Is the Law of the Pentateuch still valid for Christians today?
The first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, are known collectively as the Books of the Law, although, of course, they are more than just a legal treatise and include many kinds of literature. They also provide the narrative that begins the big story of God’s relationship with the world. But these books are referred to as the books of Law because that is their prime focus: God’s Law for God’s people. The Law is given to Moses within the context of the story of the formation of the nation of Israel. The Book of Leviticus, particularly, reads like a legal treatise – more of a reference book than one to enjoy on a winter’s evening – it includes rules and instructions concerning the daily worship, the offerings and sacrifices and conduct of the priests and people in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple. This Law is the Law of the Old Covenant, which provides the framework for the governance of the nation, but of course, much of the detail of the Law has been superseded by the New Covenant. No longer are we, as Christians, bound by the laws of ritual and worship that we read in the Pentateuch. Paul tells the Romans: ‘through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death,’ (Romans 8:2). So, we may well ask, ‘If this Old Covenant Law has been superseded by the New Covenant law, do we still need these Books of Law? Why are they still in our Bibles? Surely, much of the Law about ritual and worship is no longer valid even to the Jewish faith, how much less then is it relevant to us as Christians!’
So what relevance does the Law of the Pentateuch have for us, as children of the New Covenant?
The Law was given to Moses and provides the guiding principles of the Jewish faith. We know that as Christians, we are children of the New Covenant. We are not saved by a blind obedience to the Law. We are saved by grace – the free gift of God’s love, freely bestowed upon us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – God Himself assuming human form and paying the price for our sin.
So is that the end of the matter? We are no longer subject to the Law, but have become new creations, through the blood of Jesus, shed for us. Therefore, the Law of the Moses is no longer valid?
Of course, in the final analysis, this is true. So why, then, do we read the Old Testament? What is the purpose of the Law of Moses?
Paul addresses this question when he writes to the Galatians. He reminds us that no one can be ‘justified’ by the Law, because none of us are perfect. However hard we may try to keep the Law, we will fail.
“For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:10 – 14)
So is the Law of Moses restrictive and out of date? It does seem to have little or no place within the life of freedom that Christ gives to us.
And yet, the law of God was and is an expression of love. The Jewish people call the law "Torah" - and Torah literally means "guidance" or "help". That is what the law is meant to be for us - a guide or a help to us as we seek to love God and to love our neighbours as ourselves.
Paul goes on to say that the Law was given ‘because of transgressions’ (Galatians 3:19). These laws were not given to be a straitjacket, but rather, they recognise that as people, we need a moral framework in which to live. Not only does this provide a secure basis for building a society, it also offers the individual a sense of peace and reassurance about how best to live our lives. The result of having no law by which to live is not freedom, but anarchy, which leads to a total breakdown of society. As humans, we need a framework in which to live with security; we need to know what is permissible, and what is wrong.
But the Law can never provide the full solution. The stark reality is that sin will always be a part of our human experience. What then, can be a final solution to the problem of sin? Paul reminds us that the Law is good, as far as it goes, but that God has provided a permanent solution for the problem of sin by sending Jesus to die on the cross.
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:23-29)
We read these books of Law firstly because they are an essential aspect of the history of the Old Testament. We see God at work with His chosen nation through them. Then, they also help us to understand the progression of God’s work in the world. The law offers the framework out of which the New Covenant was born. The Old Covenant is not our Law, but it offers us the background information for fully understanding the law of the New Covenant. Our Law is the Law of Christ, which offers us liberation. We are saved by the grace of God but are still called to honour God by offering our lives as ‘living sacrifices’, as Paul urges the Romans (Romans 12:1). We need a framework in which to live, even though no set of laws can ever completely restore us to a perfect relationship with God, or indeed with one another. It is only when we recognise that the consequences of human sin are finally resolved through faith in Christ Jesus that we can understand that Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law.
We, as Christians, must look to the Law of the New Covenant – and as we read the New Covenant, we will come to recognise that whilst much of the Old Covenant is relegated to history, there are some parts that are re-affirmed and re-stated by Jesus and the New Testament writers.
What is in the Law of Moses?
The OT. contains over 600 commandments, binding upon the people of Israel.
At the heart of the law are the Ten Commandments – the ‘Top Ten’ laws. They all deal with relationships – our relationship with God, and also with each other (See The Pilgrim’s Guide to the Bible no. 6 – The Covenant).
