Today's Bible
study with Nathaniel took us to Romans 10, a great chapter of parallel between the new and old covenants. Noted in Deuteronomy 30 (quoted in Romans 10) is the greater context of God's dealings with His people.
Deuteronomy 30 NASB
10 If you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.
11 "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.
12 "It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'
13 "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'
14 "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.
15 "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;
16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.
17 "But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them,
18 I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it.
19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,
20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
Verse 16 puts first our love for the Lord which produces obedience and walking in His ways. V. 17 shows the contrast, that if your heart turns away....
And so we have the old covenant setting before the children of Israel life and death, blessing and curse. Consider the rest of Romans, leading up to chapter 10, and while resting in the sovereignty of God, know that election demands also the means, that those predestined to reap a harvest are also predestined to till, to plant, water, and then comes the promised harvest. We can rest assured of this, if we do not love the Lord, we will not honor Him nor obey His commands, and even if we did so in a vain attempt to earn righteousness by works, we would fail.
Note the stages of the command, "You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." The promise of guidance and straight paths comes only when we love the Lord our God and acknowledge Him.
God's Word declares that there is none righteous, none that seeks after God, and so we praise the Lord also for the gift of faith which brings righteousness apart from works, and a faith that allows us to love God and consequently obey Him out of love. What a gracious and loving God, and yet the same God who will execute judgement on all those who hate Him, and due to their hate for Him disobey and dishonor Him.
For the parents who may be reading this, consider also on those hard days when a child is disobedient, rebellious, and obstinate, Romans 10:21 "But as for Israel He says, "ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE."
How great an example God is, who stretches out His hand to His people, though we are so often obstinate and disobedient. What marvelous mercy and grace are bestowed on us all! How then ought we to view our own children? This study with Nathaniel has taught me a lot, about God's character, about the relationship of father to son, and helped me to appreciate all the more the grace and mercy of the God who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light!
Proverbs 23:
22 Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy truth, and do not sell it,
Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.
26 Give me your heart, my son,
And let your eyes delight in my ways.
Oh, that I might have the hearts of my children, that they would walk in my ways (so long as I walk in God's ways) and be glad in the harvest God gives in our family!
study with Nathaniel took us to Romans 10, a great chapter of parallel between the new and old covenants. Noted in Deuteronomy 30 (quoted in Romans 10) is the greater context of God's dealings with His people.Deuteronomy 30 NASB
10 If you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.
11 "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.
12 "It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'
13 "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'
14 "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.
15 "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;
16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.
17 "But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them,
18 I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it.
19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,
20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
Verse 16 puts first our love for the Lord which produces obedience and walking in His ways. V. 17 shows the contrast, that if your heart turns away....
And so we have the old covenant setting before the children of Israel life and death, blessing and curse. Consider the rest of Romans, leading up to chapter 10, and while resting in the sovereignty of God, know that election demands also the means, that those predestined to reap a harvest are also predestined to till, to plant, water, and then comes the promised harvest. We can rest assured of this, if we do not love the Lord, we will not honor Him nor obey His commands, and even if we did so in a vain attempt to earn righteousness by works, we would fail.
Note the stages of the command, "You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." The promise of guidance and straight paths comes only when we love the Lord our God and acknowledge Him.
God's Word declares that there is none righteous, none that seeks after God, and so we praise the Lord also for the gift of faith which brings righteousness apart from works, and a faith that allows us to love God and consequently obey Him out of love. What a gracious and loving God, and yet the same God who will execute judgement on all those who hate Him, and due to their hate for Him disobey and dishonor Him.
For the parents who may be reading this, consider also on those hard days when a child is disobedient, rebellious, and obstinate, Romans 10:21 "But as for Israel He says, "ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE."
How great an example God is, who stretches out His hand to His people, though we are so often obstinate and disobedient. What marvelous mercy and grace are bestowed on us all! How then ought we to view our own children? This study with Nathaniel has taught me a lot, about God's character, about the relationship of father to son, and helped me to appreciate all the more the grace and mercy of the God who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light!
Proverbs 23:
22 Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy truth, and do not sell it,
Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.
26 Give me your heart, my son,
And let your eyes delight in my ways.
Oh, that I might have the hearts of my children, that they would walk in my ways (so long as I walk in God's ways) and be glad in the harvest God gives in our family!
