Travelin’ Down the Free Way :: By William Oldham
“Thus saith the Lord, ‘Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.’ But they said, ‘We will not walk therein’” (Jeremiah 6:16).
At this time of year, my daily Bible reading takes me through the book of Deuteronomy. I have read this book many times over the years. The word “Deuteronomy” literally means “second law” or “repeated law.”
And that’s exactly what the book is: Moses repeats the Law to them as he recounts how God tested them in the wilderness.
He reminds them of their sin and disobedience, their grumbling and complaining, and their unbelief in setting up the golden calf, while travelin’ to the Promised Land. He also points out the Lord’s faithfulness and goodness to them: in protection, in provision, and in discipline, chastisement, and judgment.
Whenever I think of Deuteronomy, I think of the Law of Moses: the conditional law that God laid down to Israel: simply put, if they obeyed God’s laws, they would be blessed, and if they disobeyed God’s laws, they would be cursed. To me, that was the main theme of this book. But this time, my reading has been different; I have seen something else that shines out like a bright light.
I still see the Lord giving the conditional Law of blessing and cursing, and I still see Israel’s repeated failures and the Lord’s continuing faithfulness. But I see something else, something beautiful about our God in the Old Testament. God set up His covenant Law over Israel, not as God Almighty ruling over a nation but as a Father, in love, instructing His children as to how they are to behave in His house.
The context of Deuteronomy, if you will, is found right here:
“The Lord did not set His love on you or choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).
And so, as you read through the book, you see that it all has to do with a Father’s concern for the best interests of His children. He gives Himself to them as their Protector. They need fear no nation on earth harming them; God Almighty surrounds them, no one can touch them. Consider for a moment how free you would feel if that were the case in the country you live in. As you go about your daily life, you know no evil can touch you.
Then, the Lord gives Himself to them as their provider: they shall not lack or want anything. Consider the land He is giving them:
“…The Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything…” (8:7-9).
And if that’s not enough, here’s more:
“You shall be blessed above all peoples; there will be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle. The Lord will remove from you all sickness; and He will not put on you any of the harmful diseases of Egypt which you have known…” (7:14-15).
Given His love, protection, and provision, how free would you feel in such a beautiful and bountiful land?
Question: Understanding this blessed freedom of life under the watchful eye of your Maker and Father, how burdensome does the Law now appear?
And now we come to the child of God under grace. The blessings the Lord promised to Israel there were conditional and temporary. But the same God, the same Lord, has given Himself to us in a much greater way. He has given Himself to us through His only begotten Son. The Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t just watch over us; He abides in us through His Holy Spirit.
Jesus has washed all our sins away with His precious blood; by His resurrection, He has given us eternal life; God has rescued us from the domain of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.
We have been delivered from the pathway to destruction and placed on God’s freeway to a home of everlasting love, peace, and joy.
A final thought: the children of Israel had a glorious free way to travel on had they only trusted and obeyed God.
The Christian has a glorious free way to travel on if they will only trust and obey God.
Admittedly, the free way has many difficulties and dangers. But Jesus has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, so with that, we may travel the free way, rejoicing all the way to the Promised Land.
“…What great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God whenever we call on Him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7). Only in the will of God are we truly free.
Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).
Brother Bill
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