The Law Within

I have a comparison of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant in the back of my Bible and where my current study is not directly related to these, law is and is an important thing for me to remember. The Old Covenant was an external one where we were informed of what was needed so the LORD would not exact his wrath on us. We were given the law to abide and were reminded of our sin. The New Covenant is internal and we are drawn near to the LORD in protection from the evil in the world. We are given the law to remove sin from our lives.

“³³But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. An I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” – Jeremiah 31:33 (ESV)

The LORD will put His law within me, not just give it to me, but write it on my heart for always. My heart is within me and that is where He places His law. Reading and visualizing this morning has opened my eyes a bit more to the intentional actions of the LORD in my life. He does not just provide the law for me, He writes it on my heart within me. He no longer is driving fear in me, but faith. He does not keep me away from Him, but draws me near.

“¹I love you, O LORD, my strength.”

— Psalm 18:1 (ESV)

When I look to the New Covenant and see that the LORD writes His law on my heart, the above verse hits a little different. Our strength comes from the LORD, and now, I know and can take solace in the fact that strength has been written on my heart and comes from and will always be within me.

Where is God’s Law in your life? Are you still trembling in fear to keep from sin? What if you embrace the LORD and His Law as He writes on your heart and gives you strength to be realized is within you?

Desire to Know a Law

Yes, “a law” is what I meant. In this morning’s study of the word “law” I was led to the book of Isaiah.

“⁴Give attention to me, my people,

and give ear to me, my nation;

for a law will go out from me,

and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.”

— Isaiah 51:4 (ESV)

In the above verse we see the word law and it is defined here from my study as “teaching” or “instruction”, which really helps to understand the context of the verse and the passage. I have to remember that God’s Word is not just rules and regulations to follow, but it is instruction and teaching that lead to discipline. It does not come from man, but from the LORD. It is breathed out by Him and for my daily use.

Man’s law is in place to stop us or keep us from doing things that injure other people. God’s Law is for us that we might not injure Him. When we break the Law of the LORD, we hurt Him. When we sin, where those sins may not hurt any other person, those sins are against the LORD and He feels the betrayal and is hurt in the process.

It is up to me to know that the Word of God is for my benefit and not my regulation. By following God’s Law, we will not cause Him harm and by extension will not cause harm to others (You shall not steal or kill, clearly impacts other people). And how do we keep God’s Law but to know and follow it.

God’s Law is instruction and teachings for us to follow. We find what to do and what not to do to bring glory to the LORD. Bringing glory to Him is clearly not causing harm to others while bringing praise and adoration to Him. We are to desire to know that instruction and teachings or “as law” of the LORD.

What are your thoughts on “a law” of the LORD? Are you seeing them as rules and regulations to follow so as not to bring harm to others? What if you saw them as instruction and teaching instead as a way to not bring harm to the LORD and bring Him glory?

I Love Your Law!

You know, I used to try and tell myself that rules were in place to keep me down and not allow for free expression or freedom in general. Boy was I wrong and I now find myself embracing the rules as they keep order and give direction. Yes, there are some elements of rules that may not seem to make any sense, but those are the ones that I have just not found the application of and have to respect in the mean time.

“⁹⁷Oh how I love your law!

It is my meditation all the day.”

— Psalm 119:97 (ESV)

God’s Law supersedes the rules of the world. In fact, they are the rules we should be following in the world and less so those that are of the world. The rules of the world, I am more and more realizing are based in the rules for the single individual that would like for me to do things their way regardless of my life, circumstances, and overall goals and purpose. God’s Law gives us direction and guides us in finding and living our goals and purpose and are based on my needs and what He has planned for me and not what I want. Regardless of what my circumstances are or where I am in my life, I am provided the way through thanks to the Law of the LORD I find in His Word.

For the above reason, I love and embrace the Law. Not the law of man and this world, although I am bound to follow those laws as long as they are not contrary to the Law of the LORD. I am even a bit of a “rule follower” in that I have and will go out of my way to do things by the rules even when no one is looking.

