I’ve been studying Richard Hooker’s debate with Thomas Cartwright about the nature of Scripture, wisdom and creation, and I thought meditate upon their debate in relation to Torah. Here are a few thoughts about humanity, order and Torah.
The Ten Commandments are given to Israel immediately after the Lord leads them through the Red Sea and rescues them from the grasp of Egypt. The Ten Commandments are given again right before Israel crosses the Jordan and enters into the Promised Land. These words, the heart of Torah teach the children of Israel how to live in this world of time and space. These words instruct the people how to live in this world, whether crossing the wilderness, conquering the new land or settling in their new homes. By rehearsing the wisdom of God revealed in Scripture, the people learn how to orient their lives in relation to God, to other people and to the land (and the rest of creation).
Torah is not the only law.
The children of Israel were rescued from the law of Egypt. This law also ordered their lives in time and space in relation to the deities/rulers, the people and the land. These laws led to slavery. Once Israel is rescued and enters the land of promise, the people will always face the threat of the substitute order, the strength of the horse and rider. This strength is false and always leads to slavery.
Israel faces the threat of Egypt and other alien orders like Ba-al. Like Egypt, Baalism also had an order of life. It’s order was rooted in manipulating power. The idolatry of Baalism involved sexual defiance and ultimately human sacrifice. In other words, Baalism led to the destruction of social order.
We live in a world of time and space with with rules or ways or laws the orient our thoughts and actions, our relations toward the divine (even if it manifests in some sort of denial), to other people and to the land (creation). Torah states that alien orders will lead to deformation, estrangement, slavery and ultimately destruction (death).
Israel reveals that all mankind, including the people of God, ultimately turn away from God’s rule and follow an alien way of life that will result in death. From the perspective of Torah, humanity cannot properly live in time and space because we are cursed with the deforming/destroying effect of alien law or order or ways. Jesus enters in this death caused by violating the very order of creation. In his resurrection, God’s people can now live in time and space based on God’s ordering of human relations to God, to other people, and to creation.
He has led us out of death, and by His Spirit He is converting our minds, our imaginations, our wills, our bodies to live in time and space through His love. We are being converted into the true order of God’s creation: lovingkindness.
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2). We are becoming a people converted by the law of Spirit in Christ Jesus because we have been free from the law of sin and death. The Gospel reveals God’s faithfulness to His people in time and space. Even though we still die in this world, we are becoming lovers in this world, freed from alien orders freed to love undying. Yes, even though our bodies die, the love of Christ does not die, we have hope that In God’s faithfulness, we will be restored in perfect, resurrecting love.
Image by Powell Laj (used by permission via Creative Commons).
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