Danieltwotwenty wrote:I need to think some more, I really have a hard time reconciling the OT laws with an all loving God, I mean if Jesus said to love your enemies and to turn the other cheek, forgive etc.. Etc.. Why is there such harsh laws and punishments, stoning an adulterer or whatever does not sound like the Jesus I know.
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How do you reconcile these OT laws, especially the Levitical law, with what Jesus said? I mean if Jesus upheld the law completely, why does the things he says go counter to the law??????????
Re: the OT laws, they were given to Israel.
Israel entered into a covenant with God.
They were to be set a part as God's people. And they agreed to keep God's commandments.
Covenant "to cut" / walk through a parted animal. Quite serious.
God's Righteousness demands sin be punished = Wrath.
God's Love desires forgiveness of sin = Grace.
In a manner of speaking, the Old Covenant, given to Israel could only incur wrath if broken since there was no Christ.
The Levitical law of animal sacrifice instituted was intended to bring awareness to sin while at the same time pointing to Christ.
All are now forgiven on account of Christ who was yet to come and be perfect the sacrifice. (Hebrews 10 goes into this a little)
The sacrificial system was also meant to illustrate how bad sin is -- the wages of sin is death.
We read in Hosea 6:6 and Isaiah 1 that God didn't much like it at all, since people would go through the ritual without really loving God.
I don't think anything Christ says does counter to the Law?
Things are just different when Jesus enters the picture.
Grace abounds where only Wrath was deserved.
Love wins over Righteousness.
It also shouldn't go unnoticed that the Law was added to.
Pharisees were abusing it, boasting in it, and taking advantage of others.
God was long fed up with it as Isaiah 1:10+ shows.
Jesus looked after the weak like God desired.
Showed mercy rather than judgement.
Wanted to save rather than condemn.
There's so much more that could be said.
But really, the key is understanding the old and new covenants.