What was the purpose of Israel's law and worship practices?
Israel's law and worship practices served as a divinely given picture of the coming Redeemer and the plan of salvation. The tabernacle, priesthood, sacrifices, and feast days were not empty religion; they were part of the law system that pointed forward to the salvation believers experience today.
Les explains that the service of God began when God gave the tabernacle to Moses and then set up the priesthood with Aaron as the high priest. That service was part and parcel of the system of law. While people normally think of the law as the Ten Commandments, the big picture of law included everything that pertained to worship and sacrifices. The services showed how the priests operated, how the tabernacle was set up and later the temple, how the sacrifices were offered, and how all the feast days were set up throughout Israel's religious calendar year. Les emphasizes that all of it was indicative and was looking forward to our own plan of salvation. It was not just a bunch of religion with nothing behind it; rather, the practice of the law that Israel enjoyed was a picture of the coming Redeemer and the plan of salvation as experienced today.
Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;