Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Our Old Testament reading for today offers a good example of the tension between God’s sovereignty over all creation on the one hand and the divine concern for individuals in need on the other. “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords,” we read, “the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:17-18). To live in relationship with God, then, is to live out the meaning of that tension, God’s sovereign “above-ness” that in no way limits God’s nearness.
For example, when we worship God, we should hold these two aspects of God’s activity side by side. Our praise should be heartfelt and joyous, our hymns and prayers sung and spoken with the reverence that is appropriate for the Creator of all there is. But this same praise and worship is dishonest at best and meaningless at worst if it does not lead us to show care and compassion for those around us, if it does not direct our attention to a world full of need and pain. Our day to day lives as well must be guided by the recognition that our majestic God is also an imminent God. Though we might wish to move spiritually from one “mountaintop experience” to another, blinded to the world by the radiance of God’s presence, we walk a false path of discipleship if we do not also enter that world, eyes wide open to the poverty and the injustice that clamors for our attention, and which calls us to deeds of self-sacrifice on behalf of the lost and lonely.
The story of creation tells us in vivid terms that when God brought human life into existence it was as a reflection of the divine image. And the incarnation of Jesus Christ – the word of God made flesh – reveals the willingness of God to enter into human society as one of us and to live as the poorest among us, the most oppressed of our world, live. If, then, we are to give ourselves fully to God and to truly glorify God’s name, we must be willing to follow the divine imperative, recognizing God’s Lordship over all, but humbling ourselves in service to those in need. This is what it means to be the people of God.
Prayer: God of majesty and might, lead us not only to acts of praise and worship, but also to deeds of kindness and concern, that we may fully reflect your love to the world and may rightly serve you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Showing posts with label Deuteronomy 10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deuteronomy 10. Show all posts
Friday, February 22, 2013
Friday, March 18, 2011
It's For Your Own Good
Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Why would God set so many restrictions on humanity, especially on those whom God had chosen to be a holy nation? Why would God be so insistent about how things were to be done? These are questions that sometimes get asked in light of the many commandments and laws that God established? Is it all somehow for God’s benefit? Our reading from Deuteronomy for today offers clear insight into God’s actions. “…(K)eep the commandments of the Lord your God,” it says, “and his decrees that I am commanding you today, for your own well-being” (Deuteronomy 10:13, my italics).
It may be difficult for us to understand all the factors that lie behind the various laws, but the ultimate purpose of God’s decrees was to safeguard the lives of God’s people and to maintain a community in relationship to God. Dietary restrictions, laws concerning care for the poor, setting aside a day for rest, forbidding the worship of idols and other gods all aid in creating a better life for God’s people. When they failed to live according to God’s wishes the people of Isreal encountered trouble. When they followed the law they found life to be more joy-filled.
The ultimate test of God’s intentions comes in the death of Jesus Christ. That God was willing to take death into God’s own being for our sake is all the evidence we need of God’s love. As my wife says, “It’s easier if we will just to do things God’s way to begin with.” She’s right. Life is better when we accept God’s gracious guidance. It really is for our own good.
Prayer: Lord, help us to live according to our will and in keeping with your intentions, that we have find well-being, and may care for those around us. Amen.
Why would God set so many restrictions on humanity, especially on those whom God had chosen to be a holy nation? Why would God be so insistent about how things were to be done? These are questions that sometimes get asked in light of the many commandments and laws that God established? Is it all somehow for God’s benefit? Our reading from Deuteronomy for today offers clear insight into God’s actions. “…(K)eep the commandments of the Lord your God,” it says, “and his decrees that I am commanding you today, for your own well-being” (Deuteronomy 10:13, my italics).
It may be difficult for us to understand all the factors that lie behind the various laws, but the ultimate purpose of God’s decrees was to safeguard the lives of God’s people and to maintain a community in relationship to God. Dietary restrictions, laws concerning care for the poor, setting aside a day for rest, forbidding the worship of idols and other gods all aid in creating a better life for God’s people. When they failed to live according to God’s wishes the people of Isreal encountered trouble. When they followed the law they found life to be more joy-filled.
The ultimate test of God’s intentions comes in the death of Jesus Christ. That God was willing to take death into God’s own being for our sake is all the evidence we need of God’s love. As my wife says, “It’s easier if we will just to do things God’s way to begin with.” She’s right. Life is better when we accept God’s gracious guidance. It really is for our own good.
Prayer: Lord, help us to live according to our will and in keeping with your intentions, that we have find well-being, and may care for those around us. Amen.
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