Deuteronomy 03: Law

In his sermon today, Tim used several ideas to help illustrate the difference between Israel’s law and what we might naturally think of today when considering the idea of law or laws. In doing so, he said that, for Ancient Israel, the purpose of the law was relational, and that its terms were formational. He also said that “the goal of the Jewish law was wisdom - to form a people who were wise.” What thoughts and ideas surface for you as you consider this? What questions surface? If this is a different way for you to conceive of Israel’s law, how does this paradigm shift strike you? What ideas or concepts that you’ve held in the past might be impacted? How significant does this shift seem to you? Why?

Tim contrasted the key characteristics of statutory law and those of common law. (That slide is below/attached). Go through some of the different comparisons on this chart and discuss with the group ways in which you see outcomes of this statutory legal system at work in our world today. Next, spend some time trying to imagine ways in which our modern society might look different if, somehow, we were instead still founded on a common law premise. What would be some of the potential positives? What would be some of the potential drawbacks? How easy or difficult is it to even imagine such a thing? Why might that be?

Tim said that Jesus’ (wholly Jewish) way of life fulfilled everything that Torah was trying to do. As a result, when we consider our own need for intentional engagement with habits, rhythms, and practices that lead to wisdom, we can look to Christ’s way of being as a guide to help transform us into a kingdom of people doing the work of mediating God’s presence to the world. As you consider the ways in which you attempt to embrace practices and rhythms that embody and embrace Christ’s way of being in the world, how does it feel to think of your own personal practices today as being in direct continuity with the nation of Israel as it stood at the base of a burning mountain, agreeing to embrace a covenant with God? Through your discussion as a group, see if you can help each other to find some sort internal connection to those ancient people. Can you imagine yourself as a part of that ancient people? What surfaces for you as you try to put yourself “in their shoes” more concretely? What might shift if we, as 21st century Christians, were able to see ourselves as some of the direct inheritors of this moment and all it communicated about the relationship possible between God and God’s people in the world? Can you get a sense of ways in which there could be shift for you personally? What might that be like?