Timeless Message

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"You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother." - Deut 22:1 (ESV)

    Confession time: I am one of those weird people who enjoys reading the Torah (first 5 books of the OT). Some folks run from OT books like Deuteronomy; I run to them. It's not that I particularly enjoy reading an extensive list of "dos and don'ts", or that I am attempting to live my life "under the law".  I realize that the Law, as a means of providing grace to God's people, has been fulfilled in the work of Christ. It is unnecessary for me to offer a blood sacrifice for my sin because Jesus offered Himself for me, and permanent and better offering. However, does that necessarily mean that the Law should be thrown out and dismissed? I don't think so. There are some who look at Deuteronomy and other OT books as "irrelevant" and "not applicable for Christians." I disagree. I think the entire Word of God is meant for all people, for all time.

   Case in point, take a moment to reread the verse above. Most of us do not have to worry about your neighbor's ox or sheep straying into your yard, although we Texans might find a straying longhorn or two (the animal, not the team). Now, look at the spirit of the command given. It is not really about the ox or the sheep, it is about caring for your brother. When we see a neighbor in need, even if they may not recognize, we have a responsibility to help. That does not mean that we must take responsibility for everyone else's actions, but it does mean that we have an obligation to lend a hand when we can. Jesus said, "...the second is like [the first commandment]: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (Mt. 22:37-40, NASB) In addition, James tells us, "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (4:17, ESV)

    When we look through a wide-angle lens, we see that God was revealing more than simply rules and regulations. He is revealing how He desires for us to worship Him and how we are to treat others. He is showing us that we are to love. And that, my friends, is a message that it timeless.





* image- http://pre00.deviantart.net/9ddc/th/pre/i/2013/352/8/9/timeless_by_t1na-d6ye4f5.jpg

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