The Old Law

The Old Law is the law of God as expressed in the Old Testament of the Holy Scriptures. The Old Law was meant to represspassion and prevent sin. It could not confer the grace that man needs to reach his true end and goal. Such grace came with New Law of charity, which is the law of Christ. Hence the Old Law was good,but not perfect.

The Old Law came from God; it was a divine law. It disposed and prepared men for the coming of Christ with his perfect law of charity. The imperfect serves to bring on the perfect, evenin the dealings of God with men. No art is learned except by progressing from imperfect to more perfect and still more perfect,until perfection itself is achieved. And the same master who guides a beginner, may guide him still as his work grows better; may,indeed, guide him until his work is roundedly perfect. So, by the Old Law, God guides man towards perfection, and continues to guide him in the perfection of the New Law.

God gave the Old Law to man by his ministering angels.St. Paul (Gal. 3:19) says: “The old law was given by angels inthe hand of a mediator.” But the New Law was given by God himself who became man to rule and save us.

It is fitting that the special people through whom the Redeemer was to come should, in the choice of providence, be made the recipient of the Old Law.

In so far as the Old Law expressed precepts of the natural law, it was binding on all peoples, Jew and Gentile. Butthe special prescriptions of the Old Law which were to sanctify the Jews for the coming of Christ through their nation, were binding upon the Jews alone.

The Old Law was suitably given at the time of Moses. By that time man had realized his great fault in rebelling against God; human pride had been humbled by crushing experience. And, lest the fall of pride lead to despairing abandonment of efforts to serve God, the chastisement could not be too long continued. At thetime of Moses pride had been humbled, and, while vice was rampant,it had not yet thrown men into despair. The Old Law came in most timely manner to repress evil and to encourage good.