How the Abrahamic traditions understand the role of divine Law

[DerekhHikmah]

This could be from the Jews, Christians or Muslims here, but how do you understand the purpose and intention of divine Law in your tradition? Is it primarily to regulate behavior and provide structure and ritual? Or is it shaping perception and the orientation of your inner life?

Hosea 6:6 “For I delight in loyal love (hesed), not sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Isaiah 1:11 ““What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says Jehovah.
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams…
I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or lambs, or goats.”

Romans 2:28,29 “For he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision something on the outside, on the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit and not by a written code. That person’s praise comes from God, not from people.”

Qur'an 22:37 “Their meat will not reach God, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is your God-consciousness (taqwā). Thus He has subjected them to you so that you may magnify God for guiding you. And give good news to those who do good.”

And if the law is meant to shape you inwardly, how does your tradition actually do that in your life?
And what helps keep the balance between outward practice and inner formation—and where and how do you manage the tension between them?

 

[muhammad_isa]

This could be from the Jews, Christians or Muslims here, but how do you understand the purpose and intention of divine Law in your tradition?

It's there to teach us to be wise .. what is of benefit to us, and what is not.

Is it primarily to regulate behavior and provide structure and ritual?

Yes .. good routine/habit benefits us .. not God.

Or is it shaping perception and the orientation of your inner life?

That comes in time, if one is practising .. regular congregation and reading of Scripture.

And what helps keep the balance between outward practice and inner formation—and where and how do you manage the tension between them?

I think I'm struggling to find a balance these days .. probably due to age and medication.

 

[DerekhHikmah]

I think I'm struggling to find a balance these days .. probably due to age and medication.

I'm sorry to hear that, that does sound like a hard balance given your circumstances. Makes me think of what Paul said, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore, we do not give up, but even if the man we are outside is wasting away, certainly the man we are inside is being renewed from day to day.  For though the tribulation is momentary and light, it works out for us a glory that is of more and more surpassing greatness and is everlasting;  while we keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.

I feel like maybe Paul though he was getting older and went through a lot is trying to maintain his spiritual vision through the outward things he was going through even after years of dedicated faithful service. How has aging affected your faith? And are you struggle in balance the outer practice or carry the inner weight of your faith, or something else? If you don't mind me asking.

 

[muhammad_isa]

How has aging affected your faith?

Overall, I am not having any major doubts.
..but struggle with putting my faith into action.

 

[koinonos]

And if the law is meant to shape you inwardly, how does your tradition actually do that in your life?
And what helps keep the balance between outward practice and inner formation—and where and how do you manage the tension between them?

There is a law, or the Divine Commanndments, that regulate the internal life, and those that regulate external, there are those which relate more to life to God and those which are more to the charity towards the neighbour. Besides, the commandments go hand in hand with the ideas of faith and ideas of the Lord God, and so those three, the Lord, faith and charity cannot be separated.

With regard to the use of the commandments, here are some quotations:

"... a life according to these commandments opens the internal man and forms him, and what is written therein is written by the Lord, and remains to eternity."

"to do these commandments from religion purifies the internal man, opens heaven, admits the Lord, and makes man as to his spirit an angel of heaven."

"Man has a conscience of what is good, and a conscience of what is just. The conscience of what is good is the conscience of the internal man, and the conscience of what is just, the conscience of the external man. The conscience of what is good consists in acting according to the commandments of faith from an internal affection; but the conscience of what is just, in acting according to civil and moral laws from an external affection. Those who have the conscience of what is good, have also the conscience of what is just; but those who have only the conscience of what is just, possess the ability to receive the conscience of what is good; and they, also, do receive it upon being instructed."