Commandments - 30 November 2006  

“If you listen, listen obediently to how God tells you to live in his presence, obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, then I won’t strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am God your healer.” Exodus 15:26

It would be impossible to write about this particular portion of biblical history without referring to the Ten Commandments.  As I wrote this my spell checker underlined the words and told me to put capitals at the beginning, so you see even Microsoft thinks the Ten Commandments are important.  In fact it doesn’t end there; the next two books of the Bible Deuteronomy and Leviticus are largely taken up with all the rules and regulations that the Israelites had to live by so that the narrative of the journey has to wait until Numbers to be taken up again.

I have a confession to make, I really don’t like rules.  There is something in me that baulks every time I hear that phrase ‘Thou shalt not’.   I want to say ‘Oh, yes I shalt if I want to’ and then I want to ask ‘Why?’  I want to argue and prove that there is really nothing wrong with disobeying God as long as I do it in a sensible and loving way and don’t hurt anyone.  But you know God proves me wrong every single time. 

Well, God did create us with brains and I don’t think He is against honest debate; in fact He loves us to reason with Him as it proves that we are interested, and He just loves us to talk to Him.  But in the end who am I to question the Master of the Universe?

The Israelites certainly learned the hard way as Moses came down the mountain with the Ten Commandments and found them already breaking one of them (at least).  In Exodus 32 Moses has to plead with God to stop Him destroying the people who have sinned against Him.  In a very familiar pattern in the lives of all of God’s people, they repent and He forgives.

This is our next area of trust, to trust that God’s rules are the best way for us to live our lives.  No, they are not easy and we fail so many times.  Praise God for His grace.  But each time I turn and repent there is rejoicing in Heaven.  Just think about that, every time you decide that you want to live life God’s way, by His rules, He’s so pleased He throws a party.

Which are the hardest rules for you to keep?  Talk to the Lord about it.

‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.’ “Job28:28

 
‘I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.’  Luke 15:7