How should a Christian approach the Hebrew scriptures? The number of commandments in the Old Testament is usually given as 613. That’s near enough for our discussion. Let’s look at some of them in light of Paul's instructions about the spirit of the law.
Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6 ESV)
Is this what Jeremiah meant when he wrote of the law being written on our hearts?
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jeremiah 31:33 NKJV)
Obviously then, harmonizing these two descriptions, of the Spirit and the law written on our hearts, this is not a legalistic, letter-of-the law written on our hearts, but the Spirit and intent of the law on our hearts.
Let’s explore some of those approximately 613 laws and see what spiritual application we can find, the spirit of the law. We'll begin this week with worship laws and leave other laws for next time.
Worship Laws
Many laws instructed Israel about the worship of God only.
“then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.” (Deuteronomy 6:12-13 NKJV)
The spirit of this law leaves not much to the imagination. Is fear of God still a Christian thing? Is it something we find in the New Testament?
“And His mercy is to generation after generation Toward those who fear Him.” (Luke 1:50 NASB)
Fear means a reverential dread, afraid to disobey. Too many Christians today have no fear in disobeying God, making excuses and taking His mercy for granted. What about worship? In Deuteronomy 6:13 above worship means to serve by labor. Does that mean that we cannot work for our employers? No, what it does mean is that we don’t work for our employers in the first instance, but for God and our employers only secondarily.
Sometimes we begin to worship our church buildings, our programs, our saints, our pastors, our patriarchs, our popes, our traditions or our church’s founders. At times like these we have figuratively turned the bronze snake on a pole into an idol that should be destroyed. This can also be the same with any of our church pictures or statues when we turn honor (veneration) into worship (idolatry). Even John was tempted to bow down to an angel. What did the angel say?
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” (Revelation 22:8-9 NIV)
What about rightly using the name of God in a Christian context? Some avoid using God’s name altogether, afraid they will dishonor His name, while others use it flippantly as a byword. What does the law say about this?
And you shall not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am the LORD who sanctifies you (Leviticus 22:32 ESV)
How do we apply this law against blasphemy in a Christian, spirit-of-the-law manner? The Christian answer is to focus on the opposite of taking the Lord’s name in vain, by honoring God, hallowing God’s name. Jesus gave us the principle in the “Our Father,” the “Lord’s prayer.”
Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (Matthew 6:9 NASB)
We can’t hallow God’s name by avoiding it. Hallowed be your name means use it, but in a manner that brings honor to God’s holy name. When our hearts are set on hallowing God’s name, we will not take it in flippant expressions of surprise, or use it as a curse word, but seek to give the name of God all the honor it is due.
Many people avoid God’s name by giving a fictitious “Mother Nature” credit for the world, but wouldn’t we want to give God our creator positive credit and thanks? Will we no longer want to hear God treated like a tooth fairy or an automated teller machine, but give Him thanks for everything we have, and teaching our families to be satisfied instead of incessantly chasing the gods of materialism and worldly pleasures?
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NKJV)
Teaching our children about the things of God throughout the day is still a good idea for Christians. Will we want to follow Jesus’ curriculum primarily? Most Christians do not even understand that Jesus gave us instructions about the curriculum that we should teach above all else.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20 KJV)
What did Jesus teach the disciples? Where is that found? Most of it is found in the Gospels. This is something that many churches, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant do obey. Every week a Gospel text is read and very often a Gospel sermon is given. This is the spirit of Deuteronomy 6 in a New Testament context.
Next time we'll get into the spirit behind the sanctuary laws.
