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The Ninth Commandment: Statutes and Precepts (1)
Deuteronomy 6.16-19
16 “You shall not tempt the LORD your God as you tempted Him in Massah. 17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you. 18 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the LORD swore to your fathers, 19 to cast out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken.”
At Meribah and Massah Israel put God to the test. He had already promised to provide for them and had shown Himself faithful to His Word. In questioning His faithfulness, the people of Israel denied His Word and sought to manipulate God through their leaders, Moses and Aaron (Numbers 20). They did not do what was true and right and, as a result, confirmed their condemnation to wander and die in the wilderness.
In a very real sense the people of Israel called God a liar and challenged His right to put over them such “incompetent” leaders as Moses and Aaron. They were not dealing truthfully with the Lord; that is, they were not relating to Him on the basis of what He had revealed to them and previously done for them.
Are we not all like this at times? We hear the Word of God, but do not believe it, and do not carry it out in our lives. Then we grumble and complain about situations and conditions, as if we somehow deserved better – that is, as if God were unfair. We are not relating to Him on the basis of His truth, but on the basis of our own perceived needs, finite understandings, and lack of faith.
We will not be true to one another if we cannot relate to God on the basis of His truth.
T. M. Moore
The Law of God is the soil which, fertilized by the rest of God’s Word and watered by His Spirit, brings forth the fruit of Christian life. If you’d like to understand this process better, and how to make best use of the Law in your walk with and work for the Lord, order the book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, from our online store.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.