Old Testament Ethics

I've been reading through the OT Historical Books (namely Joshua, Judges, and the Kings'), and have been studying the implicit ethical expectations within those books. So, here is a somewhat homogenized and distilled summary of my conclusions thus far.

The way in which all people, whether Hebrew or pagan, are expected to conduct their lives is super-glued to the identity, character, and actions of God. He is unique, universal (not just a national god), incomparable, sovereign, owner, ruler, and Creator; consequently, He has the right to demand ethical conduct. He also knows the thoughts, actions, and motives of all people and situations, giving God the ability to hold all people morally accountable. 2 Chronicles 16:9a, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (I'd love to put that verse to the tune of the Walker Texas Ranger intro song) So, for those who lack ethical/moral commitment, judgment is guaranteed. In the OT, that judgment often occurs in present times enacted through the violence of nations (whether Hebrew or pagan). Still, Yahweh is the ultimate Judge.

For Israel, expectations of ethical/moral obedience are exponentially greater 1) because of their status as the covenant people of God. This status is not rooted in individual commitment, but in a national covenant. Thus, a single sinner affects the entire covenant status. Israel must also excel morally 2) because of its election via Abraham. Just as someone who is chosen to receive a full-tuition scholarship is expected to act in-line with his school’s standards, so also Israel’s election comes with regulations (Gen 18:18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.) . Third, Israel must enact God’s ethics 3) because His benevolent actions, particularly in the Exodus, demands faithful submission to his principles. Judges 2, “1 The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?” God created a covenant with Israel by means of His sovereign election demonstrated through His deliverance of Israel from harm. Therefore, the greatest error God’s people could commit was to turn away from Him in idolatry, the primary sin with which Israel struggles throughout the OT. Furthermore, following other gods instinctively leads to adopting the ideals and ethics of those gods including cruelty, injustice, and oppression.

So, there are universal, worldwide ethical expectations for all people as creations of God as well as more specific regulations for God’s covenant people. Still, a further expectation for ethical behavior falls on a specific group within Israel: leadership, whether kings or judges. Israel’s governmental structure is blatantly theocratic. God shares power with no one. Yet, kings and judges, when demanded by the people in one way or another, are expected to represent the very qualities of the ultimate King and Judge by maintaining justice and righteousness in society. In fact, the Queen of Sheba accurately sums up Solomon’s role as king, saying, “Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.” Jehoshaphat is famous for actively pursuing a second ethical obligation of Israel’s leaders in that he restored the integrity of Israel’s judicial system. Previous Kings were notorious for their corruption and oppression, thus Jehoshaphat begins restoring ethical judgment by warning the judges in 2 Chronicles 19:4ff, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the LORD.” Third, Israel’s leaders are expected to create economic justice and equality. Samuel warns Israel of the economic consequences of placing a king in authority and by 1 Kings 12, economic issues have split God’s people into two nations. Yahweh’s desire for Israel was always equality. Lev 19: 9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.” Also, notice Nehemiah’s outrage over economic mistreatment in Neh 5. To ignore the need of the poor breaks the ethical code of Yahweh, and Israel’s leaders are charged to maintain that code. The ideal leader, then, would be someone who promotes justice, righteousness, and economic equality within Israel.

The modern applications of God’s ethical demands on Israel are not as simple to draw out as they may seem. The problem is that God’s covenant people today are not a nation but a hodgepodge of people with individual commitments to God known as the church. The church does not have control of the economy or justice system. It does not have a singular history of God’s deliverance beyond its initial centuries of existence. And yet, there are several principles that still hold true. First, as members of the human race, we have an expectation to follow the principles of the Creator and sustainer of life. Colossians 1 details this truth quite well, describing Christ as the agent of creation as well as the very reason for it. In light of that truth, we should not presume that God will restrain His judgment when we ignore the principles that He expects His creatures to live by.

Second, in light of the new covenant brought about in the lives of elected Believers and demonstrated by God’s active leading in our lives, we should long to live holy lives. Right living is not a prerequisite for salvation. And yet, living by God’s ethical standards is the obligation of every person who has received the benefits of covenant, election, and deliverance (ie, salvation by grace through faith). Our (rightfully) grace-obsessed Christian culture would do well to remember the moral expectations intertwined with the benefits of the Gospel (read Jesus, Paul… pretty much the entire New Testament).

Third, the church should constantly examine ways to bring about God's ethical standards within our government. In saying this, I do not believe any singular man can represent God’s revelation to a country. Instead, each of us has the very revelation of God embodied in the Bible, specifically within the ethical expectations upon Israel’s leadership. We should strive for a nation where justice is promoted. Powerful men and women should not be allowed to act sinfully simply because of their position. Corruption is completely unacceptable. And, we must recognize that economic equality is important to God and should be to His people. It is not tolerable for the rich to continue getting richer while the poor are ignored and neglected. Micah 6 tells us that God does not desire greater acts of worship but rather to do justice, love showing mercy, and live in humility before God. We must vote and speak out based upon these issues, and when government fails to enact them, the church must be willing to act upon what it preaches. We do this not by boycotting, nor by publically bashing leaders (see Romans 13) but by picking up the slack. WE take care of those who are hurt but corruption. WE "leave the edge of our field" for those in need. WE inject the Gospel into those situations. And, we lovingly proclaim the truth even when it is unpopular.

Finally, within the Christian community, leaders are responsible to uphold God's ethical standards. The church must be a place where sinners pursue righteousness; where selfishness and evil are not ignored but confronted; where people of all levels of status are treated as equals before God (neither slave nor free… Col 3); and where an all-encompassing lifestyle of worshiping God is the norm among His people. We cannot claim to be God’s people and yet live by the idolatrous standards of a world opposed to God. Each of us individually and the entirety of the universal church must renew our dedication to the ethical standards spelled out for us in the Old Testament and elaborated upon in the New Testament in response to the person, character, and actions of God (especially those demonstrated in the life-purchasing death of Jesus).

-Matt