Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Genesis 6:22

 

One of the hardest things for me about reading the first few books of the Old Testament was the seemingly tedious passages that contained so much detail. It isn't so bad in Genesis, but once you get to the latter part of Exodus and then follow that with the books of Leviticus and Numbers, a person can become overwhelmed by all of the details. In Genesis chapter six, it is kind of interesting, with all of the dimensions and descriptions of the ark, but when we get to the next three books and see all of the details of the tabernacle, the instruments of worship, the ark of the covenant, and even the minutia of the clothing that the priests were to wear, it can tend to be a bit too much.

 

So why did God include all of this?

 

The verse above gives part if the reason, as do the last two chapters of Exodus where the phrase, "just as the LORD commanded" is repeated more than ten times. When we really dig into the Word of God, we find that one of the things that God was pleased with was when his servants obeyed Him to the letter. We observe over and over how God blessed His creation whenever they were careful to obey everything that He commanded. We also see, over and over, how God looked with displeasure on His people whenever they tried to cut corners in their obedience. And we can understand why, at least in some instances. For example, we know that a ship has to be constructed just right if it is going to be seaworthy, so we can appreciate the effort that Noah put in to making sure that each of God's instructions were carried out to the letter.

 

But I have noticed in modern times that the idea of "the letter of the law" causes most men to bristle. After all, isn't it the "spirit of the law" that is most important? Of course the answer is that the intent of the heart of the servant is more important than the mindless carrying out of the letter of the law. Jesus made this very plain when He condemned the Pharisees for giving a tenth of their garden spices, while neglecting the more important areas such as faithfulness. However, it should be noted that He also said that they should have done the latter without leaving the former undone. 

 

In other words, both are important! It cannot be denied (nor should it be) that the heart of the servant is more important than his actions. The reason should be just as plain, for people can mindlessly go about obedience to the physical parts of God's commands without giving a single thought as to why they should be doing so in the first place. In other words, you can have compliance without love.

 

The thing we so often miss is that you cannot have love without compliance. 

 

This understanding makes all of the difference. It is true that we can have a type of love without obedience, but that is not the level of love that God wants. The moment we begin to put our preferences over God's commands is the point where we cross the line. We might argue with this, but when we read the 14th chapter of John, we see that it is true. Over and over in this brief passage, Jesus tells His disciples that if they love Him they will keep His commands. He further goes on to reveal in John 14:24 that the one who does not love Him is the one who will not obey.

 

So we now have the answer to our question, "Just how close do we have to obey God?" The answer has always been, "Just how much do you love Him?" I have come to view the detailed instructions of the Old Testament in a much different light than when I was younger. I have learned that the details are there (at least in part) to show us how careful God's servant must be in obeying everything just as God commanded. And the one who truly loves God obeys to the letter, not because they think that they will earn God's reward for doing so, but because they love Him.

 

And, if we truly love God, why would we even think of doing anything less? 

 

 

The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

Mark 12:31, ESV

 

Most of us have known this commandment from the earliest of ages, yet we often treat it as if it were optional. Just look at television for a minute or two and we can see it. Our politicians rarely run "for" anything. They seem to always be talking about how bad the other guy is. Our news programs are no better. In a 30 minute segment we are likely to see 25 of those minutes spent on what someone is doing that should be loathed and despised, rather than what someone is doing well. Our most popular movies are no longer love stories, but typically are filled with violence and revenge. They could rightfully be called "hate stories".

 

I realize that we cannot bury our heads in the sand as to the evil that is going on, and I am the first to say that those who are harming the innocent should not go unpunished. But you have to admit that we have gone too far in some things. In fact, when we consider how divided society is we will have to admit that we have gone too far in most things. It's almost as if we have changed the command to "hate your enemy with all your might", and we seem determined to live up to the modified command, while ignoring the true commandment.

 

We may be quick to point out that the commandment does not say love your enemy, but we would be missing the other commandments if we did that. This is how Jesus put it in the Sermon on the Mount:

 

You have heard it was said, "you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy". But I say to you, "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."

Matthew 5:43-44, ESV

 

Why do we ignore this command? Perhaps it's because it doesn't win elections. Maybe it's because it doesn't attract viewers on the news or get people to pay to go to the movies. But it does work in real life! When we are genuinely concerned about people we will look to their best interests, even though we cannot agree with their actions. We can still prosecute criminals and vote for the righteous cause, but we must cease our destructive patterns of hatred towards those with whom we disagree. I know that sin must be stopped, but our method of hating one another doesn't achieve that goal.

