WHAT IS THE LAW OF CHRIST?
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: “Wat is die Wet van Christus?”
Someone wrote to me:
“Leviticus 19:27 “Do not follow the heathen custom and cut off the hair at your temples or trim the sides of your beards.
Can you please explain it to me?”
Here then is how I understand this passage from the Word:
Among the pagan peoples at the time, by cutting your beard and hair in a certain way, you sent out a message, or made a statement to the world:
“I belong to this faith.
“Or –
“Such and such are the god in whom I believe.”
In other words, there were different ways in which people cut their beards and of course also their hair, with which they made different statements about their faith in particular to the world.
According to some commentators, this custom originated in Egypt and the Israelites were therefore well acquainted with it.
Our Lord did not want the Israelites to make those habits part of their culture.
The Israelites took some of the customs, when it comes to a man’s beard, from the peoples around them and made it part of their culture.
For example, for all the people in that area at the time, also for the Israelites, a man’s beard was his most precious decoration and a man was, to put it this way, very sacred about his beard.
One of the customs that the Israelites also adopted regarding the beard and also made part of their culture was the following:
Today, if I see someone which I respect, especially if I haven’t seen him for a long time, I will take hold of him at the reunion, and press him against me in loving joy.
The peoples at the time and also the Israelites, in such a case would take hold of a man’s beard with joy, pull him closer and kiss him.
It was also the greeting that Joab used to, for example, murder an unsuspecting Amasa in a treacherous manner:
2 SAM 20:8-10
8When they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing his military uniform, and over it he had a belt with a sheathed sword strapped around his hips; and as he went forward, it fell out. 9Joab said to Amasa, “Is it going well with you, my brother?” And with his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa by the beard [as if] to kiss him [in greeting]. 10But Amasa [who had replaced Joab as David’s commander] was off guard and not attentive to the sword in Joab’s hand. So Joab struck Amasa in the abdomen with the sword, spilling his intestines to the ground. Without another blow Amasa died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
Another custom for the nations around Israel, which Israel also made their own, was that you greatly humiliate a man if you violate his beard
I share with you an example where this has been done to people:
2 SAM 10:4-5
4So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away. 5When David was informed, he sent [messengers] to meet them [before they reached Jerusalem], for the men were greatly ashamed and humiliated. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return.” (for you do not insult your king to appear before him with such a face)
The people at the time, including the Israelites, also shaved their beards when they were mourning:
4Now it happened on the second day after the killing of Gedaliah, before anyone knew about it, 5that eighty men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria with their beards shaved off and their clothes torn and their bodies cut, carrying in their hands grain offerings and incense to present at the [site of the] house of the LORD [in Jerusalem].
With a smile –
It’s also a good thing that I’m not under the Mosaic law because I can’t bear a beard on my face. I have nothing against a beard on anyone’s face, as long as it’s not on my face. 😊
How wonderful to read in the Word:
JOHN 1:16-17
16For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]. 17For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ.
How wonderful is the loving grace of our Lord.
You and I no longer have to bow under the Mosaic law and have such a disciplinarian who keep us in line with our Lord.
We, who have accepted JESUS as our Lord and Saviour, we are now under the Law of Christ:
GAL 6:2
2Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love].
You can read this love law of Jesus in 3 places in the Word where Jesus Himself quote His Love Law and you can read in many other places in His precious Word about His Love Law and His love for us. Jesus Himself quote His Love Law in the following three places to us namely; MAT 22:35 and onwards, MRK 12:28 and onwards, LUK 10:25 onwards, but I quote for you the one in Mark:
MARK 12:28-34
28Then one of the scribes [an expert in Mosaic Law] came up and listened to them arguing [with one another], and noticing that Jesus answered them well, asked Him, “Which commandment is first and most important of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The first and most important one is: ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL (life), AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND (thought, understanding), AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31“This is the second: ‘YOU SHALL [unselfishly] LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32The scribe said to Him, “Admirably answered, Teacher; You truthfully stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO OTHER BUT HIM; 33AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO [unselfishly] LOVE ONE’s NEIGHBOR AS ONESELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34When Jesus saw that he answered thoughtfully and intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that, no one would dare to ask Him any more questions.
If I live out these two love laws of Jesus Christ, I fulfill all that our LORD expect of me.
That is why my great hero Paul was also able to write on occasion:
ROM 13:8-10
8Owe nothing to anyone except to love and seek the best for one another; for he who [unselfishly] loves his neighbor has fulfilled the [essence of the] law [relating to one’s fellowman]. 9The commandments, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and any other commandment are summed up in this statement: “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor [it never hurts anyone]. Therefore [unselfish] love is the fulfillment of the Law.
If you want to read how I understand from the Word what ’love your neighbour’ entails, I can send the following writing on your request, or you can read it on my Website under the column; ‘Ministry’ “Who is my neighbour”
Greetings,
Sakkie
Email: bediening@sakkieparsons.co.za
Website: www.sakkieparsons.co.za
Cell: 083 457 6669
Jude 1:24-25 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
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