WHAT IS THE LAW?
If prompted to give a definition, most believers would define the “Law” in terms of the specific commandments contained in the Old Testament. In Hebrew tradition, there are 613 specific commandments given by God through Moses contained in the first five books of the Bible, referred to as the “Torah” in Hebrew and the “Pentateuch” in Greek. Of these commandments, 365 are positive, “thou shall,” while 248 are considered negative, “thou shall not.” “Love the LORD your God” (Deut 6:5), is seen as the motivation that leads to keeping the positive commandments, while “Fear the LORD your God” (Deut 6:13), reflects the reverence that leads to keeping the negative commandments. The two seemingly contradictory motivations are reconciled in the words of Moses,
“And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?,” (Deut 10:12-13).
Some commentators subdivide the commandments into (1) Moral, (2) Civil, and (3) Ceremonial requirements to suggest that only certain commandments were carried through into the New Testament. The Bible does not make this division, although Moses did discuss the Law of the LORD in terms of “His commandments (eidot) and His ordinances (mishpatim) and His statues (chukim),” (Deut 8:11). Some translations render this passage as “Testimonies, Ordinances, and Decrees.” Testimonies are given to remind people of past events or important spiritual truths. Ordinances are self-evident ethical commandments like “Thou shall not murder.”
Decrees are considered to be the difficult commandments that test the believer’s faith because the underlying purpose is not apparent. One example often cited is Deuteronomy 22:11, “Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.” Since linen was worn by the priests when serving in the Temple, this commandment is often seen as a warning against mixing the holy and the common.
Jesus spoke of greater and lesser commandments (Matt 22:36), to recognize a priority within the commandments, but not to diminish the importance of any single commandment. On the contrary, Jesus said, “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches other to do the same, shall be call least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven,” (Matt 5:19).
From the Hebraic perspective, the “Law” is not limited to the 613 specific commandments, but includes all that is written in the first five books of the Bible by Moses. This is an important distinction, because the Torah contains not only the commandments, but also many promises from the LORD including His promise to never flood the entire earth again (Gen 9:15), the original covenants given to Abraham, (Gen 22:15-18), and “the covenants of promise” to Israel, (Eph 2:12). The apostle Paul tells us that Gentiles have been grafted into and obtain our salvation through the promises given to Abraham and the Hebrew nation, (Gal 3:7)(Rom 11:17). If the Law ceases to exist, then the promises of our salvation are also negated. Even the prophets are seen by the Rabbis as clarifying and illuminating the original writings of Moses, and would be rendered insignificant apart from the Law.
To discard the first five books of the Bible would nullify the promises that are foundational to a believer’s faith, the proverbial baby with the bath water so to speak. Further, the word of God is understood in scripture to be eternal, both creating and sustaining the present heavens and earth, (2 Pet 3:7). To discount any part of God’s word can be seen as endangering the continuing existence of the creation, as it is written, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away,” (Matt 24:35). Understanding the scope of the “Law” as including all the words of Moses will enable the believer to appreciate the continuing relevance of the Law.
One of the difficulties believers have in accepting the words of Moses as relevant for today originates in the translation of the word “Law.” The word “Law” is derived from the Greek Septuagint “nomos,” which conveys the burden of legal requirements and punishments. The original word in the Hebrew text “Torah,” from which “nomos” is derived, and is understood to mean “instructions or teachings,” such as in the statement, “My son, do not forget my teaching (Torah), But let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you,” (Prov 3:1-2).
The Hebrew word for teacher, “moreh,” is a derived from “Torah,” as in “the LORD…your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher,” (Is 30:20). What the LORD teaches is Torah. The word “Torah” is derived from the verb “yarah,” meaning “to cast, throw, or shoot.” “Yarah” is used as an archery term “to take aim, to shoot,” in order to hit a target. The opposite of yarah is “chata,” which means “to miss the mark,” and is translated in scripture as “sin,” as in, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom 3:23).
Torah can best be understood as teachings from God to enable the believer to hit the mark. The mark is life, “I set before you today life and prosperity,” (Deut 30:15), which was affirmed by Jesus, “I have come that they have may have life, and have it to the full,” (John 10:10). This is reflected in the common Hebrew dictum,
“The more Torah the more life.”
(to be continued - Scott)