The value of these ten laws can be appreciated from the fact that still today, they form the bedrock of many civilised societies. They remind us that as the people of God, we are answerable to a higher authority than any human institution. Life is not about self-fulfilment or the selfish pursuit of gain at any cost. It is about honouring God, recognising that He has given us the gift of life, and that in order to gain the best out of it, we should live in the way that God decrees. This includes living as responsible members of society, in relationship to each other, within our families and within society, caring for one another, and seeking our mutual good. These commands offer a base line for ensuring a society that can be built upon a foundation of trust and mutual respect.
But the law, of course, refers to more than just these top ten commands. It is about that part of the Bible between Exodus chapter 20 and the end of the book of Deuteronomy, the majority of which is legal formulation. And that leaves us with the question - how should we understand it? Do these laws still apply to us, or have they been superseded? And if they do apply to us, how can we possibly keep them? Many of them seem to belong to a time and culture that is far removed from us today, and deal with a type of worship that bears little relevance to present day, Christian worship. For one thing, we are not members of the Hebrew nation. We are the children of a new covenant - saved through faith in Jesus Christ. We are not called to worship in the Temple, in fact there is no longer a Temple where we can go to make animal sacrifices. And even if we did, we would probably be arrested for cruelty to animals!
If, on the other hand, we are not supposed to keep this Old Testament Law, why did Jesus say 'I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished'? (Matthew 5:18)
The following guidelines may help:
The Old Testament law is a covenant: a binding contract between two parties, both of whom have obligations towards each other. In Old Testament times, covenants were made between powerful overlords, and their subjects (vassals). They guaranteed the vassals benefits and protection, but the vassal was obligated to be loyal to his master, with the threat of punishment for disloyalty. Normally, there were certain rules of behaviour specified in the covenant. The OT covenant is similar in form to other ancient covenants, and constitutes a binding agreement between God: Yahweh, the Lord, and his vassal: Israel. In return for the benefits of protection, Israel was expected to keep the 613 commandments of the covenant.
The Old Testament is not our Testament. Testament is another word for covenant. The Old Testament represents a covenant, which has been superseded. We are no longer obligated by it. Its commandments are not automatically binding upon us unless the New Covenant specifically renews them. (e.g., You are no longer under law, but under the grace of God. Romans 6:14). The sacrificial law of the Pentateuch finds its fulfilment, and conclusion, in the once for all sacrifice of Christ upon the cross.
The Old Testament law is valid on us only where it has been re-stated in the New Testament. There have been changes between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. God expects us to demonstrate different evidence of obedience and loyalty from those of the Israelites of old. The sacrificial system has been superseded by a different kind of sacrifice - no longer a ritualised form of animal sacrifice, but, as the Book of Psalms states, God looks upon the heart of his people. ‘The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, O God, will not despise’ (Psalm 51).
Some stipulations of the Old Covenant have not been renewed in the New Covenant. There are essentially two categories of law in the OT: civil laws and ritual laws. Civil laws apply penalties for various crimes applicable to ancient Israel. They provide a framework for the safe ordering of society, the most obvious example being the Ten Commandments themselves. Many of these laws are re-stated in the New Covenant. Ritual laws provided explicit instructions on how to practice worship: e.g., priestly responsibilities, Temple worship, animal sacrifice. The new covenant does not renew most of these laws.
It is possible, indeed completely normal, for laws to be revised according to changing circumstances (politicians make a career out of it!). So new covenants are drawn up to replace older covenants, which will draw material from the pre-existing covenant, and may be similar in style whilst differing in content.
But didn't Jesus say that we are still under the Law? Yes, but what he actually said was that the Law cannot be changed (Luke 16:16-17). Either we keep the old law (which being human and sinful we will fail to do), or else we are granted the privilege and benefit of the new law, offered to us by Jesus. Jesus said that he came to earth in order to ‘fulfil the law’ (Mathew 5:17). This new law, the law of love, completes and fulfils what the old law could never achieve.
Parts of the Old Covenant are renewed in the New. Some aspects of the ethical law are re-stated as being applicable to Christians. The laws that continue to have value derive their applicability from the fact that they support the two basic laws of the New Covenant: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind' and 'love your neighbour as yourself'‘ (Matthew 22: 37 - 40). Jesus offers us examples of how these new laws are to be applied in the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew chapters 5 - 7. Therefore, some aspects of the old law are still applicable to the new law.
So, although all the Old Testament is still the word of God, much of it may no longer be the command of God. The Bible contains all sorts of commands that God wants us to know about, even if they are not directed at us, personally. The Law of Moses is a part of the history of the story of salvation. It was given to be valid until Christ came into the world (Gal 3:19-23). It demonstrates how high God's standards are, and how impossible it is for anyone to meet those standards without divine aid. Neither the Israelites of old, nor we today, can fully obey the Law - we depend upon God's mercy and grace to help us.
