The Law is our Friend

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.” (Ex 20:20 AV)

This statement is in the context of the giving of the law on the top of Mount Sinai.  The people are told not to fear the LORD.  Rather, He has come in such a dramatic fashion that they might respect Him and understand the law is given for their proving.  The righteousness and holiness of the law is given that Israel might mature.  That is the understanding of the proving here.  Like metal is forged and folded, the nation of Israel will be perfected by means of the law.  This is a good thing.  Law is not a bad thing.  Laws are how life works.  The more we learn and apply, the more successful we will be in life.  The more we learn to conform to law, the more blessed life will be.  This is the manner in which the LORD has set up creation.  What is more is the nature of the law requires line upon line, precept upon precept.  It builds on itself.  From simple law to more complex law, the basics of the law are the structure of all principles upon which creation functions.  For the LORD to make the statement above serves to validate the motive behind the law.  It is to prove those who wish to learn and apply it.  Not for the purpose of a tyrannical God to impose His will on His subjects.

I love baseball.  I used to play in my very early years, but never understood the finer points of defense.  Try as I may, I never got the intricacies of where the ball was supposed to be thrown in every situation.  My coaches tried to teach me.  We had drill after drill.  It didn’t matter if I was infield or outfield, invariably there would come a situation that caused me confusion and I threw it to the wrong person.  The cut off man was either the shortstop of second basemen.  That is, unless a runner was going to first and, blah, blah, blah.  I remember the last game I ever played.  It was for a church softball league.  I had thrown the ball to the wrong cut-off man and got an ear full when I returned to the dugout.  Those rules existed for a reason.  We wanted to win the game because winning the game felt a whole lot better than losing.  These rules did not exist to make my life miserable.  They did not exist to ferret out those who could not play from those who could.  These rules did not exist to humiliate.  These rules were designed to give uniformity to the game and help each individual grow in their understanding and skill set regarding the game.  We had drill after drill.  Scenario after scenario.  Practice, practice, practice.  Simple built on more complex.  There was playing catch wherein we learned how to throw effectively.  NO SIDEARM ALLOWED!  We learned how to field the ball.  Mitt in front of the face watching the ball in.  Mitt on the ground to field a ground ball.  We did these drills over and over.  These ‘laws’ were not given to make the coach look like a mean and angry person.  They were given that we might enjoy the game to our fullest potential.

The same is true of the law of God’s word.  God did not give the law on Mount Sinai so that Israel would tremble at the very thought of the Lawgiver.  Sure, they, and we, are to fear the LORD for that is the beginning of wisdom.  Sure, we are to fear what the LORD may do if we disobey the law.  But that is not the primary purpose of the law.  It was given so that we might grow up!  It was given so that we might be all God designed us to be.  It was given that we might experience maximum blessings while living by it.  The law is holy, just, and good.  Just like Paul tells us in Romans chapter seven.  The law was given be a benevolent and loving God that we might have life and have it more abundantly.