Love in the Law

Living out the Law

The nominally Jewish writer A. J. Jacobs spent a year working on an unusual experiment: he tried to put into practice everything he read in the Bible. The resulting book was called, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. For example, on Day 62 of his experiment he tried to put into practice the command to stone an adulterer. So he records wandering into Central Park and meeting a mid-70ish man sitting on a park bench. Jacobs told the man, "I'm trying to live by the rules of the Bible. The Ten Commandments, stoning adulterers …" Jacobs records the rest of the conversation:

"You're stoning adulterers?" the man asks. "Yeah, I'm stoning adulterers." "I'm an adulterer," the man replies. "You're currently an adulterer?" "Yeah, Tonight, tomorrow, yesterday, two weeks from now. You gonna stone me?" "If I could, yes, that'd be great." "I'll punch you in the face. I'll send you to the cemetery."

He is serious. This isn't a cutesy grumpy old man. This is an angry old man. This is a man with seven decades of hostility behind him. I fish my pebbles from my back pocket.

"I wouldn't stone you with big stones," I say. "Just these little guys." I open my palm to show him the pebbles. He lunges at me, grabbing one out of my hand, then flinging it at my face. It whizzes by my cheek.

I am stunned for a second. I hadn't expected this grizzled old man to make the first move. But now there is nothing stopping me from retaliating. An eye for an eye. I take one of the remaining pebbles and whip it t his chest. It bounces off.

"I'll punch you right in the kisser," he says. "Well, you really shouldn't commit adultery."

J. Jacobs, The Year of Living Biblically (Simon & Schuster, 2007), pp. 92-93

In a recent TED talk, A.J. Jacobs gave two reasons as to why he took on this project:

to discover religion

because Christians he knew said they “take the Bible literally”

said he found over 700 rules

What did he learn?

Some of what he said he learned:

Thou shalt not take the Bible literally

Thou shalt not disregard the irrational

He asked religious people why did God ask them to do these things? They answered: “We don’t know but it gives us meaning.”

Thou shalt pick and choose

Picking parts of the Bible that you think are good and helpful

(accessed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5MkpzMAOZM)

While Mr. Jacobs and I will come to different conclusions about the nature, purpose, and usefulness of the OT Law, I do applaud his efforts to find answers to questions about a section of the Bible that most believers skip over.

Questions like:

Why did God give the Israelites the Law?

Why do some of the laws God gives seem so harsh?

Why are some of the laws God gives so weird?

Exodus 23:19 (ESV)

19 “The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

What parts, if any, of the OT Law apply to me as a Christian in America today?

Is there any benefit for me as a Christian to learn about ancient Israelite laws?

I’m so glad you asked!

We are going to explore some of these questions as we look through our passage covering Exodus 20:22-23:19

This section of Scripture is only a small part of the whole OT Law which incorporates the Ten Commandments and is enumerated throughout the Pentateuch (punctuated by narrative).

The most common count for these laws is 613.

The section of the Law that we will be in today in Ex 20:22-23:19 is called the Book of the Covenant because after Moses receives the laws covered in this section, he delivers it to the people where he calls it סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית

Exodus 24:7 (ESV)

7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”

Just so you know, we will not be following A. J. Jacobs’ method for understanding the Law. We will not be committing to throw away cotton blend shirts or grow out our beards or avoid bacon.

I don’t believe we need to attempt to live out the law literally in order to learn what the law teaches us today spiritually AND practically.

The Law was given not simply that we might follow rules but that we might find a relationship.

I believe all of the OT Law is a valuable resource to show us how we should live TODAY - not by following the letter of the law but by living out the heart of the Law-Giver.

The first question we must answer is:

What parts of the Law apply to me as a believer today?

Just the Ten Commandments? If so, what about the fourth commandment - the Sabbath - should we rest on Saturday? (We’ll have a separate message just for this!)

Many have attempted to answer this question:

Marcion - throw out all the OT - heretic

Liberal theology would not see the Bible as infallible or divinely inspired, and would find a solution similar to Mr. Jacobs - pick and choose

Armstrong Theology (World-Wide Church of God) would say only the sacrificial regulations are to be ignored but Christians should observe all the rest - including the dietary restrictions

Reformed Theology - The most common view divides the 613 laws into three categories: moral, civil, and ceremonial. They would say that Christ has fulfilled the civil and ceremonial laws and that the moral laws still apply.

What parts of the Law apply to me as a believer today?

Simple answer: none of it and all of it.

God gave the Law for several reasons including to reveal sinfulness and act as a judge

Romans 2:12 (ESV)

12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

Christ has set us free from the law by giving us his righteousness:

Romans 7:4 (ESV)

4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

Hebrews 7:12 (ESV)

12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.

You are bound to none of the Law legally.

Galatians 5:1 (ESV)

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Reality is that we could not follow much of the OT Law even if we wanted to:

The offering of the fat tail of the ram

The harvesting of certain crops at specific times of the year

The use of city gates as courthouses

The regulation of the boundaries of Israel

Does this include the Ten Commandments? YES! Because of Christ, you are no longer bound to follow ANY of the law legally.

