Redemption – Israel and the Torah

In our last “Musings4Mission,” we looked at the effects of humanity’s fall into sin – including alienation and corruption. Despite the devastation caused by rebellion against the Creator-King, God thankfully never lost control of the situation. He also never abandoned His plan to bring glory to Himself through doing good to His people which He had created.

God’s holistic plan of redemption had two major phases. The first phase involved the creation of the people of Israel. God called Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:1-8), a man of faith, and from his descendants created a nation for His glory (Isaiah 49:3), a nation which we can view as a model of the holistic peace that God intended for His people (see Exodus 19:3-6). To guide this model nation, God gave them the Torah, a set of instructions which would lead Israel into a lifestyle which reflected the principles of holistic peace.

In the Torah, the supremacy of God as the only Lord and King is unmistakable. Israel is clearly called to a recommitment to fulfilling the human role/responsibility of worshipping the one and only true God (Exodus 20:1-6). In later times, the prophets, who were the guardians of the Torah principles, repeatedly called the Israelites to forsake their idolatries and renew their commitment to worship.

The Torah also includes comprehensive guidelines for life in human society. If one conceives of seven fundamental pillars of healthy human society (as described below), we can see that God addressed all of them to some extent in the Torah’s instruction.

1. Democratic Rights. The Torah demonstrates respect for the person, including basic rights such as property (Exodus 20:17; 21:28-36; 22:9; Leviticus 6:3-4).

2. Family. The family is the core of society in the framework of the Torah. There are numerous laws which regulate sexual behavior and protect the integrity of the family unit (Leviticus 18).

3. Equitable Economic System. Care is given to avoid economic oppression (see Deuteronomy 24:10-22)

4. Education. Education of the next generation in the Torah lifestyle is important (Deuteronomy 6:7-9).

5. Health Care. Instruction is given in basic sanitation and health (e.g., Leviticus 13; Deuteronomy 23:12-13).

6. Public Safety. Protection from violence is provided for in the law (e.g. Numbers 35).

7. Balanced Legal System. A system of judges who implemented the law without partiality is instituted (Exodus 18:17-26).

By addressing these issues, the Torah thus provided a basic framework for healthy society. The prophets were equally concerned when the people of Israel wandered away from this ideal (Isaiah 58:1-11, Micah 6:1-8).

The Torah also does not ignore the final responsibility of man – environmental stewardship. The people of Israel were instructed in how to live in care for the land (Exodus 23:12; Lev 25:1-5; Deut 22:6-7).