Making Sense of the Bible’s Strange Laws: A Theologian Dad’s Letter to His Daughter
Understanding Bible Laws Begins with Historical Context
Dear Lucy,
Do you remember the time you read through the whole Bible in just a few weeks during lockdown? What surprised me most was that you “quite enjoyed” Leviticus. I’ve always said you have strange tastes! More recently, you shared a tricky conversation you’d had with friends after a religious studies class. They said the Old Testament is “beyond weird” and “misogynistic.” There certainly are difficult laws and customs and we can’t pretend it all makes sense. So how should we respond?
First, remember laws in the Bible go back three thousand years or more. It’s not surprising if ancient customs seem strange to us. Apparently, even today under British law, it is still illegal to walk a cow down the road in daylight hours or to shake a rug in the street. I guess those laws were necessary when most people were farmers and didn’t have vacuum cleaners. In a similar way, laws in the Bible made sense in their original context.
Imagine you have kids and you explain to them one day that when you were fourteen years old it was illegal to leave your home except once a day for exercise or to buy essential food, while wearing a mask. Anyone who didn’t live through the Covid pandemic would think those rules were ridiculous. But they were put in place during exceptional circumstances, to protect the most vulnerable. Some of the Israelites’ laws about the treatment of women, or the death penalty for certain offences, sound over the top to us. But remember, they were living in exceptional circumstances, camping in the wilderness, without prisons, hospitals or a welfare system. God gave laws because he loves his people and wants them to flourish. He is not a control freak. We can trust that any restrictions were designed to protect the most vulnerable.
Understanding Bible Laws Reveals God’s Heart for Justice
Second, laws in the Bible are about creating a society of justice and fairness. Do you remember the tensions that spilled over after the killing of George Floyd in America? Statues of historic figures were torn down as angry crowds tried to erase the memory of past evils. Many institutions also took a long hard look at themselves and discovered subtle forms of discrimination and racism. Around the same time, the #MeToo movement gave voice to brave women around the world who shared their experiences of sexual harassment. Together, these movements challenged the evils of racism and sexism.
I know the Bible may seem to be part of the problem, especially if you isolate a few verses from their context. But taken as a whole, the Bible actually inspired the very values that motivate these campaigns. Even when Christians are guilty of cruelty or injustice—and we have been in terrible ways—it’s still the Bible that sets the standard by which we are judged.
For example, the idea of human rights and equality comes from Genesis. We’re not equal if you base everything on biology. On average, men are stronger than women, adults are wiser than kids and netball players are smarter than hockey players—as you keep telling me! The Bible first insisted that every human is made in the “image of God,” no matter their skin colour, age or pay grade. What’s more, Jesus fulfilled God’s law and revealed God’s heart by honouring women, serving the poor and welcoming the marginalised, even when it got him into trouble.
Jesus Helps Us Understand Bible Laws
In the end, laws and principles in the Bible are God’s guide so that we can flourish as a fair society:
There’s no stronger basis for human rights than Genesis.
There’s no greater freedom movement than Exodus.
There’s no bigger threat to misogyny than Jesus.
Understanding Bible Laws Inspires Compassion and Humility
Finally, I hope you will join the fight for justice and show God’s compassion to the vulnerable. That’s what the Exodus story is all about. Of course, change doesn’t happen overnight. So we need to stay humble. It’s easy to see how wrong people were three hundred years ago. But I wonder what blind spots my great-great-grandchildren will see in me.
Try a thought experiment. It turns out that you’re related to Colonel Richard Randolph who owned slaves in America. At the time, it was the way the world worked. If we had been in his shoes, would we have spotted the problem and taken a stand? That’s tricky. I like to think we would have been kind. But to launch an anti-slavery campaign would have taken real guts. The five daughters of Zelophehad in the Bible had it. So did Lady Godiva, who you’re also related to. Perhaps that’s why you’re so plucky and outspoken.
Nevertheless, stay humble and stay close to Jesus. He wants to use you to bring hope to the broken and help to the poor. Our heavenly Father is patient. But his commitment to the cause is certain. We’re partnering with the God of Exodus, who has a track record of setting captives free.
Love you my girl,
Dad
Adapted from God’s Book: An Honest Look at the Bible’s 7 Toughest Topics by Andrew Ollerton, releasing in June 2026.
Dr. Andrew Ollerton is a theologian, author and pastor who makes complex ideas simple and relevant. Andrew regularly speaks at conferences, festivals and churches, and he films video content worldwide.
Andrew scripted The Bible Course with Britain’s Bible Society. This bestselling eight-session small group resource has been completed by over 250,000 people in the UK alone. Andrew has also written bestselling books on the Bible, the book of Romans and apologetics. He has filmed course materials and a series of videos at biblical sites in Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Greece for the YouTube channel Bible Trek.
Andrew has undergraduate degrees in geography and theology, a master’s degree in theology and a PhD in historical theology. A fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Andrew lectures on theology and biblical studies at universities in the UK and overseas. He has published academic articles and a monograph with Boydell Press.
Andrew works closely with the British explorer Bear Grylls. They published the NIV Bible for Young Explorers, and Andrew recently helped Bear develop the bestselling book The Greatest Story Ever Told. They also produced a TV series in Israel called Refugee, Renegade, Redeemer.
For over fifteen years, Andrew has been an ordained minister in the Free Methodist Church. He has served as a senior pastor, overseeing churches and pioneering new congregations in Cornwall, UK. Andrew has also served as teaching pastor at KingsGate Community Church, a large multisite church in Peterborough, Cambridge and Leicester.
Andrew, his wife, Charlotte, and their three teenage children live in Wales. The family enjoys traveling and exploring wild places. Andrew loves climbing mountains, especially in Scotland and the European Alps. He is also a passionate rugby supporter.
