Obedience-The Gateway to Life
For this commandment ... is not too hard for you neither is it far off ... but the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. (Deut. 30:11, 14)
Deut. 30:11-20; Ps. 145:18; Mt. 7:24; Jn. 14:23; Rom. 6:15-23 and 10:6-9
What Is God Saying?
Deuteronomy means ‘Second Law’ or the repetition of the Law. It closes out the Exodus and prepares the Israelites for the more settled living of the Promised Land by reviewing history and the Law. In a sense, it was their roots. It came with a timely impact on those beginning to sink their roots in a land where pagan thoughts and customs had flourished for centuries. They must be told that their future depends entirely upon obedience.
‘You must’ and ‘You must not’ are phrases repeated innumerable times. It focuses on what the people needed to know, and what they needed to do. Little attention is paid to the rituals of the priests nor to the rules that govern the Levites. Jesus knew all of Scripture, but in the days of His flesh and when Satan was to put Him to the test, our Lord drew on Deuteronomy more than any other portion of Scripture. It is the last word of Moses and that word is obedience. He lays it on the line, ‘I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil.’
How Does This Apply To Us?
There is a close connection between obeying God's rules and enjoying God's blessings. It is set forth in this passage. There is no denying it, no lack of clarity, no excuse for misunderstanding. It is neither too hard nor too far off. It is within our reach right where we are.
Our Lord, dying in our place on the Cross, removed from us the burden of keeping the commandments to be saved, but He has never removed the responsibility we have of keeping the commandments because we are saved.
‘I would not work my soul to save, For that my Lord has done; but I would work like any slave, For love of God's dear Son.’
-Bernard of Clairvaux
Here we are encouraged to keep the commandments (do things God's way) for they are not too hard nor beyond our reach. They are simply guidelines. A ship's navigator is guided by a star but never intends to reach the star. The guidelines of God tell us where and when we have gone wrong, and how and why to go right. To turn our backs on God-given principles is an umpire throwing away the rule book or an engineer disregarding the blueprints. "You can do it." For our good, for our love for God, for the sake of those who love us, and for the sake of our loving Savior, we will do it. Do we need any more reason?
Pray With Me
Lord, Your commandments are the proof that You love us. They remind us there is a right way that leads to joy, peace, and life, and there is a wrong way that leads to sorrow, restlessness, and to death. I thank You for Your commandments. I thank you, too, that these commandments are within the grasp of my understanding and (by Your grace) within the capacity of my keeping. They are not so hard that I should despair of keeping them. They are not far off that I should hide behind excuses. They are not too far for me to reach them. They are not too far for them to reach me. I am thankful for Your commandments that are given because You love me and because I love You.
Some commandments seem too hard. They cut across my willful desires. They nullify certain liberties for me that others take for granted. They confront me with the hard decision of giving up what seems to be good for the moment to have what is best forever. They hold me back when I want to drive on. They drive me on when I want to hold back. Nevertheless, I believe Your promise that they are not too hard. Some commandments seem too far. Some goals seem impossible to reach. There is a kind of living that seems far beyond anything I have reached or ever thought I could reach. Nevertheless, I believe Your promise that they are not too far.
I can keep the hard rules and reach the far goals because Your Word is near. The living Word in the Person of Jesus Christ is, by His promise, always in my heart. The praise of His glory and grace is in my mouth. As I praise Your love with my mouth and welcome Your Presence in my heart, I discover that I can do it. Jesus Christ has relieved me of the burden of keeping the commandments to be saved but expects me to keep the commandments because I am loved.
For the sake of His love. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
We all obey something. Put simply we will obey the flesh or the Spirit. We cannot have it both ways—either we are slaves of sin or slaves of righteousness. To see this truth in unvarnished reality, read Romans 6:15-23. In prayer, we deliberately wait upon the guidance of the Spirit. We close our ears to the clamorings of the flesh. In other words, we get through to obedience in prayer.
