The stipulations of the ceremonial law are only a shadow of what was to come in Christ (Col. 2:17; cf. Heb. 10:1). The law…is in every respect a pointer to and a prophecy of the new order of life, which only Christ can inaugurate. The law declares only one day out of seven to be holy unto the Lord, the Spirit sanctifies all seven of them. The law sets apart one tribe out of the twelve to be priests, the Spirit declares that the whole congregation has to fulfill the priestly office (1 Pet. 2:9). The law demands a tenth part of His people’s possessions, the Spirit translates us to become God’s possession with all that we have. Everything belongs to Him. We are but stewards who will have to give account of all we possess.
The Books of Haggai and Malachi, NICOT, Eerdmans, 1987, p. 311.
