Policies & Regulations
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them..." (Deuteronomy 30:15-17)
Have you ever formally studied law? I know a few attorneys are readers of the devotions, so I know the answer is yes. I have studied it formally twice, once in my master's work in Houston and once in my graduate work at Tech. I love to study and analyze it, and I love to hear attorneys talk about it in its terms of how laws are formed.
I remember going through policy with our own law firm as an administrator in the public school arena annually as it was revised according to laws (passed by designated legislative bodies), codes and statutes and placed into policy or regulations. That has a similar ring to Deuteronomy 30.
God's laws are foundational (Ten Commandments), regulatory, and interpreted through teachings in books of the bible - Old and New Testament.*
God's own Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth and in his opening sermon in Matthew put the spirit of the law out for display for us in his Sermon on the Mount. Christ was and is today establishing just how impossible it is to follow God's laws, statutes, codes, and rules, but we do know that with God, all things are possible (Mark 10:27).
We clearly cannot keep and follow every law God has created for us as His people. Verse 17 seals our fate as does Christ's Sermon on the Mount; we will follow other gods from time to time during our walk. If we feel like we are following God's law, then learn the spirit of that law. Our hearts reveal our sin while our minds justify it. For that, God's plan of salvation, His own Son's suffering, death and resurrection, makes our salvation possible.
Pray with me: Gracious Father, Sometimes we say we have no sin and the truth is not in us, but you are merciful and just and have given us a path for salvation. Forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Thanks for your path to salvation. In Christ's name, Amen.
*A table from the Lutheran Study Bible (p.971) showing a breakdown of "God's word, laws, statutes, codes and rules" will be made available in a separate email based on the language from Psalm 119.