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Obedience: New Thoughts from an Old Source

I read Deuteronomy recently and God's call of obedience to Israel really struck me. Just because we are now under grace, I believe the command of God to be obedient remains and the Biblical truths from Deuteronomy should resonate with us today. One great thing about God's message to Israel is that it leaves no room for questions; it is crystal clear. Let's take a look at a few passages that speak about obedience and consider how God's message to Israel is still relevant to today's Church.

You shall walk in the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.
Deuteronomy 5:33

And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.
Deuteronomy 6:24,25

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?
Deuteronomy 10:12,13

The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways.
Deuteronomy 28:9

Chapter 30 has the Lord telling Israel to return to the Lord and obey His voice. When that happens, this is what the Lord promises will happen:

And the Lord your God will circumcise you heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
Deuteronomy 30:6

Later in the chapter, God tells Israel that the commandment is not too hard to keep or far off from them. Just the opposite is true: But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. v. 14

The command to obedience continues to be spoken by God throughout Deuteronomy. There are a few things that consistently appear along with the command.

1. So it may go well with you.
Clearly, God's command is one of love because obedience leads to experiencing God more completely. It is always in our best interest to choose the way commands us to live.

2. Obedience always proceeds blessing.
There is not a place in Deuteronomy that says "since God is blessing you, be obedient." Obedience always comes before blessings. It is an act of faith and trust to be obedient. Obedience says "God, I trust that your ways are best and I choose them over my own desires." The obedient person will prosper in godly ways.

3. Obedience leads to eternal life.
I'm not saying that we are bound by the Law. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. However, our works of obedience provide evidence of our salvation. If we truly know Christ, we will naturally desire to obey Him because we love Him. If we lack obedience, at the very least, we lack understanding of God's Word. Sadly, I believe that all too often disobedience dwells in the person who has heard the Word of God but does not have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Peter urges us to possess and practice godly qualities to ensure that we do not fall. Paul asks his accusers how those who are dead to sin can still go on living in it. Obedience is the best way to spot a man or woman who has truly been made a new creation in Jesus Christ.

In reading Deuteronomy, I found it fascinating and encouraging to find the same God speaking the same message to people with the same hard-headed behavior that people exhibit today. I thank the Lord that He has opened my eyes and allowed me to come to repentance. The love that God displayed by the Cross is a love that I long to know more and more. I am convinced that obedience leads to experiencing more of that love as we see how God's commands truly are the way to fullness of life in Jesus Christ.

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