Closer Day By Day

What are the commandments God like?

Today’s passage has some points let that describe them quite clearly.

Bible Passage:  Deuteronomy 29-31

Individualised

All of you stand today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives-also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water- that you may enter into covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath, which the LORD your God makes with you today (Deut 29:10-12)

I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, but with him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today (Deut 29:14-15)

Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law (Deut 31:12)

The commandments of God are very personal and individual.

Since the Good Shepherd knows each of us by name, our response as well as responsibility to Him should also be very personal.

Like how all the Israelites, leaders, elders, officers, men, as well as children have to gather and listen to the words of the law, everyone in the church must listen to the words of God regardless of gender, age or position.

This is because each person is responsible for their own faith; no one can believe and be saved on behalf for another person. Even children have to eventually establish their own relationship with God. If they do not listen when they are young, how are they to do this?

Today, are we hitching a ride on the faith of others or allowing others to hitch a ride on our faith? Isn’t it time for each one of us to build up our own relationship with our personal Saviour?

Straightforward

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deut 29:29)

For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. (Deut 30:11-14)

Another point about God’s commandments is that they are not very profound.

While there are many things concerning God that we will never understand, the things God want us to know and obey are very clearly stated in the Bible. Take the Ten Commandments for example, they are not very complicated are they?

The commandments become complicated however, when people try to find loopholes and be technical so they can test limits. A classic question very frequently asked illustrates this very well - how far can a couple go before it is considered adultery or fornication?

If man does not try to complicate matters, very frankly, the will and commandments of God are very simple and evident.

Consistent

And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. (Deut 31:10-11)

…and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”(Deut 31:13)

The commandments of God are also very consistent and unchanging. While we do not keep certain Old Testament commandments concerning feasts, rituals and so on, the principles behind them remain the same.

God never changes; neither does His will for us. While the world’s laws and standard of morality changes according to the wishes of man, let us hold fast to the unchanging commandments of God and more importantly, the spirit behind them.