What comes to mind when you think of biblical law? Maybe you think of the law as a seemingly endless list of rules that don’t apply to our time, place, or nation. Or as a part of Scripture you just try to power through on your “read the Bible in a year” plan. Or maybe you think of Jesus being described as the fulfillment of the law, meaning the law is no longer relevant to your relationship with God. But what if I told you Old Testament laws continue to have a deep and lasting impact on your identity as a child of God?
In the book of Deuteronomy, we find God’s people at a point of decision, a point that would set the trajectory for their future. Poised to leave behind their years of wilderness wandering for the promised land, the Israelites stood on the precipice of success or failure. Of victory or defeat. Of inheritance or forfeiture. They would win or lose their battles the same way we win or lose ours: by faith-filled devotion to the Lord alone.
In order to learn how to study Old Testament law and the book of Deuteronomy, let’s first go over some details about this book of the Bible.
About Deuteronomy
The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Bible and the final book in the Pentateuch. (“The Pentateuch” is a name given to the first five books of the Bible—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.) Moses wrote this book, and the original audience was the Israelites wandering in the desert between Egypt and the promised land.
The nation of Israel had become a nation of slaves in EGYPT. After the Israelites, led by Moses, escaped by way of the Red Sea (Ex. 14), they chose to distrust and disobey God, so they wandered in the desert for forty years before crossing the Jordan River into the promised land of CANAAN. MOAB was their last stop before the promised land, and from there Moses delivered the speeches in this book.
The Structure of Deuteronomy
The structure of Deuteronomy mimics the form of an Ancient Near Eastern vassal treaty. In the ancient world, a vassal treaty was an agreement between a king and a nation or state that served him. Most of them were organized according to a specific template that we see in Deuteronomy. These treaties were between a suzerain (overlord) and vassal (subject). In the case of Deuteronomy, the suzerain is the Lord, and the vassal is the nation of Israel. Here’s how those structures compare.
|
ANCIENT TREATY STRUCTURE |
DEUTERONOMY |
|
Preamble (introducing the sovereign) |
1:1-5 |
|
Historical Prologue (the history of their relationship) |
1:6–4:49 |
|
General Stipulations |
5–11 |
|
Specific Stipulations |
12–26 |
|
Blessings and Curses |
27–28 |
|
Witnesses |
30:19; 31:19; 32:1-43 |
Although similar in form and structure to the treaties of other cultures of their day, the covenant God made with His children was uniquely different, especially in its motivation. Within a suzerain treaty, a ruler conquered the vassal people and placed certain obligations on them. But in the biblical covenant, God’s relationship to Israel begins not with conquest but with love (Deut. 7:8). So even when Israel failed to fulfill their obligations to Him, God would still be faithful to His covenant promises (Deut. 4:31).1 All of Deuteronomy testifies to the steadfast, enduring love of God, its author and our sovereign Lord.
Studying Old Testament Law
One of the most challenging parts of studying God’s Old Testament Law is knowing how to interpret it as Christians today. We know, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,” (2 Tim. 3:16), but we also know “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom. 10:4). Understandably, it can be confusing to know what to do with what we read. Here are some helpful guardrails to keep in mind as you study.
1. Biblical and Historical Context of Old Testament Law
How does this law fit into the developing big-picture story of the entire Bible? We call this redemption history or the meta-narrative of Scripture.
2. Covenant Implications of Old Testament Law
How does this law relate to God’s covenant?
3. New Testament Presence
Is this a command that is reiterated in the New Testament? Has the New Testament demonstrated that this law is no longer applicable, or does New Testament teaching amplify this command and its application for the Christian?
4. Personal Application
You can read the law as God’s Word for you, even though most of the specific laws are no longer laws for you. Ask yourself, What does this law tell me about God, about living for God, and about loving others?
Above all, keep in mind that the purpose of God’s law was to show God’s people how they should live as those set apart for Him; it’s a call to holiness: “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy” (Lev. 19:1). Or in the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). Holiness demands separation and distinction in every part of our lives, a principle that we can still apply today.
This excerpt is from Katie J. McCoy’s new Bible study, Forever for Our Good. Keep learning about Deuteronomy at lifeway.com/foreverforourgood or read another excerpt.
