Hopefully the England/ United States analogy helped clarify some things in our mind about the law. Now… there are so many different laws – why in the world did all of these things matter? There is no one answer to that question. We will discuss several of these points more in depth as we study Leviticus, but I will just mention them here.

*The law revealed who God is (God is supreme, so “You shall have no other gods before me.”)
*The law guided Israel and showed them how to live with God as their King (what does a theocracy, with God physically living in their midst, look like?)
*The law made sin obvious (the law never required sinless perfection – it assumed sin on the part of the people and told them about God’s redemption)
*The law made the people long for the Messiah’s coming (They needed a better High Priest, a better Atonement Day, a better sacrifice to cover all their sin and uncleanness!)
*The law isolated and protected them from the theology and immorality of surrounding nations (Close interactions would, and often did, end up causing them to get caught up in idolatry.)
*The law provided for law and order in society (Ie: build a railing around your 2nd story porch so that no one falls off.)

One more point. Many of the laws given are “case law.” If A happens, B is the result. Just like our own legal system, which refers back to prior decisions for precedence, these laws were not exhaustive of every kind of violation that could take place. These laws are like the poles in a chain link fence – they mark out the general boundary. The chain link fencing that stretches in between the posts are like “the spirit of the law.” There are almost unlimited implications or parallel cases which should be obvious to the sincere reader. If I’m driving down the highway next to a row of construction barrels, I know that I am not supposed to be driving in the blocked off lane! If I decide to swerve into the lane between the barrels and then get pulled over, I should not expect the policeman to sympathize with my defense that I didn’t knock over a barrel to cross into that lane. No, there wasn’t a barrel at the exact place I entered, but the boundary and intent had been obvious – I just chose to ignore it!

This is what Jesus was addressing in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). He would say, “You have heard it said…” and then follow up with “But I say to you…” He was NOT comparing the Old Testament law with His own. He was contrasting a legalistic misunderstanding of the letter of the law (just the poles) with the true meaning, the Spirit of the law (the chain-link fencing, too). And yes, what Jesus was teaching seems “stricter” than what is said in the Old Testament. He equates lust with adultery, contempt with murder. Why? Because the heart attitude starts from the same place. If I look down upon and ridicule another human being, I am basically showing a heart attitude that sees their life as less valuable than my own. The extreme result of that attitude? Murder. Your life doesn’t matter. Jesus is teaching the “Spirit of the law” – challenging them to understand that God isn’t just giving a list of rules to obey, with loopholes for those who were smart enough to work the system. The law was revealing the sinful intent of their hearts.

We can fairly easily follow rules but miss the inherent point entirely. Even in our day, there are many people who believe they are saved because they have never done anything “that bad.” They haven’t murdered anyone, had an affair, embezzled from their company. They haven’t knocked over any of those big barrels, and they get offended and angry with anyone who implies that they are sinners. Some people have been “good church people” their whole lives. Maybe they don’t even go to dances or see movies or play cards! They feel confident and secure in their goodness.

Jesus frequently attacks the Pharisees for this attitude in the gospels. His words are extremely harsh at times! These men were the elite law-keepers of their day. They even made more rules to keep themselves from breaking God’s rules! But they missed the spirit – they missed God’s heart. Instead of being humbled by the law and realizing that their hearts were far from flawless, they felt prideful because they had kept those rules oh-so-well. They were self-righteously driving in that barricaded lane, smugly pointing out that they hadn’t run over the barrel. Oh, Father, open our eyes to your Truth! May our hearts be humble and open to your rebuke. Our righteousness is like filthy rags before you.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.
They are much more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:7-14