Did We Get Biblical Law All Wrong?

How would you define the function of "Biblical Law"? 

Your response to that question may likely be a binding legal system, Israel's means of salvation, or some combination of the two. 

Today, I want to focus on the former assumption—that biblical law is a binding legal system in function and purpose.

This is a perfectly reasonable assumption to arrive at, considering that Church tradition has generally taught that Biblical law functioned as a fixed set of commands that required perfect obedience. This perspective is further reinforced by our modern understanding of "law" as a rigid, statutory code enforced by a government.

But is this how legal texts functioned in the ancient world?

That was largely the assumption until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when other ancient legal texts like Ur-Nammu, Lipit-Ishtar, and the Code of Hammurabi were discovered. However, court records from that period, compared to legal codes, frequently reveal decisions that differed from, directly opposed, or failed to reference the laws detailed in these legal compilations.

How could that be?

Legal collections were commissioned by kings and designed to reflect the standard of justice and wisdom of his reign. Ancient monarchs, such as Hammurabi, were not actually considered lawgivers. Their legal treaties were primarily a demonstration of a king's values, which served to guide the courts on how to dispense justice. The laws themselves did not hold authoritative power as rigid prescriptions for society. 

It should be noted that the idea of laws operating as a binding legal system did not fully develop until the Hellenistic period. Before then, laws were illustrative in nature. Since Biblical law emerged within this distinct historical context, recognizing that background is essential for understanding its function.

The Hebrew word Torah (תּוֹרָה) is translated as "law" in our Bibles, and while this is not an inappropriate translation by ancient standards, it fails to accurately communicate what the Torah does to a modern audience with modern presuppositions. The semantic range of this word includes guidance, teaching, and instruction. These concepts are a far cry from the normative law most often projected onto modern interpretations of Biblical law. 

In contrast to our modern systems, the Torah provides context-sensitive wisdom. It employs extreme, unusual, and hypothetical scenarios, such as what to do when two men are fighting and hit a pregnant woman or if you find a bird's nest on the road. These examples did not serve as literal mandates but provided teachings and guidance for discerning wisdom in the most complex cases. 

A unique feature of Biblical law is its role in sustaining covenant life between YHWH and His people. Unlike secular legal systems aimed at maintaining social order, the Torah provides illustrations of the justice and wisdom of the one true King - YHWH. Torah establishes boundaries, teaching YHWH's people on how to live in covenant relationship. 

To be “taught” or “guided” in anything requires more than simply receiving information - it requires deep personal investment and a willingness to wrestle with ideas. Following the Torah is not merely something someone does in a legalistic manner. It is not confined to a specific moment or a particular statute. It is a transformative practice of ongoing reflection and obedience that internalizes the wisdom of YHWH and reshapes our lives. Torah was not meant to control you, but to change you. John Walton captures this beautifully when he writes, "wisdom cannot be legislated," a truth repeatedly demonstrated in Scripture. 

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 

Joshua 1:8

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of YHWH and who meditates on His law day and night.

Psalm 1:1-2

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your degrees; I will not neglect your word.

Open my eyes that I may see the wonderful things in your law! 

Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

Psalm 119:15-16, 18, 24

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus criticized the Pharisees who had reduced laws to a mere checklist, calling them whitewashed tombs. While they appeared beautiful on the outside, due to their rigorous legalism, they were internally lifeless and unclean, lacking the true wisdom and transformation which is at the heart of Torah.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

Matthew 23:27-28

Many believers today make a similar mistake - reducing the laws to a burdensome list of rules with no relevance to the Christian life. But Biblical law was never meant to be a rigid legal system. It is the living word of YHWH, given to teach, guide, and transform His people through His wisdom. 

Reflection Questions:

• How did you define Biblical law at the beginning of the post?

• How does understanding the historical genre of ancient legal texts impact your understanding of Biblical law?

• How might your life be different if you viewed the Torah not as a legal code but as a transformative guide for living in a covenant relationship with YHWH?

• How can you cultivate a habit of meditating on the Torah in your daily walk with Jesus?

References: 

The Lost World of Torah by John Walton 

Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament by John Walton

Collections, Codes and Torah: The Re-Characterization of Israel's Written Law by Michael Lefebvre