We have been talking about loving our enemies and how we should not return harm for harm, but rather return good for evil. And I have also made the point that since love means doing good, that is, seeking to bless, help and care for our enemy – we certainly should not try to kill our enemy.
An objection
- to all this is that God commanded killing and warfare in the Old Testament. And I want us to look at this today.
There are many examples of such commands. I will just give two:
- Leviticus 24:17 – “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.” And then right after this we have the ‘eye for an eye’ teaching stated. This particular example comes from the context of the justice system.
- Numbers 31:7 – “They warred against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every male.” This is, obviously, and example from the context of war.
The assumption of this objection, then, is that God doesn’t change his mind! At least not with regard to these issues. So let’s look at this and see – Does God’s mind change? Does God’s will for us ever change?
Well, right of we have to note that -
God’s will changes with Moses
Here are two examples of this, from before and then after Moses, in the realm of marriage and sexuality:
1) Abraham married his half sister (Genesis 20:12). But Leviticus 18:9 forbids this as incest.
2) Jacob was married simultaneously to two sisters (Genesis 29:21-30). But Leviticus 18:18 forbids this as incest.
In the Genesis narratives there is no negative assessment of these marriages. They were allowed. Yet both of these are later called “depravity” by the Law of Moses. They were forbidden.
In these two examples we have Moses raising the standard from the time of the Patriarchs. But we also have an example of Moses lowering the standard. It was God’s original intention that marriage be permanent – Genesis 2:24. But Moses allowed divorce – Deuteronomy 24:1. He did this because of the hardness of the people’s hearts, according to Jesus. In other words, he made an accommodation to the people because of their poor spiritual condition.
God’s will also changes with the coming of Jesus
There are six examples of change in Matthew 5:21-48, a passage we have looked at before:
1. Moses forbade murder, but now Jesus also forbids angry words that tear down.
2. Moses forbade adultery, but now Jesus also forbids the lustful look.
3. Moses allowed it, but now Jesus doesn’t allow divorce, except in the case of sexual immorality.
4. Moses allowed them, but now Jesus doesn’t allow promissory oaths
5. Moses commanded an eye for an eye, but now Jesus commands us to endure wrong – in speaking of returning rebellion for oppression.
6. Moses commanded loving neighbors but hating some enemies, but now Jesus commands us to love our enemies.
So these are six examples of change with the coming of Jesus. And what is nice about these examples is that they come in a passage of Scripture where Jesus is specifically addressing the issue of change and the relationship between his teaching and the Law of Moses. And the relationship is that -
Jesus fulfills the Law
With all these changes, the question is bound to be raised, ‘Is Jesus abolishing the Law of Moses?’ His answer is clear. In Matthew 5:17 he says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Rather than relaxing or setting aside Moses, Jesus is fulfilling or perfecting Moses’ teaching. He is raising the standard.
Now in these six examples there are actually three different ways in which Jesus fulfills the Law of Moses:
1. Jesus raises the standard to include smaller instances of the same sins.
- Murder is wrong, but also now angry words
- Adultery is wrong, but also now the lustful look
So there is change in that more is required, but murder and adultery are still wrong.
2. Jesus raises the standard by forbidding practices that were allowed by the Law.
- Divorce was allowed, but now it is not (except in the case of sexual immorality)
- Promissory oaths were allowed, but now they are not
So there is change, in that what was once allowed isn’t anymore. But since divorce and promissory oaths weren’t commanded in the Law, this isn’t a contradiction. You don’t break the Law by living above what it allows.
3. Jesus raises the standard by taking into account the intention and direction of the Law and moving it to its completion.
- With regard to nonresistance, Moses sought to limit retaliation by teaching an eye for an eye. He was countering unlimited or disproportionate retaliation – returning more than an eye for an eye. Now Jesus takes it further in the same direction and forbids all retaliation
So there is change, in that what was commanded is now forbidden by a new command. But since the new commandment is based on the inner movement and intention of the Law itself, they are in harmony. They are animated by the same goal – to limit retaliation.
This is the category that our verses on loving enemies fall under. So lets look at -
Love of enemies as a fulfillment of the Law
In the Law, “love your neighbor” was meant to increase the circle of those who are loved – not just your family or clan or tribe – but all of Israel. But it didn’t include national enemies and hatred of them is commanded in some cases.
Jesus, taking this into account, that is, the intention and trajectory of the Law, includes everyone under the love command. That is, there is a movement toward increasing the scope of the love command in the Law itself, and Jesus completes this movement by making it cover all people.
“Love your neighbor” is not relaxed or abolished, it is fulfilled. Its limitation to certain people, so that some can be hated, is removed so that now all are to be loved.
In answer to our question -
Yes, God’s mind has changed (sort of)
As we have seen, there is definitely change:
- Some things that are not mentioned in the Law are now required for faithfulness
- Some things that were allowed in the Law are no longer allowed
- Some things that were commanded in the Law are overturned by new commands
But in reality God’s true and perfect will for us has always been the same. It just that God has made accommodations to our weaknesses, and God’s plan of redemption has come in stages, leading us along a step at a time.
And because of this the revelation of God’s will has been gradual and progressive over time.
So it is true that in the time of Moses God commanded his people to kill in certain circumstances. But now, with the coming of Jesus we are commanded to love all people, even our enemies, which excludes killing them.
What we have to remember is that . . .
Jesus is the perfect revelation of God’s will
He is the culmination of this process of God revealing his will to us. As John says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” – John 1:17-18.
Hebrews 1:1-3 says, “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he created all the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being . . ..”
In both of these references the revelation that came through Moses is contrasted with the superior revelation that came through Jesus. With Jesus we have the complete and perfect revelation of God’s will for our lives. And we are to follow what he says.
This too is in harmony with the Law
It was foretold that when the Messiah came, he would teach the people and they should listen to whatever he says. He is to be a second Moses. Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers – it is to him you shall listen” – Deuteronomy 18:15. This is who Jesus is – Acts 3:22; 7:37. And just As Moses said, “it is to him you shall listen.” Even according to Moses, we are to listen to Jesus.
