Moses and The Law
Moses spent most of his life in the task of helping people to receive, understand, and obey the Word of God. “These are the commands, decrees, and laws God directed me to teach you to observe,” he said, “so that your children and their children after them may keep all His commands and enjoy long life. Be careful to obey, so that it may go well with you.”
Moses gave the written word to the priests with special instructions to read it and teach it. It was the only hope Moses had for the future as he reached the end of his life. Today it is the hope of all people. It is the duty and the privilege of all people to read the Word of God.
Why? Is there a special value in reading a sacred book? Some people think they should read religious books as a kind of religious ceremony. Other people keep sacred books as religious items and respect them but do not read them. But our reason for reading the Word of God is different. We know the books themselves cannot bring us close to God. It is the message in the book which is important and powerful. We do not read as a religious act, but rather to hear the message, allowing God to speak to us through His written Word.
Remember that Moses broke the tablets when he discovered his people worshipping an idol. These tablets were written by God and they were precious to Moses. Yet he knew that obedience to God’s law was much more important than having the words on stone. It was as though Moses cried as he broke the tablets, “What good are these if people do not obey the message they contain?”
Still, God did replace the tablets, and this shows that He wants us to have His written Word with us. He wants us to read it. He wants us to love and respect it, just as Moses did. Most of all, He wants us to know that He is speaking to us personally through His Word. He wants us to pray for understanding of its teachings, and, when we understand them, to obey them in our daily lives.
For You To Do
What can you do to receive the most help from God’s Word? Write down your answers.
Prayer
Oh God, the Deliverer of Moses and the Great I AM; You alone are mighty and wise. I humbly confess that beside You, there is no other god, and beside Your Word, there is no other path to guide me into the mysteries of Your truths. For Your Word alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Give me the courage and a far deeper desire to search all the Scriptures that I might find nourishment for my soul. Help me to accept and act upon Your Words in faith as did your servant Moses and his people. Help me also to take refuge in Your majestic power that is able to deliver me from the bondage and turmoil of sin. And may I find in Your written revelations an assurance from Your Word that speaks to my heart and that confirms Your desire to personally guide me along the path that leads to Your Paradise of eternal life. Amen.