What the Old Law Teaches about the Family
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What the Old Law Teaches about the Family
by Glenn Colley
The sermon is about family laws in the Old Testament, specifically Deuteronomy 22.
The Old Testament can be divided into three periods: the Patriarchal age, the Mosaic age, and the Christian age.
The Patriarchal age refers to the time when God communicated his will through the fathers, including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Mosaic age refers to the time when God gave the Israelites a new law, which helped solidify them as a nation.
The Christian age refers to the time when the old law was nailed to the cross, and Christians follow the perfect law of liberty, as described in James 1:25.
The laws in the Old Testament were both religious and civil.
The sermon will cover four categories of family laws: sexual laws before marriage, choosing a marriage partner, divorce and remarriage, and child rearing.
The first category is sexual laws before marriage, and Deuteronomy 22:5 covers respect for the difference between the sexes.
Deuteronomy 22:13-21 covers laws regarding sexual purity before marriage, including the punishment for adultery.
Deuteronomy 22:23-24 covers laws regarding betrothal and engagement.
The second category is choosing a marriage partner, and Deuteronomy 22:28-29 covers laws regarding marriage within the community.
The third category is divorce and remarriage, and Deuteronomy 24:1-4 covers laws regarding divorce and remarriage.
The fourth category is child rearing, and Deuteronomy 21:18-21 covers laws regarding rebellious children.
The sermon will also discuss the principles that live on from the Old Testament laws, even if they are not explicitly stated in the New Testament.
The Old Testament laws can be divided into three categories: laws that are not specifically applicable to Christians, laws that are not specifically brought over into the New Testament but have principles that live on, and laws that are explicitly stated in the New Testament.
The sermon will also address the question of why God included such strict laws in the Old Testament.
One reason may be that the laws helped to establish order and structure in the community.
Another reason may be that the laws served as a means of sanctification, helping the Israelites to become more holy and separate from the surrounding cultures.
The laws also served as a means of showing God's standards and expectations for his people.
The sermon will also discuss the importance of understanding and following God's laws in order to live a righteous and godly life.