Today we are walking in: Kingdom Concept #5: Understanding The Kingdom Concept of Law (TORAH)
Today we look to the word LAW- H8451 towrah- a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch:—law.
The Torah testifies.........……
Exodus 12:49
One law H8451 shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
The prophets proclaim..................
Amos 2:4
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law H8451 of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:
The writings bear witness............
Psalms 1:2
But his delight is in the law H8451 of the LORD; and in his law H8451 doth he meditate day and night.
KINGDOM CONCEPT #5: UNDERSTANDING THE KINGDOM CONCEPT OF LAW
In any civil society the “rule of law” is the bedrock of order and social justice. As noted in the previous teaching, a constitution is the documented aspirations, desires, and hopes of the people for themselves (in the case of a democratic republic), and in a kingdom, the king’s aspirations and desires for his citizens. Law is produced to protect the constitution and to secure the rights of the citizens to what the constitution promises and guarantees them.
No human society can survive long without laws. This is just as true for a kingdom as for any other system of government. Human nature being what it is, laws are necessary to keep man’s baser instincts and drives in check, protect public safety and decency, and preserve the moral order. Every kingdom is governed by laws. Laws enforce and protect the standards by which the kingdom operates.
As we saw in the previous teaching, the standards of operation for any government, a kingdom included, are codified in a document called the constitution. This contract spells out what the government expects from the people and what the people can expect from the government. It also delineates the rights of the people. These rights and expectations need to be protected, and that is the purpose of laws. A country’s laws always reflect its constitution because they are derived from its tenets. They not only protect the standards and ensure their fulfillment, but also prescribe penalties for any who violate the standards.
In order to develop a better understanding of the overall kingdom concept, it is important to have knowledge of the origin, nature, and function of laws in a kingdom. And as I have throughout this series, I will continue to use the Kingdom of Heaven as the primary model. The Bible, the Kingdom of Heaven’s constitution, establishes the standards for life in the Kingdom. Unlike other constitutions, however, it also lays out the penalties for noncompliance. In addition to being a constitution, then, the Bible is also the law book of the Kingdom of Heaven.
We often think of laws as unpleasant and inconvenient demands that restrict our freedom and limit our options. In reality, laws are designed to free us to pursue unlimited options by providing a safe environment where we can live in peace, security, and confidence. True freedom is always circumscribed by boundaries, and laws define those boundaries. Within those boundaries we are free to thrive, prosper, and reach our full potential.
For example, looking again at a passage we examined in a different context earlier in this series, consider some of the positive benefits we derive from the laws of the King:
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward (Psalm 19:7-11).
What does the “law of the Lord” do for us? It revives our spirit, gives us wisdom, and fills us with joy. It enlightens our minds and emboldens us with confidence because of its permanence and uprightness. It enriches us with wealth much greater than earthly riches and leaves a sweet taste in our mouths. It warns us against danger and foolishness that could destroy our lives and places us on the path to “great reward.”
If we allow it, the “law of the Lord” will nourish us thoroughly body, soul, and spirit. Yahashua said:
It is written: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of The Most High Yah” (Matthew 4:4).
This means there is more to life than food. We need solid, dependable, unchanging standards to live by; standards founded on truth. Many people today question or out-and-out reject the idea of absolute truth. Well, regardless of what they think, the Bible is absolutely true, and everything in it will work for our good if we obey it. There is no law in the Bible that is not good for humanity’s overall welfare. In fact, the Bible is the best regulator of civic society, yet most of global society rejects its wisdom and insists on choosing its own path. That goes a long way in explaining the mess our world is in today. We need to take a closer look at the kingdom concept of law.
SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF LAW
1. All creation was designed to function by inherent principles. Inherent means “built-in”; existent from the beginning. In other words, the laws of the King of Heaven are built into the very structure of creation and determine precisely how all of creation functions. Scientists speak of the laws of nature, the laws of physics, the laws of gravitation, the laws of thermodynamics, and many other laws to explain how nature works. In this sense, laws are observable, measurable, and repeatable because they never change. Everything that The Most High Yah created was designed to function by certain built-in or inherent principles.
These principles are called “natural law.” Natural law has to do with laws concerning the nature of a thing. For example, birds do not have to be taught to fly; that ability is inherent in them as a natural law. In the same way, fish are not taught to swim; they possess swimming ability as an inherent law. The same principle applies to plants when they produce seeds that reproduce new plants that are just like the original.
