Galations #4: Purpose of the Law
October 20, 2024Pastor Patrick presented today's message, "Galations #4: Purpose of the Law." A video of today's message is here on YouTube.
Speaking of mirrors...
In Prager's Rational Bible: Genesis, in chapter 24 about Abraham sending his servant to find a wife for Isaac, Prager notes that there are actually three mirrors to the self in life. One is the physical mirror we all think of that reflects back to us how we look. The second mirror is the mirror of your mind which is your writing. If you're writing isn't clear, your mind probably isn't clear. And the third mirror is the people you attract. Good people attract good people, bad people do not. (pp. 275-276)
As for the Law being a guardian...
The word in Galatians 3:24 for "guard" is paidagogos (pahee-dag-o-gos', παιδαγωγὸς) which has an interesting specificity in light of the law "guarding" our behavior until Jesus came. It is often translated as trainer, tutor, or schoolmaster as the connotation of paidagogos is that of a young man's trainer or guard in charge of the boy's life and morals, doing what is necessary in the child's development (Strong's Concordance). It's the Greek word from which we get pedagogy, often described as the science and art of teaching. This plays right into my (and Prager's) belief that the first five books of the Old Testament would better be called the Books of Instruction, not the Books of the Law. Torah (תּוֹרָה), in the Hebrew, is from the root "to teach or instruct" and gives rise to "parent" (hora) and "teacher" (mora) as well.
One Old Testament word in similar usage is shaw-mar (שָׁמַר). It's used right off the bat in Genesis 3:24 when Cain asks if he is his brother's shaw-mar (keeper, guard, preserver). In Genesis 28:15, God tells Jacob that He will keep (shaw-mar) him wherever he goes.
Another word for guard or keeper is natsar (נָצַר). It's often used in the sense of keeping or guarding a covenant (e.g. Deuteronomy 33:9).
Bonus
Israel Made the West. Israel Is Saving the West.
The above title is actually the title of a column Dennis Prager wrote and published last week: Israel Made the West. Israel Is Saving the West.
Here are some of his key points:
The West was formed by Athens (rational thinking) and Jerusalem (moral/religious thought).
Jerusalem's contribution was more enduring (the Bible is by far the better seller over works by Aristotle and/or Plato).
Without Jews and the Old Testament, there would be no Christianity and therefore no Western Civilization.
Even the less-religious Founding Fathers were well-versed in Biblical morality.
What Israel has done over the last year in its own defense is also in defense of Western Civilization, the greatest such defense in the last three-quarters of a century.
"If you care about Western Civilization, you need to care about ancient Israel and Israel today."
Bonus2
Sukkot - Festival of Booths
Sukkot (Soo-coat, סֻּכּ֛וֹת), the Festival of Tabernacles or the Festival of Booths, is celebrated each year around this time. See Leviticus 23:33-43. The festival celebrates the Exodus and the dependence of the Israelites on God particularly while in the desert.
It's also called the Festival of Ingathering in reference to Exodus 34:22 and is a celebration of the harvest.
The sukkah (soo-kah, singular of sukkot) is a temporary structure as would have been used by the Israelites in the wilderness or out from the regular home doing agricultural work. As much time as possible is spent in the family's sukkah during the 7 days, especially meals. With both celebrations in mind (harvest and wilderness survival), guests are especially welcomed. See Wikipedia: Sukkot.
We recognized Sukkot at our Family Dinner this past weekend by eating in/around our version of temporary booths (pictured above). Our discussion focused on God's provision for the Israelites while in the Wilderness and on being grateful not only for God's provision for us, but for all we benefit from in the world, from immediate family to worldly opportunity. The latter, of course, is God's provision as well.
God's provisioning the Israelites in the wilderness included everything: food, water, shelter, and guidance. Guidance was a biggy, from the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day showing them where to go, to the how to live one's life properly, treat others properly, growing up, being a family member, having a family, how to build a good society, and how to get close to God. And maybe the biggest of all, how to perpetuate the way. All of it. I think the Torah could be called the Books of Guidance just as well as the Books of Instruction.
Bonus3
The Torah Part I: Creation to Adam & Eve
Looks like Dennis Prager has just started a 5-minute video series on the Torah! The first one is available now: The Torah Part I: Creation to Adam & Eve.
Here's the description: "Where do we come from, and why do we think the way we do? These are the first preoccupations of the book of Genesis — the creation of man, woman, and the Jewish people. Dennis Prager, author of The Rational Bible, explains how these timeless stories have shaped our worldview and why the lessons they teach us are still relevant today."