Despite all the joy and fulfillment I have received from following God’s commands and seeking after the divine will, I still occasionally experience moments of sullenness when some command of God seems burdensome to me. It is at those times (or as I come through them) that the ancient truths of Scripture are replayed in me: I rise up in selfish rebellion and willfully seek to establish myself as the supreme standard of good in my life.
It is because I still find this recurring rebellion in me that I suspect all people who wish to be good struggle with similar temptations. What do we do when the commands of God seem to us to be burdensome? How do we react when the revealed will of God appears to serve no useful purpose or interferes with our pursuit of fun?
Our lesson this week addresses these questions. Moses is speaking to the children of Israel, who are about to enter the Promised Land. He is reminding them of God’s commands and their importance. As he does so, Moses reveals God’s purpose for the commands.
The commands are not simply for the benefit of Israel (Deuteronomy 4:5). They also are meant to help Israel be a witness to the greatness of God among the nations (Deuteronomy 4:6-8). By faithfully obeying the commands of God, the people of Israel will become the kind of people and the kind of society God desires them to be. In so doing, they will fulfill their purpose within the larger plan of God, giving glory to God and a witness to the world.
Have you ever considered that God’s commands help you find your place, your role and your purpose in the plan of God? It is true. When God gives the commands to forgive, to love, to gather and to be holy, God does so for our personal benefit and also for the larger purpose of building the community of faith. I am to love my neighbor, not only because it is personally good for me, but also because it is good for the kingdom of God.
Through my love, I may receive personal satisfaction and fulfillment, but I also will be witness to God’s love and a representative of God’s kingdom. As Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). So, then, obedience fulfills a purpose greater than personal satisfaction.
Because God’s commands are meant for purposes I do not always fully understand or appreciate, the temptation always will exist to view these commands through the lens of my own self-interest. I will want to do those things I understand for reasons that benefit me, and in so doing, I may reject purposes of God I do not fully appreciate.
In Deuteronomy 4:15-20, Moses specifically warns the people of Israel against just such a temptation. “Watch yourselves very carefully so that you do not become corrupt,” he says (v. 16).
Moses knew the people would be tempted to be like the other nations around them. They would see the other nations worshipping other gods, making idols and giving reverence to various aspects of creation.
Idols and the stuff of creation were things the people could see and often handle. They were easier to grasp than the idea of an invisible God. Their purposes were more concrete and understandable.
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A god who specializes in war or crops is pretty easy to comprehend, but Moses reminded the people that their God, while vastly more complex, was also the God who had delivered them from Egypt, given them an identity and a purpose, and was providing for them a place.
Idols were easy, but they were also cheap, powerless and ultimately useless. With the challenge of serving the God who had deep purposes and plans came true reward. Consequently, the people were instructed to be “very careful” about maintaining the priority of God and God’s commands in their lives.
What competes with God for your ultimate loyalty? What competes with God’s call on your life as your true source of identity? Do you define yourself more by your work, your hobbies, your music or by the fact that you are a child of God?
Have you ever found yourself disappointed by some activity or achievement that you were just sure would make your life better? Have you ever been left unfulfilled by something that promised to give you the good life?
If so, then you know how idols can be easy but also cheap. The God we serve is not easy. Nor are the Divine gifts cheap. On the contrary, the grace of God to us is more costly than truly we can appreciate.
Consequently, the blessing we receive when we respond in faith to the will of God is of surpassing value as well. We may not always understand or like the commands God gives. We may find them difficult, hard and uncomfortable, yet it is in the difficult obedience that we can prove our trust in the goodness of God. Deuteronomy 4:39-40 serves as the final challenge of this lesson: acknowledge God is Lord; keep God’s commands; reap the rewards.
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