Cecily Zamora
The Bible is a collection of sacred texts in Christianity, comprising the Old and New Testaments. The first law in the Bible is found in the first of the five books of the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Torah or the Pentateuch, which includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These books contain the laws given by God to guide His people and direct their lives. The first law, given to Adam, was that he could eat from any tree except the one in the center of the garden. This law was broken, leading to the necessity of further laws.
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What You'll Learn
The Law of Moses
The content of the Law is spread among the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, and then reiterated and added to in Deuteronomy. This includes moral laws on murder, theft, honesty, adultery, and homosexuality; social laws on property, inheritance, marriage, and divorce; food laws on what is clean and unclean, and how to cook and store food; purity laws on menstruation, seminal emissions, skin disease, and mildew; instructions on how to observe various feasts, including the Day of Atonement, Passover, and the Feast of Tabernacles; and laws on sacrifices and offerings, such as the sin offering, burnt offering, and peace offering.
The foundation of the Law of Moses is the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2–17), as dictated to Moses by God Himself on Mount Sinai (Exodus 31:18). The Law of Moses also includes over 600 commandments and regulations found in the second through fifth books of the Torah. The Bible’s first use of the phrase "Law of Moses" appears after the death of Moses, when Joshua, who was with Moses throughout Israel’s forty years in the desert, had the Law of Moses written on plastered stones (Deuteronomy 27:4–8) and read in its entirety to all the people, both Israelite and alien (Deuteronomy 31:9–13).
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The Torah
Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Torah, is a review, expansion, and reiteration of the original law given at Sinai. It serves as a reminder to the Israelites of all that God had done for them and of their identity as a holy nation and a kingdom of priests.
According to Jewish tradition, the Torah was recompiled by Ezra during the Second Temple period, and it was changed from the older Hebrew script to the "Assyrian" script. While there is a consensus that the Torah has multiple authors and was written over centuries, the precise process of its composition is still debated.
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Genesis
The Bible is a historical revelation, an account of God's activity in history. The Book of Genesis is the book of beginnings, containing the foundations of several doctrines and concepts, including divine omnipotence, creation, paradise, marriage, family, sin, sacrifice, and atonement.
While Genesis may seem to contain little information on the subject of law at first glance, it does include commandments such as "be fruitful and multiply" (Gen 1:28) and the circumcision commandment (Gen 17:10). The book also addresses legal matters indirectly, such as through the story of Abraham, who was counted as righteous through his faith and obedience to God, rather than by following the rituals of Moses.
The laws mentioned in Genesis are consistent with the concept of natural law found throughout the Bible. These natural laws exist because a Creator God has imposed order on the universe, and all things within it, including plants, animals, rocks, and particles of matter, are bound by these laws.
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Exodus
The first law in the Bible is generally believed to be the Ten Commandments, which were given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai, as recorded in Exodus 20 (and reiterated in Deuteronomy 5). These commandments form the basis of the Mosaic Law, which includes the first five books of the Hebrew Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Law of Moses is considered supreme over all other sources of authority in ancient Israel, and it covers a range of topics, including moral, social, and religious laws.
- Moral laws: Exodus includes commandments such as "Thou shalt not steal" (Exodus 20:15) and "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13), which form the basis for moral teachings in both Judaism and Christianity.
- Social laws: Exodus contains laws regarding property, inheritance, marriage, and divorce. For example, Exodus 21:2 states that Hebrew slaves should serve for six years and then be freed in the seventh year without payment.
- Food laws: While not explicitly mentioned in Exodus, the Bible does include food laws, such as those regarding clean and unclean foods, which are found in other books of the Pentateuch.
- Purity laws: Exodus does not explicitly mention purity laws, but these are included in other books of the Pentateuch, such as Leviticus, which covers topics like menstruation and skin diseases.
- Laws regarding foreigners: Exodus includes laws that show mercy and hospitality to foreigners, such as the prohibition against oppressing or exploiting resident aliens (Exodus 22:21; 23:9).
- Animal welfare: Exodus includes laws that hold people responsible for taking care of their animals, such as the requirement to free an overloaded donkey, even if it belongs to someone who is hated (Exodus 23:5).
- Justice: Exodus contains laws that promote justice, such as the prohibition against perverting justice or accepting bribes (Exodus 23:3, 8).
The laws in Exodus are part of a larger narrative that tells the story of God, the earth, and humanity. They are not just a set of rules but are meant to guide the Israelites' behaviour and response to God's mission and grace.
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Leviticus
The first law in the Bible is the Law of Moses, also called the Mosaic Law. This law is said to have been revealed to Moses by God. The term primarily refers to the Torah or the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. These books are called the Pentateuch in Latinised Greek, meaning "five books".
The third book of the Bible is Leviticus, which follows on from the book of Exodus. The Israelites have been freed from slavery in Egypt and have gathered at Mount Sinai to enter a covenant with God. However, they immediately rebel and violate the terms of the covenant. The book of Leviticus outlines the invitation from God to Moses to enter the presence of God in the "tent of meeting".
The book of Leviticus contains many of the laws given by God to direct the Levites, the priests chosen by God, in their work as priests for the worship of God. The great theme of Leviticus is holiness. A holy God can only be approached on the basis of sacrifice through the mediation of a priest. The book teaches Israel how to worship and walk with God and how the nation can fulfil its calling as a nation of priests.
Chapters 11-15 of Leviticus are about the ritual purity required of the Israelites, while chapters 18-20 are about their moral purity. Chapters 1-7 outline the offerings required of both the laity and the priesthood. Chapter 16 describes the Day of Atonement when an annual sacrifice is made for the sins of the people. Blessings or curses would accompany either the keeping or neglect of God’s commandments (chapter 26).
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Frequently asked questions
The first law in the Bible is the Law of Moses, also called the Mosaic Law. It refers to the Torah or the first five books of the Hebrew Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These books contain the rules and commandments that God passed down to guide his people.
The first commandment given by God was to Adam, who was told he could eat from any tree except for the tree at the center of the garden.
The Law of First Mention is a guideline used for studying Scripture. It states that to understand a particular word or concept in the Bible, one must refer to the first time it is mentioned and study that passage to gain a clear understanding of its simplest meaning.
