MITSVOT: ARE GOD’S COMMANDMENTS RULES, OR A FATHER’S INSTRUCTIONS?
Many people have a certain picture in mind when they hear the word “commandments.”
They think of rules. Of obligations. Of a law book. Of something that limits freedom. Some may even think of a strict God who is constantly checking whether people are doing everything right. But what if that picture is not complete? What if God’s commandments were never meant to be a cold set of rules? What if the Bible gives us a very different picture? What if God’s commandments are actually the loving instructions of a Father to His children? This one insight can change forever the way someone reads the whole Scripture.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE WORD “COMMANDMENT”
In English the word “commandment” sounds heavy. A commandment feels like an order. Something that must be done. Something that leaves no room for discussion. So when people read about God’s commandments in the Bible, it’s easy for the image to form of a legal relationship between God and man. God gives rules. People must carry them out. But the Hebrew world in which the Bible was written was far more relational than the modern Western world. Scripture does not present God only as King. Not only as Judge. Not only as Creator. Time and again Scripture presents Him as:
Father.
And a father looks at his children differently than a judge looks at a defendant.
WHAT DOES THE WORD MITSVAH MEAN?
The Hebrew word for commandment is:
מִצְוָה (mitsvah)
Plural:
מִצְווֹת (mitsvot)
Linguistically the word does indeed mean an order, command, or commandment. But language alone does not always tell the whole story. The question is not only:
“What does the word mean?”
The question is also:
“Out of which relationship is it given?”
That makes an enormous difference.
AN EXAMPLE FROM EVERYDAY LIFE
Suppose a police officer says to you: “Stop.”
That is an order. You obey because of his authority. But suppose a loving father says to his small child:
“Don’t touch that hot stove.”
That, too, is an order. But no one would say the father is abusing his power. On the contrary. The order comes from love. The father knows something the child does not yet know.
- He wants to protect.
- He wants to preserve life.
- He wants to prevent his child from getting hurt.
The instruction comes from care. This picture seems to stand much closer to the way the Bible presents God’s commandments.
THE TORAH DOES NOT LITERALLY MEAN “LAW”
Another important misunderstanding concerns the word:
Torah (תּוֹרָה)
It is often translated as:
“Law.”
But literally Torah means more:
- teaching
- instruction
- direction
- guidance
A good father teaches his children. He gives direction. He teaches them how to live. That picture fits the meaning of Torah far better than the modern idea of a law book. When people read Torah only as “law,” they can easily forget the Father behind the words.
DEUTERONOMY: GOD’S HEART BEHIND THE COMMANDMENTS
When Moses speaks about God’s commandments, he does not speak as though God hands out rules arbitrarily. Time and again he explains that God’s instructions were given for the wellbeing of His people. The purpose is:
- life
- blessing
- protection
- wisdom
God does not say:
“Obey Me so that I have a reason to love you.”
The message is much more:
“I love you. That is why I am showing you the way that leads to life.”
That is an enormous difference.
PSALM 119 MAKES EVERYTHING CLEAR
Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible. What stands out is that the writer speaks continually about:
- God’s Torah
- God’s commandments
- God’s statutes
- God’s testimonies
But he does not speak of them as a burden. On the contrary.
- He rejoices in them.
- He longs for them.
- He loves them.
That would be impossible if God’s commandments were merely cold rules. The psalmist saw something that many people miss today. He saw the Father’s heart behind the instructions.
YESHUA AND THE COMMANDMENTS
Many people think the gospel creates a contrast between love and obedience. But Yeshua did just the opposite. He joined love and obedience together. He said:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
Remarkably, He does not say:
“Keep My commandments so that I will love you.”
No. Love comes first. Obedience follows. Obedience does not become the cause of the relationship. Obedience becomes the fruit of the relationship. That is exactly how healthy families function.
THE FATHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIP
A healthy child does not obey his father only because he is afraid.
- He obeys because he trusts.
- He knows his father loves him.
- He knows his father has more experience.
- He knows his father sees things he cannot yet see himself.
That trust changes everything. Suddenly instructions are no longer a burden. They become signposts.
WHY MANY PEOPLE READ SCRIPTURE INCORRECTLY
Through centuries of religious tradition, many people have come to read the Bible as though it is mainly a collection of rules. This easily creates a false contrast:
- Law versus grace.
- Commandments versus love.
- Torah versus gospel.
But Scripture itself presents these things far less as contrasts. The gospel reveals the Father. And precisely because the Father is revealed, His instructions find their proper place. Not as a means of earning salvation. Not as an instrument of oppression. But as wisdom for life.
GOD’S COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT A BURDEN
The apostle John writes:
“His commandments are not burdensome.”
That is a remarkable statement. For someone who sees God as a strict ruler, that sounds impossible. But for someone who knows God as Father, it becomes understandable. A child who trusts his father does not experience good instructions as slavery. He sees them as protection.
THE GOSPEL DOES NOT CHANGE THE FATHER
Sometimes the impression is given that God was strict in the Old Testament and became loving in the New Testament.
- Scripture does not teach that.
- The Father has not changed.
- His character has not changed.
- His love has not changed.
- His wisdom has not changed.
What the gospel does is reveal the Father more clearly. Yeshua came not to replace the Father.
He came to make Him known.
A LIFE-CHANGING INSIGHT
Perhaps it is time to read one word differently. The next time you come across the word “commandment,” try not to immediately think of a legal rule.
- Think of a father.
- Think of a loving father who warns his children about danger.
- Who teaches them how to live.
- Who gives them direction.
- Who protects them.
- Who seeks their wellbeing.
Do not read Scripture only through the lens of a law book. Read it through the eyes of a child listening to his Father. Then something changes. The commandments stop being chains. They become signposts. The Torah stops being a burden. It becomes teaching. Obedience stops being an attempt to earn love. It becomes a response to love already received.
CONCLUSION
The Hebrew mitsvot truly are commandments. But when they are separated from the Father who gave them, they lose their deepest meaning. God’s instructions are not arbitrary rules. They are the loving directions of a Father who knows His children, protects them, and wants to lead them to life. Therefore we can say:
God’s commandments are not the barriers between the Father and His children.
God’s commandments are the signposts the Father gives to His children.
And perhaps that very insight changes the way someone reads the entire Bible.
A child who does not know his father’s love will experience his instructions as rules.
A child who knows his father’s love will experience those same instructions as care.
So it is also with God’s mitsvot (commandments).
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