A Theology of the Family
Before sin ever entered the world, God declared that something was “not good.” “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone.’”(Gen 2:18) To fix this imperfection, God created Eve and made the first family. The Fall wreaked havoc with that family, and the Bible offers countless examples of the brokenness that has plagued families ever since. Yet despite its messiness, the idea of family is still precious to God. The Hebrew people defined themselves by their family lines, and the Mosaic law outlines God’s instructions for faithful family life and relationships.
The complex and intricate law laid out for the Israelites in the Pentateuch never made sense to me. I could see that the elaborate sacrificial system would help the people recognize the gravity of their sin, but I couldn’t understand why it might be relevant to Christians today, since Jesus’ death and resurrection made the Temple sacrifice structure unnecessary. Then a professor of mine explained that the laws and festivals and ordinances laid out in the Pentateuch were God’s way of safeguarding the Israelite families. Suddenly, it all made sense. God places an enormous value on family, and He went to great lengths to structure Israelite society so that familial relationships would be protected and would prosper.
The Sabbath: Living in the desert, dependent on livestock and agriculture, it is madness to take a day off every week. Such a practice was unheard of in any other culture. And the Sabbath year is so bizarre it seems like a mistranslation! What do you do for an entire year with no planting or harvesting? It would mean two years before another harvest. Setting so much time apart is simply astonishing in a survival-based reality. But, one day of no work every week ensured family time, especially between fathers and children. The Israelites were not faithful in keeping this time sacred, but the Sabbath was intended to give the family extensive time together.
Dietary laws: Again, in an ecosystem where food was scarce, drought was common, and survival was uncertain, forbidding large supplies of food seems insane. But think for a minute of the Israelite kitchens (or tent campfires). All of the elaborate rituals and rules about foods and food preparation would mean each meal would take longer to prepare than the Canaanite equivalents. Can’t you imagine the hungry children clustering around and asking their endless “why?” about each procedure and prohibition? This creates natural teaching moments in the daily life of the household, where questions about faith and behavior are asked and answered. Some foods and meals were history lessons. The Passover meal was designed to involve the children with asking questions and experiencing, with all five senses, the history of God’s deliverance of Israel.
Festivals: Families were instructed to travel to Jerusalem for the yearly festivals. What do you do on long walks? Talk, sing about God, discuss the festival, join in the festive gathering of the nation. Family life really revolved around the religious calendar in extraordinarily special ways. In one festival, Sukkot, the family would build a small house on their roof and sleep in it. What child hasn’t yearned to do just that?
The family is hugely important to God. The most scathing pronouncements that God ever has for Israel concern their participation in the mistreatment of children, especially orphans. God is constantly concerned for those who have no families; the Old Testament contains thirty-five direct commands or rebukes from God concerning the care His people are to take of orphans. Tomorrow’s post will address these commands and rebukes in greater detail.
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