Good Intentions are not Enough for God - Deuteronomy 5-7 and Mark 11:1-18
The book of Deuteronomy tells us about how Moses gave the law of God to Israel for the second time for the new generation. The word Deuteronomy means "second law." It is not another law, but the second presentation of the law to God's people. As we read Deuteronomy 5-7, there is one overarching theme. God did not intend for His people to simply hear the Law, but He was commanding them to "keep" the Law. It was only when they kept the Law that they would receive the blessings. There are too many people today who miss this truth. They think that it is enough to know the laws of God, but they do not put them into practice in their everyday lives. Then, they wonder why God is not blessing them. God does not bless good intentions. He blesses obedience. It is up to us to know His law and to do His law.
Think about how many believers worship some idol like money, or their children, or a job, instead of putting God first. There are many who do not keep the Sabbath holy. There are many who do not honor their parents. There are many who lie, steal, and commit adultery. There are even more who covet things all the time. Yet, if you were to ask them, if they believe God's Law, they would say yes. God can't bless that kind of belief that does not follow up with obedience.
Look at Mark 11 and apply this truth. Jesus told His disciples to go get a donkey on which He could ride into Jerusalem. He told them what to say if they were confronted, too. Now, what if they had not gone to get the donkey? What if they had gone, but they had made up something to say when they were confronted? Would it have worked out as it should? I don't think it would have gone well at all. Jesus would have been walking into Jerusalem or breaking up a fight between His disciples and the owner of the donkey. Then, take the cleansing of the Temple. Jesus quotes the Old Testament verse that says the Temple should be a House of Prayer for all nations. What was Jesus to do? Should He have just walked through the Temple, and thought about how bad things were? He knew that He had to obey God's commands, not just know them. He knew that He must act to make God's House a house of prayer, so He did. How often do we simply walk by and say nothing and do nothing? We must see the necessity of action, the necessity of keeping God's law. If we don't keep it we are, in effect, breaking it, even though we know it.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Deuteronomy 8-10 and Mark 11:19-33.
Think about how many believers worship some idol like money, or their children, or a job, instead of putting God first. There are many who do not keep the Sabbath holy. There are many who do not honor their parents. There are many who lie, steal, and commit adultery. There are even more who covet things all the time. Yet, if you were to ask them, if they believe God's Law, they would say yes. God can't bless that kind of belief that does not follow up with obedience.
Look at Mark 11 and apply this truth. Jesus told His disciples to go get a donkey on which He could ride into Jerusalem. He told them what to say if they were confronted, too. Now, what if they had not gone to get the donkey? What if they had gone, but they had made up something to say when they were confronted? Would it have worked out as it should? I don't think it would have gone well at all. Jesus would have been walking into Jerusalem or breaking up a fight between His disciples and the owner of the donkey. Then, take the cleansing of the Temple. Jesus quotes the Old Testament verse that says the Temple should be a House of Prayer for all nations. What was Jesus to do? Should He have just walked through the Temple, and thought about how bad things were? He knew that He had to obey God's commands, not just know them. He knew that He must act to make God's House a house of prayer, so He did. How often do we simply walk by and say nothing and do nothing? We must see the necessity of action, the necessity of keeping God's law. If we don't keep it we are, in effect, breaking it, even though we know it.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Deuteronomy 8-10 and Mark 11:19-33.