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Hands up if you have kicked off a Sunday school session recently with Deuteronomy 14:9: ‘Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales’ – I bet your last Messy Church event didn’t have the motto ‘Do not insult the deaf or trip up the blind, fear God instead’ (Leviticus 19:14). I do expect that many of you will have found yourselves with questions about some of these parts of the Old Testament – the rigorous rules and regulations; the strange and sometimes seemingly harsh commands; the complicated sacrifices and requirements. Why did God give laws asking people to do that? What has this got to do with being a Christian?

 

What do we make of the Law?

The Law (the Torah) is the Ten Commandments given to Moses at the end of Exodus and the further commandments, rules and instructions that follow these in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Let’s call it the final episode of season 4 in our Bible box set. In fact, it will be coming to a screen near you in 2014 – the return of the biblical epic directed by Ridley Scott.

A key to understanding, at least in part, what to make of the Law, is not to see it in isolation. Instead, try to understand its connection to Land – the Promised Land – given by God to the people of Israel. The Law emerges into Israel’s history when they have just experienced God’s liberating power in The Exodus – the release from slavery in Egypt. The Law is given at this moment of grace and promise. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has acted to rescue his people and to set them on the path again toward the land promised to their forefathers (Exodus 20:2).

The Law is given not so that Israel has a way to gain favour with God, but as a sign of God’s favour (Exodus 19:5). The people of Israel are to follow the Law so that they might be holy as God is holy - a people who are identifiably God’s and who identify themselves with the one true God (Deuteronomy 6). The Law is given then to help Israel fulfil the promise made to Abraham – to live in a Land where they know God’s blessing and to be a blessing to all (Genesis 12:1-3). This calling wasn’t just so that they would be blessed, though this is promised, but so that they could show seek God’s shalom – peace and justice (Deuteronomy 15, 19).

The Law isn’t just a bunch of rules, but a way of life to meditate on

 
 

 

The Law has many dimensions

The Law acts as a mediator between God and his chosen people. It offered ways to approach God; gave clear instructions on how to put things right with God and specified how God could, and should, be worshipped. The Law also acts as a guide – it isn’t just a bunch of rules but a way of life to meditate on – Psalm 1 shows us how important this theme is. However, the journey Israel takes tells a story of a people who fail to take possession of this gift and instead allow the gift to take possession of them. The decline of Israel takes twists and turns through the book of Judges, the rise and fall of the kings, the call of the prophets to turn back to God, and eventual exile into captivity (Assyria and Babylon) . All this is connected to a failure to trust in the Law and allow the Law to lead. This eventually results in a corrupt and oppressive version of the Law in Jesus’ time. It’s at this point that a true mediator comes to fulfil the Law (Matthew 5:17) and a new guide is given to lead people in the truth (John 14).

 

Essential to the plot-line

What I want to emphasise here is the sense of plot that surrounds the giving of the Law. So, how we can use this appreciation in our approach to the Old Testament, especially as we look to bring it alive to children? Whenever Jesus talks about the Law there’s a back-story – an Old Testament story – to dig into. This not only helps to explain the context of what Jesus is doing, but also reveals that he is our true mediator and guide. Don’t see the stories or the many laws found in the Old Testament as disconnected from the Jesus story – or from our stories of faith today.