Laws, Judges, Kings
Biblical Law
Homework—January 14, 2026
Let’s Review:
Hopefully, this sounds familiar, as we took the first part of the year to study these first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible. But what happens once the Israelites finally reach the Promised Land? That’s what we’re going to look at next.
There were three ways in which God tried to keep the Israelites on track with the covenant God made with them:
1. Laws (more than the 10 commandments, God gave the people guidance in ethics, morality, and even what they ate).
2. Judges—God appointed individuals to make judgments when disagreements and concerns arose.
3. Kings—when the people wanted to be more like the other nations, they demanded a king, so with hesitation, God appointed a king for the Israelites. And this is where things really started going wrong.
If you could make a law to make your life easier, what would it be?
God’s Laws in Leviticus
Some of the laws God gave the people of Israel seem unusual…or even silly:
· You shall not eat pig meat (NO BACON!!!)—Leviticus 11:7-8
· You shall not eat anything in the sea or rivers that does not have fins and scales (NO crab, lobster, oyster, etc.)—Leviticus 11:9-10
· No tattoos—Leviticus 19:28
And some laws are so important, yet we still have trouble following them:
· Treat the elderly with respect—Lev. 19:32
· Take care of people from other countries who come to or live in your country—Lev. 19:33
· Don’t defraud people by cheating on the measurements of what you owe them—Lev. 19:35-36
While these laws seem to be all over the place, they offered two very important things for the people of Israel:
1. Distinguish them from other nations
2. Guide them to treat themselves and others with grace, honor, respect, and justice.
Use your Small Catechism to look up the 10 Commandments and their explanations (or go here). Then, use your own words to write the commandments in today’s language and concepts.
Read Matthew 7:12
Jesus condenses the laws into something very simple—and very difficult. What does he say? Why is this still hard to follow?
Even some of God’s laws found in Leviticus no longer serve the people in the same way they used to. Think about laws—either in the Bible or in our society today—that:
· Are temporary or have lost their usefulness or purpose over time?
· Are meant to protect the vulnerable?
· Are meant to move us forward or offer something new?
Look Up: Look up ‘Blue Laws’ to learn what they are and why they existed (and in some cases, still exist). What do you think was valuable about these laws? Are they still valuable or should they be taken down?
