Pulling into Target, my 5 year old says to me, “Mom, are we all going in?” I answered him, saying that we all needed to go in since I was the only grown up. “You could leave us in the car, I don’t mind.” Hmm, so tempting. But I explained to him that I couldn’t do that because it’s not safe, and it’s against the law. And here began a lengthy explanation of what a law was…
“Laws are rules that tell us how to live with others so that everyone can live safely. Rules are a good thing. I wouldn’t leave you in the car regardless, because it isn’t safe. But sometimes we need help knowing what is the best way to keep ourselves safe.”
(I didn’t go into my thoughts about how ridiculous some laws are. I’m talking to my five year old. I want him to like rules!)
He pondered this while we were eating lunch in the car, waiting to go into the store. Finally, he asked, “So is chewing with my mouth open against the law?” No, I explained, that’s just rude.
This is complicated stuff to explain on a five year old level. Heck, there are plenty of adults who don’t understand the point of having laws.
Over the past few months, I have been slowly working my way through the book of Exodus. I felt it was fitting to read about the Israelites journey to the promised land after we had just gone through a journey to our new city.
I have just gotten to the part where God gives Moses the Ten Commandments. We all like these laws. Most of modern society is based on these laws. Christianity and Judaism obviously follow them, and Islam has a version that is very similar.
- I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me
- You shall not make for yourself an idol
- Do not take the name of the Lord in vain
- Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
- Honor your father and mother
- You shall not kill/murder
- You shall not commit adultery
- You shall not steal
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
- You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor
After these ten, the laws that God gave Moses get all crazy specific about oxen and sheep. Then they become quite uncomfortable when they are in reference to slavery and women. And finally God wraps up His meeting with Moses by giving instruction for how things are to be done in the temple.
I realized, just like in our society our laws are to protect us from ourselves essentially. God was protecting the Israelites as well.
»He gave laws to protect the slaves. Unlike slavery that took place in our country, they had to be set free after 6 years. And the masters were to be punished if they treated them poorly.
»If someones property was stolen, or damaged, its was to be made right in restitution.
»Women, who had no rights, were still to be provided and cared for.
»The poor were not to be taken advantage of.
If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. Exodus 22:25, ESV
The struggle…
Can I be honest with you and share something I struggle with? I keep wondering, why didn’t God just outlaw slavery in the first place? Why didn’t He just tell men to treat women as equals? Why didn’t he command that the poor were to be provided for?
My mind finally settles on that we are just not in heaven yet. We long for it, but it is not attainable. People are greedy, for both money and power. It is our sinful nature to look out for ourselves. The Lord knows this, and He hates it, but He also understands that we are mere humans. The laws given by the Lord were His way of showing them the best way to live within their culture. But even within their culture, there was absolutely no way for them to obey all of them all of the time. They were set up to see their need for salvation.
The whole time I was reading through these laws, I felt such gratitude that Jesus came, lived a perfect life, and took my punishment for being a lawbreaker. I feel hopeful for a future with no slavery, no discrimination, and no poverty. Come, Lord Jesus, come!
Note: Moses meeting with God up on Mt. Sinai can be found in Exodus chapter 20-31.
If you would like to follow along with me on my Exodus journey, please join me on Instagram, using #ohlordhelpusjourney
