The Law of the Covenant: An Exposition of Exodus 21-23 [Hardcover]

James B. Jordan (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 310 pages
• Publisher: Institute for Christian Economics (1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930464028
• ISBN-13: 978-0930464028
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,626,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A relatively brief, but good, introduction to Old Testament case law, October 4, 2010

By 

Joel Barnes - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Law of the Covenant: An Exposition of Exodus 21-23 (Hardcover)

The first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, are foundational to the Bible. The Book of the Covenant (Exodus chapters 21-23), which explains the Decalogue (the "Ten Commandments"), is itself a supporting structure serving as the very foundation of the Pentateuch.

James Jordan's book, _The Law of the Covenant_ (1984), is an exposition of this Book of the Covenant found in Exodus 21-23. Weighing in at a little over 300 pages, this is a relatively brief treatment of the case laws, the applications of the Decalogue to specific cases or circumstances.

Jordan is a theonomist, believing that the Old Testament Law has an unchanging essence and an ongoing validity. Clearly some things have changed since the time when God entered into a covenant with the Children of Israel. Jordan's premise is that the Law itself has not changed. Only circumstances have changed.

Says Jordan:

"The law of God commands, 'Husbands, love your wives' (Eph. 5:25). This law is applicable in all times and in all places. Applicable - that is, able to be applied. If, however, a man is not married, then this law in fact does not apply to him. It is applicable, but because of circumstances it is not applied.

"...

"Are we still to keep these laws? Yes and no. No, in the sense that circumstances have changed and so they do not apply to us directly. Yes, in the sense that we keep them in a form adapted to our new circumstances." (pp. 11-12, 16)

Jordan believes that the content in Exodus 21-23 is not haphazard. In the course of his exposition, he therefore offers a helpful structure that brings order and coherence to the case laws found therein, which relates them back to the Decalogue.

_The Law of the Covenant_ is a good introduction to Old Testament case law. Many people today ridicule the Old Testament as barbaric and backwards. A read through Jordan's book will persuade the honest reader with an open mind of the Law's glory - its holiness, righteousness, and goodness (Romans 7.12).

As Professor John Frame says in the introduction of this book, "...if only, say, three-quarters of [the exegetical proposals] hold up, this book will still be one of the most helpful commentaries on the market." (p. xviii)