This is the birth of Israel as a nation. The people already existed as a nation, as normally defined, but the one formative event was not yet complete in terms of their national character. We've already established they were whiners, hard hearted, fickle and disloyal at the drop of hat, but their claim to uniqueness was their Covenant.
This lesson might also be titled, "Reading the Law," for that Law of Moses was their one claim to fame. It was granted in the midst of the Exodus. On the one hand, it was a proud moment to cross the Reed Sea on dry ground, then turning to watch as the pursuers were bogged down and drowned. On the other hand, the presence of the Pillar of God was not enough to keep them from fresh rebellions by the hour. In later generations, they would hardly remember their sins, but would make much of God's apparent favor. They knew the words of the Law, but not its meaning, and we see where that took them.
Because of our foolish tendency to agree too much with their mistaken analysis, we fail to recognize the Law was not entirely revolutionary in its time. It was based on Noah, and was a particular implementation of Noah -- that people, that place, that time. As written, the Law reflects a great deal of, not just Noah, but ethnic customs, standard legal precedent, plus some clarifications long lost over the centuries. The basic format of the Covenant was a standard suzerainn-vassal treaty. God was the suzerainn, the emperor, as it were. They were a vassal nation under His empire. Hint: The whole earth was His empire, and every nation was a vassal nation, though most were various stages of rebellion. This particular nation was singled out as the showpiece, another level of revelation to clarify in greater detail by example.
Such a treaty document takes the form of summarized legal policy. That is, we correctly read the Ten Commandments as principle, not legislation per se. A nation loyal to God as the emperor will tend to behave in a certain fashion, and will produce certain consistent results. Having presented this policy summary, the court prepares for the inevitable process of settling specific disputes as the means to clarifying how that policy is applied. Each decision becomes then an enunciation of legislation. It is not possible to cover every eventuality, but as time wears on, the body of precedent serves to explain how to get the results described in the policy summary.
A great many provisions in the Code were purely ceremonial, unique to the case. We've already noted they were merely symbolic of higher, spiritual truths, but they were also virtually impossible to transfer to any other nation which did not have Israel's particular background and context. Other nations drawn from Semitic stock would recognize instantly much of the ritual code. On top of this, a great many provisions were nothing more than a reaction to pagan practices in the Land to which they were migrating. In a broad general sense, we who read this today as spiritual servants of God should note only the symbolic meaning of the worship rituals, because precious little would apply to any nation existing today, much less to us.
Similar for us would be the dietary provisions, the Kosher Laws. Much of it reflects the necessities of that time and place. God made all things, and nothing tangible can be called "holy" in the ultimate sense. Noah was allowed to eat any animal as a general principle, but pigs in the ANE were a health risk. Animals which "chew the cud and divide the hoof" were safer in that age lacking our modern sanitary measures derived from scientific study. Cling to kosher if you like, but don't ever make the mistake of thinking it applies universally, even as an expression of Law for nations. At the same time, realize kosher is still a pretty good way to avoid most modern health threats, as long as you realize the modern Orthodox Jewish version of kosher sometimes exceeds the actual requirements of Moses.
Aside from ritual and kosher, there is the purely pragmatic limitations of a law code written for a nation in a semi-arid land, whose primary economic activity is agriculture. For us to understand the intent of the Law requires we abstract principles of social conduct and extrapolate for the Information Age. Mere rote observance makes a mockery, even on the human level. The greatest danger is assuming all this is simply some useful morality tale.
We cannot discard everything which is simply unfamiliar to us. It is not simply the matter God chose this nation, this time, this place as the closest choice out of a great many other options to express some aspect of His character. Rather, from the very beginning, in Eden, through the family of Seth, through Noah and his son Shem, through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and then the particular genius of Moses, God was building a culture and people which uniquely expressed His will for mankind. This is God say, "Here is what I expect, and significant departures are sin." So pet your dog, eat your pigs, and make your living typing on a computer keyboard. But know beyond all doubt, if your nation does not live under the political structure of household, clan and tribe, you are living in a nation which has rejected God's design for human society and government. Do not expect God to bless your nation with prosperity, security and stability for very long if your nation continues to reject His model.
Moses spent over a month on that mountain in the presence of God Almighty. He wasn't strung out on dope, nor chasing psychotic visions. It is known fasting under the pull of the Spirit will suspend for a time the attention consuming needs of the flesh. During this period, Moses was in a deeply spiritual state. Not only was Moses receiving a vision of the Heavenly Courts, he was occupied in sifting with God the entire literary legacy of his people. Not simply what was true and what was fiction, but what was truly important as a revelation of God. The Books of Moses -- the Torah or Pentateuch -- were an editorial product. His visit to the Spirit Realm clarified everything in his head. The entire experience was purifying in ways we cannot put into words, but little wonder his face flouresced from the exposure.
Paul warned we must approach the task of discerning the Old Testament with fear and trembling. Not because it applies to us directly, but because it remains our burden to exemplify in word and deed what the Law requires of those without the Spirit. As the Law points back to deeper spiritual truth, so men cannot be alerted to the existence of such truth if they never brush up against a clear expression of the Laws of God for mankind.
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By Ed Hurst
17 April 2009
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