Day 2 – Why the law?
Matthew 22:20-21 “And He saith unto them, whose is the image and superscription? They say unto Him, Ceasar’s. Then saith He unto them, Render therefore unto Ceasar the things which are Ceasar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” KJV
Have you ever heard the saying “Pay Ceaser what is owed to him”? Every country has a set of laws that the citizens must obey. We cannot escape the laws of our countries thinking we are above the law. When you drive to work you have to obey the traffic laws. Even when you are lawfully getting married. We are surrounded by law aspects and cannot escape them.
The meaning of the word “law” is the system of rules that a particular country or community recognizes as regulations. Disobeying the law of a country may lead to penalties or even jail time. This brings to mind words like jail, court, punishment, rejection, and fines. To the best of our ability, we try to be good citizens and obey the laws of our countries, but some people will do everything not to break them while others have no regard for them. God also set rules for creation, and a well-known law of physics is “what goes up must come down.” With all that said, we know that everything, the whole of creation, will be judged by God, and no one will escape the judgment of God.
“Why do we have laws and why must we obey them?” Laws protect us from ourselves and allow us to coexist peacefully with one another. By obeying the law in your country, you show respect for the authority that upholds the law. The Ten Commandments also had a specific purpose – to protect the Israelites and to show respect to God who wrote them. As we know, God summoned Moses to Mount Sinai to receive the law, and the laws were so important that God Himself wrote them down with His own finger on tablets of stone, twice. These were the laws that God established for His nation of people. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and God freed them from slavery and led them out of Egypt to a promised land. The Israelites had lived in Egypt for over 400 years and were living under the law of Egypt, paying Pharaoh what was owed to him. They were forced to worship Egypt’s gods and to follow them in everything. In 400 years, a nation can lose sight of its own identity, and God knew that. He knew that He must build a new foundation of laws for His beloved people.
Maybe you feel that the law was specially written for Israel but when we become believers, God says, “This is a New Covenant I will make with my people (you) on that day says the Lord. I will put my law in their hearts and I will write them on their mind.” Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
Prayer: How blessed we are for knowing that every country’s leader is appointed by You, Lord and that You will oversee every decision made by them. Even if there is chaos and war You will use it to Your advantage, purpose, and glory. I pray for the people of my country to soften their hearts and turn to You Jesus our Savior. Amen.
By Marie Swanepoel for www.womenoftheword.co.za
