Psalm 119:167

Psalm 119:167

Loving the Law

The Hebrew word “Torah” is traditionally translated as 'law', which in this context means teaching, instruction or guidance. The most well-known of these laws are the Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue. But the Torah contains a total of 613 commandments, or mitzvah in Hebrew. There are many ways of exploring the “law” and nowadays it’s possible to simply go online and read all of the 613 commandments that comprise the mitzvah. 

The Jews refer to the collection of rules found in Exodus 20:22-23:33 as the Book of the Covenant. These laws have to do with the worship of Yahweh, various personal matters, property laws and the continuation of the Covenant. 

In Deuteronomy chapters 12-26 is a revision of the Israelite law which is divided into statutes and ordinances especially related to worship at the Tabernacle or Temple, sabbatical laws, financial rules, regulations for leaders and various other civil, cultural and ethical laws. This long list ends with an explanation of the blessings and curses that will accompany those who obey or disobey the Lord’s commands. 

Many modern Bible readers skip over the pages of laws and regard most of them as irrelevant, but actually they are packed with a huge amount of good sense! They are also a means of our understanding the heart of Almighty God, He gave these rules to be obeyed. He set out, in words of one syllable, how it is possible for men and women to live on this earth at peace with one another and in a close relationship with their Maker. The problem is that most people ignore what God has said or conversely make the keeping of the laws so onerous that there are very few who would even try to participate! Oh, that we could be like the psalm-writer and declare that we love God’s statutes. Why? Because He gave them and in the keeping of them, we find His heart. We cannot earn His salvation or His love, we cannot make ourselves better people by keeping the law, but we can use them to show devotion and respect to the One who is our Father and our Lord.

 

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