Judicial Directives of the Old Law

Man has the moral obligation of loving God and neighbor. Theceremonial precepts of the Old Law regulated man’s moralobligationto God. The judicial precepts or directivesregulated man’s moral obligation towards his neighbor. Thusboth ceremonies and judicial precepts were rooted in the morallaw.

The judicial directives were to regulate the conduct ofthe people according to justice and equity. Yet even thesedirectives had a prophetic aspect inasmuch as they were to preparethe way for the coming of the sun of justice and the daylight ofhis divinely equitable dealings with mankind.

The judicial precepts had the character of the Old Lawitself as “our pedagogue in Christ,” that is, a teacherleading men to Christ. When the teacher has led men to Christ, heretires; his work is finished. Hence the judicial precepts of the Old Law were no longer in force after Christ came and founded his Church. All that remains of the Old Law is what it had of theeternal law and the natural law.

Judicial precepts of the Old Law were of four classes:precepts for rulers; precepts for citizens with respect to othercitizens; precepts for the treatment of strangers and foreigners;precepts for home life.