IntroductionWhen talking about the law in the Bible there are a number of people that totally wants to abolish it."We are not under the law, we are under grace" they say.
Others say that it is about good and evil and not about doing the right thing. | 2Co 5:10 For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad. |
Some want to keep it but don't know why.
For some time I was somewhere in the middle, knowing that the God of the old and new testament is the same God. I also hold to the following 2 verses but were unable to actually provide context. Mat 22:37 And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the great and first commandment.
Mat 22:39 And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.
Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. |
Bellow is my approach to what the law is not and what it is suppose to be. What the law is notTo present a holist approach to what the law is, let start by what the law is not.1. Justice system.
1. No where in the Bible did God issue any angles or Pharisees with a gun and a badge to enforce the law. | John 12:47 And if any man hear my sayings, and keep them not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. |
The law can be compared to the law of gravity, nobody have to enforce it.
2. Reward or wage contract.
Some of the Pharisees though that God will be forced to pay a wage or reward them for maintaining the law. Mat 8:12 But the sons of the kingdom will be put out into the dark, and there will be weeping and cries of pain.
The children of the kingdom - That is, the children, or the people, who “expected the kingdom,” or to whom it properly belonged; or, in other words, the Jews. They supposed themselves to be the special favourites of heaven. They thought that the Messiah would enlarge their nation and spread the triumphs of their kingdom. They called themselves, therefore, the children or the members of the kingdom of God, to the exclusion of the Gentiles. Our Saviour used the manner of speech to which they were accustomed, and said that “many of the pagans would be saved, and many Jews lost”.
- Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible |
3. Salvation or Righteousness.
Salvation is only and only obtained from believing and having a relationship with God. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Act 2:21 And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God. Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. |
4. Moral rules or value system.
You can keep a set of rules or values, but still not have a loving relationship with that person in knowing and caring for him, her or God. | Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. |
What is the law?Technically the law is the first 5 books of the Bible. To understand what the law actually is about, you must view it through the lenses of a loving relationship. It explains how a relationship with God and your neighbour should look like. If this relationship does not exist I believe the law must at least provide the desire to have one.The law consist of a number of things that also include rules and examples of what pleases God and strengthens our relationship with Him or inhibit, hurt or destroy the relationship. Even in our relationships with other people we know that there are certain rules and limits that should be followed to make an excellent relationship. But remember the rule is not the relationship; it only provide guidance and boundaries to ensure a good and healthy relationship. We cannot initiate the relationshipAs we all know we do not have the ability to please or establish a loving relationship with God. | Rom 3:10 as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; |
So how do I obtain this relationship? Jesus not only gained salvation for us through the cross but restored the relationship. Rom 5:1 Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
Rom 5:2 through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. |
We allow the Holy Spirit to control us. Rom 8:4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:4 So that what was ordered by the law might be done in us, who are living, not in the way of the flesh, but in the way of the Spirit. |
We hand over everything and allow the Holy Spirit to change us. Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
Rom 12:2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. |
So why do we need the law?There are a large number of voices that want to have our attention and dislike the idea of us having excellent relationships with God and neighbour. To list a few: our bodies, the devil, the media and other people. With the law we can test these voices and to determine if our relationships are growing in the right direction. Some examplesThe law shows us what makes God happy and unhappy. Let us look at a few examples:
1. God is happy when He is the only God in our lives. Ex 20 – the 10 commandments.
2. We look after and care for our marriages.
We will not have a good marriage relationship when we start to look at other woman (this includes pornography) with or without our wives knowledge. | Mat 5:28 but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. |
We must use this as a guideline to determine if we are on the right track with our marriages.
3. We cannot have a good relationship with a friend or God if we lie to them, steal their stuff, or mistreat them. Ex 20 – the 10 commandments.
4. It makes God unhappy when we oppress strangers or even just hate them. I believe that is why Jesus told the story about the Good Samaritan. Exo 22:21 And a sojourner shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Exo 22:21 Do no wrong to a man from a strange country, and do not be hard on him; for you yourselves were living in a strange country, in the land of Egypt. |
5. If we care for widows and fatherless children. Exo 22:22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
Exo 22:23 If thou afflict them at all, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
Exo 22:24 and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
Jam 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. |
From a relationship point of view you should be able to understand that to improve your relationship with God, your wife and neighbour you need to know what make them happy and unhappy. Only when controlled by the Holy Spirit, will you actions be changed and will you be able to see how your relationships are restored as God intended them to be. How should we read the law?From the information above you should quite easily see the following sections from the 5 books of the bible:
1. Stories or examples. Abraham, Joseph, etc.
2. Rules, limits and conditions. 10 commandments.
3. Blessings. | Deut 6:2 that thou mightest fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. |
4. Practical guides for living. The rules for a clean healthy living.
5. Ceremonies.
6. Offerings.
Keep in mind that the currency of the time was live stock while today we work with paper money.
7. Prophesies. Act 3:22 Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me. To him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you.
Deut 18:15 Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; |
It is not intended for this list to be complete, but to service as a practical guideline. ConclusionIt is all about relationship.
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