Many of us know that justification by faith is central to the Christian faith. We believe that God justifies us through faith in Jesus Christ so that we are declared righteous before him (Rom. 3:28; Gal. 2:16). But does the Old Testament teach the same thing? At first glance, it might seem that the Old Testament tells us to live by law rather than by faith, which could appear to be a contradiction or at least a tension that needs explaining.
Some people address this question by pointing to Genesis, where Paul reminds us that “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3). This clearly shows that justification comes by faith and not through the works of the law. Abraham lived roughly four centuries before the law was given through Moses, so in the history of redemption, faith precedes the law, and justification comes before the works we are called to do.
Of course, the question requires nuance. James tells us that Abraham’s faith was “completed by his works” when he offered up Isaac (Jas. 2:21–22; Gen. 22). Paul and James, then, are not contradicting each other. They view justification from different angles: Paul emphasizes the basis of justification (faith alone apart from works) while James highlights its inseparable fruit: faith that works through love (Gal. 5:6).
The question this article asks, however, is not about Abraham alone but about the nation that came from him. Does Exodus—a book centred on God’s redemption of Abraham’s descendants—teach justification by faith as well? It would be strange if the children of Abraham were meant to live by a principle contrary to that of their forefather.
Paul insists that in redemptive history, faith precedes the law (Rom. 4:13–14), and James agrees that true faith is perfected through obedience. Both affirm what Paul elsewhere calls “the obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5; 16:26).
Yet when we read Exodus, we sometimes assume it’s only about law. But the giving of the law doesn’t happen until Exodus 20. The first half of the book is about something else entirely: God redeeming his people from bondage in Egypt. This is crucial. Before Sinai, there is salvation. Before law, there is grace.
Notice that the verb “to believe” (אָמַן) appears repeatedly in the early chapters of Exodus—and always before the law is given. God tells Moses that Israel may or may not believe him when he speaks in God’s name (Exod. 4:1, 5, 8–9). After Moses performs signs and declares that the Lord has seen their affliction, “the people believed” (Exod. 4:31). Later, when God delivers Israel through the Red Sea, “the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses” (Exod. 14:31). Finally, at Sinai, the Lord tells Moses that his coming in a thick cloud will ensure that “the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever” (Exod. 19:9).
Taken together, these verses form a pattern of redemption and faith. First, God acts in grace and power; then his people believe his word. Only afterward do they receive his law. Israel’s story mirrors Abraham’s: faith precedes works, and redemption precedes law.
In both Genesis and Exodus, the order of presentation teaches us something theological. God saves by his own grace. Those who are redeemed believe his promises. And only then do they live out that faith through obedience to his commands (Exod. 19:4–6).
Of course, we can’t separate these realities too neatly. Salvation, faith, and obedience are intertwined. Yet the narratitival order matters. It reveals that Israel’s calling to obey the law flows out of God’s prior act of redemption and their response of faith.
As a Protestant, I find this deeply consistent with the apostolic reading of the Old Testament. Paul and James don’t misread Genesis or Exodus; they discern the same divine logic that runs through both Testaments. James can speak of “the royal law” (Jas. 2:8), and Paul can affirm that “the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Rom. 13:8). Both agree that faith alone justifies, and that this faith never stands alone.
As Paul writes, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12–13). Justifying faith always issues in the obedience of faith.
So when you read your Bible, remember this order revealed in both Abraham’s life and Israel’s story: God saves first. We believe his promises. And then we learn to walk in his ways.
