What is “The Law”?

Sometimes all of the 5 books of Moses or even all of the Old Testament are called “the Law”. But most often this expression refers to everything between Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 33, and especially to the approximatly 600 commandments in these 4 books.

First, remember the basic steps of reading and understanding texts:
1.    Read and read again!
2.    What is the meaning of the individual words?
3.    Ask A LOT MORE questions
4.    What is the context?
5.    What is the main point?
6.    What do other Christians say?
7.    How can I apply this to my life?
These steps apply even if you’re reading Old Testament commandments, so do them and you’ll be on a good track!

What is our relationship as Christians to the Law?

1. The Old Testament Law is part of a contract that instantiated a covenant between Israel and the Lord. It was shape according to the habits of the time, with Israel as the vassal and the Lord as the suzerain. The suzerain agreed to provide protection and certain specified advantages, the vassal promissed faithfulness and a certain way of conduct. As always in such contracts, the penalties for being disloyal is explicitly stated and agreed upon.
2. The Old Testament is not our covenant. As Christians we have entered into a new covenant. Obligations from the old covenant only apply if they have been renewed explicitly.
3. Some commandments of the old covenant have explicitly not been renewed (this part of the old covenant is often called the civil law of Israel and the ritual law of Israel).
4. A part of the old covenant is renewed in the New Testament and explicitly stated in it. It therefore applies to us. (Some aspects of the ethical law are renewed). Eg. see Matthew 22,40 and Matthew 5,21-48.
5. The whole law of the Old Testament is still God’s word for us, even if it is not God’s command for us anymore (cp. Matthew 11,4). 2 Timothy 3,16 applies here as well! God’s justice, love and holy standards can be seen here! Look to Galatians 3,23 in order to find out what the law did! Don’t forget God’s history of salvation!

An Example
Exodus 23,4: How does that show God’s justice, love, and holy standards? How does this show what he expected from his people and how do you think that applies to you today?

Sometimes we think those laws are harsh. Compare them to other law codes of the ancient Middle East:
Example 1:
“If a free man doesn’t have any claims against another free man, but seizes the female slave of that other free man, keeps her in his house and causes her death, he has to give two female slaves to her owner. If he doesn’t have any claims against him but seizes the wife or child of a man of the upper class and puts them to death, this is a felony, a severe crime. Such a man must die.” (from the laws of Eshunna, an akkadian codex from about 1800 BC, quoted after Fee/Stuart.)
Example 2:
“If a free noble man has beaten the daughter of another free noble man and thus caused a misscarriage with her, he has to pay 10 shekels of silver for her fetus. If that woman died, his own daughter has to be put to death. If he has caused a misscarriage by beating the daughter of a citizen. He has to pay 5 shekels of silver. If that woman died, he has to pay half a mine of silver. If he has caused a misscarriage by beating the slave woman of a free noble man, he has to pay 2 shekels of silver. If that woman died, he has to pay one third of a mine of silver.” (From the famous Code of Hammurabi, the laws of that Babylonian king from 1726 BC, quoted after Fee/Stuart).

• there is no equality before the law. Nobels count more than citizens, and they in turn are preferred to slaves.
• Men aren’t punished themselves. For example a daughter will have to suffer for the wrong doing of her father.
• Slaves are unpriviliged.

Compare this to the Old Testament:

• There is no restriction to the prohibition of murder in any way, neither by gender, nor by class (see Exodus 20:12, 21:13 and Deuteronomy 24:16).
• There are slaves according to the Old Testament but they have a very different status and are viewed as human beings rather than as goods (Exodus 21:27, Deuteronomy 23,16-17)