Sunday: Do Not Add or Take Away
Read Deuteronomy 4.1-2. What was the specific warning that the Lord gave them in regard to His “statutes and judgments,” and why would this be something that right away they are warned about? (See also Deuteronomy 12:32)
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The Lord tells them to obey the “statutes and judgments” and not to add or take away from them. Why say that? After all, why would anyone want to change God’s law?
We know the answer, of course.
“Satan has been persevering and untiring in his efforts to prosecute the work he began in heaven, to change the law of God. He has succeeded in making the world believe the theory he presented in heaven before his fall, that the law of God was faulty, and needed revising. A large part of the professed Christian church, by their attitude, if not by their words, show that they have accepted the same error.” — Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, Book 2, p. 107.
When you think about the history of ancient Israel, you see that in many ways they got in trouble because not only would they ignore certain precepts of the law, which for all practical purposes was taking away from the law, but they would add to it, in the sense of bringing in practices that were not specified in the law and that, in fact, led ultimately to transgressing it.
Read Matthew 15:1-9. How do we see an example here of the principle that, though in another context, Moses warned the children of Israel about?
When the Hebrews eventually got the land promised them, they would often ignore the direct warnings about, for instance, idolatry. As a result, they followed many pagan practices, sometimes even as part of their supposed worship of Yahweh. By the time of Jesus, however, they had added all sorts of human traditions that, as Jesus Himself said, made “the commandment of God of none effect.”
Either way, adding or taking away, the law was changed, and the nation suffered the consequences.
| In what ways do we need to be careful about not adding or taking away from what God tells us to do? |
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When cooking, there is a certain amount of time that something needs to be cooked for in order to turn out right. If you cook it too little, it is either too raw or un-set. If you cook it too long it ends up burnt. Adding to or taking away from the required cooking time results in food that is not 'fit-for-purpose' - it doesn't work out.
How do you view 'God's law'? Is it a collection of rules and standards that must be followed in order to avoid punishment and gain reward? Or is God's law a description of the principles/constants that are an 'essential recipe' for true life to actually work?
In Deuteronomy 4:1, the verse just before the warning about adding to or subtracting from the statutes and judgments, Moses outlines the reason why it was vital to follow these instructions - "so that you may live". God had set Israel free from Egypt in order that they might also live free. Unfortunately they spent the last 40 years living in captivity to sin (self-seeking) in an inhospitable desert even thought they had been physically liberated from Egypt. Now Moses is hoping the new generation will learn from this history and instead choose to follow God's recipe for a true life of freedom within the Promised Land.
This same caution about adding to or taking away from God's recipe for a true life of freedom is also found right at the end of the bible - Revelation 22:18,19. Here too, there is warning to follow carefully the principles that, if followed, lead to eternal life - or, if ignored, will lead you to perish.
Each of us is entirely free to follow the recipe for true life or not. If we follow the recipe, true life will be the result. If we don't follow the recipe, we will fail to enter true life and will instead perish. The 'choice' is ours each day and will be reflected in the 'things' we devote our time, energy and attention to: things that advance the principles of God's Kingdom to benefit others or things that satisfy self-seeking impulses.
Hi Brother Phil, I really enjoyed what you wrote today. I was thinking the exact same thing this morning, that God’s laws are like a “recipe”, if you follow the recipe, you are bound to get the desired results. We should want to follow the recipe, shouldn’t we? Or do we really think that we can get the same results, or better results, by following our own recipe?
It’s a recipe for disaster, if we think that we can obtain Salvation by any other way than through Jesus Christ (that’s His title as well, a little food for thought for you serious Bible students). Any other recipe than following God’s statures and judgements, no matter how many improvements may seems to be better, in the end will lead to disaster. Matthew 19:4-8 says it best:
“4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.”
Changing God’s statures and judgements has never worked, and never will. When will “We” (as humans, with intelligence and free will) learn that God’s way is always the Best way.
May we allow God’s Holy Spirit to work in us and through us this week!!
