The word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. (Deuteronomy 30:14)
As we discussed in the previous devotion, God has made His Word accessible — and understandable — to all who desire to receive it. Moses clearly states that the believer can carry the Word of God with us everywhere we go, with the understanding that it is to be in our hearts and not just in our heads. As it is written, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” So then, if His Word is in our heart, it is the heart that recognizes when we have transgressed the commandment of the LORD; it is our mouth that confesses it to God in an act of repentance. Speaking of God’s commandments, Solomon said:
“When you roam, they (commandments of God) will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” (Proverbs 6:22-23)
If we will embrace the Word in our hearts to do as God has instructed us, His Word will always lead us in the paths of righteousness. Furthermore, His Word will stay with us and never leave us. Likewise, Messiah said He would never forsake us but would always be with us as we journey through life. In fact, Paul connects the verse from Deuteronomy to the Messiah when he said:
“The righteousness of faith speaks in this way, ‘Do not say in your heart, who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Messiah down from above) or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss’ (that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead). But what does it say? ‘The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart; (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:6-9)
Therefore, we can conclude, along with Paul, that Moses’ statement concerning the Word of God was always pointing us to the Messiah. He came down from Heaven to us in order to help us understand what God’s Word has to say in a very clear way. He is the Word made flesh so that, in our flesh, we may see the simplicity of the Word and, most importantly, the primary focus of the Word. In short, Messiah is the “goal” and fulfillment of everything Moses had to say. If we abide in Him and He abides in us, then the Word in its fulness resides with us — it is very near to us; in our mouth and in our heart.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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