The Love of God in His Laws

The Love of God shown in His Law

In any nation it is possible to see what is important in the hearts of the leaders by what their law makers put into law.

Through the laws that God instructed to Israel, we get a glimpse of the character of God and of the values that are important to Him since He was Israel’s law giver.

In Deuterpnomy chapter 5 Israel is reminded of the Ten Commandments that God gave them at Sinai, and just before going through the commands they are reminded in verse 6 how they came to be at Sinai receiving God’s law.

Deuteronomy 5:6 NKJV

‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Question: Why do you think God reminds the people immediately before listing the ten commandments of how He liberated them from Egypt?

Freeing Israel from Egypt was not conditional of them keeping them law since God released them BEFORE they were given the ten commandments. Israel like us were saved from bondage by the grace of God and not the works of the law.

God is reminding them that they have been saved from bondage. God is a God of liberty and justice, and His laws reflect this.

Deuteronomy 5:7–16 NKJV

‘You shall have no other gods before Me. ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

In the first half of the commandments we see the laws that are largely spiritual / faith orientated in nature.

Question: It would be very unusual to have such laws in our modern British law, why do you think God felt it important to put these into His?

Question: How do think observing these first five laws might benefit a nation?

Question: Why do you think God made the first commandment of “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Deut 5:7) the first command in all of the ten?

Deuteronomy 5:17–22 NKJV

‘You shall not murder. ‘You shall not commit adultery. ‘You shall not steal. ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’ “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

What is interesting to see in these laws, which would have been very unusual in it’s day. Is that there are no provisions or exemptions made for those in authority. It is clear from looking at Gods law that He desires justice and equality for all, rich and poor alike.

It is important for us to bear this in mind for it shows us how God wants us to influenece our communities and the Godly standards of impartiality and equality that He wants us to uphold.

In Deut 5:21 God instructs that nothing that belongs to anyone else should be covetted by us. Be it a person’s spouse, their house or their possesions.

Question: Why would God think it is important that we not even desire what someone else has?

Question: Do you think this should still be important to us today?

Question: Do you think that this is a value upheld in our society today?

Deuteronomy 6:1–6 NKJV

“Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ “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.

Matthew 22:34–40 NKJV

But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Question: Why do think Jesus puts loving God as the most important law?

Question: How do Gods laws speak to you about His charecter? Do God’s laws help you to draw closer to Him?