What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not!...Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
Romans 7:7 & 12

As we read through the Bible each year, as is typically the case in late February, we are reading the Old Testament (OT) law. Reading the Law can seem tedious. Believers commonly wonder what the relevance is since we are “not under the law.” Maybe these statements will help:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable…” (2 Timothy 3:16) That includes the OT law!

We are not under the condemnation of the Law, but the law has not been completely set aside. There are three aspects of the Law: Ceremonial (religious), Civil, and Moral. The ceremonial law has been fulfilled by Jesus. The ceremonial law is not binding on us. Because we are not ancient Israel, the civil laws that governed that ancient nation are not binding on us either. The moral aspect is timeless and is binding on all people at all times. In addition, though the particulars of the ceremonial and civil aspects of the law are not binding, the moral principles, even of the ceremonial and civil law, are still pertinent.

Keeping the moral law is not a means of salvation (no one but Jesus has ever or can ever keep the law perfectly). Rather, the first purpose of the law is to condemn us so we will cry out to God for mercy—which is available only through faith in Jesus. Beyond that, the law still reveals the holiness of God, and to a limited degree, restrains evil.

Lastly, when I read the Law, I am grateful to be a New Testament believer because the details of the OT law are indeed burdensome. Remember these things when you are reading the OT law.