Around where I live the rivers are usually a sort of dirty brown most of the time you typically cannot see very far into the water. That makes it hard to see anything under the water. Currently it is a while since we have had any rain and the water, while not crystal clear at least allow you to see fish swimming below the surface. This morning I could see an eel swimming upstream. I wanted to see where it was going so I followed it for a while, but someone came with their dogs and let them off the leash for a dip into the water. And that was the end of underwater viewing. It is a simple fact of life that if you want to see underwater, then don't muddy the water.
I think that was what Moses was saying in our text for the day. If you want to see and understand the spirit of the law, then don't mess with it. We often apply this to those powers that have messed with God's law to the extent of changing it to suit their own purposes. But, what about those who surround the law with so many words and explanations that muddy the view of the spirit and intent of God's law?
This is such a profound warning!
The devil is trying to convince humans that the Word of the LORD needs to be revised or reinterpreted or that they can pick and choose which portions to believe.
I believe our freedom of choice is between the LORD and His Principles or those of the devil's which he disguises in various ways.
From Genesis to Revelation the message is -
Choose you this day whom you will worship by living in harmony with His Principles of Life as He has published them in His Holy Word!
We can not understand the nature of the law if we reduce it to a set of chores that will alienate human beings and deprive them of their judgement and freedom.
The reason why Israel should "turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice" (Deuteronomy 4:3, 4), and accept the law with all their intelligence ,as narrated by our brother Phil ,above, is so that the people "may live" (Deutronomy 4:1), blossom, and fulfill themselves as human beings.
However, Lord God, the Creator, has given the recipe for life, through the law, precisely because, as the Creator, He knows the formula of Adventist's being ( modern Israel).
Hi Brother Fredrick,
For us, modern-day spiritual Israelites, and teachers of God’s word, it isn’t a matter of not knowing God’s statures and judgements, we know them like the back of our hands (we see the back of our hands with every task that we do, like typing, lol).
The “heart of the matter” for us is the “heart”. Where does your heart lay? With the Lord, and His statures and judgements? Or with the self-seeking desires of our own hearts, and fulfilling the lust there of? There’s a reason why Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
But we, with our fallen natures, find it very difficult to deny “self”, and truly “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”. We can’t do it on our own, we need God’s Holy Spirit. We need to ask Him, ask David did in
Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
How can we do that without the Holy Spirit living in us, and directing us? We have to listen to the Holy Spirit! Isn’t that what the Sabbath school lesson has been saying for the last 3 weeks, “Hear, O Israel”. I told my Sabbath school class two weeks ago, what Revelation 2:11 says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
Be blessed everyone!
Taking away or adding to God's statutes and judgments would mean that they are not God's any longer; they would be man's and not any longer in keeping with the Covenant. The New Covenant is referred to as "The Way", and people following this 'redefined/refocused' Covenant were referred to as the 'People of 'The Way'. I like that - Christ Jesus taught this 'Way of Light leading to Life' as a practical experience, so with fulfilling the Law and the Prophets.
The Follower of His 'Way' loves the Savior and the Father, welcoming the assuredness of his safety to be in the heart of God, as he follows the 'Way of Life'.
Our generation received the promise made to Israel - mankind's Savior. The Son of God joined us in our humanity to live among us to teach us the fulfillment of the old Law by providing the 'Way'. He once and for all time re-framed/re-focused/re-stated how the Father's statutes and judgments were meant to be understood - to love God and to live peaceably with our fellow man.
Is there anything different regarding the faithful keeping of the statutes and judgments between then and now? I do not think so! Its purpose, its motivation and delivery are better understood because our Savior demonstrated God's 'Way', applying it to one's practical, day to day life. All spiritual aspects of God's 'Way of Life' remain the same.
Man now knows for certain that he is not able to reach the 'Promised Land' by the works of the Law, but by trusting the Son of God to lead him along the path of Righteousness.
I do not see the essence of the old statutes and judgments having changed; 'Walking the Talk' - trusting in and Love of the Father - is still the heart of the 'Law of Love' God offered mankind to live by - Matt.5:17-19; Matt.22:36-40.