“When you
build a new house, you must build a railing around the edge of its flat roof.
That way you will not be considered guilty of murder if someone falls from the
roof” (Deut. 22:8 NLT).
As a former
construction worker in the state of Michigan, I had a love/hate relationship
with building codes. While Missouri is increasing the number of building codes,
they still don’t have anywhere near as many as Michigan and certain other
states. This can be a positive and negative thing all at the same time. As a former
licensed builder and mechanical contractor, I can tell you that some codes
don’t make a whole lot of sense. Honestly, some codes seem to only benefit
building supply companies, as they only increase the cost of construction.
Sometimes changes in building codes end in that same result: no increase in
quality, yet an increase in cost.
On the other
hand, most times changes in codes increase the safety and longevity of one’s
house. Thus, if you are in the process of having a house built for you, you may
appreciate the fact that the state requires that certain standards be met,
helping to ensure your safety as a homeowner and the longevity of the place you
call home.
According to the Bible, God has certain
building codes as well. And a careful examination of these codes reveals God’s
motive behind them.
God has given
certain Biblical building codes with the motivation of love and protection of
lives. Deuteronomy 22:8 commands that we place hand-railings around the
perimeter of our roofs. Chances are, you do not, and neither do I. Thus, are we
in violation of this Biblical building code? Maybe, maybe not.
When the command
in Deuteronomy 22 was given, most people had flat roofs, and flat roofs are
still common in certain parts of the world. Also in the time and place that
this command was originally given, a person’s rooftop would have been similar
to our living-rooms of today. During the evenings, it was normal for people to
go up on their roofs seeking cool breezes to give relief from the scorching
heat of the average Middle Eastern day. Therefore, to protect homeowners and
any guest that they might have who came over to visit in their living rooms (on
top of the roof), God gave this command.
Now, in our day
and age, most Americans don’t hang out on their roofs nor do they invite guests
to do the same. Thus, the intent of this God inspired law is not fulfilled in
most cases by simply building a hand-railing on one’s roof. The intent of this
law is clearly to protect people.
Therefore, the intent of this law (aka, the spirit of this law) is to
construct one’s home in such a way that it is safe for all people.
Thus, when a
person fails to take care of sagging floors, broken steps, electrical issues
that shock people when they turn on the light, failing to shovel a sidewalk,
neglecting to deal with black mold issues, etc. that can be harmful to you or
others is in fact to be in violation of the intent of Deuteronomy 22:8.
Recently, with my son getting Legos for Christmas, our house is looking like a
scene from the movie Home Alone, when Macaulay Culkin put toys all over
the floor for an obstacle course for his unwanted guests. That is how my home
looks at times, thus, I need to watch that I don’t allow my own home to violate
the intent of this verse. :) Lol
Leviticus
14:34-57 describes the procedure the Israelites were to follow when mildew was
found in the home. While the Israelites may not have understood exactly what
would happen if they allowed mold or mildew to continue to exist in their
houses, God still gave them this command to protect them.
There are other
building codes listed in Scripture like taking the time to count the cost of
our building projects ahead of time (Luke 14:28-30). Yet the most important
building code in Scripture speaks of building one’s life on the firm foundation
of the rock, Jesus Christ (Matt. 7:24-27). Jesus is the cornerstone for which we are to build our lives on (1 Peter
2:7). Yet He is more than that, He is to be the very Builder of our lives (Ps.
127:1). Adding these things together means that the way in which one builds their
life on the firm foundation of Christ is to surrender to His control, allowing
Him to build our lives. When a person builds their lives on any other
foundation, the storms of life will eventually wash that individual away.
Thus, from
Scripture we see that God not only wants our homes to be safe for ourselves and
others, but also He wants our lives to be safe from the judgment that is to
come. So are you building your life wisely from an eternal perspective? And are
you seeking to keep people safe in a physical sense with the houses that you
live in?
In His service,
Matt
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