Why did God give the Law?

From our point of view it might be because there would be chaos in society without laws. We need them to ensure the common good. When six lanes of cars are rushing down a freeway together, everyone hopes that the drivers next to them are law-abiding citizens. In fact, the occasional law-breaker who speeds and weaves between the lanes counts on everyone else to obey traffic laws so he can predict their behavior and get away with his.

Which brings up the point that laws don’t actually prevent chaos. Where there are laws, there are law-breakers, and there will always be people who twist laws to their advantage and use them to justify sinful behavior. Laws don’t stop law-breakers.

So, why did God give the Law?

Reasons for the Law

Stephen J. Cole, at Bible.org, gives these insights into the reasons for the Law:

• God gave the Law to reveal His standard of absolute righteousness. The Law convicts us of our true guilt before Him.
• The Ten Commandments interpret the Two Great Commandments: That people should love God with all their hearts, minds and strength, and that they should love their neighbor as themselves.
• The Law stops the mouths of sinners in judgment. There will be no excuses when we stand before God and he judges us according to what he taught us in the Law.
• Because of the Law every person is accountable to God whether they want to be or not.
• Because the Law reveals that we are all Law-breakers, it convinces us about our absolute need of God’s mercy, forgiveness and salvation.

Those Who Love Righteousness Love the Law

The Law is God’s mercy extended to lost people, not because it can save us, but because it shows us what righteousness is. Those who want to be right in God’s eyes love the Law for what it teaches them. Psalm 119 is the anthem of praise for the Law of God. Here’s a sample:

“I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.” Psalm 119:102-104

Jesus, the Perfect Law-Keeper

Jesus was the perfect Law-keeper . . . and I believe Psalm 119 could serve as his personal testimony. If you read it from his point of view you will understand how he avoided sin and followed the path of righteousness all of his earthly life. Here are some verses he probably meditated on.

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with my whole heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:9-11

The Law Teaches Us How to Live Righteously

But the rest of us can’t keep the Law perfectly. We understand that there is a standard of righteousness, but we need it spelled out for us, so God gave the multi-faceted Law. He addressed every part of human life and told us how to live righteously together.

God also told us how to live righteously in relationship with him. As we read through the Law we are going to see very detailed instructions for approaching God and dealing with our sin.

The Ten Commandments Illustrate Love

The Ten Commandments are a perfect example of how to love God and love our neighbor. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with him, the next six commandments deal with our relationships with other people.

1. You shall have no other gods before me. God’s people are monotheistic, in exclusive relationship with him.
2. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall do no work.
5. Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, servants, livestock or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

The People Fear God

The people trembled and asked Moses to stand between them and God when they received these laws. As soon as they heard the Ten Commandments they knew they were sinners and their holy  God had every right to destroy them. They were frightened, but Moses warned them not to withdraw from God.

“Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.’” Exodus 20:20

The people wanted to run from God, but their salvation depended upon him, so they stayed and watched from a distance while Moses approached God in the thick darkness that surrounded him.

Some Rebel, Some Draw Closer

The Law has this effect on some people. When it reveals that they are sinners they want to run away from it. They find it cumbersome and restrictive. Their sinful nature rebels and starts looking for ways to get out of being accountable to the Law.

Other people hear the Law and immediately throw themselves on the mercy of God. They agree that they are sinners and they seek God’s remedy for their dilemma. As we read through the Law the next several weeks we may be uncomfortable, but let’s keep in mind that the Law comes from our perfectly righteous God and he gave it to us so we can be reconciled to him. The Law points us to Jesus, our Savior.

Understanding Difficult Laws

Among the laws that make us uncomfortable are the ones that relate to slavery, the buying, selling and ownership of other human beings. Slavery was the invention of mankind from the beginning as societies built their economies using unpaid human labor. Men mastered other men and women to satisfy their greed, boost their status and feed their lust.

So God made laws to govern slavery. Remember that the reason for all of God’s laws is to teach us how to love him and love our neighbor. The problem is that sinful people have found ways to bend the laws regarding slavery and use them to dominate and abuse people.

It’s still true today. There are more enslaved people in the world right now than ever before in history.

The Law Limits Sinful Impulses

Before this God’s Law came many people practiced unlimited punishment and dominance over each other. Grudges and the desire for revenge passed from one generation to the next. Instead of taking a life for a life, a whole village might be destroyed over the loss of a single life. God’s Law limited that practice.

There are two ways to consider the Law. First, the world would be a better place if everyone obeyed the Law. Second, the world would be so much worse if everyone disobeyed the Law. God gave the Law to make the world a better place.

Think of It the Way Jesus Did

The Law was given with the supposition that people would want to obey it. Think of Jesus as you read the Law and look at it through his eyes. Jesus revered the Law and he obeyed it. He told his disciples that not even the smallest pen strokes written into the Law will ever be lost.

Understanding Law is essential to a better understanding of God. Read it carefully and the rest of the Bible will make much more sense to you.

https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-16-why-god-gave-law-romans-319-20