What is the purpose of the Old Testament Law?

[Matt Black]

Christians have argued about the application of the OT since the earliest times (from whether Christian males should be circumcised onwards). But there seems to be much less discussion about the purpose of the law in the first place.

Why is God so concerned about whether the Israelites planted two crops in one field (Lev 19.19) or whether an Israelite man trimmed his beard (Lev 19.27)?

Some of these laws clearly indicate a moral stance – not using false weights (Lev 19.35) and not ill-treating foreigners (Lev 19.33) - but it’s hard to see how this might apply to having a garment with more than one type of material (Lev 19.19).

I have heard it suggested that those laws concerned with food were of practical value – shellfish (Lev 11.10) and pork (Lev 11.7) can both easily cause illness. But if this is the reason for the dietary laws, why isn’t there one that says, “Make sure that chicken is thoroughly cooked before eating it”, and another insisting on washing hands before and after handling meat?

Were the laws about two crops and two materials really about maintaining separateness of the people (Christian or Israelite)? If so were these laws given as "types” of later Christian requirements? Or did the Israelites just misunderstand what God required of them (“blessed are the cheesemakers”)?

What are the Old Testament laws for?

(Note: this thread most definitely isn’t about a particular bit of OT law which might or might not apply to Christians – that is a very dead horse indeed).

 

[BobRyan]

They are not there to "imagine ways" for Israel to snub gentiles -- though many Christians seem to suppose that this was God's hidden meaning behind each of the laws.

Lev 19:18 Love your neighbor as yourself.

Deut 6:5 Love God with all your heart -

Israel was to be the foremost "evangelists" reaching OUT to the world with the Love of God -- the two great founding principles of the Law God gave them.

Long before the Cross - "God so LOVED THE WORLD that HE gave"

In Christ,

Bob

 

[Matt Black]

What about the othe laws to which I've referred?

 

[PastorSBC1303]

Many think that the Law was a means of salvation. That is completely wrong. That is why Paul was so hard on the Galatians. Trying to gain salvation by works of the Law is foolishness.

The Law was a means of sanctification for God's people. They were boundaries for life. God shows His grace to His people by giving them these boundaries.

We so often focus on the negative aspects of the "Law"...but read through the book of Deuteronomy with an open heart and mind and see the love relationship between God and His people. Read through Psalm 119 and notice the love of the Psalmist for th Law of God.

When understood as a means of sanctification instead of salvation, the Law is a gracious act of a loving, merciful God.

 

[gb93433]

Gal. 3:24,25, "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."

 

[Matt Black]

But what has the length of your beard got to do with sanctification? And how does how you trim it lead you to Christ?

 

[BobRyan]

The Laws God gave to the nation of Israel include moral laws, civil laws, health laws, ceremonial laws etc.

They can not all be cast as moral laws or all as health or all as civil laws. He even provides laws about the best way to farm. But there was no "penalty" associated with violating the laws of farming - for example so the issue was more along the lines of best practices than "sin".

But in other cases we see it is clearly "sin" as God speaks of "destroying" them with fire for violating the laws. (Isaiah 66 comes to mind).

In cases where God threatens to "execute them by divine fire" -- I recommend that the people of God "sit up and take notice" rather then roll over and go back to sleep.

Is 66
16 For the LORD will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all flesh, And those slain by the LORD will be many.
17 ""Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens, Following one in the center, Who eat swine's flesh, detestable things and mice, will come to an end altogether,'' declares the LORD.
18 ""For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.

In Gen 1 and 2 we find that God made man in His own image. Therefore when you see the image of God debased in the way that you see with some of these naked tribes people living in the wild and eating anything that crawls across their path - Satan takes delight and God is not honored in what He has made. Hence his strong statement about chewing on rats, cats and bats.

In Christ,

Bob

 

[gb93433]

Originally posted by Matt Black:
But what has the length of your beard got to do with sanctification? And how does how you trim it lead you to Christ?

Cultural things have consequences. In any nations they have customs and people have ways of identifying themselves within those customs. For example the Amish do not have mustaches.

Perhaps maybe you can think of the law in this way: The laws of a nation are to help keep it under control for peace to reign. The nations which are under control find it easy to be spiritual and chaos is prevented. When people are not under control there is no peace and selfishness is paramount. Everybody does their own thing.

 

[hillclimber]

The law was instituted to convict man of his sin. It says so in Romans 3, culminating with vs. 20

 

[BobRyan]

The Law defines sin (Romans 7) it places all mankind under sin and shows that all need a savior STILL (Romans 3) and it is "established" in the faith of the believer "Romans 3:31".

In fact under the New Covenant God's Law is "Written on the tablets of the heart" Heb 8 (2Cor 3).

Christ said "Pre-cross" -- "IF you love Me KEEP My Commandments" John 14:15.

In Christ,

Bob

 

[hillclimber]

Originally posted by BobRyan:
The Law defines sin (Romans 7) it places all mankind under sin and shows that all need a savior STILL (Romans 3) and it is "established" in the faith of the believer "Romans 3:31".

In fact under the New Covenant God's Law is "Written on the tablets of the heart" Heb 8 (2Cor 3).

Christ said "Pre-cross" -- "IF you love Me KEEP My Commandments" John 14:15.

In Christ,

Bob

It's not written there yet my friend.

 

[BobRyan]

Heb 8 AND 10 BOTH say the Law is written on the heart.

2Cor 3 says this is the way of life for the NT saint.

Romans 2 says that THIS IS EVEN TRUE of the Gentiles who HAVE no Bible!! Romans 2:13-16

And yet some deny it??

 

[hillclimber]

If the law is written on our hearts today, why have Sunday school, church services, evangelical movements, bibles etc.?

 

[BobRyan]

If we are all "born again new creations" why go to church?

If it is "no longer I who Live but Christ that lives IN Me"(Gal 2:20) then why have church?

If are all already grafted into the vine of Christ (Romans 11) why be instructed in church?

If the Law is already written on tablets of the human heart (Heb 8, Heb 10, 2Cor 3) then what more is needed?

The STARTING point for every Christian is "Christ IN YOU, the NEW Creation, The Law of God written on the heart"

In Christ,

Bob

 

[wopik]

Both the Old and the New Covenants are between Jehovah and the Houses of Israel and Judah.
In other words, in both covenants the 'parties' are the same.
In both the Old and the New Covenant the 'same laws' are involved; albeit in the New Covenant they are NOT written on stone tablets but on the true believer's mind and heart.


Strange as it may seem, the New Covenant is not yet fully implemented.


We know this from the fact that believers - young and old - still need instruction. But when the New Covenant is fully operational then "they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest."


http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/sbs777/snotes/note1105.html

 

[JackRUS]

The purpose of the Old Testament was summed up by Paul with this verse:

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures
might have hope." Rom. 15:4

And:

"But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Gal. 3:22-26

When the term "Scripture" is used in the Bible it always refers to the Old Testament.