Our Old Testament reading this week from the Lectionary of The Book of Common Prayer takes us to the book of Deuteronomy. The people of Israel have spent the last forty years traveling through the wilderness after the Lord God brought them out from slavery in Egypt. Now they are camped on the eastern side of the Jordan River, and Moses is going over and reviewing the laws that the Lord God gave them.
The successful conquest and full enjoyment of life in the land the Lord was going to give the people was based on submission to God’s law (vs 1). Our salvation is through our acceptance of the Lord Jesus and His death on the cross for our sins, and not by doing good works or following any set of laws. However, we are blessed in our life when we follow God’s Word.
One very important warning that Yahweh gives us in this passage is that we are never to add or subtract anything from God’s Word (vs 2). The Word of God is complete and sufficient for us. We cannot, and should never attempt to add to or take away from the Scriptures (Revelation 22:18-19). No human being has the wisdom or knowledge to add to God’s Word. His Word is to remain unchanged. To make changes to God’s Word is to assume a position of authority over God. The religious leaders at Jesus’s time did exactly this. They elevated their laws and words to the same level as God’s Word. Many false cults start when their leaders try to add to the Bible with their writings. We also see those who try to remove passages in the Bible that they disagree with or consider offensive. God warns us that this is wrong. His Word is to remain intact, without adding to or subtracting from.
As Moses continued in his message to the people, he reminded them that the people of the surrounding nations are watching them, and their obedience or failure to obey the Lord is a reflection on Him (vs 6 - 8). This is the same today. Our obedience to God’s Word is a testimony to the world that God is near His people, and that His laws are righteous. Our actions and behavior are either a good or bad reflection on God. Many of us might have heard our parents or grandparents admonish us to behave in public, and not bring shame to our family name. The same goes even more for our Heavenly Father. We are to be a godly reflection of our Savior, a light for His love and goodness to the world, drawing and leading the world to Him. There are some people we encounter every day who will never open up or read the Bible. They do observe us, though. Our conduct and lifestyle is the only “Bible” they will “read”. We must make sure we are truly reflecting the Lord Jesus.
In closing our passage, Moses instructs the people that it is so important that they teach their children and grandchildren the Word of God (vs 9). As we teach our children and grandchildren God’s Word we are passing on it’s truths from one generation to the next. The world is bombarding our young people with its vain, dangerous, and false philosophies every day. It is so very important that we reach them with God’s truth from the Scriptures as soon as we can.
How good are we doing in following these instructions Moses gave? They aren’t just for the Hebrews in his day, but are equally applicable to us today. God has strongly warned people in all eras to neither add nor subtract from His Word. He wants us to be sure our behavior will be a good witness and testimony to the unsaved around us. And lastly here, the Lord wants us to be sure we tell our children all about Him.
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