What's Up with the OT Laws??

The Old Testament laws were specific in how they functioned in Israel. These laws were ultimately built so that man could have a relationship with God. This in itself reveals to us its purpose and significance for the ancient Israelite. God loved what He created, so even though we were imperfect, these 613 laws paved a way for us to be unified with God[1]. As we break down these laws, we will begin to understand that they point to God’s wisdom. Each law is built to accomplish His holiness, justice, sacrifice, and sacred time[2]. It is also evident to view that some laws were created to separate God’s people from other nations while other laws were made for protection against sickness, death, and a broken morality.

The theological function of the law according to Scripture shows God’s wisdom and protection to man-kind for the ultimate purpose of us obtaining a relationship with Him. To stay in relationship with God, the Israelites were expected to follow the law through sacrifice. The sacrificial practice was demonstrated only through the high priest. Once a year the high priest would enter into the holy of holies and through the sacrifice of a spotless animal, it would atone for their sins. However, it was not sustainable. Not only did the Israelites fail to be obedient and uphold the law, but a sacrifice a year would have never paid the price in full for all of sin. Yet, it is apparent that the only one who could uphold these laws is in fact God Himself. As a result, God sent himself in human form as Jesus Christ to accomplish and fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17, Romans 13:8). The mark of this fulfillment is through His death and resurrection on the cross.

Instead of us trying to uphold an unsustainable law, we now see Christ enter into the Holy place and atone for our sins through the perfect, spotless sacrifice which is Himself. Specifically, this means that Jesus is our substitutionary punitive atonement. He was our substitute, he took the punishment that we deserved, and then He paid the price. A one-time sacrifice that is proven to be enough for all our sin (Hebrews 9).[3] In his death, it restored our broken relationship with God, and we can live in unity with Him once again we only need to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (John 20:31) It has brought to us ultimate forgiveness and God’s Spirit is opened for anybody.

However, Christ’s death and resurrection begs a question, are we still expected to uphold the law from the Old Testament? Romans 7:6 answers clearly, “But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.” We desperately needed to be freed from the old law. In fact, the Old Testament Law actually shows fault because it showed the Holiness of God and revealed how unholy we were (Hebrews 7:7, Jeremiah 31:31-34). Yet, on the new covenant we relate to God in a new way because we see that Jesus is our mediator and He has established for us consistent and better promises. Overall, we see that the Mosaic Law is finished, its covenant is fulfilled in Jesus, and we can live under that new covenant.

Now as a 21st century Christian it is vital that we know how to apply this knowledge. As we view God through the Old Testament and the New, it is easy to see how we have the same God, who works to us through different dispensations. The function of old laws is still important for us to understand. These laws teach us the morals of God but furthermore its ultimate purpose is that we are to understand God’s Holiness. Paul even shows us through Romans that it is through the old law that our sin is revealed to us. Therefore, if we do not understand the old testament then we will never truly understand God’s wisdom and why Jesus even had to die for us in the first place. In response as 21st century Christians, if we rightly take in the old law we will better comprehend how God’s Spirit within us is at work. No longer is it the law that separates us from others, but it is instead His Spirit that is within us.

[1] BGEA Staff, “THE 613 LAWS of the OLD TESTAMENT,” Billy Graham Evangelistic Association , 2004, http://www.friendsofsabbath.org/Further_Research/Law%20of%20God/THE%20613%20LAWS%20of%20the%20OLD%20TESTAMENT.pdf. [2] “Learn the Bible for Free Online: Bible Project™,” accessed February 7, 2021, https://bibleproject.com/. [3] She Reads Truth Placeholder Bible Study Book (Lifeway Christian Resources, 2016).