Most people who know anything about the Old
Testament law, have somehow got it into their heads that it was really hard and complicated to follow. That wasn't God's assessment. He thought it was very straight forward (Deut.30:11-14)
There were just 613 laws in the Torah that you needed to remember. How does that compare to today?
I don't have any figures, Google wasn't helpful, but when you consider how many terms and conditions you sign up to (most of which you never read) whether it be software licenses, insurances, holiday purchases, or the rules you follow regarding use of the roads, general law and order, when you put your bins out, playing football, care of your property, conduct in the work place etc etc, it is most definitely more complex than anything Israel had to cope with, but most of us just don't think twice about it.
Moreover, there are laws that stop you from robbing banks, however, I must confess I have never wanted to break that law, so it's never been an issue for me. In the Old Testament Law, the Israelites were forbade having relations with animals, and I'm guessing for the VAST majority of them, this wasn't a rule they had any problem following!!!!
The problem was that rather than using the law to look forward to and anticipate the coming Messiah, (what it was meant for) in their pride, they tried to use it to establish and justify their own standing before God and claim that they were good enough. It was this that became so crushing and why we assume it must have been so hard.
And it is why Christ is so liberating.
No comments:
Post a Comment