In addition, the way the world is at any one time is to teach us spiritual truths and the negative teaches just as much as the positive, if not more so. This is the eternal meaning found behind every strange law in the Old Testament. Not tattooing themselves set them apart. It is not a stretch to believe that when the Israelites first heard Gods laws, they would have made complete sense to them, given their knowledge of culture at the time. Some of his siblings are in shock. Sooner or later, every believer has to resolve the issues that arise from those seemingly strange and unnecessary rules God gave to the Israelites thousands of years ago. Exodus 20:1-17 This was an agrarian culture (agriculture ruled!) Incorporating history and context helps the laws seem less weird. Here is link. The Word is written layer upon layer so that each passage holds layers of truth. Youve proven to me that youre incapable. And Moses says the problem is that their hearts are hard and that theyre going to need new transformed hearts if theyre ever going to truly follow Gods law.2 And he was right. If Egypt conquered Babylon in battle, it meant Egypts gods were stronger than Babylons. It meant their gods were real. The high priest would function as a mediator between God and his people, just as Jesus is our great High Priest, a mediator between God and his people (Hebrews 4:14-16). What to Do with the Bible's Purity Laws - The Gospel Coalition Continue reading . Sin no longer is our master! Jon: Okay, so we have the law and the prophets, and theyre telling one connected story about Gods desire to bless the whole world through a people, Israel, who, it turns out, needs a new heart. He understood that the Israelites needed boundaries, rules, reminders of His truths to be constantly before them. On with the issues . And loving others doesnt just mean loving those who love you. This is a major source of confusion for many people. I think people stumble in not understanding the nature of the Old Testament and why God who doesnt change did what He did., I agree, totally! (LogOut/ Good afternoon. When the veil was rent in twain, it was the conclusion of that element. It is hard to know. As Israels Messiah, he fully loved God and others, and he showed all of the nations what God is truly like. Christians are not picking and choosing what they follow from the Scriptures. And we encounter several kinds of laws in this chapter. Christians are sometimes accused of showing favouritism with the Bible based on the fact that they generally esteem the 10 commandments while overlooking the prohibition against eating shellfish, for example. Crazy Old Testament Laws - CHURCHGISTS.COM Learn the purpose of these laws in the biblical story and if they still apply today. Anda second is like it:You shall love your neighbor as yourself. In other words, the Lord did not choose Israel because Israel was great, but precisely because it was not," wrote Pastor Skye Jethani in the With God Daily devotional on June 24, 2021. Category: Questions, Theology On the one hand it dismisses the civil and ceremonial laws as inapplicable. Those were temporary institutions of worship that have been done away with in the New Testament era. Ivana Wynn Updated August 14, 2020 61.8K votes 13.6K voters 5.6M views20 items List of crazy Bible verses to shoot back at your Fundamentalist neighbors, ranked by how insane they are, especially in the context of modern life. In I John, 3:6, Gods word tells us, No one who lives in him (Christ) keeps on sinning. Since God himself is the holy object, the people who serve him must also be holy. "Is God A Moral Monster?" by Paul Copan Review - Bible Boothe He needed to protect them because from that lineage Christ would come. This is not to say that God has changed his mind or that his commands are inconsistent. Imagine that. All that the ceremonial law entailed was ultimately pointing to the coming of Jesus and his once-for-all blood sacrifice. How does Jesus fulfill the law and the prophets as the blessed vine/tree? But Jesus also said that he came to solve that problem and, in his words, to fulfill the law.5. Reading the Old Testament is kind of like eating a box of assorted chocolatesthere are parts that seem all sweet and wonderful, but the next thing you know you are hit with something that makes your face turn sour. These are important questions, and some of the most puzzling for us. "For the Hebrew, life wasn't mere biological existence. A pedagogue doesn't take care of children to keep them in permanent childhood. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. When we are saved, we have a new relationship to sin and thus should not sin as we did before. The sacrifice of the animals was to teach us about the seriousness of our sin how it separates us from God and what is required for us to be reunited to Him the life of another. by Scott. So this fulfills the story of the law and the prophets, or in the words of the apostle Paul, The one who loves fulfills the law.7, Explore Career Opportunites and Apply Here, BibleProject Resources in 55+ languages and counting. Some systems seem unfair, but that is our estimation. These laws are followed by 7 steps in preparing the corpse of a deer . I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Jon disc, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. But Jesus did not abolish the ten commandments, he was the fulfillment of them all. The primary reason for the numerous strange laws in the Old Testament was because God had set apart the ancient Israelites as a peculiar people, in order that they may be a light to the rest of the world. In theological terms, what we are talking about is the different between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The Word is fascinating as you put it all together how it fits so perfectly. We think we know what fair is. Good topic..and a needed word for so many do struggle with the old and the new testaments.I thank God for Jesus and the new covenant for Jesus did for us all that we could never do to satisfy God on our