For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Matt. 22
What are the implications of verse 21 for a Christian’s relationship to the state? To God? The Bible makes it very clear that we are to submit to our authorities. This is true regardless of whether those authorities are good or Godly or not. Each of us has a hierarchy of authority in our lives. All of us are subject first to God. He is at the top of everything. Below Him are governments, bosses, and spouses. To be obedient to God, we must be obedient to all of the other authorities in our lives as well.
The point of deviation in that statement is if a lower authority asks us to do something that is against a higher authority. If a spouse or boss asks us to do something illegal, we need to obey the higher authority. Since God is the highest of all authorities, we need to obey Him if any human authority asks us to do something that is against God. They are likewise under His authority, and He will deal with them in His time.
Submitting to unworthy authorities is hard. Disobeying such authorities in obedience to God is likewise hard. But God desires that we do the hard things with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, because, “Against such things there is no law.” (Gal. 5:23b). That is how we obey the two commands on which, “All the Law and the Prophets hang” (Matt. 22:40a). And we do it by the power of God’s Spirit, who dwells in us.
Jer. 11-12
Israel had broken their covenant with God and He called them back to obedience. What promises are attached to obedience? Is there anything where your obedience is lacking? I’m not sure the word “obedience” gives quite the right connotation for what God required from His people. The blessings of the covenant were a by-product of God’s presence. However, in order for a righteous God to be present with His people, the people needed to be righteous. In theory, that could happen if they were 100% compliant with the Law of the Covenant. Unfortunately, that option is never possible because people are human and thus not perfect.
So if obedience to God’s covenant could never be 100% perfect, as required, and God knew this, why did He keep calling His people to obedience? That brings us to the other option. God repeatedly stated that He loved His people. He did not desire to destroy them or cast them out from under His blessing. That is why He made provisions for their mistakes in the covenant. The trouble was that the people were taking advantage of those provisions while continuing to go their own way. They did not love God back. Jeremiah said of them, “You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.” (Jer. 1:2b). So when God called them to “obedience”, maybe a better word would be submission.
Unlike obedience, submission carries with it the idea of humility and a lack of resistance. Another word is yielding. I saw in a list of synonyms for “yielding” the phrase, “putty in one’s hands”. That’s what God desires from us. He wants our hearts to be wholly His so that He can become our righteousness. Only then can we receive the blessings of His presence.
Ps. 119:1-88
This is the longest psalm, and is a tribute to God’s word. Read the first half and pick one or two ideas about God’s word (law, statutes, etc.) that speaks to you. This Psalm really expresses the concept I just mentioned about obedience to God’s covenant law. The Psalmist knows that he cannot fully obey all of God’s laws all the time, though that is his desire. “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!” (Ps. 119:5). So He repeatedly asks for God’s help. And He makes multiple mention of both his trust and God’s promise.
He also understands that the desire for God is what matters. We see this even in the first two verses. “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart”. Each statement of obedience is supplemented with a statement of desire. As Jesus pointed out in today’s Matthew reading, God’s law is all about loving God and others. The Psalmist clearly understood this. Thus, this entire Psalm is an ardent expression of whole-hearted love for God.