THE LORD SPOKE (March 13)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 5-6

The commandments are placed in an envelope that emphasized the faithful carrying out of what they say. At the beginning of Deuteronomy 5, Moses tells the people to “learn them and be sure to follow them” (Deut. 5:1). Again at the close, he reminds them to “be careful to do them” (Deut. 5:32). Throughout there is an emphasis on doing all that they command (Deut. 5:27,29,31,33) for, as James later explains, “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (Jas. 2:10).

So what should we do? Abandon the ship because there’s no possible way to stay afloat? Give it all up because it’s not humanly possible? Toss the baby out with the bath?

No! A Baby came to help us. More than help us. That precious Son of God has made it possible to keep all the commandments. Not in our own strength. Not by our own effort or goodness. But through simple trust in Him as our righteousness. He is our hope and our salvation. He is “the end of the law” (Rom. 10:4) both in the sense of fulfillment or completion and in the sense of goal or purpose. He is “become our salvation”.

He is both our motivation and our strength to follow through. He reminded us, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (Jn. 14:15) and this is not burdensome, for He says:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Mat. 11:28-30)

New Testament: John 4

Her progression in terms of direct address is noteworthy. The Samaritan woman in John 4 starts with a put-down and is moved steadily toward believing respect:

• “a Jew” - vs. 9
• “sir” - vs. 11, 15, 19
• “a prophet” - vs. 19
• “a man...the Messiah?” - vs. 29

Jesus begins where she is spiritually and moves her forward by means of metaphor and penetrating propositions:

• water ➔ “living water” (vs. 10)
• well ➔ “spring of water welling up” (vs. 14)
• husband ➔ “five husbands” plus one (vs. 18)
• this mountain ➔ that mountain ➔ no mountain (vs. 21)
• “Messiah is coming” ➔ I am the one! (vs. 26)

Much of what the Lord said must have been very startling to her. One of the statements that Jesus makes to her is rather startling to us, unless we take the time to think about it clearly. Well into the conversation He says, “Salvation is from the Jews” (vs. 22). Sure, we know that the OT comes before the NT but we don’t usually think in those terms. Our view of the Church and of the superior nature of the New Testament (i.e. New Covenant - see the book of Hebrews!) is such that we don’t often consider from where we’ve come.

The metaphor Paul uses in Romans 11 is of an olive tree root with ingrafted branches and he made it very clear, “You do not support the root, but the root supports you.” (Rom. 11:18). Consider what Jesus means when He says, “salvation is of the Jews”:

1. Our Bible was entirely written by Jews - both OT and NT - with the single exception of Luke/Acts. However, the Gentile Luke was actually a Jewish proselyte.
2. Our Savior is (not was) a Jewish man, born of a Jewish virgin in Bethlehem, of the house and lineage of King David, and seated today at the right hand of the Father in heaven, interceding for us.
3. Our theology comes directly from the Jewish Old Testament - “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sins.” God has righteous standards and we are accountable to Him. “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
4. Our faith must be that of Abraham who “believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6)). Thus, we become the children of Abraham (Rom. 4:1; Gal. 3:7).
5. Our glorious hope is in the return of the Jewish Messiah who will sit on the Jewish throne of His father David, in Jew-rusalem, and will establish His millennial kingdom.

Everything that we hold precious spiritually, has come to us through God’s chosen people, the Jews. He has worked out His plan through them since Abraham, He is doing so now, and He will do so in the future.