Protect and Provide

This is Part 4 in a 9-Part Series on Immigration

Before moving on in this journey through immigration, let's temporarily "settle" here to go a bit deeper on the interpretation and application of the Old Testament Laws. In the last post, we outlined some of the Mosaic Laws that had been put into place in order to protect and provide for foreigners. Unfortunately, just as it is today, laws that were originally intended to protect and provide can later be misused and abused to oppress and divide, and Jesus had to remind people - but especially the religious leaders - that the Spirit of the Old Testament Laws was to protect and provide, not oppress and divide.

The Bible is divided into 2 parts: The Old Testament (before Jesus), consisting of 39 Books, and The New Testament (after Jesus), consisting of 27 Books. The first 5 Books of The Old Testament are called The Pentateuch (in Greek, "Five Books") or the Torah, and they include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

As mentioned in the previous post, in these first 5 Books, God had laid out 613 laws for the Israelites to follow ("Mosaic Laws" and/or "Levitican Laws") which included the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). At that time in history, these laws would have functioned similarly to the civil laws we have today, creating a legal system of sorts with laws to be followed and penalties established for violating them. Over time, they also established a "court system" with judges who would determine cases in the event of disputes. (Incidentally, as a result of our Judeo-Christian history, many aspects of the current legal system in the United States - like the establishment of the Supreme Court - mirror aspects of these biblical principles).

There are some who may think of these 613 laws as being "excessive", but in comparison, The United States is estimated to have anywhere between 5,000 and 300,000 federal laws, and according to US News, each state is estimated to have anywhere from roughly 40,000 to 400,000 state laws depending upon the state.

The religious leaders studied Scripture ("the law") extensively and were considered experts at interpreting these laws. By the time Jesus had arrived on the scene, confusion and/or disagreement as to how these 613 laws should be interpreted and applied was fairly commonplace, and religious leaders frequently debated these issues, particularly because many were interpreting the Old Testament laws so literally or so loosely that they were no longer meaningful. The laws that were intended to protect were gradually being abused in order to oppress, and there were many people who had selfishly figured out ways around some of the laws in order to get what they wanted.

Jesus addressed this in many different ways on many different occasions, and at one point, He is asked by the religious pharisees which of these 613 laws was the most important:

"Jesus replied, 'You must love the Lord Your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind'. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally as important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." - Matthew 22: 37-40.

He expresses it in Matthew 7:12 as well:

"The Golden Rule

'Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.'"

In other words, the Spirit behind all of the 613 laws was loving God and loving other people.

The apostle, Paul, echoed Jesus' words when he stated, "For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Galatians 5:14

Paul goes a step further in Galatians by stating that, "When you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses." - Galatians 5:18

In other words, for Christians today, what is important is following the Holy Spirit's guidance because, in doing so, you will be following the Spirit of the Law, regardless of the law itself or the interpretation of the law. By following "The Golden Rule", you will be following the Spirit behind the law, and you will not need to worry about the legalism involved in following the law itself. If you want more clarification on that, click here to read, "The Spirit of the Law", and if you want a deeper understanding of how Jesus instructed people to apply this concept, click here to read, "The Good Liberal".

Whenever we encounter Old Testament laws ("Mosaic Laws" or "Levitican Laws") that we are unsure about, especially if they seem oppressive or excessive by today's standards, we can remember "The Golden Rule" and trust that the Spirit behind them at that particular time in history was to demonstrate unconditional love for God and unconditional love for other people. Then we can pray about it and ask the Holy Spirit to show us how we can do likewise at this particular time in history.

And when it comes to immigration, God's "immigration laws" were intended to protect and provide ... not oppress and divide.

" ... love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. ... " - Leviticus 19:34

In the next post, we'll continue our journey by exploring how these Old Testament laws were still being put into practice roughly 400 years later in the Book of Ruth.

© I Lift My Voice, 2025

Click Here to Read Post 5 in This 9-Part Series on Immigration