See i have set before you to day life and good, death and evil (Deut. 30:15). This statement addressed to the children of Israel by Moses had great significance. After 40 years wandering in the wilderness, the nation was poised on the edge of the promised land and Moses knew he was soon to die and be succeeded by Joshua. With the knowledge that this was his last chance to address the people, his challenge — which was more an ultimatum — came from the heart.
The law had been given in great detail and the people were fully aware of what was expected of them. They understood the blessings of obedience and the dire consequences of disobedience. The appeal of their leader should have fallen upon receptive ears, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live…” (Deut. 30:19). Choose life!
Bringing these thoughts forward to our time when the return of our Lord is near, we recognize that, by God’s grace, we too are on the threshold of an entrance into the promised land. The reason we are gathered here is that we made the decision to choose life. More than three thousand years after they were written, the words can apply to us: “That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them” (Deut. 30:20).
Regulations for spiritual living
So what are the fundamentals for spiritual living? What are the requirements for ongoing spiritual health and discernment relative to continuing to choose life? A further consideration of the Israelites may provide us with insight. To enlighten their walk, they were given the Ten Commandments, laws engraved on tablets of stone by the finger of God. Auxiliary statutes ensured that all were treated fairly, young and old, rich and poor, orphans, widows, slaves and strangers. There were regulations concerning health, the environment, labor relations, property and possessions, moral issues and precise instructions on the approach and worship of God. It was upon these laws that the children of Israel were both individually and collectively to base their everyday lives. All Ten Commandments clearly showed that man’s obligations and responsibilities were to others: primarily to God, secondly to the family and then to all humanity.
One reason God gave the law was to establish Israel as a unique people, directing their minds to His thoughts and His ways, so that the surrounding nations would admire and fear them
(Deut. 4:6-8; 28:9-10) and so be led toward God. Israel was to be a light among the surrounding nations.
The law disciplined the people in the way of divine thinking. It brought God to the mind of the people in every aspect of life: in the workshop, in the home, in the field, in their education and in their daily worship. But above all, the law was designed to direct the nation to Christ, the divinely promised redeemer. “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). The word schoolmaster is a term used for the guardian in a household responsible for the care and discipline of the children.
Very effectively the law revealed to man that he was a sinner before God and in need of redemption: “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made…”(Gal. 3:19). As the law cursed all who did not obey it in every detail (Gal. 3:10), so it revealed that there was no hope of life apart from the promised Messiah (Rom. 3:21,22), for no man was able to live a life without committing sin. The Ten Commandments were not just a set of rules to be mechanically followed. They showed forth the love, justice and compassion of God and directed His adherents to emulate these attributes in their interactions with each other.
The essence of the law
Sadly, after a period of time, the law became little more than a mental exercise and when the Lord Jesus appeared on the scene, its very spirit had been lost. This is demonstrated by the lawyer who, responding to the Lord’s question about the law, answered correctly: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself” (Lk. 10:27). When Jesus instructed him to apply this to his life, the man was bewildered: “But who is my neighbor?” he asked.
He understood the law but could not put it into practice. It was engraved in his mind but not in his heart. In the ensuing parable Jesus showed that the very essence of the law was to love God completely, fully and unreservedly. This love was to find its expression in the love of one’s fellow man, irrespective of nation or creed. The Samaritan not only did his duty by showing love and compassion, he went far beyond the letter of the law to demonstrate its spirit.
The beatitudes
The law of Moses having been fulfilled (Matt. 5:17), we are now under the commandments of Christ. Nowhere can these commands be better illustrated than in the sayings that are called the beatitudes, given by Jesus in the sermon on the mount. Here are listed the essential characteristics of the disciple of Christ. They are a perfect description of our Lord himself and the template for all who would follow him. In each of the eight beatitudes, the adherents are pronounced “blessed” or happy. This is so not only because of the hope of the kingdom, but because of the tranquility or peace of mind that comes by knowing and doing the Lord’s will.
“The poor in spirit,” “those that mourn,” “the meek” are those with the poverty of spirit to renounce all that sin finds attractive. Observing the world as it shuns the things of God brings grief to the hearts of those who mourn, and evokes in them a longing for the kingdom. These qualities along with mercy, purity of heart and the ability to bring peace in a situation of conflict can only be achieved by association with the Lord in prayer and by frequent exposure to His word.
Hostility meets all
The character of the saint is not attractive to the world and inevitably those who strive to develop godly traits will meet hostility of some sort. All disciples in every generation will receive trials and temporary hardship. This is all part of our spiritual development (Heb. 12:3-11). Those of us who live in countries where freedom of worship is tolerated must not forget to pray for our brethren and sisters in lands rife with persecution.
As can be seen, the beatitudes are interrelated. For a disciple to be a peacemaker and truly strive for unity and fellowship, to seek those who are lost and comfort the broken hearted, he must of necessity fear God, long for justice and righteousness in the earth and show love, compassion and mercy. These groups of fundamental elements are the foundation stones that support all of the commandments of Christ, being at the very core of discipleship.
From the external to the internal
Throughout the next three chapters of Matthew, Jesus proceeds to build upon this framework. Whereas the law of Moses judged outward acts, Christ’s law judges the thoughts which produce those acts. Jesus took the matter from the external to the internal. James indicates that it is in the mind that the seeds of sin are sown and develop. “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (Jas. 1:14,15). Sinful thoughts are the root of sinful acts so the thoughts, as well as the actions, must be addressed. To illustrate this Jesus frequently contrasts his law with the law of Moses. The law said: “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:14). In comparison, Christ taught that sin is committed in the conception and planning of adultery, even if the act is thwarted. The remedy is to cut out the very thought that leads to iniquity. For those who seek peace and are pure in heart, there is no room for such contemplations. In the next few verses these concepts are expanded: turning the other cheek, going the second mile, loving one’s enemies (Matt. 5:38-48), all pivot on the fulcrum of the ideals expressed in the beatitudes.
Now as we contemplate the emblems before us we are reminded of the one who chose to take the path that led to death in order to open the way to life. The Lord Jesus, like Moses before him, implores each one of us to choose life by following him.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One