Pointers towards reading OT Law

Making sense of OT law is one of the hardest parts of reading Scripture. First of all, we get side-tracked when some OT regulations (like the ones on slavery) shock us, so that we wonder how God could mandate or allow such practices. Secondly, many of the laws are very culture specific and even obscure to us, so that we cannot make sense of them, let alone find relevance in them. Finally, as Christians, we may feel that a large part of these instructions (e.g. ritual laws) have no significance for us because we are no longer under the law. On the other hand, we have to acknowledge that these passages form part of Scripture and therefore we should not ignore them. How are we to move forward from these dilemmas?

Let me answer these difficulties one at a time. First, much as we may be shocked, we have to learn not to judge OT laws on our modern standards. We have our own cultural blind spots and emphases and when we critique OT law harshly, we put ourselves above Scripture rather than submit to it and we forgo an opportunity to learn. This does not mean that everything included in these regulations is divinely mandated for all times. God trains His people gradually and starts with where they are. This means that sometimes He accommodates Himself to less than perfect scenarios. As Jesus put it about the issue of divorce, it was allowed because of the hardness of people’s hearts even though God did not intend it so (Matt 19:8).

The Lord focuses on what are to Him the most central issues before moving outward as He gradually transforms Israel’s thinking and practices. We may not appreciate, for instance, what an enormous jump it was for Israel to worship exclusively the one God when such a thing was unheard of in the ancient world. In fact, it would take Israel hundreds of years to get to grips with the concept. Nevertheless, this was of the highest priority because it is absolutely foundational for the relationship with God in a way that other things like the issue of polygamy, for instance, is not. Anyone who has tried to change even a small personal habit knows how hard that can be. Imagine what it is like to alter people’s overall perspective, especially when they are bombarded by counter-messages in the world around them. God then brings about change and trains His people in incremental steps because transformation takes patient work and time. Our task is to develop an appreciation for where Israel is on their journey and put ourselves in their shoes, so that we can discern what God was teaching them in their context.

It is helpful, of course, to learn discernment whether a particular practice is God-ordained, permanent, and above cultural shifts or something God works with while gradually moving His people towards a better way. Usually, the level of consistency around a law will give us a clue. The question to ask is, are there any variations, exceptions to the practice? Is there a gradual shift in a particular direction over time or is Scripture’s approach consistent and unchanging throughout? Thus, for instance, worship in the time of the patriarchs is at various altars, erected in places where these men encountered the Lord. Once the permanent Temple is built that becomes the exclusive location, but when Israel loses the Temple and is taken into exile, God affirms that He is their sanctuary ‘for a little while’ (Ezek 11:16), which relativises somewhat the significance of the Temple. When the Samaritan woman asks Jesus where God is to be worshipped (offering two alternatives), Jesus in John 4:20-23 points to the future, when the importance of place will be replaced by the centrality of attitude (in spirit and truth). His promise to His disciples that where two or three gather in My name, I will be there (Matt 18:20) takes this even further, connecting presence with the believing and worshipping community. Tracing the trajectory of how God’s presence is experienced over time gives us a clue that the Jerusalem Temple’s connection with God’s presence is bound up in a particular cultural context.

Even when a concept is culture-bound, however, we can find relevance in it and that is why it is important not to dismiss laws as antiquated or morally reprehensible. How do we go about understanding the significance of the laws for us? In order to answer the question, we have to reflect on the purpose of the law for Israel. First, God gave them instructions to teach them principles about how to live and relate to each other in a godly way. The laws are merely a selection of issues rather than an exhaustive collection, so that the people had to ponder the commands and case studies and discern the principles that guided the way various situations were to be resolved. Secondly, these regulations reflected something of God’s character itself (and often pointed back to how God dealt with His people). These two aspects are what we, modern-day readers need to look for, too.

Although it is true that we are not under the OT law, we can learn from how God taught Israel. We reflect on the principles that guide the instructions, so that we may reapply them in other contexts not described in Scripture. It is not that we have to obey the letter of the law but we, too, are learning how to live in godly ways. Understanding how Israel did it in their world helps us to reflect on the significance of certain practices in our world. We also ask, what the laws teach about God’s character and how we may see this in the way He deals with us. Thus, it is not that some laws (like moral ones) apply still today, while others (e.g. ritual ones) are obsolete. Rather, all of them are useful to teach us because they reflect something of God’s principles and character. The gap between the ancient world and ours may be easier to bridge in the case of some moral laws such as adultery or murder than in, say, the Israelite requirements for distinguishing clean and unclean animals, but both can reveal insights for our learning. As we explore the various laws in Exodus 21-23, I will apply the above guidelines to our readings, so you will be able to see how this works in practice.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with others.