JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE MOSAIC LAW
“Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.” , With these words, John the beloved exhorts the Church community to look beyond themselves and to care for the needs of the people around them. The needs are plentiful in a world that has departed from its initial idyllic state and love is a tool that works to bring about its healing and restoration. Love requires action.
This concept is not unique to the Apostle, but can be seen throughout the Scriptures. The instructions of Moses to the people of Israel contain an abundance of instructions regarding behavioral expectations. Yet, when asked which of these commandments is the greatest, Jesus replies that the entire …show more content…
Human nature would seem to prefer that one looks out only for their own interests, while acts of justice and righteousness compel one to look out for the interests of others, even when doing so involves great personal cost. This being the case, it is necessary that some motivation for doing acts of justice and righteousness be established.
Prior to the giving of the Mosaic Law, the Israelites were themselves recipients of God’s own acts of justice and righteousness working on their behalf in redemptive history. The declaration of the Law given to Moses on Mount Sinai begins, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage”. This becomes an often repeated refrain throughout the giving of the Law, which implies that adherence to the commands of God is given sufficient motivation through remembrance of God’s past actions in Israel’s …show more content…
He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:17-18)
Protection for the vulnerable is given a prominent place in the Mosaic Law and it is considered a matter of justice. From this it follows that at least one aspect of setting things right in the world is to combat the inequity present in society. Those who have an abundance are to care for their neighbours who are lacking. Their doing so is more than a good deed, it is an action that brings the society closer to the way things ought to be. It is an action that tangibly works towards seeing goodness and righteousness restored.
It is no surprise then that for the nation of Israel, a large part of what justice and righteousness practically looked like was caring for the needs of these people that had a hard time caring for themselves. The deeds that the Israelites were asked to do for their neighbours often involved personal and material sacrifices. The intention with these stipulations was more than simply solving a physical problem, but through loving service to communicate the value and dignity of human
“Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.” , With these words, John the beloved exhorts the Church community to look beyond themselves and to care for the needs of the people around them. The needs are plentiful in a world that has departed from its initial idyllic state and love is a tool that works to bring about its healing and restoration. Love requires action.
This concept is not unique to the Apostle, but can be seen throughout the Scriptures. The instructions of Moses to the people of Israel contain an abundance of instructions regarding behavioral expectations. Yet, when asked which of these commandments is the greatest, Jesus replies that the entire …show more content…
Human nature would seem to prefer that one looks out only for their own interests, while acts of justice and righteousness compel one to look out for the interests of others, even when doing so involves great personal cost. This being the case, it is necessary that some motivation for doing acts of justice and righteousness be established.
Prior to the giving of the Mosaic Law, the Israelites were themselves recipients of God’s own acts of justice and righteousness working on their behalf in redemptive history. The declaration of the Law given to Moses on Mount Sinai begins, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage”. This becomes an often repeated refrain throughout the giving of the Law, which implies that adherence to the commands of God is given sufficient motivation through remembrance of God’s past actions in Israel’s …show more content…
He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:17-18)
Protection for the vulnerable is given a prominent place in the Mosaic Law and it is considered a matter of justice. From this it follows that at least one aspect of setting things right in the world is to combat the inequity present in society. Those who have an abundance are to care for their neighbours who are lacking. Their doing so is more than a good deed, it is an action that brings the society closer to the way things ought to be. It is an action that tangibly works towards seeing goodness and righteousness restored.
It is no surprise then that for the nation of Israel, a large part of what justice and righteousness practically looked like was caring for the needs of these people that had a hard time caring for themselves. The deeds that the Israelites were asked to do for their neighbours often involved personal and material sacrifices. The intention with these stipulations was more than simply solving a physical problem, but through loving service to communicate the value and dignity of human