Knowing the will of God is often discussed in hushed tones, with great reverence, and awe-filled veneration, as though one is seeking to mystically see behind Oz’s curtain. Spiritually, many folks do conceive of God’s will as something magical, something that can only be perceived through a haze at the edges. Something so godly, after all, should be that easy to grasp!
But knowing the will of God for your life is not all that mystical—after all, the Lord has not hidden from us what He desires.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism, a tool for teaching young Christians, asks and answers the question: “What is the duty which God requires of man?” Answer: “The duty which God requires of man is obedience to His revealed will.” Obedience. To God’s will, His revealed will. And where do we see that will?
The Catechism asks/answers: “Where is the moral law (God’s will) comprehended?” Answer: “The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments.”
It would be difficult as a Christian to talk about morality, right and wrong, good and evil, without focusing a lot upon the Ten Commandments. Sooner or later for the believer God’s commandments given to His people at Mt. Sinai rise to importance. They are, after all, what God desires for His people.
The all-to-common caricature is that the Ten Commandments are a list of no-nos from God, that cold-hearted, killjoy in the sky. This description is so prevalent and so extensive that many believe it without ever being exposed to the commandments themselves. This irony exists, unfortunately, even in the Church itself—many of the Lord’s own followers have not taken the time to familiarize themselves with the basic law of God.
I want you to live God’s will. I want you to follow God’s law. I want you to know The Ten Commandments.
For worship this week read Deuteronomy 32:1-4.
- Why would Moses address the heavens (verse 1)? What might that be symbolic of? Why would the heavens be a good witness?
- The author asks for his teaching to “drop like rain.” What is the rain like? Why would the author want that to be what his teaching is like?
- In verse 3, notice that “the name of the LORD” is paralleled with “ascribing greatness to our God.” What does that tell you about what “ascribing greatness” looks like? What is “the name of the LORD?”
- List the traits of God that are present in verse 4. What do each have to do with the character of God?
- God is the author and preserver of His moral law. What evidence in this text speaks of God’s connection to justice, righteousness and goodness?
by Henry Knapp