Deuteronomy 10:12-11:32
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
In view of Who the LORD is and what He has done, what He requires is, of course, entirely reasonable. It is the right and proper response for Israel and for us — except that, in and by ourselves, we just can’t do it. We are not up to the task. Even when we strip away all those statutes that arguably do not apply to us (e.g., the dietary laws) and focus only on those that clearly do still apply (like the Ten Commandments), with our very best efforts we still cannot manage it.
Many people don’t want to acknowledge that truth and cling to the idea that if they just “try harder” they will eventually get everything right. The result of that is twofold:
- Pride in one’s outward successes, evidenced in a self-righteousness that looks down on others; and
- Guilt and depression from the internal knowledge that, in fact, the failures remain
Recognizing that truth, does that mean that we can just say, “Oh, well!” and cast off the law as unattainable? Not at all! God’s commandments still reflect His character, and He means for us to reflect His character as well. The key to all of this is faith in the Risen Christ, the One Who came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5) With Him, well, that’s another matter altogether. (Philippians 4:13)
See also: February 24 (2023) / Deuteronomy 9-12:28