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“See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’” Deuteronomy 4.5, 6
The Law is good
From its inception, the Law of God was intended as a way to bring the good blessings of God – His wisdom, mercy, justice, and love – into the experience of the nations of the world.
That Law remains valid today, as even many contemporary laws and statutes reflect. However, social, cultural, and spiritual conditions having changed, certain aspects of how we apply the Law of God are different in our day than they were for the people of ancient Israel. While, as our Founders knew, the Law of God is good for informing American public policy, America is not ancient Israel. We don’t require people to build a railing around their roof these days, but we do expect them to fence in their pool and keep their shrubbery from obstructing our vision of oncoming traffic. We don’t stone recalcitrant children – since we believe in giving ample time for the grace of God to do its transforming work in even the vilest of sinners – but we do impose penalties and judgments appropriate to the magnitude of the offense, so that justice may obtain in society.
The Law is good, but we need to understand it in a way that fits the times in which we live.
But we also need to make sure that our efforts to apply God’s Law in the realm of public policy begin where God originally intended, with those who call upon Him as God and Lord.
T. M. Moore
Visit our website, www.ailbe.org, and sign up to receive our thrice-weekly devotional, Crosfigell, featuring writers from the period of the Celtic Revival and T. M.’s reflections on Scripture and the Celtic Christian tradition. Does the Law of God still apply today? Order a copy of T. M.’s book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, and study the question for yourself.