To attempt to divide the Law with categories not found in scripture is dangerous and unhelpful.

Instead, we understand that Christ did for us what we could never do and was what the Law demanded in order to live fully as the people of God.

He fulfilled the Law in order to free us from the Law so we might have a relationship with the Law-Giver.

You are bound to the Law-Giver relationally.

The freedom we have in Christ is so much greater than you may realize and responsibility to God through Christ is so much deeper than many of us recognize.

Because of Christ, the God who gave the Law to the Israelites is the same God with whom we are in a relationship today.

The nature of the relationship is different while the GOD of the relationship is not.

Discussion: Suppose the RV industry in our area decides to stop manufacturing RVs and switch to EVs. They shut down the company and restart it, now manufacturing EVs. Some of the old employees are hired by the new company. But many new people are hired, too, people from all over the world. Hispanics, Asians, and Africans all start working for the boss whose work force once was predominated by Pennsylvania Germans from northern Berks County. Questions: Even though it is obsolete, what value might an old employee handbook from the RV plant have for someone thinking about applying to, or wanting to be successful in, the new EV company?

(Adapted from seminary notes: OT555 The Old Testament Law and the Christian)

Love in the Law

What can the laws in the Old Testament tell us about the Law-Giver?

Let’s turn to the Book of the Covenant in Exodus 20:22-24:11

Framed by regulations for worship and the people “seeing” God.

Section 1: Ex 21:1-22:27 - mostly case law (if, then)

Section 2: Ex 22:28-23:19 - mostly absolute laws

Overall and through it’s arrangement, what we see is,

“People, not property, were are at the heart of Old Testament legislation.” - Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.

God values people more than anything.

If this is true and God never changes than God values YOU more than anything.

He will (and has!) moved heaven and earth for you to know him.

God values all human life.

(1) The penalty for intentional, premeditated homicide (Exod 21: 12- 14)

(2) The penalty for injuring a pregnant woman and causing her to give birth prematurely (Exod 21 :22)

(3) The prohibition against killing a thief (Exod 22:2-3a)

(4) The recourse and restitution for death by a goring ox (Exod 21 :28-32)

God values gender roles.

Understands both genders to be equally valuable by expressly protecting both men and women (Exod 21.20, 22, 26-29, J 1-32; cf. Exod 20.10, 12, 21: 15, 17)

(2) The protection of the engaged female debt-slave (Exod 21:7-11)

(3) The protection of a young woman who has been seduced (Exod 22:16-17)

(4) The protection of the widow and her children (Exod 22:22-24)

In the societies around Israel (Egypt and Canaan) women had very few rights. they could be bought and sold. They were viewed as property and could be passed around as the men saw fit.

It is not a mistake that you were born biologically male or female, just as it was no mistake that you were born into the place you were born and the time you were born or the family into which you were born. You can’t deny the reality of any one of those. It is the same God who created you and placed you. It is the same God who wants to honor the role and gifting he has given you in the setting he has placed you.

(These laws also point out God’s desire to guard the sanctity of marriage.)

God knows and cares for the vulnerable.

The protection and support of slaves/servants (Exod 21 :2-11, 20- 21, 26-27; cf. Exod 20:10)

(The protection and support of ethnic minorities living in the land (Exod 22:21-24, 23:9; cf. Exod 20:10; 23: 12)

The protection and support of widows and orphans (Exod 22:22- 24)

The protection and support of the poor (Exod 22:25, 23:3, 6, 11)

The protection and support of the elderly (Exod 21: 15, 17; cf. Exod 20: 12)

In addition, the Book of the Covenant shows: God desires people to act truthfully and fairly in matters of justice and business. God cares about animals and expects them to be treated well.

(Many of the examples given above are adapted or quoted from seminary notes: OT555 The Old Testament Law and the Christian)

Living with the Law-Giver

How does this study of the Old Testament Law affect my life today?

1. Shows the Bible as relevant to your situations today.

Even the OT Law is useful!!

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

What role do you place the Bible in shaping your decisions and how you live your daily life?

A. J. Jacobs said that one thing that surprised him was that as he would live out some of the biblical rules (thankfulness), he found that he began to actually BE the way he was acting.

2. Removes the distinction of a “spiritual” and “everyday” life.

God’s laws revealed God’s heart for how God’s people should not only worship but live out everyday life.

For the Israelites, there was no difference between daily life and “church life.”

The Law shows everyday life as “spiritual,” and it shows how our faith should inform our everyday life.

3. Reveals the heart of God who loves you today.

If you are ever unsure how beautiful God’s Law is, just look at Jesus. He is God enfleshed who perfectly fulfilled the Law in his context.

God’s grace and God’s Law are not opposed to each other since they come from the same Source.

So, the more you study God’s Law, the more you will see God’s love.

And the more you will see Love in the Law.