I had a revelation about Old Testament law years ago. It came after reading a verse by Jesus where he says: “Man is not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made FOR MAN.”
I began to think of the different laws and commands and guidelines issued in the Bible in a new light, as if they were given for our own benefit, one way or another.
And this brought me to “the law,” as it were, which seemed harsh, strict, and imposed discipline on the community and the small nation.
It was actually the story of the man gathering up sticks on the Sabbath outside city limits that altered my view on all of this. I mean, why was it such a dastardly deed on HIS part? A man was found wandering outside the city limits, and he was collecting sticks on the day of rest. Moses ordered the man to be stoned.
The answer is that, for a small nation surrounded by larger and more powerful enemies, where each boy and man is a soldier as well as a citizen, STRICT MILITARY LAW must be observed.
You may see these rules and laws as hyper-puritanical, but they had to be. An outside attack or war could come at any moment, and the people needed to be sober and vigilant at all times.
TODAY we consider these laws abusive or immoral. But we are not in the same context or situation as the Hebrews were 2 thousand years ago, where perhaps these laws were necessary for the survival of the tribe/nation. Remember: the Sabbath was made FOR MAN.
But what does that even mean?
Well, how could the sabbath, or a day of rest benefit a man?
Well, that seems obvious. Men who overwork themselves, and put in 7 days a week at 12 – 16 hours a day will quickly find themselves exhausted, physically sick, and in distress mentally and emotionally.
Men should definitely have a day off, or a day of rest. This is just a common sense principle.
So, now we can understand why Christ said that the Sabbath day was made for man, or for his own well-being.
To quickly go back to the example of the man collecting sticks, we have to remember that a small, wandering desert nation will be responsible for its own defense. Every man is a citizen, but also a soldier.
In the military, almost anywhere in the world, if a soldier breaks the rules and guidelines set out, and deserts his post, and he is caught doing so, his punishment will be severe. And everybody understands this. But when atheists and skeptics look to the old testament law, they seem to forget just exactly what the situation was that the ancient Hebrews lived within, which was a cold, ruthless, dangerous existence, where they are always teetering on the edge of annihilation or destruction.
They must always be sober, at the ready for a skirmish or a surprise assault by a neighboring tribe.
It must be understood that they must be a warrior society. They have no other choice in such a dangerous world.
Their lives are defined by constant war. Their world is dog eat dog. Not at all a situation we are familiar with from the cozy comfort of our air-controlled bedrooms.
So, the next time you read or hear about a non-intuitive command or law in the bible, and immediately draw back from it, being repulsed by the harshness of it, stop and ask yourself what function this law might serve in that ancient society. Ask yourself why this law was given, and how it would benefit this society to institute it. Always remember that their world was much, much different from the sterilized one you live in.
If you are going to judge, judge correctly. Inform your assessment with context. Understand that the Sabbath was made for man. Man was not made for the Sabbath.
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