When Was the Law Given to the Israelites

The real point is that an Israelite must be generous in his dealings with a poor man, perhaps his own employee. If he pays him an advance on his wages, he must not insist on payment at the end of the day, at the risk that the man will renounce the garment he has pledged for the loan (v. 26). The initial warning was not so much a prohibition of interest as a request to be prepared to “risk a flare-up” without material security. Amos 2:6 condemns the Israelites for dealing with such advances strictly legally, even at the cost of rendering the poor destitute. As a barter economy has transformed into a monetary economy, the problem of interest has become more acute (Deut. 23:19–20; Lev 25:26); among Israelites, interest on commercial loans was prohibited. (In Hebrew, the word “interest” means “to bite”!) Taking a neighbor`s robe longer than the day`s work hours when he is not wearing it is tantamount to making him promise his life (see Deuteronomy 24:6–17). This prohibition ultimately makes slavery impossible for the sake of debt.

(Buttrick, Interpreter`s Bible, 1:1008.) 152. “6And approach the orphan`s property only to improve it until he has reached the age of full power; 7And give all the measure and weight with justice. We do not overwhelm just any person, but what they can bear. 8And whenever you give your word (i.e. judge among people or testify, etc.), tell the truth, even if a close relative is involved, 9And fulfill Allah`s covenant. He commands you to remember it. Part of our confusion is caused by the simple fact that the word “law” in the New Testament has at least three different meanings when used in different contexts. It can refer to the entire Old Testament, as in Romans 3:19 (where the preceding quotations come from the Psalms and the Prophets). He may refer to a portion of the OT as when Jesus says, “I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets” (Matthew 5:17). In particular, he can refer to the part of the OT written by Moses, the first five books called the Torah. For example, Jesus said in Luke 24:44, “These are my words which I have spoken unto you. that all that is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.

The third meaning of the term law is not another part of the OW and the OT is understood differently. We will see in a few moments how much in Israel has distorted the Mosaic law into legalism. That is, they separated it from its foundation of faith, did not emphasize dependence on the Spirit, and thus turned the commandments into a working description of how to earn the reward of salvation. The Law of Moses was given to the Israelites while they were still a band of former slaves struggling to survive. Many of the laws were specific to the system of worship and agricultural life of ancient Israel (Exodus 12:14-16, Leviticus 1:10-13, 11:1-23, 15:19-20, 19:19, 19:27-28, 27:30-32, Deuteronomy 25:5-6). Like life at that time, many were harsh and cruel compared to the teachings of Jesus (Exodus 35:2; Deuteronomy 20:10–14; 21,18-21; 22:23-24). But there are also many moral teachings that form the basis of Christian morality (Exodus 20:1-17; 23:6-9; Leviticus 19:9–10; 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:5). Modern science has found probable influences in Hittite and Mesopotamian laws and treaties. Scholars disagree on when and by whom the Ten Commandments were recorded. The Torah does not recognize the idea that kings rule according to divine right. According to tradition, the Hebrew people made Saul their first king in 1030 BC.

A.D. when hostile nations threatened their survival. But Saul and the other Hebrew kings who succeeded him were never considered gods or high priests with the power to interpret God`s will. Someone may ask, “Well, if you can die for someone and have no love, what is love?” The answer is that love is not in the world. “Love comes from God” (1 John 4:7). Where there is no faith that connects the heart to God, there is no true love. Love is the work of authentic and saving faith.