Critics of the Bible love to deride the Law of Moses as ‘archaic’ and ‘primitive’. Those of us who believe that these laws were given by God, however, do not deny that they are ancient laws for an ancient context. The Bible operates with a historical context and speaks into that context. So, the biblical laws need to be assessed within their context. In some respects, the biblical law is similar to that of other ancient Near Eastern laws. It had, after all, to make sense to ancient people. There is a concern for order and justice, for example, in the biblical law as in all ancient law codes. However, it is the differences that are most significant. The biblical law is a big step forward from what was common in the ancient world. And God takes things forward one step at a time. For example, other ancient Near Eastern laws were class based and serve to maintain the class order. The Old Testament laws abolish class differences. One of the main differences is the concern of the biblical law for moral-spiritual purity. The purpose of the laws given through Moses was to demonstrate God’s holiness and justice to the world around them. Many of the laws are designed either to make the Israelites feel distinct from anyone else (to help them counter the temptation to ‘fit in’ to the world around them e.g. 19:27), or to ingrain the ‘idea’ of distinctness in their minds (e.g. 19:19). God doesn’t want us to stand aloof from others, but he does want us to stand out. We must show the world that knowing God makes a difference.
Reflect on how distinct your life is.
Read Leviticus 19