Only that which is explicitly renewed from the Old Testament law can be considered to be a part of the New Testament "law of Christ". Included in this category are the Ten Commandments, and the two great commandments of Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 (as quoted by Jesus in Matthew 22:37 - 40).
If we take one of the most frequently quoted examples of the Bible ‘contradicting’ itself: the Old Covenant does state, ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ (Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20), this should not be taken as a standard for Christian behaviour. This old law was given in the context of immense human barbarity as a way of ensuring that no undue retribution was taken. The prevailing culture was more likely to imply, ‘a life for an eye’. Jesus sets a new standard be establishing a New Covenant law: ‘But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.’(Matthew 5:39-41). The new law supersedes the old law.
So what was the value of the law in the Old Testament?
From what has been said so far, it is apparent that the Law, by itself, is insufficient to bring anyone to salvation. No one can keep it in its entirety. Paul reminds us of the inadequacy of the law. ‘No one is justified before God by the law, because “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith.’ (Galatians 3:11-12). Yet the law was of benefit to Israel and stands as part of the story of God’s dealings with His people. We have in the law, a prelude to God’s ultimate work of salvation through the coming of Jesus Christ into the world.
But what about the difficult passages of the law?
Although we can understand that the law of Moses is a part of the story of God’s big plan for the world, and that it stands as a forerunner to the establishment of the New Covenant by Jesus Christ, there are many of the laws in the Pentateuch which seem to serve no real purpose, or at best are somewhat arbitrary. We fail to understand why they were significant, even within the context of the Old Covenant. Why did God give these laws?
Note the following examples:
The food laws
Lev 11:7 - 'The pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed, but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.'
Such a law is not intended to be an arbitrary restriction on Jewish eating habits. Rather, it had a protective purpose. The majority of prohibited foods were ones which were either most likely to carry disease in the hot climate of the Sinai Peninsula, or were uneconomic to raise, or were favoured for religious sacrifice to pagan gods by the nations surrounding the Israelites, and therefore, better left alone, as their use may have been misunderstood. The food laws would have prevented various allergies, illnesses and spiritual disobedience, from getting established amongst the people.
Laws about the shedding of blood.
E.g. Exodus 29:10-12 ‘Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. Slaughter it in the LORD’s presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.’
Such laws helped to set important standards for Israel. They demonstrated the importance of sin, and the need for a punishment. Sin merits death. But through animal sacrifice, the people learned that an animal could be substituted for a person. This paved the way for the understanding of the death of Christ - as a substitute for our own deaths. Animal sacrifice seems barbaric to us, in our culture, but for the Jews of ancient Israel, 3,500 years ago, it was a sign of God's mercy, in that an animal could be substituted for a human.
Unusual prohibitions
Eg. "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk." (Deuteronomy 14:21).
Do not wear clothing woven from two kinds of material. (Leviticus 19:19).
There do seem to be examples of laws which are quite arbitrary and serve no particular purpose. Normally, such laws were intended to prevent the Jews from engaging in the fertility cult practices of the Canaanites. The Canaanites followed what is best described as 'cult magic', i.e. boiling a goat in its mother's milk was supposed to ensure the fertility of the flock. Mixing animal breeds or seeds was thought to 'marry them' so they would magically produce offspring. Such thoughts were unhelpful for the worshippers of God, and so anything which could be a stumbling block in their understanding and lead them away from God towards the pagan Canaanite religion was prohibited. Hence, they are not arbitrary laws, but crucial - encouraging the purity of God's people.
Laws of social concern
Deuteronomy 14: 28 - 29: At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
In a harsh world of fierce tribal loyalty and seemingly little human compassion, the Old Covenant laws of law social concern are radically ahead of their time. Most cultures had scant regard for the needs of foreigners, the fatherless and widows. God’s law makes it incumbent upon the whole nation to demonstrate compassion and care to those in need.
In the law of the Old Testament, we see the seeds of social compassion which all civilised societies have subsequently adopted. Further, God’s blessing is conditional upon human willingness to offer practical care and concern for those in need.
And finally....
Leviticus 19:1-2 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”
The call to keep the law of God is a call to be holy. Holiness is about more than just obedience. The people of Israel, as well as believers today, are called to live God-like lives. If our faith is to have any integrity, it must be demonstrated not just in words, by in a radical lifestyle which puts God at the centre of all that we are and do.
Comments