2Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
All the books of the Bible were written for this purpose. Inspired of God...the truth...to teach us His ways...to show us how we are to live...and I like the phrase "that the man (or woman) of God may be complete." I look at that in two ways. Because the Word teaches us all these things, what we do in life with this instruction book should glorify the Father. And...since Jesus IS the Word and was WITH the Word in the beginning, we are made complete when we enter into relationship with Him.
I felt led to read Deuteronomy 4 this morning. As I did I was once again amazed at how it fit right into an ongoing "conversation" a friend was having on Facebook with someone else. I won't go into any of that other than to say Jesus is the only Source of truth, instruction, wisdom we are to seek. Deuteronomy 4 pretty much explains that.
Granted it's Moses speaking to the Israelites as they were getting ready to cross over into the Promised Land. But if you look hard you can see Moses was a type of Christ. We are all lost until we know the Lord. He takes us from our sinful lives and crosses us over, if you will, into a new life in Christ when we submit and realize our sinful natures. We possess the land offered to us in the way of eternal life in Christ.
And what is required then? That we learn from the Word obedience to the Word of God. Although the people back then COULD have heard the audible voice of God, they were too fearful and asked Moses to intervene. For us today we can hear the Word and understand it in our spirits through the power of the Holy Spirit in us in Christ through reading the Word.
Verse 3 describes what the people then actually saw and could learn from. Today we have the accounts from Old and New Testaments as our examples. Deuteronomy 4 claims that those who observed and held fast to God survived because of their obedience to God and His statutes because they are their wisdom and understanding. Oh, how this is so for us even today and yet seems so hard to convey to others. Am I perfect? Again, I say no. I fail constantly. But God...forgives when we seek His forgiveness.
The people of Israel could have heard Your voice, could have listened to You speak, could have had a closer connection to You, could have learned directly from You, but they were afraid. You came to earth in the form of man, the Man Jesus Christ, to do the same thing, to live among us, to walk with us physically where before You would only have been a voice. You physically spoke to the people and testified of Who You were. You taught, as You instructed Moses to teach Your people in his day. This is all so incredible. How is it people are still afraid? Still afraid of the Creator God, our life, our provision, our protection in this world? And here we are a people again unable to see You physically but able to hear You through our spirits connecting with Yours when we submit to the first command...to love the Lord our God with heart, soul and mind and have no other gods before You.
Through Your Word, through Jesus, the Word of God, we learn what Deuteronomy 4 continues to say: Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children. How can we know who God is unless we spend time in His Word? That's why it was written. Churches can preach the Word but we can learn ourselves as well what the Word of God says. Just like a relationship with Jesus is personal, between me and Him or you and Him, our time in the Word is also personal.
God declared His covenant back then and commanded the people to perform the commandments He set forth. It's no different today. When we enter into a relationship with Christ the covenant with God is reestablished and He becomes our relational God again. There's no distance between us and God. And yet, as Deuteronomy goes on to say just because we cannot see God we are warned not to act corruptly and make images that would become our idols to represent Him. Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you...(make no) carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female...any animal...any winged bird...anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish. We are not to worship the sun, moon and stars. (Deuteronomy 4:15-19) Nothing but Him.
Seek the Lord your God with all your heart you will find Him. Turn to Him in times of distress and He will be there for you. Obey His Word, which is a form of His voice, be obedient to it, and He will not forsake you, destroy you or forget the covenant He made with you. Look back on His Word and see what He did for His people then. His judgment when they were disobedient, His forgiveness and mercy when they turned back to Him. Look back on His Word when He was only a voice...through Moses and the other Old Testament prophets. Then look back on His Word when God became flesh and walked among us, the Living Word, in the form of Jesus. The Word never changes. Never has, never will. It brings life to those who perish, if they desire to take heed.
See what God says in Deuteronomy 4 for yourself. It's a powerful chapter. Let the words set you free, like Israel was from their captivity in Egypt. Let Him lead you into your own personal promised land in Christ.
Deuteronomy 4:39 - Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.
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