Higher Law series Lesson one

“The Bible declares Highest Law”

Some of greatest discoveries in archeology have been ancient civilizations’ codes of law. For example Hammurabi, sixth king of Amorites, compiled and simplified a code of laws for his people about 1700 years before birth of Christ. This code of laws is known as Code of Hammurabi. The Mosaic Law of Israel, which came later, is not unlike Code of Hammurabi. Both systems of law provide moral, civil, and criminal codes for each respective civilization. There is, however, a significant difference between Code of Hammurabi and Mosaic Law. The difference makes Mosaic Law unique from all other codes of law. The Mosaic Law is monotheistic (one God) and given to Israel by God Himself. Because of this truth, Mosaic Law has been revered throughout Israel’s history as sacred and has helped sustain Israel as a Hebrew people to this very day. This feat alone is supernatural, considering Israel’s long history. (Scattered for 2000 years throughout all nations of earth, they returned to their nation in 1948 and remain there to this day.)

I believe that every ancient civilization that has ever existed on face of earth has either pledged to, or rejected some system of law. Why do I make this blanket statement? The Bible says that every man who has ever lived on earth has witnessed reality of God by seeing Him revealed in His orderly expanse. Every man born is born with a conscience that should guide him to God (Romans chapter one). I believe that law is good and ordained of God to protect, preserve, and propel civilizations forward. After all, history teaches us that great civilizations flourish when law, government, and enterprise are upheld.

What does Bible say about law and order? It says much. I want to share some scriptures with you that underscore necessity of rule of law in society. In Exodus 19: 5 we read, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although whole earth is mine, (6) you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are words you are to speak to Israelites.” Here Lord tells Israel that they will be unique from all other nations if they revere Him. What I glean from this scripture is that any nation is unique to God if it willingly honors God. God is not a “respecter of persons.” He does not prefer one nation to another nation, either. What He does for one, He will do for anyone who meets His conditions.

Throughout Israel’s early history all crimes were crimes against God. Why was this true? It was true because God wanted to be Israel’s King forever and fight her battles for her (I Samuel 12:9-10). The day that Israel refused God as her King, because she wanted to be like other nations, is day she began to stumble, eventually falling into gentile captivity. God expected His people to follow His Law or suffer consequences. The consequences could be severe. God never overlooked wrongdoing because of His love for His people, but in love He punished “wrongdoer.” There is nothing wrong with “aversive conditioning” which is known in psychology as “classical conditioning”, use of punishment to deter bad behavior. Once again, upholding right and wrong by threat of punishment or promise of reward is not a bad thing. It sets guidelines; defines boundaries; it maintains order. The Bible says that God is not author of confusion. He is God of order. God is for law and order.

Also, Mosaic Law regarded all life as sacred, unlike other nations’ codes of law. The Bible declares that man is made in image and likeness of God. Man is highest rank of all God’s creation. The Bible says that Christians are ranked above angels in created order. Man is given a privileged position in creation’s rank and file; therefore, human life is especially precious to God. It should be special to man. Time does not allow me to cover everything Bible states regarding rule of law; however, I would like to conclude this study with some scriptures that speak to moral and civil laws. God’s moral laws are universal. It’s just as wrong to murder in America as it is to murder someone in England, France, Australia or anywhere else on this planet. It is never right.

Faith Fellowship Church…PO Box 1586…Broken Arrow, OK 74013…918-451-0270…Pastor Terry Dashner

Near end of my Libertarian campaign for Marion County Prosecutor in Indianapolis in 2002, I noted stories by news partners WTHR-TV Channel 13 (NBC) and Indianapolis Star newspaper that supported my outspoken political position against war on drugs. There were very few news stories, if any, which did not support my view.

It is my Libertarian view that drug prohibition policies of Democrats and Republicans are ineffective, wasteful, hypocritical, and destructive. The policies are a leading – if not leading – cause of crime in America, including violent crimes. As odd as this may seem, Americans overwhelmingly vote for policies that actually promote crime. For example ... The first notation I made was on October 31 when WTHR reported that two suspects were arrested for shooting an Anderson, Indiana police officer in hand during an armed robbery of a drug store. The thieves stole tens of thousands of dollars in narcotics including hydrocodone and Oxycontin.

Suspect Jack Lankford, who looked to be in his forties, admitted to being a drug addict since he was 15 or 16. That police wanted to know if two suspects were tied to a string of drug store heists suggests that they recognize a causal relationship between addiction, prohibition and crime that leaders of both major parties have not been willing to admit.

On November 3, Star reported that illegal drug exchanges between elderly is both common and risky – because such illegal drug users are "out of loop" of doctor protection. Three days later, Star carried an article about how between 1997 and 2000, doctors prescribed medications to adults that potentially caused 3,750 serious injuries, birth defects and deaths in children under 2 years old. Statistically, this makes drug companies and doctors hundreds of times more dangerous to children than, say, marijuana dealers.

On November 4, Steve Johnson of WTHR presented a report about car theft. He interviewed inmate Shawn Jackson who admitted to stealing cars to support a drug habit. "Every time a thief takes a car in our state it drives up every drivers' insurance," Johnson said. Given this, wouldn’t we be smarter to give Jackson freedom to get drugs cheaply so that he wouldn’t need to steal cars, or as many of them? That’s what we’ve done for decades at methadone treatment centers, with goal of reducing theft.

On November 5, Star reported that a woman pleaded guilty to selling her Oxycontin prescriptions. Like heroin and methadone, Oxycontin is an opiate. Some users crush tablet and swallow, snort or inject drug for rapid and intense heroin-like highs. Surely this abuse is not rare in over 7 million OxyContin prescriptions legally filled in U.S. each year.