The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 19:8,
"Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning."
God gave Israel his law through Moses. When he did so, Israel entered into a covenant with God, and Moses' successor reminded the nation to keep the law. "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it." Joshua 1:8.
Astonishingly, the nation had drifted so far from God over years that they lost the law. In the days of King Josiah, when an effort was begun to refurbish the temple, the high priest discovered it in the temple.
By the time Jesus appeared, following horrific action by God six centuries earlier when he had Jerusalem destroyed together with the temple, and a small remnant deported into captivity, Israel finally embraced the law and even built a "fence" around it (the traditions of the elders), so that if the traditions were kept, one would keep himself from coming close to breaking the law.
However, they failed to understand that the law was a tool God was using to draw the Israelites to himself. In reality they could not keep the law. No one can. Therefore Paul wrote, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." Romans 3:20. The law proves we are sinners, incapable of living our lives on a godly standard (the law), and so those who wish eternal life must throw themselves at God's mercy, found at the foot of the cross - to embrace his payment for our sins.
The impossibility of keeping the law was a key message of Jesus' sermon on the mount. All a man had to do was to look at a woman and the stirrings of lust crossed the threshold of adultery. If one got angry, that was grounds for a conviction of murder.
"Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning."
God gave Israel his law through Moses. When he did so, Israel entered into a covenant with God, and Moses' successor reminded the nation to keep the law. "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it." Joshua 1:8.
Astonishingly, the nation had drifted so far from God over years that they lost the law. In the days of King Josiah, when an effort was begun to refurbish the temple, the high priest discovered it in the temple.
By the time Jesus appeared, following horrific action by God six centuries earlier when he had Jerusalem destroyed together with the temple, and a small remnant deported into captivity, Israel finally embraced the law and even built a "fence" around it (the traditions of the elders), so that if the traditions were kept, one would keep himself from coming close to breaking the law.
However, they failed to understand that the law was a tool God was using to draw the Israelites to himself. In reality they could not keep the law. No one can. Therefore Paul wrote, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." Romans 3:20. The law proves we are sinners, incapable of living our lives on a godly standard (the law), and so those who wish eternal life must throw themselves at God's mercy, found at the foot of the cross - to embrace his payment for our sins.
The impossibility of keeping the law was a key message of Jesus' sermon on the mount. All a man had to do was to look at a woman and the stirrings of lust crossed the threshold of adultery. If one got angry, that was grounds for a conviction of murder.
What becomes clear is that Jesus' message was a message about the heart. It is seen in this chapter of Matthew in three ways. Pharisees came to challenge him on the legalities of marriage and divorce and Jesus spoke of the heart in the above passage. The disciples rebuked people bringing children to Jesus for his blessing and he rebuked his disciples pointing to the importance of anyone coming to him to have the heart of a child. A rich man looking for his ticket into heaven by being a do-gooder is told by Jesus to have compassion on the poor by giving his possessions to them.
This morning I am again reminded that it is all about the heart. Approaching God as if he were approachable on the basis of rules and regulations comes short of the matter. It is those rules and regulations that should help us find our heart's condition to prepare us for his mercy.
After all, if a man is doing quite nicely, thank you very much, why does he need mercy? Why does he need someone paying for his sins?
It is all about the heart.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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