The Kingdom means nothing without a King
Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:
What did I like about today’s passage?
I like the big idea that God is concerned for people's welfare, and this leads a whole Kingdom way of life for his people. In this life, God wants to protect the innocent, the falsely accused and even people whose actions resulted in death as long as their hearts were not set on killing. The state of our hearts is paramount to God, who instructed only those with strong hearts and no significant distractions to go to war, and upheld the rights of women against mistreatment, and those of families against unfairness.
However, some of these rules seem a bit strange, at least by our standards. There are practical reasons for not mixing types of seed in a vineyard and for not yoking animals of unequal size and strength together. But what about wearing blends of wool and linen, or needing tassels on every cloak? These laws symbolise things, like the importance of purity and remembering God's commandments. They also demonstrate the sovereignty of the King who has the right to issue instructions even if we don't understand the reasons for them.
Some of the detail is scary: death for adulterers and rebellious sons, for example. While something in me deeply wants to protest this, I'm reminded of a couple of important things. If God is King, he makes the rules, not me - his standards aren't voted on for general approval, they are more timeless and permanent. I'm also extremely glad that we live in covenant relationship with Jesus, and while the purpose of the law is fulfilled in this, we don't have to sign up to every detail of activity laid out in this passage.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
God’s Kingdom plan to eliminate evil and restore closeness between people and his love has been growing for a long time. God provided specific laws to ancient Israel to shape its growth and knew, all along, that Jesus’ life would change a lot for us. By taking the penalty for our rebellion and giving examples of good life and the Spirit to guide us, we can enjoy freedom from sin as part of Kingdom life today.
But Kingdom also means accepting the authority of the King, even when we don’t understand. God reserves the right to command us, expecting obedience in faith, rather than wanting us to rely on our own understanding and efforts to build his Kingdom.
What am I going to do differently as a result?
Rely more on God’s power and improve my obedience to him while seeking God’s Kingdom during our times of difficulty and injustice. Jay Pathak from Mile High Vineyard in Denver gave us a great talk about this on Sunday – when we remain in Jesus and obey his authority, God makes his power evident in us, and this changes our world.
Who am I going to share this with?
My family and others I pray with.