What do we do with the Law?
As we read the Law of Moses in the Old Testament, we come across some strange rules nearly no one practices today. A.J. Jacobs wrote an intriguing book, The Year of Living Biblically, a chronicle of his attempt to actually follow all the many laws of the Bible (easily one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a long time). A.J. said his purpose was “to see what I was missing by having no religion in my life.” He recognized that the Bible was “the force behind humankinds’ greatest achievements.” Living in Manhattan and working for Esquire magazine, he saw how challenging a biblical lifestyle would be in a culture that runs on coveting, gossip, lying, self-interest and the distractions of materialism. One of his projects was to volunteer at a food pantry, much like ours. It became a source of great satisfaction, focusing on the needs of others. After his year, he admitted, “My worldview became more biblical.” As the year progressed he grew to appreciate the structure that God provides for us in His word.
What is the “Law of God”? It is God’s absolute, eternal standard regulating the moral conduct of all people. It is God declaring His will and demanding perfect, personal, and perpetual obedience. The Hebrew word for “law” is torah, meaning “direction.” In an aimless world, God has pointed us to truth for living. God’s law shows us that there is definitively a “right & wrong” and points us to the right road.
There are three kinds of directives in the Bible:
• Moral Law that is Absolute Truth, unchanging, for all time
• Rules governing the Israeli conquest of Canaan
• Changing rituals, customs and traditions common to society
-In the first category, moral absolutes, we find fixed and unchanging rules such as the Ten Commandments, God’s eternal standards regulating the conduct of all people.
-In the second, we find God’s instructions for the armed occupation of the Promised Land; Israel’s collective life as a set-apart society. The prohibitions against mixing types of threads/fibers in clothing, circumcision, and the prohibition against certain foods was to remind Israel to remain a distinct, holy nation. A.J. notes that the Jews were “marking their territory with their menus”. Some laws came without explanation; Jewish scholars have attempted to interpret their meaning…meanwhile they obeyed; that’s commitment!
-In the third category, are practices that appear like laws but are merely cultural traditions that are not mandatory for today, like primogeniture--the bequest of a double inheritance for the firstborn son. In an agrarian society, this proved necessary for the security of the extended family.
In some laws we note a subtle progression within Scripture. Ancient Israel was given a very liberal divorce policy, which Jesus tightens. Whereas divorce could be for any reason B.C., Jesus limits it to infidelity; Paul adds desertion. Just prior to NT times, in Malachi, the last OT book, God tells Israel that He “hates” divorce. So even with “grounds” we need to consider that divorce is something God hates.
What God is doing is slowly bringing about social change. Although polygamy and slavery were tolerated in ancient days, a better way was introduced, not at the beginning, but gradually. By the way, the slavery allowed by the Bible was not the slavery of the American South; the slavery laws of the Bible made this institution a safe and temporary status. The standing of women also has seen dramatic change. In the time of Abraham, women were regarded as property, but over time have gained rights. The Apostle Paul goes so far as to say that men and women have equal standing before God. Paul was a reformer.
There are some grey areas, naturally. What about tattoos? The book of Leviticus condemns them because God wanted His people not to look like pagans. The Hebrews needed to distinguish themselves from pagans in any way they could. Should this prohibition continue? Perhaps the principle should; how worldly should Christians appear? How are we different from unbelievers?
What about sacrifices? We believe that the sacrifice of Christ eliminates any need for further sacrifice…and with the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD sacrifice is no longer an option, although a very small group of Samaritans living on the West Bank (yes, some 700 are left) still sacrifice on Mount Gerizim.
Why do Christians no longer obey the kosher laws of the Old Testament? Because the New Testament says that they are no longer in effect. Peter was told in a vision that all foods are OK, and Paul said not to judge anyone by what they eat. We’re free to eat whatever we choose, even the stuff on the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods program!
However, a benefit of a restricted/kosher diet is self-discipline. We train ourselves to master our appetites and restrain our desires, and to remind ourselves that the pleasures of eating and drinking are not the goal of human existence. We gain comfort from God, not food. Living lawfully is a different way of looking at the world; our existence isn’t about rights but responsibilities.
We’ve regressed from a lawful society to one that questions authority. Clear distinctions concerning right and wrong have been largely dismissed. People are deciding their own values and making their own rules; they’re doing their own thing. As in the days of the Judges, people are doing “what is right in their own eyes” (17:6). People question whether truth can be known and reject the notion that there are any moral absolutes; in so doing, they’ve eliminated the concept of sin. When our worldview eliminates absolutes, we’re left with arbitrary preferences: “anything goes.” To reject Biblical values means to be one’s own law…and you’re on your own.
The Law of God is a schoolteacher, Paul says, to show just how much we need God’s mercy. No one can make it to Heaven by keeping the Law. We live not by law but by grace. Jesus fully met the standard required by the law: righteousness. His atoning sacrifice makes us acceptable. We understand the role of the law in light of the cross and empty tomb.
For unbelievers, the moral law is a death sentence. Lawless individuals are headed in the wrong direction. Jesus received the penalty of the law on the cross--for lawless people. We are vindicated by His obedience unto death. Our plight of sin and death are beyond the reach of the law, so a divine solution is necessary. In Romans 7 we see how Paul struggled with the demands of the law. He contrasts the futility of a person struggling in the flesh with the once-for-all saving work of Christ, whose atonement makes fleshy people spiritual.
To law of God is like an x-ray that exposes a potentially fatal disorder. It informs us just how bad our sinful condition really is. The law shows us what moral health looks like. Unfortunately, knowing the rules tempts us to break them. Paul shows us the inability of self-effort to combat sin; it’s like paddling against a strong current (something I know about as a kayaker!). Paul admits in verse 18 (from the Message): “I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it.”
Paul rejects using the law of God as a self-effort means of justification. He recognizes the ongoing battle with sin we face along with our frustration and futility. But there’s hope…if when we ask the question of verse 24--“Who will rescue me?”--we embrace the answer of verse 25: Christ rescues us from this “body of death.”
We who have trusted in Christ are free from the penalty of the law, yet we don’t ignore it; we need to follow it. Christian maturity increases our sensitivity to things that are potentially sinful. Those who’ve resisted sin can truly understand sin. C.S. Lewis described God’s Law as “rules for effectively running the human machine.” The Law of God gives life order and safety. We’re justified and restored by the grace of God, and sanctified by the law of God. Grace enables us to live lawfully. Christian freedom is the ability to say no to sin, to live within God’s limits--because we delight in God’s law.
