The Law of the Nations
By Barry York - Posted at Gentle Reformation:
Last week I posted a brief article on "The Law of the Church" to remind readers of the place God's Law is to have in the congregation and to encourage in simple ways the restoration of its knowledge and practice. Today let us look at how the law of God is to be sought after as a guide for the nations of the earth. I offer these meditations because the nations are spurning the ways of the Lord and, in their ignorance, are calling God's further judgments upon them. The church has a sacred duty to warn them and call them to repentance.
To understand this, let us begin with Israel. Upon her deliverance from Egypt, the Lord through Moses took his people to Mt. Sinai and with his own finger wrote the Ten Commandments upon stone tablets. Further insight into their application, along with ceremonial and civil laws, were delivered to Israel through Moses. The people had a responsibility to teach the Word of God diligently in their homes (Deut. 6:4-9). The eventual kings of Israel were to make their own copy of God's Law in order to govern the nation by it and be prospered by the Lord (Deut. 17:18-20). The stone tablets were placed in the ark of the covenant, under the mercy seat of the Lord, representing his throne and gracious rule over Israel. Virtually no one argues that the laws of the Old Testament were given to the nation of Israel.
Now, remember one key aspect of Israel’s purpose, declared by God at Mt. Sinai prior to the giving of the Ten Commandments. To his people, freshly redeemed from their slavery, the Lord says in Exodus 19:5-6:
Again, clearly Israel was to be ruled by law as a kingdom devoted to God. Yet she was also a special possession of the Lord as a holy nation and she was to be a nation of priests. Priests to whom? The other nations. Israel was to represent God and his ways to the nations of the earth. All the peoples of the earth – not just Israel – had an obligation to keep the moral law of God. Through Israel as his model or example, God was calling all men and nations to his obedience.
Read more here...
To understand this, let us begin with Israel. Upon her deliverance from Egypt, the Lord through Moses took his people to Mt. Sinai and with his own finger wrote the Ten Commandments upon stone tablets. Further insight into their application, along with ceremonial and civil laws, were delivered to Israel through Moses. The people had a responsibility to teach the Word of God diligently in their homes (Deut. 6:4-9). The eventual kings of Israel were to make their own copy of God's Law in order to govern the nation by it and be prospered by the Lord (Deut. 17:18-20). The stone tablets were placed in the ark of the covenant, under the mercy seat of the Lord, representing his throne and gracious rule over Israel. Virtually no one argues that the laws of the Old Testament were given to the nation of Israel.
Now, remember one key aspect of Israel’s purpose, declared by God at Mt. Sinai prior to the giving of the Ten Commandments. To his people, freshly redeemed from their slavery, the Lord says in Exodus 19:5-6:
Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Again, clearly Israel was to be ruled by law as a kingdom devoted to God. Yet she was also a special possession of the Lord as a holy nation and she was to be a nation of priests. Priests to whom? The other nations. Israel was to represent God and his ways to the nations of the earth. All the peoples of the earth – not just Israel – had an obligation to keep the moral law of God. Through Israel as his model or example, God was calling all men and nations to his obedience.
Read more here...
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