 

What would it be like if we truly were concerned about the souls of those who opposed us? Some will say that we would enable their evil behavior by doing so, but nothing could be farther from the truth. We can still hold people accountable for the wrong that they have committed, but we can also obey God and pray for them to repent. By acting as if the commandments are only applicable when they are convenient to do so, we then become part of the problem and just as subject to the Judgment ourselves. For the same One who said, "thou shalt not kill" also had His Son say, "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you". 

 

It's when we begin to obey all of the commandments that we start to make a difference in this world. I have done things that were worthy of someone hating me and so have you. How much easier has our repentance been when those we have wronged have repaid that sin with good instead of evil? I'm not suggesting by all of this that we simply allow the unrighteous to "get away" with their crimes, but I am suggesting that we still have a solemn duty to love them and pray for them. Who knows, by doing so we might be saving two souls: Theirs when they repent, and ours when we don't need to.

 

One more thing that we will find: When we truly obey all of God's commands, even the hard ones, this world in which we live begins to be a bit less like the hell that we are trying to avoid, and a whole lot more like the Heaven that we claim we want to be part of some day. Wouldn't that be nice? 

 

 

 

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

I John 3:1, ESV

 

Do we realize what kind of potential we have?

 

When Victor Seribreakoff was 15 years old, one of his teachers told him that he did not have what it takes to finish High School and that he should seriously consider ending his studies and going to a trade school. They did things different back in 1928 when this advice was given, so Victor dropped out of school. For 15 years Victor was little more than an itinerant worker, bouncing from job to job. When he was 32 years of age he was given an intelligence test to determine what work he might be most suited for. The people doing the testing measured his IQ at 161.

 

The IQ score for the average human being is 100. Genius level is measured as the top 2% of the population, or more specifically, those who have an IQ of 140 or higher. Victor Serebriakoff, the kid too dumb to finish high school, learned that he was a genius. And he began thinking different about himself, so he started acting different. He had had some ideas over the years that he decided to pursue a bit more, and he filed for and received several patents. He even wrote a number of books. He became a successful business man, and eventually became the President of Mensa, an organization with the singe membership requirement of an IQ over 140.

 

What changed? Was Victor any smarter at 32 than he was at 15? The answer is no. He just didn't have all the facts at his disposal, and some of the things that he accepted as fact turned out to be wrong. Due to these wrong "facts" Victor waited about 17 years to begin realizing his potential in life.

 

How about us? We have something far greater that a test that measures some group of people's conception of intelligence. We are children of God! Everyone of us have been created by God and have the right to be called His children if we will but recognize Him as our Father and obey His authority. The problem is that most of God's children "drop out" before they even become adults and decide, intentionally or not, to forfeit their rights as God's children. What a waste!

 

But those who are wise will take a different path. They will accept God's terms of remaining His child by becoming a Christian. Those who once lived as Christians but left the path can still get back on it, so for those who have been foolish enough to reject God as the Father, there is still hope. I believe there are a lot of people who have left God and just "bounced around" for more years than they care to admit, but this mistake does not have to be continued. 

 

When Victor Serebriakoff discovered the true facts he made a change, and so can we. Stupidity doesn't have to be permanent! We just have to recognize the truth about who we are and what we are doing here on this earth, and then make the necessary changes. Do we see the potential we have as children of God? We can do great things if we can!

 

I suspect that all of us at one time or another have failed to see the great potential that we have. The important thing is for us to realize what we have and start acting differently than we did when we failed to see the great blessing (and responsibility) that belong to the children of God. And that is what we are! 

Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.

Proverbs 27:23, NIV (1978)

 

Of all the challenges of life that are given to us by God, perhaps one of the most challenging is the relationship between our spiritual duties and our physical. There can be no question in the minds of the daily Bible reader that God places the spiritual responsibilities over the physical, but we also know that we still have been placed in a physical world that has physical obligations. So, let us acknowledge at the outset that our first priority is making certain that we and our loved ones are in a saved condition, and that we are doing everything we can, by God's grace, to maintain that condition. It will take Bible study, much prayer, and a daily determination to do the things that God requires of his servants, but if we love Him we will do these things.