With the Law of the LORD, I am able to move forward daily from where I am, knowing that His Word gives me the path through. I love knowing that the answers to my path are found in His Word. I read, study, and meditate on His Word daily to know and understand. Where I am impatient, I also know I have to wait for the LORD to provide for me in His time.

In the rest of the passage where the above verse is found, Psalm 119:97-104 we see more of how God’s Word and Law lead us and what we have to be thankful. Wisdom, understanding, restraint, dedication, and goodness. I encourage the reading and study of God’s Word to receive all of this.

It is hard to find the good in God’s Law when we do not know it fully. Where we are always in a place of learning from the LORD, we can rely on the truth that comes from His Word and Law. We can find our guidance and protection from the rules He has in place for us. We are to meditate on His Word and Law daily to know and understand what He has in store for us. And when we do, I believe that you will come to Love the Law as the psalmist indicates and does and as I do also.

What is your thoughts on rules and the Law? Are they there to restrict you? What if you were to look at the Law of the LORD and guiding and directing and not restricting, I wonder if you would come to love the Law as well?

Blessed Walking in the Law of the LORD

Again I find benefits to the Law of the LORD. This morning I am in Psalm 119 and I see that I am blessed through the Word of God.

“¹Blessed are those whose way is blameless,

who walk in the law of the LORD!”

— Psalm 119:1 (ESV)

In the above verse I see that I am blessed as I walk in the law of the LORD. Walking the way that is blameless. As the example of Jesus who was himself blameless.

I have to be careful in taking this verse and other too far. See what is written in that the way is blameless, not me. I am to “walk” in the law of the LORD, I am NOT the law of the LORD. It is easy for me to presume that I am somehow above all because I happen to be following the example of Christ. It is easy to act better than I am as I am seen as walking in the law of the LORD. The reality is that no matter what, I am a sinner as is everyone else and am no better than anyone.

I am no better, but I am saved. I have accepted Christ as my savior and I choose to walk in His way. I choose to abide by the law of the LORD. I choose to walk the narrow path. I choose to follow Christ. With my choosing, I have been blessed to know God. I have been blessed to call Him Father. I have been blessed to see the narrow path. I have been blessed to know that my lasting home is in heaven co-heirs with Jesus. I am blessed walking in the Law of the LORD!

Where are you walking? Are you walking your own path and hoping for some elevation to greatness? What if you were to accept Jesus as your savior and walk in the Law of the LORD to realize the blessing that comes with the blameless way?

Keep the Law of the LORD in Your Heart

It is one thing to know something and something else to commit it to your very being. The second is where I find my learning this morning in God’s Word. I continue my study of the word “law” and in this study I have found that it is important to read, study, know, and understand the Law of the LORD. We have to commit it to memory to use in our daily walk with Him and in the carrying out of His plan for our lives.

I see on social media a number of people that are defending their position on things and using God’s Word in their rhetoric. Yet when they are presented more context as to the verse or passage they are using, their arguments fall apart. These people may have read, studied, know, and understand the Law of the LORD, yet they have not committed the Law to their being and only use it to get what they want as opposed to what God plans.

I know, when I am doing my study I will post a single verse and to the first time visitor to my posts it may seem as though I am cherry picking verses. You are entitled to your opinion, yet I encourage you to read many of them and dig into God’s Word for yourself. I am a sinner just like you and will get it wrong.

“⁸I delight to do your will, O my God;

your law is within my heart.”

— Psalm 40:8 (ESV)

The above verse is found in a passage titled, “My Help and My Deliverer” in my ESV Bible. Yes, it is only one verse, yet again I encourage you to seek out God’s Word for yourself. I have been in the passage and studied this verse before and what I got from it I wrote in the margin of my bible, “God is in your heart.” And this morning I see more than that, God is in my heart indeed, but I have to allow Him to be there and along with Him is His Word and Law.

