The Worldview of God’s Law: Spiritual Practice (2)

The promises of God guide the worldview of God’s Law.

“Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD your God, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.” Deuteronomy 6.3

As we have seen, the worldview communicated within the Law of God is intended to promote action within a framework of love for God and neighbors. This is a worldview to be lived, and not merely learned as an intellectual exercise. As such, the worldview of God’s Law addresses all aspects of human life: relationships, roles, responsibilities, culture and community, and much more.

It is beyond the scope of the articles in this series to elaborate in detail the teaching of God’s Law in all these various areas of human activity. What I want to do instead is to outline a pattern of worldview living which is revealed in the Law as a set of general guidelines for pursuing the vision of God’s Law according to the disciplines therein prescribed, so that by the practice of the Law the people of God could expect to gain the benefits and blessings God intended. These guidelines are not a series of steps or stages; rather, they are more like the pistons in an engine, which must fire and work in their appropriate place and time in order to produce the energy which results in blessing.

Moreover, the pattern revealed in the Law is, like the Law itself, a kind of cornerstone or “footprint” for the rest of Scripture. As the people of ancient Israel were called to follow this pattern, so the people of God today are likewise to be instructed and charged.

First among these guidelines is the focus on God’s promises which runs throughout the Law of God. The promises extend all the way back to Abraham, as we have seen. They are, as Peter observed, “precious and very great” (2 Pet. 1.4), and, when understood and contemplated, provide a powerful impetus for obedience. It was the duty of the people of Israel to understand the promises of God and to keep these, as the expression of God’s will for them, before their minds continually. The promises were symbolized by the land of promise, which was to be the staging-ground where all that God had promised He would bring to pass.

But the promises were intended to serve, above all, as a reminder of the supreme promise of God, that He will be with His people and take them for His own. The blessings of righteousness, peace, joy, and abundance which God held out for His people were but tokens of His presence among them and of their participation in Him.

Thus the practice of the worldview of God’s Law must always be focused on the vision of His Law, that the people of God may desire Him and His righteousness, especially as these are realized in Jesus Christ, above all else (2 Cor. 1.19-22).

For a more complete exposition of the promises of God, order a copy of T. M.’s book, I Will Be Your God, from our online store. Subscribe to Crosfigell, the devotional newsletter of The Fellowship of Ailbe. Sent to your desktop every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Crosfigell includes a devotional based on the literature of the Celtic Christian period and the Word of God, highlights of other columns at the website, and information about mentoring and online courses available through The Fellowship.