RE: “the beast that is the Law”

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
— Ps. 19:7-8 ESV

Likewise in Ps. 119:14-16, 48, 52 and 54, God tells us that there is much in his Law to delight in. Perhaps, then, the Law that we understand to be a curb, a mirror, and a guide is also a window that reveals something about the what God wants for his children in terms of our safety, harmony, integrity, prosperity, good order, familial bonds, and the blessings that result from continuously revering him above all. God is love (1 John 4:8).

“All who rely on works of the law are under a curse” (Gal. 3:10). Let’s not rely on works of the law, then.

We raise the specter of “beasts” of our own making by distorting and abusing God’s Law, becoming legalistic or inventing rules, “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9; Mark 7:7). Unfounded guilt can indeed be a beast.

So “each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7).”