I don’t know about you, but when I am looking for meaningful verses from the Bible, I seldom turn to books like Leviticus, Numbers or Deuteronomy. These books are just full of rules that seem outdated and inapplicable. Sure, they contain the Ten Commandments, and those are important. But other than that, it just seems like there are a lot of really strange commands that God gives the Israelites. 

“You shall not have in your bag two kinds of measures, one large and one small.” (Deut. 25:13)

“You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out grain.” (Deut. 25:4)

“When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof.” (Deut. 22:8)

What do any of these laws have to do with my daily life?! I don’t keep a measure in my purse. I don’t use an ox in my garden. And I’m not even sure what a parapet is, much less ever considered putting one on my roof! These were written thousands of years ago, to a people in a very different place living in a very different culture.

But…although these verses may seem totally irrelevant to our lives today, they actually tell us A LOT about who God is. When he tells the Israelites not to have two types of measures, He is speaking out against dishonesty, commanding them to treat each other fairly in business situations. When He instructs them not to muzzle an ox, He is encouraging kindness to animals that are under their care. Telling the Israelites to build a parapet (a short wall!) around their roofs would keep them safe from falling off, which in turn would not only save lives but foster good relations. I guess even back then, people were prone to sue over their grievances!

The INTENT behind these laws is completely applicable to our lives today. Honestly, kindness, carefulness…these are attributes God encouraged in the Israelites because He wanted the best for them. He had chosen His people to be set apart from the unholy nations around them, and He wanted them to live in peace and unity. Every law that He gave was intended to help them live righteous and prosperous lives.

How encouraging it is to look back and see that throughout the ages God has always sought to communicate with His people out of His great love for them, in order to protect and provide for them. He has always shown His hand of grace on those He chose by revealing His will to them, just as He does to us today. Every part of the Bible demonstrates His loving character. 

Times may change, cultures may change, but our loving God is always the same.