GOD'S STANDARD FOR HIS PEOPLE
God’s Standard for His People
The Lord is often called our Heavenly Father, and if He is our Father, then His children should strive to behave in a way that honors Him. We know that God is fair, loving, and just. Would it be fair for God to require something of us without revealing what He expects? Certainly not. God has clearly communicated His will, and it can be known. Scripture claims to be God’s message, and we know this to be true because “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16).
In Genesis 4, both Cain and Abel offer sacrifices to God. Yet Abel’s offering is accepted while Cain’s is not. When Cain becomes angry, the Lord says, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted?” (Gen. 4:6–7). This shows that God had already made known what an acceptable offering was (See Gen. 3:21 for God setting the precedent). Abel listened; Cain did not. Therefore, it was right for God to reject Cain’s offering since He had already revealed the standard.
Later, after Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, God again instructs His people by giving them the Ten Commandments along with many additional laws and judgments. God desires that His people live in a way that is holy or set apart from the world. These laws reached into every part of life, including moral behavior, worship, and even property matters: “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people. You shall not delay to offer the first of your ripe produce and your juices” (Exodus 22:28–29). There are far too many to list here (if you’d like to read them, start in Exodus 19 and continue forward). The point is this: God has always given His people a standard to follow so that their lives would stand apart from the world and so they could truly know His character. If we desire to enter His kingdom, we must seek to live according to that standard. And to fully understand the standard, we must look at Jesus’ teachings as well.
When Jesus comes to Earth, humanity’s relationship with God reaches a new stage. Now the emphasis turns to the why behind the commands. Jesus explains the greatest commandment of all: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). This is crucial for us to remember in our walk with God: these two commandments form the foundation for everything else. If we have love for God, we will follow him and do what he says. Had the Israelites truly lived by them, God would not have needed to give specific instructions such as “do not treat the Egyptians harshly” or “do not curse God,” because they would have already understood these actions to be wrong. But when teaching, one cannot begin at the end of the lesson, and God follows this same pattern. Foundational principles must come first so that the later truths can be fully understood. In the same way, our personal study cannot begin with the New Testament while neglecting the Old. The Old Testament lays the groundwork that enables us to grasp the richness and fullness of the New.
This week, I challenge us to reflect on why David was called “a man after God’s own heart” and to observe the difference between how David approached/obeyed God compared to Saul. Once we understand this contrast, we can better see how to shape our own hearts to pursue God in the same way. (See 2 Samuel 1:11–12 and 1 Samuel 13:13–15 as a starting point.
~ Cole LeBlanc