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?

Meditate on the Instruction of the LORD

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

and on his law he meditates day and night.”

— Psalm 1:2 (ESV)

I have studied he above verse on numerous occasions and as is usual God has led me to something new. We are to delight in the law and we are to meditate on this law. But what I see this morning in this verse is the definition of the law in this context. You see, the law of the LORD here is “instruction” as noted in the meanings or definitions found in my ESV Bible. In my Christian Standard Bible (CSB) the verse says, “his delight is in the LORD’s instruction”.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul provides Timothy with the same as relates to scripture or Law of the LORD.

“¹⁶All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” – 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

God’s Word is not just the law that we are to follow, it is the instruction book as to how to carry ourselves through this world. Whether it be The Ten Commandments, how to pray, how to engage with the Word of God, or how and when to worship, God’s Law is there to guide us and instruct us through it all.

I know that I knew this. I study God’s Word to learn how to approach this world and work my way through it as God intends. Where I know that I am a sinner and have much more to learn, I also know that God is leading me to be better and more like Him every day. This is only possible through the instruction that I receive as I read, study, know, and understand His Word.

What is your view of God’s Word? Do you see it as the law? What if you were to see it as instruction on how to carry out your life here in this world?

Choose the Right God

Yes, that is correct. One must choose the right God. There are a lot of gods out there that we tend to lean to, but there is only one God. James MacDonald indicates, “When someone tells you he believes in God, as him to clarify which God he believes in.” This will allow them the opportunity to not only give you there belief, but also give them a chance to reflect for themselves which God they choose.

MacDonald, in the study I am doing, gives 4 “fake gods” that we tend to believe in. The gruff God, the game God, the guessing God, and the genie God. Each of them we attribute to God Himself and as such are skewed by who God really is.

The gruff God is the one that is always irritable and in a bad mood. I will say that I am currently in a season of being this way personally, but God is not gruff. He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil and is merciful.

“³⁵But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. ³⁶Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” – Luke 6:35-36 (ESV)

The game God is the one that is playing games with you. He is hiding from you. It may seem as thought He is this way, leading you a certain way only to bring you hardship on you way. But God is not here to trick you. He is here to lead you in the righteous way through teaching and experiencing.

“¹⁶All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

Then there is the guessing God. This is the God that would seem to change with the wind and keep you off balance, not knowing which way to go. But God does not change and there are no variations of Him. He is the same today as yesterday and will be the same tomorrow.

“⁶For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” – Malachi 3:6 (ESV)

“¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” – James 1:17 (ESV)

The genie God is the one who we take out when we need Him. We find ourselves with a need of some kind and take Him out so that He will grant us a wish and then put Him away for next time. The thing is that God is with us always and provides for our needs and He is there when we need Him most, likely doing all of the heavy lifting for us. See the end of the poem by disputed authors “Footprints in the Sand” to see where God is.

“The Lord replied, ‘The times when you have seen only one set

of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.’” – disputed authorship

I choose God. Not a conditional God. I choose God with the greatest of all descriptors, Love. God is love and that is the only God I need, and frankly the only God that matters.

“⁸Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” – 1 John 4:8-9 (ESV)

Which God do you choose? Are you even aware that we may find ourselves believing in a fake God? What if you were to believe in the kind, merciful, teaching, unchanging, always present, loving God?