The Law of the LORD is more than just words on a page or in a book. It is the very culture that I am to live out in this world to carry me to heaven. Actions don’t do it, it is the condition of my heart that God is looking to. He will determine my righteousness from the condition of my heart that leads to the following of His Law, not necessarily the actions that I perform. Oh, the actions are important, as they will demonstrate to the world the condition of my heart. But those actions are not what get me anywhere as they are simply an extension of my heart and the application of God and His Law to my life and those actions. I can follow the law to avoid discipline, but when I have God’s Law in my heart, I follow His Law because of discipline.

God is indeed in my heart. It is up to me to allow Him to be there and also His Law. I live the Law of the LORD and not just read, study, know, and understand. I keep the Law of the LORD in my heart to guide me into actions that bring glory to Him and show the world that He is in my heart and my life always.

Where to you keep the law of the LORD? Are you storing it up in your mind to use to avoid discipline? What if you keep the Law of the LORD in your heart to guide you in you actions to bring glory to Him ans show the world that He is in your heart and your life?

Meditate of God’s Law

“⁸This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” – Joshua 1:8 (ESV)

God is speaking to Joshua directly here. Moses has died and Joshua has been tasked with leading the people into the promised land. A big task, yes, but God will be with them and here He is telling them how to go about thing. They are to follow the Law as it is written and not deviate. The thing is, as noted in Deuteronomy, they did not have everything written in books to read and take with them, there was reliance on the passing of Law down from person to person and generation to generation. As such, God has given the command to no only read and know the Law, but to “meditate on it day and night”.

This is the command to us and not just the Israelite people. We have to not only read, know, and understand the Word of God, we are to “meditate on it day and night” to ensure that we are living it out daily. It is easy for us to read God’s Word as we have bibles readily available, in many different version and even electronically. We even carry it with us (in the form of apps on our phones). Yet, do we really know and understand His Word. Do we “meditate on it day and night”?

I have on my desk a stack of Bible Verses for memorization. This is my start to meditation. They are right in front of me and I see them and reference them throughout the day. I am not just looking at God’s Word in the mornings as I have my time to study, I am reviewing His Word all day even if for just a moment to read through the verses in front of me. See the last part of verse eight above to see that we will find success in when we are in the Word of God and following His Law carefully. In my interactions with others I have God’s Word and the example of Jesus at top of mind leading to efficient and effective interactions.

Just having the information of God’s Word available is great, as we do have more access today than was available in biblical times. Yet that information is essentially useless in our day to day walk with Christ if we are not keeping it at the forefront of our minds and actions. We have to read, know, and understand God’s Word and then we “meditate on it day and night”.

What is your approach to God’s Law? Are you one that has the information available and then seeks to look it up to determine your next move? What if you were to read, know, understand, and “meditate on it day and night” and live it out always?

All the Words of This Law

Words are important and selecting the right words to convey a message is vital to the message itself. God’s Word is a great example of this and my study today is no exception. I am still in the study of the word “law” and that law is God’s Word. Today I am focused on the words in the scripture I was led to.

“¹²Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, ¹³and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” – Deuteronomy 31:12-13 (ESV)

Both of the verses above are part of my learning this morning. First, I see in verse 12 to “all the words of this law”. When I read it this morning I was struck by “this law” and specifically the word “this”. I had not really read it in the pas when I have been in this passage. I even went to two other versions of the Bible and found the same words “this law” in each of them. God’s Word is indicating here in the passage related to the reading of the law is the law that is to be followed. Not the law of man, but the law of God. It is “this” law that we are to live a life in that will guide us to righteousness.

Now before we get off track here, two things. 1) No, reading and doing God’s Law does not make us righteous. It is a guide to righteousness. Righteousness is in our heart and deemed by God, not the acts we perform. 2) “This law” is all of God’s Word and not just the “laws” found in the old testament. Those before the New Covenant are to some degree still valid, yet we look to the New Covenant to see how the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus led to His example to us as to the application of God’s Law in our lives.

