5 Interesting Laws In The Bible That Actually Point to The Cross | Bible Study with Joseph Prince
Discovering the Deeper Meaning of Biblical Laws: How Old Testament Rules Point Us to the Cross
The Bible is full of laws and regulations, many of which seem strange or even harsh to modern readers. However, every command, every rule, and every instruction has a purposeful place in God’s grand design. Rather than simply being a set of ancient rules, the laws of Moses lay a foundation that ultimately points us to the message of the cross God’s incredible love and grace through Jesus Christ. In this article, we will look at five intriguing Old Testament laws and discover how each reveals our need for a Savior and the beauty of God’s redemptive plan.
Law and Grace: The Case of the Rebellious Son
One of the most sobering laws in the Old Testament addressed what should be done when a son rebelled against his parents. The Mosaic law instructed that an unrepentantly rebellious son be brought before the elders of the city, and if his rebellion continued, he could be stoned to death. This rule was designed to purge evil from Israel and maintain the holiness of God’s people.
This law forms the backdrop for one of Jesus’ most famous parables: the story of the prodigal son. By rights, the wayward son, who took his inheritance and squandered it on reckless living, should have faced judgment and rejection under the law. Instead, Jesus describes how that father runs to embrace his son, robes him in righteousness, and restores his place in the family. He receives not condemnation, but love and celebration.
Jesus tells this story while still under the law, but as a picture of the radical nature of God’s grace. How can a just God, who must punish sin, accept the sinner? The answer is the cross. Jesus, though without sin, bore the full punishment for our rebellion. At the moment of our return to the Father, it wasn’t that justice was forgotten it was fulfilled in Christ. What cost us nothing cost God everything. This is the heart of grace: we are welcomed, wrapped in righteousness, and fully restored because Jesus paid the price.
The Guilt Offering: Restoration Beyond Justice
Another intriguing Old Testament ordinance deals with restitution. When someone sinned by theft, deceit, or extortion, they weren’t just required to return what they had taken. The law specified that the offender must restore the full value, plus an additional 20% to the victim. But that wasn’t all the guilty party also needed to bring a guilt offering to the Lord, known as the asham. This process was God’s way of addressing not only the physical loss but the real weight and guilt of sin.
Why did God require an additional penalty? The law teaches us that true restoration always exceeds what was lost. Now, shift your gaze to the cross. Jesus is our guilt offering. Though innocent, He willingly took the place of every sinner, accepting full liability for our failures. Where we stole, lied, or damaged, He became the One who restores.
Psalm 69, a Messianic prophecy, records these words: “They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs on my head… then I restored that which I took not away.” Jesus quoted this passage, connecting Himself to the one who pays back what He did not take. On the cross, Christ not only returned what Adam lost in the Fall He multiplied back even more. Through Jesus, we discover restoration that goes beyond justice. We can lay claim to 120% restoration, whether it’s peace, purpose, or blessing. The thief comes to steal, but Jesus comes to give us life, and life “more abundantly.”
The Cities of Refuge: A Place of Safety in Christ
Among God’s laws is the provision for “cities of refuge.” These were designated places where someone who had accidentally killed another could flee for protection from avengers until a fair trial could take place. God instructed Israel to establish six accessible cities three on each side of the Jordan River to ensure safety for anyone who unintentionally caused harm.
This concept reveals God’s justice, mercy, and care for all, including foreigners and travelers. These cities were not just for Israelites but for anyone seeking protection. They symbolize how God always makes a way for those in need of mercy.
But there’s a prophetic hint embedded in how these cities worked. The law specified that if someone committed murder with iron (the material of nails that held Jesus to the cross) or with wood (the cross itself), the act was considered premeditated and punishable by death. In a sense, all humanity is guilty we are the reason Christ was nailed to the tree. But at the very moment of His crucifixion, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” In that prayer, He recategorized our sin from willful rebellion to a lack of understanding, opening the way for us all to find refuge in Him.
Today, Jesus is our ultimate city of refuge. Whoever runs to Him finds not just safety from judgment, but provision and abundance. In the Old Testament, the priests who hosted these cities received the best of the land oil, wine, and grain. The accused who found shelter there shared in those blessings. Likewise, in Christ, we enjoy blessings we haven’t earned. We receive the very best, not by our works, but by God’s appointment.
Hidden Shadows: The Toilet Law and the Cross
Some of the Old Testament’s most peculiar laws reveal deep spiritual truths. In Deuteronomy, there was a command about maintaining sanitary practices outside the camp, instructing people to carry a tool for burying their waste. At first glance, this might seem to have nothing to do with the gospel. But dig a little deeper, and you find a poignant image.
The Hebrew word for the tool (or paddle) used to bury waste shares a root with the word for “pole” or “tree” the very image of the cross. All that emerges from us is tainted by sin. In