behalf.Some Christians today are still trying to keep the law therefore living under bondage,if the old covenant had been good enough God would not have made a new one.So its by grace and the works of Jesus Christ that we live today,trusting in him who has fulfilled all of the law.Amen With Christ, the eternal sacrifice, an animal sacrifice and having to do it over and over is no longer needed. John 14:7-14 Animals were clean if they were clearly created to either fly in the air, walk on land or swim in water. Seeking with a mindset to truly know and not to lift ourselves above God allows us to be open to learn from Him. The list goes on. This is because good chunks of ancient customs of the day have been lost to history. Those that crossed between categories were not to be eaten, in the same way Israelites were to avoid worshiping other deities. With the legalism of the old testament, how do we know what to - Quora In his wisdom, God established at least two eras that would progressively reveal his unfolding plan of salvation over the course of human history. Second, Mosaic times were indeed crude and uncultured in many ways. What were some man-made Sabbath laws that were imposed? - BibleAsk Some of the ocmments above got me to thinking about the attitude that many have toward the old testament. It functions much like modern day laws do, for the purpose of giving order and structure to society. We dont see the beginning and the end. These gods were essentially in competition with each other. It is at least plausible, if not likely, that some of the more quirky and detailed OT laws exist for this reason. Passing on the advice of Pope Benedict XVI, he d. It was never about favoring a single nation temporarily, Copan argued. Tim: And so Moses gives some more laws. Where the old covenant came from and why it doesnt apply to us. (More on this below.) I look forward to your continued writing. ), are summed up in this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself. (parenthesis are my words) (See Romans 9:8-10 and Matthew 7:12 as well as Jesus saying the entire Law hinged on loving God and loving neighbor in Matthew 22:38-40). One might wonder, It is difficult to know just how many OT laws were given for this purpose, and which specific laws they might be. For verilly I saw unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled (quoted 17-18 here but verses through 20 are all related). To not want to be in sin and to turn from it is the evidence of a life in Him. Thank you for what you have written so far. Matthew 22:34-40 What's With All Those Weird Old Testament Laws? As we move through the Scriptures, we witness a moral advanceor, in many ways, a movement toward restoring the Genesis ideals. The first is the spiritual law, codified in the Ten Commandments, which reveals how a person should conduct their lives and how they should treat their fellow man. God never changes, but how he chooses to interact with humanity sometimes does. What do you think is significant about this? Being the practical God he is, Yahweh (the Old Testament title for the covenant-making God) met his people where they were, but he didnt want to leave them there. He is a grad of Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. Before we get started a couple of points. Change). God put up with many aspects of human fallenness and adjusted accordingly. Thank the Lord that we dont need to perfectly obey the law in order to be loved by him or attain eternal life! Notice how these passages describe Gods identity and ours before giving a list of commands. Those Strange Old Testament Laws: Part 2 March 18, 2020 Gospel in Life Just how do we, as Christians, relate to the laws in the Old Testament? Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. This approach errs in two ways. Leviticus 18 specifically states that some of the laws in that chapter are in direct response to pagan worship practices of surrounding nations. I can stand up behind a pulpit and preach a sermon using the verses that tell us not to eat lobster, not to mix clothing fibers, and not to get tattoos, and preach a moving, God-inspired, authoritative sermon, with the takeaway being we need to be a light to the world and the way to do this is to love another. Jon: So walk me through the story and how its fulfilled. God is God and we are not. Notice how these passages describe God's identity . For example, God says in Leviticus 11:45 For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. This is because the entire Old Testament sacrificial system was fulfilled in Christs atoning death on the cross (Hebrews 7:23-24, 9:12). God knows our nature better than we do. The stronger fiber would tear away from the weaker fiber. All the rules were for the Israelites protection and continuance of a nation. Some have looked upon these strange laws and concluded that the Old Testament Scriptures are not truly from God. In fact, there are so many that it makes one wonder what an ancient culture thought their form of government was supposed to be like. Awesome post. We must simply admit that the distance between today and the ancient world will create some question marks we cant resolve, but that does not mean we have no reason to believe that sound logic is behind many of the laws that initially sound strange to our ears today. They read Genesis and Exodus and then cheerfully. It was basically a worship manual for the Jews, God showing them the way in which he desired to be worshipped. Another important thing to keep in mind is the constant refrain in the Old Testament concerning Gods holiness. "Indeed, the Creator of the world had chosen them for a special relationship and purpose rather than any other nation, but it was not because Israel was better than the other nations. Some theologians have noted that the 613 commands given in the law can be roughly categorized into three major groups: moral law, civil law, and ceremonial law. I think every Believer struggles with this at some point in their journey of Faith. And so God rescues them. The first thing we