Now, the second thing I found this morning as I was studying the verses above was the phrase “be careful to do all the words” found in verse 12. I know, this is part of the first phrase/words with addition of the words “be careful to do”. I went again to two other versions of the Bible and found that in this case, there are different words used. The New International Version (NIV) has the phrase as “follow carefully all the words”. And that helped me to understand it more intensely. You see, we are to read, know, and understand God’s Word and we are to follow it carefully in our actions and use them as our guide to righteousness.

Again, performing the actions and following God’s Word does not make us righteous, it is His Word on our hearts and deemed by God. But, here’s the thing. God provides us with His Law and we are to read it and know it and understand it. When we do, we will follow it and that will lead us closer to Him and subsequently can/will lead us to righteousness. This is where the first part of verse 12 and verse 13 come together. Notice those who are to read, know, and understand “this law”. It is ALL. Not just those in the church or those we like or those who are far from God, but all of us even the children.

I found the following in my NIV commentary on verse 12 as relates to the reading, knowing and understanding of God’s Word. “There were not books, Bibles, Newstands to spread God’s word, so the people had to rely on word of mouth and an accurate memory. Memorization was an important part of worship because if everyone knew the law, ignorance would be no excuse for breaking it. To fulfill God’s purpose in our lives, we need the content and substance of His Word in our heard and minds.” This commentary reiterates both of the things I mentioned above. First, “this law”, everyone was responsible to read, know, and understand God’s Law. And second, we “follow carefully” all of the law and ignorance is not an excuse.

We start learning God’s Law as children and as we grow older, we continue to learn, know, and understand God’s Law and the application it has in our lives. We are to read His Word regularly, commit it to memory and “be careful to do all the words of this law” daily.

What is your take on God’s Law? Are you pleading ignorance as an excuse to not upholding “this law”? What if your were to regularly read, know, and understand God’s Law and are “careful to do all the words of this law”?

Read the Law Regularly

“¹⁰And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, ¹¹when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.’” – Deuteronomy 31:10-11 (ESV)

We are to come back again and again to refresh on what the LORD has commanded us. Notice that in verse 10 above, we are to read the law of the LORD every seven years. Not once and move on, but every seven years we are to reacquaint ourselves with the law.

It is easy to forget things. In our world today, we tend to not even commit things to memory or even practice as we have such ready availability to things that we engage with them when we need them. Where this may see as though it is in accordance with what Moses is saying here, it is really not. Isn’t this more the approach to the law of hearing about what we did, had done, or should have done after the event took place. We use the now to adjudicate the past or tell us about what to do in the now. We tend to lack the knowledge of how to avoid thing in the future.

I am a professionally trained baseball umpire and have called games at a pretty high level and consider myself very astute as to the rules or laws of the game. I studied the rules to know them and was tested on them and demonstrated application of the rules. I have been thinking of getting back on the field and before doing so I have to refresh on the rules of the game. Some things in baseball do not change, and yet others are amended with adjusted for the now as the game has evolved. This refresh is going to take some time and effort on my part as I have been away from the rules of the game for some time. If I had been doing a regular refresh or reading of the rules, my knowledge and understanding of the rules would be deeper and I would be more prepared to jump right onto the field.

Where God’s Law is much more important than the rules of baseball, the concept is much the same. We have to know the law and be familiar with it to apply it correctly as He intended. We maintain our knowledge and familiarity with the law by reading it regularly. We have to study it and commit it to memory. We have to stay in touch with the law to ensure that it does not pass us by. We have to know the law so that we are not tricked or deceived by others as to the application of the law.

