The Old Testament contains some passages that can feel confusing, offensive, or just plain strange to modern readers. From laws about stoning to regulations around slavery, it’s easy to dismiss these texts or feel embarrassed by them. But when we take a closer look, a powerful andconsistent theme emerges: God’s people are called to be different
What Was the Purpose of Old Testament Laws?
One of the most important questions to ask when reading the Old Testament is: why were these laws given in the first place? The overriding purpose was to distinguish the nation of Israel from the pagan nations around them. God wanted Israel to be a holy nation, meaning set apart, pure, and clearly identified as His chosen people.
There are three types of law found in the Old Testament:
- Ceremonial Laws: These covered sacrifices, festivals, and offerings. Jesus became the final sacrifice, so Christians are no longer bound by these.
- Moral Laws: Foremost among these are the Ten Commandments. These continue to apply to believers today.
- Civil Laws: These were the governing laws of the nation of Israel. These are often the ones that cause the most confusion for modern readers.
Understanding which category a law falls into helps us read the Old Testament with much greater clarity.
What About the Laws That Called for Stoning?
Some of the most jarring passages in the Old Testament describe capital punishment for sins like adultery and blasphemy.
“If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.” – Deuteronomy 22:22
“Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses.” – Leviticus 24:23
These punishments feel extreme by today’s standards. But a few things are worth noting. First, God hates evil and wrongdoing. Adultery and blasphemy were serious offenses against His holiness. Second, these punishments were not secret. Everyone in Israel knew the law. If someone chose to commit the crime, they were choosing to accept the consequence.
We also have to be honest that we are reading these texts through 21st century eyes rather than through the lens of ancient Israelite culture. That doesn’t mean we have to agree with every punishment, but it does mean we need to be careful about judging an ancient society by modern standards without understanding the context.
Why Did God Care What Fabric People Wore?
One of the stranger laws is found in Deuteronomy 22:11: “Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.”
This one puzzles many people, including pastors. But there is a reasonable explanation. According to the theology resource GotQuestions.org, “The laws against improper mixtures may have been designed to keep the Israelites from imitating the superstitious practices of the nations surrounding them. The reason could have been to remind the Israelites of their responsibility to be separate and holy. God wants religion to be pure and undefiled.”
In other words, even something as small as clothing could carry symbolic weight. God wanted His people to be visibly and practically different from the idol-worshipping nations around them. Purity was meant to extend into every area of life.
What Does the Bible Actually Say About Slavery?
This is perhaps the most sensitive topic in this discussion. It is important to be honest: the Bible does not explicitly command slavery, but it also does not outright condemn it. What it does is regulate it.
“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he shall go free without paying anything.” – Exodus 21:2
To understand this, we need to remember that 2,000 to 3,000 years ago there was no welfare state, no safety net for people who fell into poverty. An Israelite could choose to sell themselves into service to pay off a debt. This is very different from the image most of us have of slavery, which involves people being forcibly removed from their homes and placed in chains.
The Old Testament laws around slavery were designed to regulate a practice that was already widespread in the surrounding nations, and to do so in a way that offered some protection to those in servitude. A Hebrew servant could not be kept for more than six years. This connected to the broader principle of the Year of Jubilee, where debts were cancelled and land returned to its original owners.
It is also worth noting that William Wilberforce, who led the charge to abolish the transatlantic slave trade, was a committed Christian. Christians have historically been at the forefront of fighting slavery. And the fight is not over. Slavery still exists in parts of the world today, and followers of Jesus should be leading the effort to end it.
How Does Jesus Change Everything?
The arrival of Jesus marks a turning point in how we understand all of these laws and practices. “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” – Hebrews 9:15
Jesus came to set us free. In our natural state, Scripture tells us we are slaves to sin. Jesus paid the price to buy us out of that slavery. The ceremonial laws pointed to Him. The civil laws governed a nation that no longer exists in the same form. But the call to holiness remains.
What Does It Mean to Be Holy in the 21st Century?
The call that God placed on Israel, to be set apart, to be different, to be holy, has not disappeared. It has simply taken a new shape for followers of Jesus today.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.” – 1 Peter 2:9-12
Three thousand years ago, God called Israel to be a holy nation, separate from the pagan world around them. Today, He calls His church to the same standard. We are in the world, but we must not be indistinguishable from it.
The question worth asking is this: could someone look at your life and see that you are different? Do you have a peace that others cannot explain? Do you hold back when everyone around you is cutting corners or tearing others down? That visible difference is what holiness looks like in everyday life.
Revival does not begin outside the church. It begins within it. When God’s people become genuinely holy, genuinely set apart, the world takes notice. Transformed people are changed people, and changed people change communities.
Life Application
This week, take an honest look at your daily life and ask yourself where you might be blending in with the world rather than standing apart from it. It could be in how you speak about others at work, how you handle conflict, or how you spend your time and money. Choose one specific area where you will intentionally live differently this week as an act of holiness.
Ask yourself:
• Is there an area of my life where I am tolerating something that I know does not reflect God’s holiness?
• Would the people around me at work or in my social life be able to tell that I follow Jesus based on how I live?
• Am I allowing the culture around me to shape my values more than Scripture is?
The Old Testament laws, even the strange and difficult ones, point to a God who takes holiness seriously. Jesus fulfilled those laws and set us free from sin. Now, as His people, we carry the same calling Israel did: to be set apart, to be different, and to live in a way that points others toward Him.
