The first five books of the Bible are commonly called the Law or the Torah. The word ‘Law’ is a common translation for the Hebrew word tôrah even in the Septuagint (LXX) but it is equally feasible to translate the word tôrah as ‘instruction.’[1] The expectation from Moses onward was that instruction was the key to God’s people living with God in covenant. Instruction not only helped them grow in their understanding of God, and what God expected, but it helped Israel pass on what they knew to future generations, so that those future generations would not “forget the covenant” or lose their way.[2]
This is well illustrated in 2 Kings 22, when King Josiah’s (circa 639-608 BC) men are working to restore the Temple and Hilkiah, the High Priest, discovers the Book of the Law and Shaphan, Josiah’s secretary, begins to read it to King Josiah. King Josiah rends his garments (22:11) for two reasons: first because for generations the knowledge in the book has been lost, but also equally amazing is the prediction about King Josiah himself in the book (1 Kings 13:2) that he would one day become king and restore the nation to wholeness and a right relationship to Yahweh God. Had they not found the writings of the Law and the Prophets, there would not have been a restoration in Judah. It is then that King Josiah commands the reading of God’s Word, and he begins to tear down the high places and restore Judah, Jerusalem, the Temple, and the worship of Yahweh[3]. This story illustrates that despite a strong national and ethnic identity that the Jews could practice many outward trappings of their faith, and even hold onto some of their theology, but without Bible teaching, future generations loose their way.
The same can be a problem for us in the Christian Church today. We can get caught up in our national identity (our national heritage and roots as a “Christian nation”) and we can be caught up in the outward trappings of our faith (Christian radio, dress codes, t-shirts, bumper stickers, and BIG KJV Bibles) and miss God completely. The Bible is not for touting, thumping, or beating up the world. It is for our instruction. How quickly we can loose our way when we, like the people in King Manasseh and King Amon’s day, worry about the evil that king is doing, even prophesying against it and them, only to forget to be the people of God themselves, so that their children like those in Josiah’s day would not even know what the Bible teaches. Let’s not loose the Way, on our way.
[1]Heinz-Josef Fabry, “תורה” in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. G. Johannes Botterweck, trans. and ed. David Green and Douglas W. Stott (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006), 15:609.
[2]Deuteronomy 4.25-31.
[3]2 Kings 23.2 “And the king went up to the house of the LORD, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD.” (ESV)
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