need to know is that the OT law is ultimately about love. Further, God was building illustrations that taught eternal truths and many pointing to Christ. Wait a secondthat means no shrimp, no lobster. There is much to be learned from it. Lots of laws613 to be exact. His point was to show the laws were absurd and therefore dismiss anything it may say about homosexuality. This is because no one can ever obey the entire law. What Does the Bible Say About the Old Testament Law? This is part of why so many Christians never read the entire Bible. The practice of physical circumcision was to demonstrate the reality of spiritual circumcision (Romans 2:29). How do we abide, or live, within his blessing? Again, I am looking forward to the rest of what you have to say, Rachel! "For the Hebrew, life wasn't mere biological existence. He addressed issues regarding the laws of the OT (Old Testament), in which he thought they were nonsensical. 3rd Edition. Hi Slamdunk thanks for your comment. As stated repeatedly in the Old Testament and reinforced in the New Testament, the law of Moses was far from ideal. The straightforward command You shall not steal in Exodus 20:15, given as part of the 10 commandments, is an example of moral law. some strange laws from the old testament | The Disciple's Road How Do We Know Which Old Testament Laws to Still Follow? Pastor Meyer once discussed how there are three elements to the law; moral, ceremonial, and judicial. It functioned much like how the court system does today. Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. For followers of Jesus today, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us to fully love others and love God, fulfilling the law that God put in place at the very beginning of the biblical story. Hebrews 10:4 says it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Richard Dawkins: God commanding Old Testament Wars, Genocides, Infant Killings??? And he tells them, You guys, I know that youre not going to follow all of Gods laws. And Deuteronomy. With the right framework in place, the OT laws can reveal a lot to us about God, his call on our lives, and the plan of salvation that was fulfilled in Christ. The login page will open in a new tab. The moral lawsthose against lying, stealing . Now the next section of books in the Jewish tradition are the 15 books of the prophets, and they reflect back on the story. Ancient Israelites, like Christians now, were/are saved by faith (Romans 4:2-3). And when Jesus taught about the Torah, he said that he was bringing that story to its fulfillment. Acts 17: 30: Previously, God overlooked the times of ignorance and is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent. Romans 3: 25: God has now demonstrate[ d] His righteousness in Christ, though in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed. Like two sides of the same coin, we have human hard-heartedness and divine forbearance. This command is not as easy as it seems. 2. Rather, it is to say that Gods unchanging law had to be implemented in a way that fit the context it was entering into. The books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy in the Old Testament of the Bible have sections with laws, codes, and instructions in it. Sign up for the latest podcasts, videos, and articles, sent straight to your inbox. Knowing this will keep us from getting off track with our conclusions about the OT law. God was showing the Israelites that he is their Deliverer and Protector, and therefore they ought to obey him, just as a loving father deserves to be obeyed by his children because he has already proven his love and commitment to them. The only way the world would be convinced of this is if your crops were bigger than their crops, your animals were more plentiful and tasted better, and your army was more powerful than theirs. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk. Did The Ancients Know How To Keep Wine From Fermenting. (LogOut/ The Old Testament Law was to point out the people's sins and to show them it is impossible to please God by trying to obey all His laws. Dont worship idols. But what of the rest of the law? What are the 613 commandments in the Old Testament Law? Taking into account the actual, God encoded more feasible laws, though he directed his people toward moral improvement. I've seen some of these odd laws used to make a laughing stock of the Bible, or show it to be misogynistic or morally . Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. This through line helps clarify the whys behind some of the weirder parts of the Old Testament law. Hi Donald I look forward to reading your post. Like today, our systems serve certain purposes though far from perfect. Humans could be biologically alive yet living in the realm of death spiritual, moral, psychological/emotional ruin and alienation (e.g., "Indeed, the Creator of the world had chosen them for a special relationship and purpose rather than any other nation, but it was not because Israel was better than the other nations. But as it stands, God has made a way where there was no other way. God is love. Do Catholics Follow All Those Weird Old Testament Laws? The civil law are the rules and regulations that govern the nation of Israel and its individual communities. Read John 15:1-13 carefully and notice the metaphor Jesus uses to describe himself. And all of the laws that Moses gives to Israel are the terms of that agreement. Compare Exodus 19:3-6 and Exodus 20:1-3 with Galatians 5:1 and Galatians 5:13-14. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk." (Exodus 23:19) It doesn't take long reading in the Old Testament before you begin to see some challenging laws and regulations. Just how do we, as Christians, relate to the laws in the Old Testament? Now an increasing number of people have bought into the they are born that way deception. For instance, another Scripture that has come to mind is the section of Acts where the disciples are deciding what to teach Gentiles to do in relation to Jewish law, and they decide (guided by the Holy Spirit) to tell groups of Gentiles that they do not have to take on the Jewish law to become Christians, but Paul did give them a brief list of things to remember, including abstain from fornication. Since fornication is not defined here, it seems safe/wise to look elsewhere in the Word, at things God has said, to help us understand what that means, like looking at related laws given in the OT. Today, I want to look at a variety of laws given in Leviticus 19 to help us apply those principles. What does Jesus identify as the greatest commandment in the law? In other words, obeying God does not make one right with God. Which of the hundreds of Old Testament laws are applicable to us as When Jesus spoke about the Torah, he talked about how he was bringing the storyline of the Torah to its fulfillment. What to make of all the weird Old Testament laws? - Substack The high priest laying his hands on a goatsymbolically transferring sin to itand releasing it into the woods was an outward demonstration of the inward reality that God has taken our sins away. Mike Schmitz explains why Christians are called to follow some laws of the Old Testament and not others. This helps to explain many of the commands that are given in the law. Ridiculous Bible Verses | List of Crazy Biblical Passages - Ranker Hi Marianne good point about sin, and those who are truly seeking God dont desire to sin but desire to walk in the ways of God (in His love and truth) because of their love for Him. The Ammonites in particular were known to participate in child sacrifice to their god Molech. It is very loving to our neighbor to bring salvation to them. Few things in the Bible can create this reaction quite like the Old Testament laws. The entire Bible is a cohesive unit that progressively builds upon itself. We havent a clue. They were also not to eat animals or live in ways symbolic of uncleanness. Not so in ancient Israel. We dont understand the fullness of our purpose here on earth. It caused history to play out in a certain way. Being unclean only meant they couldn't enter the temple, not that they couldn't worship or take part in feasts or that you were sinful, Copan explained. One cannot help but read the Old Testament laws and think to themselves, It is significant that the law was not given by God until, 15 Things Every Christian Can Agree On AboutTrump, The Incarnation Models How We Should Live asChristians, How Many Times Was Jesus Anointed? Matthew 5:17-19 He cited work by researcher Richard Hess, who classified sacrifices into three arenas: Burnt offerings, indicating total dedication to God. And Isaiah, he promised a future leader, Israels Messiah, who will lead all of the people in obedience to the law.4. Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews are three books in particular that emphasize and explain the distinction between the Old and New Covenants. https://stirringthedeep.com/2009/12/21/homosexuality-finding-the-truth-part-ii/. Why not submit to God and let Him teach you His New Law that can bring true peace, being the perfect law of liberty (Matthew 11:28-30; James 1:25)? If we seek to know God as He is, then we will start to see the perfection in all His ways, and how all works together to teach us and instruct us. View all posts by marktabata, Christian Evidences, Christian Living, culture, What The Inquisition Reveals About The Catholic Church. God allowed slavery for a reason to serve certain purposes. Ill be anxious to see what else you have to say about this. Rather, it is a freedom over the power of sin! And so some of the laws, theyre about rituals and customs that set Israel apart from the nations, other laws are about social justice or morality. Paul says in Romans 13:9 The commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, and whatever other command there may be (i.e. The laws are symbolic and reminders of Gods truth. We think we know better and we know best, we dont. This is loving your neighbor. Required fields are marked *. The law was never intended for the salvation of souls. They should just be silent. This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. First, the Mosaic law was temporary and, as a whole, isnt universal and binding upon all humans or all cultures. When Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16 that All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, he is speaking about the Old Testament. In our Bible Reading Plan for 2020, weve been reading through the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Old Testament). Rachel, How do we "abide," or live, within his blessing? Part of the reason God gave the law was to show people their sin and need for mercy from God. RNS: Some have . Rest secure in The New Covenant, but read The Old Covenant and regard it with the eyes of an Israelite who was bound to it. ). There are of course more specific steps we can take with individual verses to bring further clarity in understanding and application: Deut. The ritual laws of sacrifice teach us that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22) and point us to Jesus on the cross. Great article. 7:23-27)," Copan wrote on page 75. And yet it serves a very important aspect; to reveal the seriousness of sin and to point toward the messiah who would fulfill the law. The sacrifices of animals reminded Israelites of human sin and unholiness and great need for God's help, Copan explained on page 85. Israelite laws stated some animals were clean (Kosher) while others weren't, based on whether they crossed boundaries, Copan argued, just as the Israelites were to purely follow God's law, not mix in ideas about other deities. 5045 Chapel Hill Road Columbia, MO 65203, 2023 Christian Fellowship | All Rights Reserved | Site design by COMO Marketing. The ceremonial aspects are no longer in play as to their performing. Contemplating the oneness of Truth while guided by the Voice of Truth produces the evolution or maturation of the soul, spirit and mind, so reality can begin to reflect Truth's immutable, divine attributes, which manifest the highest good for all.