Bending the Rules

Many of us (myself included) often thing the concept living in fulfillment of the Law is only a New Testament idea. To some extent this is true. Yet, King Hezekiah gives a fabulous example of someone who understood what the Law was really all about in 2 Chr 30. I've read the passage before but obviously forgot about it, given how surprised I was to read it this morning.

Essentially, the king decided he was going to hold the Passover celebration. However, there weren't enough priests who had purified themselves to handle a national feast of that magnitude. He had to decide, apparently, whether to cancel the celebration or to postpone it. He postponed it, despite the time appointed in God's Law (30:2-3). He even chose to send invitations to the unfaithful people of Israel many who laughed at the messengers (30:10). Nevertheless, people came from both Israel and Judah. When the day arrived, some people had to slaughter one of the Passover lambs themselves because some priests still had not purified themselves (30:15), again breaking the Law. Most of the Israelites had not purified themselves either (30:18), but Hezekiah prayed, realizing that God may pardon them (30:19). God heeded Hezekiah's prayer (30:20).

Did we get that? God, the one who seemingly flared up in anger at any breach of the Law, heeded Hezekiah's prayer. Why? God is much more interested in intimacy with His people than He is in upholding the "rules." The law of sowing and reaping meant that the people who celebrated the Law incorrectly could have reaped many dire consequences. (Perhaps they did because 30:20 indicates that God actually healed the people.) Instead, those who humbled themselves before the Lord and asked for a pardon so that they could truly worship were granted that pardon.

That smacks of Pauls sentiment in Romans 14-15. He is more concerned that we help others do what is right, building them up in the Lord (15:2), than he is about upholding any sort of Chrsitian "standard of rules." The fact is that there is no standard of rules for the Christian faith, aside from doing everything we do to glorify the Lord. Some people will take each letter of both testaments literally, practicing as much as they can. Others follow principles that follow Kingdom living (Matt 5-7). Regardless, God's principle for Christians as recorded in Romans 15:5-7 is clear in Old and New Testaments: "May God, who gives...patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory."