Book of Numbers Theme of Rules & Order

In case you hadn't noticed, the Bible is pretty big on law and order. In fact, the first five books of the Bible contain exactly 613 different laws that Jews everywhere are supposed to be following. We guess you could say that God is kind of a control freak. On the other hand, every society needs rules. Without them, things would fall into chaos. And then how would we know whether to use turtledoves for guilt or burnt offerings? Thank goodness for rules.

Questions About Rules & Order

  1. How do rules and order help keep a community functioning and peaceful? How do they make things harder?
  2. Is the Bible the ultimate authority on rules? What about all the things the Bible doesn't address? How about rules that just seem outdated?
  3. Are God's rules set in stone (well, aside from the ten commandments) or is God flexible sometimes on enforcement?