Law and Narrative

Good morning/afternoon/evening! Here we are--already into February. One month down, 11 to go. Hang in there!

Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Mon, Feb. 2- What did Moses strike to get water for the people?
Exodus 17:6 “Strike the rock, and the water will come out of it for the people to drink.”

And here's the question of the day:
Feb. 3- Who went into the wedding banquet? (Mt. 25)


And here's the reflection of the day:
One of the unique features of the following chapters in Exodus is how it combines LAW and NARRATIVE into one. Generally, ancient Near Eastern, Greek, and Roman laws were written into criminal or civil codes which stood alone without any commentary or explanation. And histories (or narratives) were kept separate from the laws. Both were handed down through oral tradition (before people kept written copies of things) but were handed down separately.

Here, Exodus mushes them all together; they are woven together so that the narrative cannot be separated from the law. We do not simply read a list of rules (aka the Ten Commandments). Exodus ties story about the law and the law itself together at the same time; the law is not independent from the story.

Among others, here are two things to remember when reading the "law" portions of the Bible:

1. God is the subject of both the law and the narrative. God gave the law and is the protagonist in the story. As one commentator writes, "The narrative enables a fuller picture of the God who stands behind the law, while the law enhances the images of God available in the narrative" (Terence E. Fretheim, Exodus, p 201). The law is given to outline God's expectation for his followers. It is a guide to faithfulness.

2. The law is a gift of God's graciousness tied to a story. It is not just a set of rules, a list of do's and don'ts, to be followed. Law is a part of the larger story of God's goodness and mercy, and it is grounded in God's divine will. God's law is intended to never "leave the people without an indication of what it means to be a community of faith, without a direction in which a person of faith could walk, without some instruction regarding the life of faith" (202-203). God intends that the law extend into all aspects of life, showing that a gift and not a burden.

These are important things to keep in mind as we begin to delve into the "law" portions of the Old Testament. Most laws will seem strange to us, harsh even in some places. (Just wait 'til we get to Leviticus!) Jim Davison notes, in our "Year of the Bible" participant books: "Bear in mind that these laws are given to a group whom God is attempting to turn into a people, and these people live in a world that is in many ways of chaotic." God's law is meant to help them organize their life together as a community of faith.

How do you think of God's law? A list of do's and don'ts to get into heaven? A guide to faithfulness? A little of both? Tell me what you think! Click on the comment narrative below and jot your thoughts into the pop up box. You can make up a screen name, use your real name, or be anonymous. Tell me what you think!

Have a splendid day!
Allison