Deuteronomy is a message about the cost of disobedience. God desired to give to Israel a beautiful and wonderful gift; a land to call their own, a land to experience freedom in. However, instead of taking hold of God's precious gift, Israel refused to take action and obey. After forty years of learning to lean on God, Israel was given a second chance to take what was given to them.
God required Israel to obey Him, before He would grant them the gift He had promised in the days of Abraham. God required Israel to obey His commands, His direction, and His laws. God requires obedience, because He is holy. As we see in Leviticus 19:2, "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, a holy nation, and that meant Israel had to follow God and His decrees.
Thankfully, God does not simply required our obedience - regardless of circumstance - He delights in it as well. As John Piper writes: " God's delight in obedience is good news because the obedience is good news because the obedience He loves in the obedience of faith. And faith means banking our hope on the mercy of God." God never desired a nation to be religious obedient a nation which obeyed because it was forced. God desired a nation which obeyed because it hopes, trusts, and loves God. Now, God desires the same for us, not because we must, but because we want to. As we enjoy Christ and His word, so Christ delights in us.
Living Life
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
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