In terms of the Jews, their covenantal requirements were entirely do-able, for moral perfection was not expected; provision being made for human weakness through the system of animal sacrifices. Such sacrifices were a figure of the Eucharist to be established under the Covenant of Christ’s Blood, but contrary to the understanding of many, the blood of bulls and goats did expiate the day-to-day inadvertent sin of God’s chosen people327, which is why JHWE commanded them to be performed:
“If through inadvertence you fail in any of the orders which JHWE has given to Moses… this is what must be done: If it is an advertence on the part of the community, the community as a whole will offer a young bull as a burnt offering as a smell pleasing to JHWE with the prescribed accompanying cereal offering and libation and a he-goat as a sacrifice for sin. The priest will perform the rite of expiation for the entire community of Israelites and they will be forgiven for it is an inadvertence”328
On the other hand, those who sinned wilfully would be treated as aliens and bear the consequences of their guilt, whereas under the New Covenant, “everyone who believes is justified from things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses”329. But in terms of that Old Covenant, moving forward in time to some of Paul’s polemics it was not the case that Jews believed they had perfectly to keep Torah to be accepted by God; forgiveness for sin was provided. Neither was it their own initiative or sinful pride to endeavour to keep the Law but a response to divine teaching; indeed, JHWE wished they had tried all the harder to honour their side of the Covenant330.