God's Law and Man's Law
I have been asked another question, this time about the contemporary relevance of ancient laws.
In the secular world, laws are enacted in response to things that are of concern to society. As time passes and the values of society change, one of three things happens. Firstly, if the need for a law no longer exists, it can cease to have any relevance and fall into disuse. At some point, it may be removed from the statute books. Secondly, when society’s opinion on an issue has changed and the law no longer reflects that view, it may remain in effect but rarely be enforced. Thirdly, the law might be changed to reflect current thinking on the issue. We saw this in the recent amendments to the marriage act to allow for same sex marriage.
What about God’s law? If we think that God’s law is out of step with current thinking, our first reaction is to approach it in the same way that we approach human laws - pretend it doesn’t exist, assume that it doesn’t apply to me, or try to modify it to make it more socially acceptable. But these responses are predicated on two false assumptions.
The first is that we have the right to determine the validity of God’s laws. That is simply not the case. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’” (Romans 9:20). It’s fine for us to change our laws but we don’t have the right to contest God’s law. What we ought to do is try to understand it and learn from it.
The second assumption is that God must have got it wrong. God gave his law for our well-being and on the basis that he knows us and what we need better than we know ourselves. “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb... You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:13-16). The result are laws that speak to our essential nature and most fundamental human needs.
As a consequence, the Psalmist could write, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living” (Psalm 19:7-8).
In the secular world, laws are enacted in response to things that are of concern to society. As time passes and the values of society change, one of three things happens. Firstly, if the need for a law no longer exists, it can cease to have any relevance and fall into disuse. At some point, it may be removed from the statute books. Secondly, when society’s opinion on an issue has changed and the law no longer reflects that view, it may remain in effect but rarely be enforced. Thirdly, the law might be changed to reflect current thinking on the issue. We saw this in the recent amendments to the marriage act to allow for same sex marriage.
What about God’s law? If we think that God’s law is out of step with current thinking, our first reaction is to approach it in the same way that we approach human laws - pretend it doesn’t exist, assume that it doesn’t apply to me, or try to modify it to make it more socially acceptable. But these responses are predicated on two false assumptions.
The first is that we have the right to determine the validity of God’s laws. That is simply not the case. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’” (Romans 9:20). It’s fine for us to change our laws but we don’t have the right to contest God’s law. What we ought to do is try to understand it and learn from it.
The second assumption is that God must have got it wrong. God gave his law for our well-being and on the basis that he knows us and what we need better than we know ourselves. “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb... You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:13-16). The result are laws that speak to our essential nature and most fundamental human needs.
As a consequence, the Psalmist could write, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living” (Psalm 19:7-8).