The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.' " Numbers 15:37-4
What is it that help you to remember the commands of God and protects you from going after your own hearts and eyes? In the old testament time God gave Moses a rule that help the Israelites to remember His commands as they are repeatedly follow their own hearts instead of fulfilling the commands that God gave to them. God wants His people to follow His heart. The Bible says that all of us have gone astray like sheep when each of us follow his own way (Isa . 53:6). Our own way do not help us to inherit the promise land that God prepared for us. Hence we have to follow His commands. In our era, we should remember God's command by sticking into the Word of God and studying and meditating it throughout our day.
In Psalms 119, the well known chapter in the book of Psalms which is passionately devoted to the word of God as a word of life, the author highlights two aspects of the word (1) God's directives for life - It starts by explaining that those who follow the law of the Lord are blameless. Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. (v1) Let us see few verses in this devotional : How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word (v9), I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees(v48). If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction (v92), Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (v105), The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple (v130). (2) God's promises – (for obedience and for faith). I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises (v147-148), Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life (v49-50). My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word (v81).
God wants all of us to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1Tim 2:4). The knowledge of the word of God helps us to remember the commands of the Lord, protect us from sin, it gives us victory over temptations so that we can ashamed devil, it helps us to stand on our feet if we fail, and it corrects us if we deceived. In order to exhibit the fruits of the spirit, as we are now under the law of the Spirit of life through Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:2), we should know what those fruits are and how we can develop them. In the old testament era God gave to the Israelites written rules in order to fulfill them so that they can be accepted by God to inherit the promise land. When they were in Egypt they were fulfilling the will of Pharaohs, as we were doing the will of the devil when we were in the world(Eph. 2:2), but after the Israelites went out of Egypt the main thing that tempted them was their own will (Num 15:39), as we get salvation through Jesus Christ we claim to put off our old self and put on the new self to live as children of light(Eph. 4:17-24). As the Israelites did in the old testament we shouldn't follow our own wills in the walk of our day to day life, hence we need to remember the will of God so that we can walk always in the light and think as a children of light. Peter in his epistles urge us to remind the word of God in all our activities. So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, ….. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things(2 Peter 5:12,13 & 15).
Lets look more deep whats is mentioned in the Bible about knowing and spending time with the word of God.
Proverbs 4:4-27 our father gives an instruction to his sons and daughters, verse 4 says "Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live." and continues to tell us how His word will guide and protect us, at verse 13 again it says "Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life." what an amazing advise for those who listen.
John 15:10 Jesus himself said that "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love." He himself obeys God's command.
Luke 4: 1-13 When Jesus is tempted by devil all his answered started with "For it is written", written on God's word the Bible.
1 Timothy 4:13 Paul advise the young man to devote his time on reading the scriptures "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching."
Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
Daniel 9 On this Chapter daniel mentioned on verse 2 that when he read the scriptures he understand that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years, which was given by the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet.
Act 18:24-28 On this part of Act 18 Apollos was described as "a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures." and on this same section on verse 28 its stated "he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ." What a wonderful description for a man of God.
There are lot more mentioned about the importance of the knowledge of God's word in the Bible.
To summarise this note I will add one more point from the Bible,
Hosea 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
"Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law of your God,
I also will ignore your children.
Lets not be rejected by God by ignoring His word. Let us make His word our blue cord tassel to be protected from the plan of the enemy, from going after our own heart and eye.
May God help us to focus on His word, Amen!
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