33 lines
4.4 KiB
HTML
33 lines
4.4 KiB
HTML
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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Day By Day By Grace</div>
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<div class="subhead">Bob Hoekstra</div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020">May 30</div>
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<div class="main-just"><div class="pad2030">
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<h2>The Old Covenant Demand of Obedience</h2>
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<div class="block"><i>And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to <b>walk</b> in <b>all</b> His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with <b>all your hear</b>t and with <b>all your soul</b>, and to <b>keep</b> the <b>commandments</b> of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?…This day the LORD your God commands you to <b>observe</b> these statutes and judgments; therefore you shall be careful to <b>observe</b> them with <b>all your heart</b> and with <b>all your soul</b>.</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Deu',10,'12-13');">Deuteronomy 10:12-13</a> and <a onClick="return mV('Deu',26,16);">26:16</a>)</div>
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<p>As we saw in our previous meditation, the <b>grace</b> of God <b>provides</b> what we need for growing in a life of <b>obedience</b>. Now we will begin to see that <b>God's law demands obedience</b> (<b>whole-hearted</b> obedience), but it does <b>not provide</b> the necessary spiritual resources for living an obedient life.</p>
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<p>When Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, Moses restated what God's law required. <i>"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but…to <b>walk</b> in <b>all</b> His ways… and to <b>keep</b> the <b>commandments</b> of the LORD…therefore you shall be careful to <b>observe</b> them with <b>all your heart</b> and with <b>all your soul</b>."</i> Remember, the commandments of God called for holy living. <i>"<b>You</b> shall <b>be holy</b>, for <b>I</b> the LORD your God am <b>holy</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Lev',19,2);">Leviticus 19:2</a>). The measurement for this required holiness was God Himself. This represented a high and lofty standard, far beyond what man could reach on his own.</p>
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<p>Additionally, God was not calling them to an external religious behaviorism, but to <b>wholehearted</b> obedience: <i>"<b>keep</b> the <b>commandments</b>…<b>observe</b> them with <b>all your heart</b>."</i> From deep within their innermost being, the children of Israel were to <b>fully</b> obey the Lord. They were to <b>truly</b> and <b>sincerely</b> observe all that the Lord had commanded. There were to be <b>no</b> inner <b>reservations</b> or <b>hesitations</b>.</p>
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<p>What the law demanded was good. <i>"The <b>law</b> is <b>holy</b>, and the <b>commandment</b> holy and <b>just</b> and <b>good</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Rom',7,12);">Romans 7:12</a>). Yet, the resources were lacking. Man could not measure up on his own. <i>"For <b>all</b> have <b>sinned</b> and <b>fall short</b> of the glory of God"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Rom',3,23);">Romans 3:23</a>). Furthermore, this perfect law offered no help to change man into what it required. <i>"The <b>law</b> made <b>nothing</b> perfect"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Hbr',7,19);">Hebrews 7:19a</a>). Praise God, there is a provision that can accomplish what the law cannot do. <i>"On the other hand, there is the bringing in of a <b>better hope</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Hbr',7,19);">Hebrews 7:19b</a>). That effective hope is the <b>grace</b> of God.</p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Lord God of holiness, I bow to Your holy law as good and
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just. I desire to live what the law demands. Yet, I confess my
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failures, as well as my inadequacy to improve myself. I rejoice
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in Your better hope. By Your grace, please shape my heart into
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a life of growing obedience, Amen.</div>
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