Moses indicated to the people to read the law every seven years in the public square for all to hear and refresh. This public reading was also for those who had not heard the law and would be acquainted with it and know it to apply in their lives. Today, we have God’s Law, the bible, available everywhere. Everyone can have their own copy, either in physical form or electronically. There is less dependence on the public reading of the Law due to this availability. But, even as the dependence on the public reading is lessened, the need to read regularly God’s Law is not lacking importance at all.

We are to regularly engage with God’s Law to know and understand it. Where seeking the information in the moment is useful to our application of the Law, we would be able to avoid or achieve so much more with our deeper understanding and the commitment of God’s Law in our lives. We should be in God’s Word studying it daily. Even if only for five minutes a day on average every day would add up to over 30 hours of study a year. That is almost the equivalent of a full work week studying God’s Law. So get out there and read God’s Law regularly to know and understand how we apply all that He has commanded us.

What does your reading of God’s Law look like? Are you in the mode that you have it available to engage when needed? What if you were to regularly read God’s Law to know and understand it so that you can apply it always and not just in the moment?

All Clean to Hear the Gospel

“²⁸And he said to them, ‘You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.’” – Acts 10:28 (ESV)

Peter was in the house of an Italian, not exactly the kind of house a Jew was to enter and associate at the time according to the law. But, Peter was taking his direction from God and not from the law. The “new” law of God, the New Covenant, was the action that Peter was taking into account when he joined this Italian and all others in his house. Thanks to Jesus all people, yes all, were to be led to the LORD, Jew and Gentile.

“¹²In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. ¹³And there came a voice to him: ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ ¹⁴But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.’ ¹⁵And the voice came to him again a second time, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’” – Acts 10:12-15 (ESV)

You see, Peter had seen in a vision just a few days before that all was clean now thanks to the LORD. Yes, we see in the vision that there was reference to all animals, and not “all” lineage of man, but this was a vision and things are not always literal. The parallel is related to uncleanliness according to Jewish law. Like some animals, some people where considered unclean according to the law. But the law had changed.

Thanks be to God for the change in the law. He made it possible that I might hear the gospel and have the opportunity to be saved. Thanks be to God that I am not considered unclean and not able to know Him. Thanks be to God that Jesus came and died for my sins to wash me clean. Thanks be to God, thanks be to God!

What is your view of clean versus unclean? Are there those that would be considered unclean? What if we think in terms of the New Covenant and know that all are clean thanks to and in the eyes of the LORD to receive the gospel and know Him?

His Law in Your Heart

It seems as though there are new “laws” and rules popping up all the time. Whether it is related to online use or what is unacceptable in the driving through an area. But notice the way we look at laws, we tend to see them as restrictive and speaking as to what not to do. We may even dread the idea of having another law to keep up with and adhere. But let’s look here at what David says about the Law of the LORD.

“⁸I delight to do your will, O my God;

your law is within my heart.”

— Psalm 40:8 (ESV)

“²but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.”

— Psalm 1:2 (ESV)

I see that David is loving the Law of the LORD. He does not see any restriction and actually welcomes and cherishes the Law of the LORD by keeping it “within my heart” and meditating “day and night” on it. There is no what not to do, David sees the Law of the LORD as the what to do in giving and getting the most to and from the LORD. In fact, look at the volume of what comes from the LORD according to David.

“⁵You have multiplied, O Lord my God,

your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;

none can compare with you!

I will proclaim and tell of them,

yet they are more than can be told.”

— Psalm 40:5 (ESV)

They are too many to be declared to the world.

Here is what I am seeing and learned this morning. The LORD provides all, and I mean all according to His Law. He is gracious to the point of so much abundance that we cannot let it known the full extent. I am to keep His law in my heart, not to be sure of what not to do as it is not restrictive as one might think, but to delight in the wonder and greatness of the Law that allows me to give and get the most to and from the LORD.

What is your approach to the Law of the LORD? Are you working to be sure that you are doing what is “acceptable” and seeing it as restricting? What if you meditated on the Law of the LORD and kept it in your heart to delight in it, giving and getting the most to and from Him?