PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS
IF YOU LIKE THIS POST PLEASE FOLLOW US, SHARE WITH OTHERS AND PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS AND GIVE US A LIKE.
Translate this site into your preferred language, look for our Google translator in our home page: diningwithjesus.net
Traduce este sitio en tu idioma preferido, busca nuestro traductor de Google en nuestra página de inicio ve a: diningwithjesus.net
For a long time in my journey as a Christian, I assumed that the purpose of the Ten Commandments and the law of the Old Testament was to simply call the people of God into obedience. It seemed to me that the law had no other purpose than to teach the people of God what they should and should not do in order to stay on the right side with the Lord.
In the passage we are going to read today, we hear that there is another purpose for the giving of the law than simply commanding people to obey. In fact, as you will see, the Lord intended to use his law to be a witness to the surrounding nations and peoples of the world.
5 See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it.
6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? 8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?
(Deuteronomy 4:5-8 NIV11)
Obedience
As we hear in verse 5, the Lord does want obedience from his people.
As we hear over and over, the Lord wants his people to see that in order for them to be successful as they enter into the land promised by covenant to Abraham and his descendants, the people must embrace the calling of the Lord to listen and obey.
This calling is made explicit in the message that the Lord gave to Joshua and the people of Israel after Moses’ death. We can hear this in Joshua 1:7, “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.”
By staying focused on the message of God’s will, the people would avoid the pitfalls and disasters that accompany times of rebellion and sin. The Lord knows that we are better off in obedience and calls us to follow him because he loves us.
Outward
In Deuteronomy 4:6 we heard, “Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
When I finally caught on to the point of this message from the Lord it blew me away. While the law has an inward purpose (keeping us away from the ravages of sin), it also carries an awesome outward purpose.
As the people of God took the message of God’s word to heart, it would lead them into wisdom and understanding. The peoples of the surrounding nations would then see the change that the message of God’s word has brought into the lives of this former slave nation and be amazed at the wisdom of their God.
Draw them in
Listen again to the message of the following verses, “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?” (Dt. 4:7-8)
When the people are obedient to God’s law, this acts as a witness to the glory and greatness of the Lord. Essentially, the law is functioning here as a tool of evangelism.
More
The law does more than correct the heart and mind, it points others toward the wisdom and glory of the Lord. What you do as a faithful child of God in your journey of obedience to the leadership of the Holy Spirit and to the wisdom of God’s word is then used by God to help others see his nature and goodness.
That is a great motivator to pursue obedience to the command and example of Jesus Christ today. The Lord uses your faithfulness for his glory and for the good of the surrounding world.
In Christ,
Ryan Laden
PASTOR RYAN LADEN
Works at MTN. CHURCH
Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church
Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Studied at Baylor University
Studied at Texas Tech University
Went to Castle Hills First Baptist
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox. Please Enter your email address in the box below.
Copyright © 2024 Ryan Laden – All Rights Reserved.
DINING WITH JESUS PRODUCTIONS 
You must be logged in to post a comment.