Natural law is the standard for effective function of everything that The Most High Yah has created. If birds follow the law of nature, they live and reproduce. If plants follow the laws of nature, they grow and produce fruit. The Most High Yah built these laws into nature, and as long as plants and animals follow those laws, they prosper and flourish. Violation of natural law, on the other hand, leads to dysfunction. Take a fish out of water and it will malfunction. It will die because a fish is designed to live and breathe in the water, not out of it. So natural law is very important; it is the standard for determining effective function.
Laws are the key to successful existence and a guarantee of fulfillment of purpose. Obedience to laws promotes prosperity and ensures success. All a bird has to do to fulfill its purpose is fly and reproduce; both of these functions are governed by natural laws. Every plant and creature on earth will succeed and fulfill its purpose simply by obeying the natural law inherent within them. It is no different with us. As long as we acknowledge the laws of The Most High Yah and submit ourselves willingly to living by and obeying them, we too will succeed and fulfill our purpose in The Most High Yah’s design. We will realize our full potential.
5. Laws protect purpose. When we obey laws, we protect the purpose for which we were born. As long as a fish stays in water, it will be able to survive and prosper. As long as a seed stays in the soil, it will sprout, grow, and prosper. As long as a bird stays in the air and there is space to fly, it will fulfill its purpose and prosper. As long as we obey the laws of The Most High Yah, we too will live and grow and prosper.
Please understand that when I talk about obeying The Most High Yah’s laws in order to live and prosper, I am not suggesting that we can “earn” right standing with The Most High Yah by doing good works or by strictly observing some code of rules or statutes. The only way to be rightly aligned with The Most High Yah is by changing our mind and turning away from our rebellion against Him (which the Bible calls “repentance”), placing our trust in Yahashua’ death to remove the guilt of our rebellion (giving up our self-reliance), and acknowledging Him as Lord (Owner) of our lives. By obeying The Most High Yah’s laws, I mean living in willing submission to Him as King and Lord and honoring His Word as the unchanging standard of reference for our lives.
So then, what laws of The Most High Yah are we to obey? All of them, of course, and there are many. But here are the two most important:
Love the Lord your The Most High Yah with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).
Love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18b).
Yahashua Himself identified these as the two most important commandments in the law of The Most High Yah. Kingdom ambassador Paul, in context with a discussion about the responsibility of Kingdom citizens toward civic earthly authority, commented on this second verse, saying:
Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10).
Obey the law and it protects you. Disobey the law and you risk sacrificing your purpose.
6. The purpose for law is to protect the constitutional covenant. Laws exist to make sure that the provisions of the constitution are carried out consistently, equitably, and without prejudice for all citizens. For example, the constitution guarantees every citizen the right not to be convicted of a crime until proven guilty. Trial by jury is a law designed to protect that constitutional right for every citizen. In the Kingdom of Heaven, the laws of The Most High Yah are designed to protect and ensure the fulfillment of all terms of the covenant that The Most High Yah has with His creation. Typically, cutting a covenant involved the swearing of an oath of fidelity between the parties entering into the covenant. Because The Most High Yah’s covenant with man is unilateral (meaning that we enter freely into a covenant He has already established), He alone can swear faithfulness. And the Bible says that this, indeed, is what He has done:
When The Most High Yah made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised....Because The Most High Yah wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath (Hebrews 6:13-15,17).
The constitutional covenant of the Kingdom of Heaven is backed up by the laws of The Most High Yah, which are the expressions of His unshakeable and unchanging Word.
7. Laws are the conditions of covenant. They are the terms under which, if followed, the covenant will operate. Virtually everything we buy these days comes with a covenant of laws and conditions called a “warranty.” The manufacturer guarantees that if the product is used in accordance with the specified terms and conditions of operation or function, it will perform as designed. If those terms and conditions are violated, the warranty “covenant” is nullified, and if the product then malfunctions, the manufacturer is free of responsibility.
It is no different in the Kingdom of Heaven. The King’s covenant with us specifies blessings and benefits for compliance as well as consequences and penalties for noncompliance. As long as we observe the conditions of the covenant, all the blessings and benefits of the covenant are operative in our lives. If we violate the covenant, the “blessings clause” shuts down and the “consequences clause” kicks in.
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