 

Having made sure that the spiritual duties have first been taken care of, we can then turn our attention to our physical obligations. As the old saying goes, "God feeds the birds of the air, but He does not bring the worms to their nest." Since we know this is so, it behooves us to give the necessary attention to the physical tasks that are a necessary part of this life that God has so richly blessed us with. In the Old Testament times of the writing of Proverbs, the people were keepers of livestock. Their herds of sheep and goats fed their families. If they had excess livestock, they could sell or trade them for other necessities. The building of the flock was often their primary source of savings, so they were careful to grow their herds, keeping the best for the purpose of breeding.

 

But, as in all things, the first and the best of their flocks and herds went to God. Part of their sacrifices went to the priests who were given completely to the service of God in their duties. While the goats and lambs were given as burnt offerings, it must be understood that God nearly always allowed the priests and their families to eat from these offerings. God did not waste the people's tithes, but made sure that they were given for a specific purpose that was both practical and compassionate. Free will offerings were often eaten by the very ones who made the offering, but it was always done with the lesson of the necessity to shed blood for the cleansing of sin.

 

Understanding all of these things helps us to better understand why God commanded the people to give proper attention to the condition of their herds and flocks. These herds made up their giving, their livelihood and their savings. Fail to give proper attention to these things and a person would find his family in such financial straights that they might even come to the point where they had to become a slave until they paid back any unpaid debts they accumulated through their "borrowing to make ends meet." People were much more cautious about debt in the time prior to the restructuring of one's assets through the bankruptcy courts, so everyone was pretty serious about knowing the condition of their flocks.

 

Which brings us to our times. Part of the test God has given for mankind is one of a physical nature. Unless we  find ourselves under the pleasant protection of a benevolent caretaker, we must all make some provision to take care of our physical needs. Like the people of Israel, we must work. We have to have food, shelter, clothing and all sorts of physical items that all cost money. Those who are wise will have some sort of savings for the future and for items that they would like to purchase that cost more than we might have available now. As was true for the Israelite people, we are required to give our first and our best to God. While we do not have a set percentage of our incomes predetermined for us as the Jewish tithe specified, we are commanded to give cheerfully, purposefully, and in keeping with our incomes. Whether this is more or less than the tithing commanded under the Law of Moses is left up to the wisdom and the conscience of the Christian.

 

I have started up a new series of podcasts and Youtube videos that are intended to help with the balance between the spiritual and physical obligations given to us by God. They will just be suggestions, but I thought they might be helpful in getting our thoughts stirred towards this balance that we need to maintain while here on this earth. Like you, I have had to give a lot of thought to this subject over the years. My background in preaching, combined with my education in business have led me to see that God's Word really is the best book on finance and economics that was ever written. As one who has suffered through the reading of many books in my obtaining a Master's Degree in Finance and Economics, I have not come to that conclusion lightly.

 

I have found that the One who gave the best instruction for the business of herds and flocks in the olden days has just as timely advice for those of us who live in modern times. It's good to remember that our modern times will be the "olden days" of the future, should our Lord not return soon, and it is just as important to remember that God's instruction in the ways of finance is still the best ever given. 

 

Our present world seems to be getting more and more expensive to live in, doesn't it? Many of us are finding that our incomes are no longer keeping up with the pace of these rising costs, and many are getting overwhelmed with the economic times we find ourselves in. God's word is filled with the best advice as to how to handle these problems, and it is through that instruction (and God's help) that we will get through these times. I am convinced that God wants us not only to survive, but to do so in a way that can be an example for others. That example will open the door to our helping others come to Christ, so our motivation in getting our financial house in order goes far beyond just putting food on the table and a roof over our heads. That is my primary incentive in providing this new series of videos and podcasts, and my hope is that it might provide an idea or two that might help you in your specific situation.

 

So, let us first and foremost keep our spiritual obligations clearly in focus, but then let us do our best to keep our financial house in order so that we might most effectively serve God. If you are interested in a more detailed discussion on specific strategies for this critical balance between the spiritual and physical, you can go to my Common Sense Christian podcasts and videos on Youtube and other platforms. They are designed to discuss specifics on the Christian life, both spiritual and financial, and are made from 40 years of experience and a lot of mistakes. The access to these channels is free, and you won't hurt my feelings if you find they are not for you. But, if you are interested in getting more information, be sure and check out these channels on the Common Sense Christian platforms.

 

More than anything else, be sure you know the "condition of your flocks". By doing so, you will become the best servant you can be for our Lord and Savior. And then, there will be Heaven!