One of our readers offered a story from his church regarding a female member asking if she should use a scarf as a head covering during the service. His response, years ago, was “[you] couldn’t go wrong with good intent”.
Three Types of Old Testament Jewish Laws
There are basically three types of Old Testiment Laws, and it is important to be able to distinguish between them.
Ceremonial Laws
These are commands from God that involve Jewish worship and rituals. They include how to handle offerings, cleanliness, festivals, and holidays. One of the best examples was the sacrifical system which can be seen in Leviticus 1:1-13. Though contemporary Christians are no longer bound by these laws, the underlying principles, such as the recognition that we need something beyond ourselves to offer to God, which is an acceptance of Christ as our Lord and Savior, still hold true.
Civil Laws
These are the laws directed to the Jews (Israel) in their daily living. An example would be Deuteronomy 24:10-11 which provides guidance on loans to neighbors, marriage vows (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), or cities of refuge (Deuteronomy 4:41-43). Again, there are underlying principles regarding fairness and propriety. However, the specific rules do not apply to contemporary society.
Moral Laws
Finally, moral laws are intended to trancend time and intended to apply to us today. The 10 Commandments is an example of these moral laws (Exodus 20:1-21), as is the sancity of life (Deuteronomy 20:1-21:17). Though following these directives is important, to be clear, they do not earn one’s place in Heaven, but should be followed based on our desire to love and serve the Lord.
The Point
What may appear to be a logical and appropriate way to view God’s word, prior to the arrival of Jesus, can result in significant challenges if not viewed with an open mind, submissive to the intent of Biblical teachings. Beyond the general challenge of interpreting Scripture as a unified, inerrant, and inspired document (rather than plucking verses out of context and interpreting them as our sin nature might wish to), is the challenge in determining what is a ceremonial, civil, or moral law. If one can reject the antiquated rules related to women keeping their heads covered, should we not also be able to reject verses that suggest homosexual behavior should be avoided.
Of course, this is one of the many tricky parts of the Bible that Christians stumble over, and for which the secular call us hypocrites.
Who is to say what are cultural, what are civil, and what are moral laws? The issue is not one of God’s word not be a source of guidance for today, as so often is the objection by those who reject the Bible. The challenge is resident in mankind trying to undertand the Lord through the lens of our prideful, shallow, and sinful hearts.
Author – Jeff Hilles | BCWorldview.org
Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words
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