Thank you for the question on the importance of knowing the “people of God” in the Old Testament, “How important is it for us to know the historical background of the “people of God” in the Old Testament, and what does it mean for us?”
Understanding the historical background of the addressees in the Old Testament is vital in order to avoid making incorrect application to the Christians.
For example, the exiled Hebrew slaves who came out of Egypt entered into a conditional covenant with the LORD God to obey his commandments as their God and King. The commandments were given to those who received the commandments and entered the Promised Land. The Israelites are living what is known as a theocracy whereby God rules over the people and the land. Thus some Christians and even non-Christians think that we are under a theocracy whereby the religious and legal laws apply to Christian today as food restrictions or sacrifices. Worse yet, some even think that the Old Testament Laws applies even to non-Christians.
In my understanding of the Scriptures, the OT Laws DO NOT apply to non-Christians just as the Israelites didn’t impose their laws on surrounding nations. The United States of America is not a theocracy but a republic with its own Constitution and Bill of Rights. Although many of its citizens are “Christians”, it does not make it a “Christian” nation. Yes, there is a Christian influence but it is a mistake to impose Christian values on non-Christians just as it is inappropriate for non-Christians to impose their values on Christians. No one can “make” a person to be a Christian. One can mandate outward actions, but inwardly the rules will be viewed as bondage to that person. There is no “Christian” nation.
Thus the commandment of prohibiting adultery is a prohibition to the Jewish people and applicable to Christians since God calls Christians to be faithful and to love their wife as Christ loved the church. If the non-Christians wish to engage in immoral conduct, Christians are not to judge them for they are outside the family of God. The Apostle Paul didn’t impose the Christian value on the Greek-Roman culture, but called the believers to not live like them.
Is there value in following Christian morals by non-Christians? Absolutely. Society would be more compassionate and morally upright with lesser crimes. However without an inner transformation of life, the obedience to Christian values are only superficial and temporary. It will be viewed over time as a burden that “cramps” some individual’s lifestyle as stated before.
Another common misconception is that the “people of God” are better than other nationalities or racial groups. The Jewish people viewed themselves as being the “chosen” people of God. They became prideful. They are chosen by God not because they were better than the other people group but because of God’s mercy and grace upon them. They were to view themselves as God’s representative of offering the gift of forgiveness of sins, not that they were elite people group. Christians must avoid this mistake as well as they have a tendency to forget that they are saved by grace and grace alone. It is not because they are better than others but God extended his mercy toward them. They are called to love their neighbor as themselves in remembering that they too once lived in an immoral manner. Neither Jews or Christians are “better” than others. We are not except that we have experience the grace of God and so can those who haven’t heard or haven’t believe in the offer of forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. Christians are to be humble, not arrogant.
The Apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 10 these words, “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”[a] 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ,[b] as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (NIV).
SUMMARY: The Jewish people are the people of God for they were living in a conditional covenant in the Promised Land with the LORD God, while Christians are also a people of God living in unconditional covenant in the world with Jesus as the Lord over their lives.
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