Why Did God Give the law?

The answer:

During the first five books of the bible is whats called The Torah, it consists of 613 total commands with the goal of creating people who are able to love God, and love others. That being said we see a common reoccurrance of problems, where God would give laws and man would Rebel. From The disobedience to the first command in the Garden (Genesis 3:3), to even the tower of Babel (Genesis 11). Even still, Following all this disobedience. God still chooses to bless Abraham, and all nations through his descendants (Genesis 12:1-3) including Jacob whom God named Israel (Genesis 32:28). Israel ends up becoming a great nation enslaved by the egyptians (Exodus 1), where God is reminded of his promise to Abraham and helps his people escape the enslavement of the egyptians (Exodus 3:7-10, 12:31). This all builds up to when in Exodus 19-24 God appears ontop of Mount Sinai to Moses, where Moses recieves the 10 commandments. Thus establishing a covenant between God and Isreal, Making the law the terms of their covenant.

That being said, God did not give the law to Moses all at once. The first commands given consisted of (Exodus 20:2-17),

You Shall not have other gods

You shall not make idols

You Shall Not take the Lords name in vain

Remember the Sabbath, Keep it Holy

Honour your mother and father

You shall not kill

You shall not commmit adultery

You shall not steal

You shall not bear false witness

You shall not covet

The point of following the law was for the Isrealites to be able to show others what the True God was like. However, Following being given the 10 commandments the Isrealites immedietly break Law #2 By creating a Golden Calf and worshipping it (Exodus 32). The theme of God giving Laws and the Isrealites rebelling against them continues, up until Moses speaks to the Isrealites in The book of Deuteronomy. During this speech, Moses tells the isrealites that He is aware that the people are incapable of following God’s laws because they have hardened their hearts (Deuteronomy 29:4). Isreal proceeds to enter the promised land and Break all the laws that God gave them because their hearts are to hard to grasp God’s law.

The Next 15 books are what we refer to as “The Books Of The Prophets”, their books reflect on the stories of the Torah and The meanings. That being said, their are only a few specific Prophets and verses That we need to focus on.

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Isaiah

Considered to be three of the biggest Prophets of the Old Testament, they have some important input on this topic. In Ezekiel 36:26-27 It is emphasized that if Israel was ever going to follow God’s law, The Spirit of God would have to enter them replacing their hearts of stone for soft new ones. Jeremiah 4:1-4 Teaches that obedience to God’s law begins when your “circumsize” the flesh of your heart, thus writing God’s Law onto your heart (Hebrews 8:10). Finally, The Prophet Isaiah states multiple times throughout the book That the Messiah would lead the people into obedience.

With all this information we can conclude The Law, and The Prophets are all telling one story about God’s desire to bless the whole world through a people who is Israel. However these people were in despereate need of new hearts if they were to be obedient to the fullness of the law, that is why Jesus was sent to continue the previous story and fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17). Jesus teaches multiple times throughout his ministry that he agrees with the prophets and teaches the law. Summing it up into just two commands, Love the Lord God with all your heart, mind and soul, and Love your neighbor as you love yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). In saying this, Jesus taught that all of the Torah could be fulfilled through LOVE. Jesus also teaches that we are not as loving as we think we are. He states you shall not kill because that is not very loving, Not only that Jesus also taught when you treat someone with disrespect or hold resentment towards another you are still violating God’s law, because you are not treating them with love (Matthew 5:21-22). By saying this, He showed how even though the command was simple, our heart was not equipped to follow even the most basic command.

To finish off, Jesus was sent to fulfill the law and as Israel’s messiah he fully loved God and others, forgiving the people who crucified him and showed us what God is truly like. He accomplished this through acts of compassion Like washing his desciples feet (John 13:1-5) and acts of Mercy like that found in John 8:1-11, even loving and forgiving his enemies unto his death. That being said after He was resurrected, He told his disciples that He would give the God’s spirit so that they could be transformed in their heart and follow him as Ezekiel said (Acts 1:5). So the purpose of the law was to teach us to love God and love your neighbor. As Paul said “the one who loves fulfills the law” Romans 13:8.