rest of us must stay what we are to represent our nations, tribes, and tongues accordingly on the last day.

You'll notice that the punishments and blessings for obeying your nations laws are a reflection of those that Israel has as well. If enough of us act like psychos, we're going to have plagues and famines and wars. Paul says in the first chapter to the Romans, God gives those who ignore Him and His natural laws over to the consequences of their wicked actions. The punishment for breaking law goes to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. Purification starts in the household of God first. So let the Jews keep their law and you keep yours. Perseverance in good bring glory, honor, and peace. Persistence in lawless wickedness brings tribulation and distress. God is impartial; the just will live by faith and he will render to each according to their deeds.