What is the worst law you have ever heard of?
There are so many laws on the books today I have no idea what some of them are. I have heard of laws concerning not riding your horse into town after a certain hour or how fast you are allowed to ride your horse. We can obviously recognize today what does and doesn’t make sense.
When I read the laws in Exodus it is difficult to comprehend the reality that the Israelites were living in that required those specific laws.
“If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible.”
Exodus 21:28 NIV
How often did bulls gore people in the Old Testament? So often it required a law? What I have to remind myself is this was a very large group of people who were finally on their own. They didn’t have the Egyptians telling them what to do every minute of the day. They were finally allowed to live the lives God intended for them. New laws would have been a necessity.
I don’t think I’ll ever understand some of the laws God laid out for the Israelites. The Israelites received the laws and accepted them because they trusted God. They were finally free and being led by a God that went to extraordinary lengths to secure their freedom. He was with them.
“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.”
Exodus 25:8 NIV
What I keep reminding myself today from this reading is that God was restoring a people that had been torn down and devastated. They needed Him. I need Him too. All these thousands of years later, I am just as in need of Gods presence and guidance as the Israelites were. And I have the Holy Spirit to guide me like the laws guided the Israelites.
Instead of getting bogged down in the specifics of the laws, I am allowing Gods character of love and support and presence be the bottom line for me today.
God, you know my mind cannot comprehend all you have done. You don’t expect me to understand. I’ll never be you. What I can do is continue to learn about your character and presence in my life today. Thank you for being a restoring God. Amen.
Mandy
Sixty-six books in a year 