The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: “You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates.” (Deuteronomy 1:6-7)
As important as it was for Israel to journey to Sinai and enter into covenant with God, it was just as important for them to move from Sinai and fulfill their purpose. God never intended for them to remain at the foot of Mount Sinai indefinitely; it was only for a season. Specifically, Sinai represented the season in their journey that was dedicated to learning the ways of God and, by inference, unlearning the ways of Egypt. However, once they had spent ample time receiving instruction, they had to walk it out and “Take your journey” to the Promised Land.
Of course as we know, that journey was filled with pitfalls, mistakes, blunders and consequences — consequences so severe that their arrival at the Jordan River was postponed by almost four decades. Nevertheless, the objective was achieved and, consequently, it was important for those going into the land to be intimately familiar with what had been learned at Mount Sinai. In short, before any of those who had been tainted by Egypt could enter into the promise, they had to receive proper instruction in how to walk in the promise. Having received it, they had to live it in order that the promise might be fulfilled.
Spending time in the Word through study and meditation (Psalm 1:2) is extremely important. It is necessary to spend this time in the study of Scripture in order that we might internalize His precepts and principles. It is just as important, though, to live life according to the precepts and principles — for our benefit and for the benefit of others. In fact, Messiah said that our good works should be visible to others that they might “glorify your Father in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Holing up in a study in order to learn the Word is good — engaging the world with a demonstration of what we learn from the Word is very good!
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments