Topic: How to Apply the Exodus Law? (part 1)
The following explanation of the Law in Exodus is from an article posted on
www.theologyofwork.org titled, “The Role of the Law for Christians (Exodus 20:1-24:18).”
It can be a challenge for a Christian to draw a point from a verse in the book of Exodus or
especially Leviticus, and then suggest how that lesson should be applied today. Anyone who tries
this should be prepared for the comeback, “Sure, but the Bible also permits slavery and says we
can’t eat bacon or shrimp! Plus, I don’t think God really cares if my clothes are a cotton-
polyester blend” (Exod. 21:2-11; Lev. 11:7, 12; and 19:19, respectively). Since this happens even
within Christian circles, we should not be surprised to find difficulties when applying the Bible
to the subject of work in the public sphere. How are we to know what applies today and what
doesn’t?
How do we avoid the charge of inconsistency in our handling of the Bible? More importantly,
how do we let God’s word truly transform us in every area of life?
The New Testament’s relationship to the law is complex. It includes both Jesus’ saying that “Not
one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law” (Matt. 5:18) and Paul’s statement
that “we are discharged from the law…not under the old written code but in the new life of the
Spirit” (Rom. 7:6). These are not two opposing statements, but two ways of saying a common
reality—that the Torah continues to reveal God’s gift of justice, wisdom, and inner
transformation to those he has brought to new life in Christ. God gave the Torah as an expression
of his holy nature and as a consequence of his great deliverance. God expects his people to
obey his instructions by applying them to real issues of life both great and small. The specific
nature of some laws does not mean God is an unrealistic perfectionist. These laws help us to
understand that no issue we face is too small or insignificant for God.
In the Old Testament we see hints that some parts of the law were not intended to be permanent.
The tabernacle certainly was not a permanent structure and even the temple was demolished at
the hands of Israel’s enemies (2 Kgs. 25:9). Yet Jesus spoke of his own sacrificial death and
resurrection when he said he would raise the destroyed “temple” in three days (John 2:19). In
some important sense, he embodied all that the temple, its priesthood, and its activities stood for.
Jesus’ declaration about food—that it is not what goes into people that makes them
unclean—meant that the specific food laws of the Mosaic Covenant were no longer in force
(Mark 7:19).[1] Moreover, in the New Testament the people of God live in various countries and
cultures around the world where they have no legal authority to apply the sanctions of the Torah.
The apostles considered such issues and, under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, decided that the
particulars of the Jewish law did not in general apply to Gentile Christians (Acts 15:28-29).
The specific laws dealing with proper treatment of workers, animals, and property express
abiding values of God’s own nature. They are to be taken seriously such as the specific nature of
the Ten Commandments. On the other hand, particular laws about servants, livestock, and
personal injuries exemplify applications in the specific historical and social context of ancient
Israel, especially in areas that were controversial at the time. These laws are illustrative of right
behavior but do not exhaust every possible application.
Christians honor God and his law not only by regulating our behavior, but also by allowing the
Holy Spirit to transform our attitudes, motives, and desires (Rom. 12:1-2). To do anything less
would amount to sidestepping the work and will of our Lord and Savior. Christians should
always seek how love may guide our policies and behaviors.
See you Sunday!
Dr. Scott Kallem