Sermon Tone Analysis

*Inscription: Writing God’s Words on Our Hearts & Minds*

*/Part 13: Love of the Law/*

*Psalm 19*

*/March 14, 2010/*

 

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*Prep: *

·         BW 160, HP 1~/24~/10

 

*Scripture reading: Psalm 19:1-6*

 

 

Prayer

 

We innately *dislike* *rules*, see them as restrictions, but help us see your *love* flowing through your laws and rules.

David’s love song

 

I can really get into that *first* *part* of Psalm 19.

As I have said before, I am moved by seeing God in nature.

But I have a harder time “*feeling*” the next part:

 

NIV *Psalm 19:7-9* The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.

The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.

He practically *gushes* about the Law, oh it’s so g*r*eat and *perfect* and makes me feel all *warm* inside.

It’s like he would *marry* it if he could.

The things is, I know David is talking about things (it’s what we are reading now) like what’s *kosher*, what to do if your house had *mildew*, *circumcision*, and how to *sacrifice* animals.

Q   Why on earth is David *so* *happy* about this stuff?

Q   Has that *bothered* any of you?

The *typical* *response* is to say that David’s talking about the *Bible* as a whole.

One pastor that I respect very much took that approach when he preach this passage – replaced “law” with “Word” and preached on how great the Bible is.

 

·         The problem is that’s not what David says: *Law*, *statutes*, *commands*, *ordnances* – David is talking about the Mosaic Law.

So I *repeat* – why is David *so* *happy* about a bunch of rules, and not just the moral ones like the Ten Commandments, but also a ton of *ritual* and *dietary* *laws*?

·         The short answer: They were (and are) a *demonstration* of God’s *love*.

Even the *mildew* and *kosher* stuff?

*Yes*.

Learning to love the Law

 

In our *daily* *reading*, you’ll read a lot of *laws*, and rather than trudging through it as antiquated rules and regulations, I want you to have a *deeper* *understanding* of God’s *love* in them.

·         My *goal* is you get the *warm* *fuzzies* when you read the law.

Okay, not quite, but that you can view the OT law in its *proper* *context* and *delight* in it as David did.

That’s not easy because I need to *remove* the *cultural* and *theological* *distance* between us and the OT laws that we may be able to truly love the laws of God.

The Mosaic Covenant

 

Let’s briefly *set* the *stage*: The Israelites have just come out of *Egypt* where they’d been for 430 years.

In that time, there’s been *no* *revelation* of God, and they know *very* *little* about him.

·         Through the *plagues*, they know 1) He is on *their* *side* and 2) he is m*or*e *powerful* than any of the gods of Egypt.

·         But they know very little about what he *is* *like* and what he *wants* from them.

God bring them into the desert, to Mt. Sinai to *reveal* himself to them and *establish* their *relationship*.

This relationship takes the form of a *covenant* – the *Mosaic* *Covenant*.

A *covenant* is a *mixture* of a *business* *contract* and a *relationship*: It is a *binding* *relationship* with promises and requirements.

The best example is a *marriage*.

·         The *difference*: A covenant is usually between *unequal* *parties*.

Covenant is a *major* *theme* in the Bible and is important to us because is show us God *reaches* *out* and is *committed* to us, not because of anything we can offer or *worthiness*, but his love.

Furthermore, the giving of the Mosaic Law follows the *form* of *ancient* *covenant*, showing that this isn’t God handing out a *rule* *book*, it’s God forming a *covenant* *relationship*.

Here in the desert, God establishes his covenant with Israel:

 

NIV *Exodus 19:3-8* Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.

Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

7  So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak.

8 The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.”

So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.

This is kind of like the “*I do*” portion of the ceremony.

Now from here, God *lays* out the *terms* of the covenant.

We begin with the Ten Commandments, and then go from there.

Q   Can you *guess* yet how God’s law was a *sign* of his *love* and something God’s people should be *excited* *about*?

