Clearly, God expects us to use common sense as well as
Spiritual wisdom in the interpretation and application of the Old Testament (II
Timothy 3:16). There were some laws that
were intended to be temporary regulations aimed at maintaining a proper
peculiarity and a degree of separation among the elect people of God
(Deuteronomy 22 :10, 11& 12). Israel was special, so God made some very
stringent rules to help reveal and emphasize their blessed position in His
plan.
Now, judging and rejecting the OT in its entirety based upon
your disdain for a few of the more puzzling minor rules (like the one against
wearing cotton and wool at the same time) is not intellectually honest. Does
anyone sincerely imagine that the rule requiring a certain kind of seam at the
edges of everyone's clothing in those days carried the same weight and
significance as the rule against murder? Even today we know the difference
between the seriousness of a law against jaywalking and a law against driving
while intoxicated. Assume that common
sense is not too rare.
Some of the rules Moses pronounced were more universal and
practical. Be courteous; be kind; be generous; be nice; be safe; be considerate
- that kind of thing. He made rules establishing lost and found policies
(Deuteronomy 22:1-3), promoting neighborliness (Deuteronomy 22:4), conserving
wildlife (Deuteronomy 22:6) and even one setting up a building code to advance safety
(Deuteronomy 22 :8).
The sexual purity and physical morality of the nation was a
matter of a much more serious nature (Deuteronomy 22:13-29). More space in this
chapter is devoted to these matters. And, more serious consequences were
determined against violators of these rules.
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