Laws and Love

In Deuteronomy 7, God made a “Covenant of Love” with his chosen people of Israel. He promised them that if they obeyed his laws that he would bless their families, their livestock, their crops and would protect them from disease. Great promises but great promises come a great cost.

God’s laws, given through the hand of Moses, regulated almost every aspect of their lives… what they could eat, who they could marry, what was clean and could be touched and what was unclean and could not be touched. Additionally, God required days and events that were to be commemorated on a weekly and yearly basis. They also were required to give back to God 10% of everything they owned.

And yes… this people who had been servants in the Land of Egypt were to become soldiers and killers. Killers of men, women and children to cleanse the promised land.

Of course the children of Israel could not or would not keep all those laws so they were cursed with famine and infertility and death and slavery at the hands of surrounding nations.

In Matthew 6 Jesus made another type of covenant people who chose faith. If his people would put God first in their lives and love him with all their hearts he would make sure they had all the necessities of life… food, shelter and clothing.

One system was a system with a focus on the strict obedience of laws and the love of laws.

The other system’s focus was on the loving of God and letting the obedience of laws take care of themselves

If you were offered either of those deals today which would you choose?

When God let Solomon choose anything he wanted… you know what happened… Solomon chose wisdom and in addition to wisdom God granted him great wealth.

Choose God and put him first and maybe like Solomon God will bless you with not just the necessities of life but also some of the niceties as well. It is a better and achievable system.