*Hint*: How many other nations were *privileged* enough to be God’s *covenant* *people*?

None!

 

·         These laws demonstrated their *unique* *relationship* with God that no one else had – they are *special*, in a good way.

They’re like the *talented* *kid* who can’t go out to *play* because she’s practicing to be the world’s *youngest* *Olympic* athlete.

*Israel* is meant for something *special*; they have a special *role* in God’s plan, so he has to work them, keep them *separate* so they can be a *light* to the nations.

Boundary Markers

 

·         I am going to get a little *thick* here, but it’s important because it helps us understand how we relate to the Law now.

As we read, you may notice that the covenant commands are a *mixture* of *ethical* and *ritual* laws, the 10 Commandments on one hand and kosher laws on the other.

The *ethical* commands we get, and they are either *repeated* or *expanded* in the *NT*, but why is David so excited about not wearing *wool* and *flax* or not eating *bacon*?

These laws were about demonstrating *who* *belonged*, who was *in* and who was *out*.

They were *boundary* *markers*, showing who was part of God’s community.

·         You *didn’t* keep the Law to be *saved* but demonstrate you were *part* of the covenant *community* – that’s how you were saved.

Q   Let’s now move into *today*: Do these *ritual* *boundary* *markers* still apply to us? Can we eat *bacon*?

Q   If not, has something *taken* their *place* to keep us separate?

The New Covenant

 

As great as the Mosaic covenant, Israel *broke* it time and time again.

To use the *marriage* analogy, Israel *divorced* God, and that covenant was broken *beyond* *repair*.

Centuries before Jesus, God began to promise a *new* *covenant*, where the law would be *written* on *heart*, and that the Holy *Spirit* would *fill* his people and *help* us obey.

·         Jesus *fulfilled* the law and *instituted* the *new* *covenant*, and we’re *no* *longer* under the Mosaic Law (cf.

*Acts* and *Epistles*).

As I said, the *ethical* stuff is *repeated* or built on in the NT, but we are *free* from the *rituals* “boundary markers.”

We can eat *pork* without being *excommunicated*, we don’t have to get *circumcised* before getting baptized, and chopping firewood on *Sabbath* is no longer a *capital* offence.

Q   Do we still have *boundary* *markers*?

Yes – by fulfilling the law, Jesus didn’t make things *easier*, he made them *harder*, because he took it from *external* to *internal*:

 

·         Getting *circumcised* as an *adult* would be no fun, but *loving* your *neighbor* as yourself is way *harder*.

Throughout the *NT*, God reveals what it *means* to be a *people* of the *new* *covenant*: love God and *others*, the *fruit* of the *Spirit*, and *forgiving*, and so on.

·         Even though no longer *dress* or eat *differently*, God’s people must be *clearly* set apart by their *attitudes* and *actions*.

That’s the *first* *reason* we should love God’s law – it *sets* us *apart* as his people.

It shows we’re *special* in God’s eyes and made for a *greater* *purpose*, to be a *light* and bring *glory* to G*o*d.

But it’s not an *exclusive* club, all are welcome (*contra* *Pharisees*).

Seeing God in his laws

 

There is a *second* *reason* we should love God’s law – the *writings* say a lot about the *author*.

In other words, God’s Law *reveals* what God *is* *like*.

The big deal is that *God* has *spoken* and has told us what he *is* *like* and what he *wants*.

As I said before, in both the Bible and Jewish literature there is an emphasis upon the fact that *God* has *only* *spoken* to his people.

·         The rest of the earth is left trying to *figure* him *out*.

·         This is *general* *revelation* (Ps.

19:1-6) and *special* (19:7-14).

To understand God’s character as we read, we have to *remove* our *21st century*, western world *glasses* and put on *12th century BC*, Ancient Near East *glasses*.

·         *BTW*: The reason we have the *morals* we do is because of these laws – “*Judeo*-*Christian* *ethics*.”