FROM FIRST TO LAST

Scripture for the day: Genesis 3:11; Revelation 22:14 “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” … Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

Thought for the day: Read these two short verses again. What on earth do they have in common? From beginning to end, from Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained we can see, if we’re willing to look with eyes wide open, the one criteria for access to the tree of life; namely, obedience. Throughout the Word of God, we find that those whom God was able to use were those who chose to obey His commands, even when that obedience meant hardship, persecution and worse.

And how do we get from the utter failure of Genesis, chapter three, to the triumph of Revelation? Somewhere in the middle of that journey stands a cross, the cross of Christ. At the cross we can get a true picture of the kind of obedience the Lord is looking for in all who will choose to follow Him. Paul said in Romans 5:19 “Through the obedience of One shall the many be made righteous.” He told the Philippians, “He became obedient to the point of death. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him” (Philippians 2:8-9). From first to last the Bible speaks of obedience as being absolutely essential for the Christian. The briefest trip through the Old Testament shows the truth of this, if we’re but willing to look.

“According to all that God commanded Noah, so he did,” though it meant days of toil to build a ship no one, including Noah, could find a use for. His obedience meant ridicule, hatred and scorn. His obedience also meant that he and his family would be kept in safety through the coming deluge.

By faith Abraham obeyed God, even when it meant the possibility of losing his own son in the process.

Moses was promised deliverance for his people if he, and they, would be careful to obey all that the Lord commanded them. And let’s be honest; most of the commands the Lord gave made no sense at the time. Now, what did Moses say to the children of Israel as he was about to take his leave? More than once, he said, “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today” (Deuteronomy 11:26-27).

Just one more example and I’ll turn you loose to contemplate the meaning of obedience to God’s commands in our lives. After the people had foolishly demanded a king and the Lord, through Samuel, had granted their request, the very first king, Saul, almost immediately went astray by failing to carry out the Lord’s command to utterly destroy the Amalekites and everything they owned. Instead, he took their king captive and retained the best of the livestock “to sacrifice to the Lord” (1 Sam. 15:15). He obeyed, but only partially and the Lord God demands complete obedience.

Now, we’re not much into killing every living thing these days (though some could argue that we’re better at that sort of thing than we’ve ever been). However, let’s look at this failure of Saul from another point of view. God has told us of the need, in regard to any sin in our lives, to “utterly destroy all! Spare not!” We too often obey up to a point and yet not completely. We must be willing to spare nothing that is not in harmony with God’s will. It is only a whole-hearted obedience at every point the Lord reveals to us that will satisfy; nothing less. “But Bill, that’s too great a task for me to undertake!” True, it is. But it’s not too much for you and the Savior together.

Now go take on your world. - Bill