MEDITATIONS FROM THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." Exodus 20:2

What right did God have to give these commandments to the people of Israel? For what reason should they listen to these commandments and obey Him? God tells us the answer. He says, "I am the LORD your God." He is JEHOVAH God, the Creator of all things. He is the Triune God (God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the only true God! He also redeemed His people from bondage in Egypt. In fulfillment of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God brought His people out of Egypt and was leading them to the land of Canaan, where He would fulfill His promise to send the Seed of Abraham--the Messiah and Savior--through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 22:18). This is why God had the right to give these commandments to His people. He is the LORD God, their Maker and Redeemer! And this is also why the people should have listened to these commandments and gladly and willingly obeyed them.

God has every right to demand that we obey His commandments too; for He is the LORD God, our Maker, and we belong to Him. Not only has the LORD made us; He also redeemed us from sin and eternal damnation by sending His only begotten Son into the world to suffer and to die upon the cross for our sins. The LORD God created us to live for Him and serve Him, but we became sinners and were in bondage under sin; but God redeemed us from this bondage of sin and from the everlasting punishments of hell. We are the LORD's! He has every right to give us His holy commandments and to expect obedience! And, as His redeemed children, forgiven and accepted for Jesus' sake, we have every reason to gladly and willingly obey Him from our hearts!

O LORD God, our Maker and Redeemer, we give You thanks that You have both made us and, by Christ's shed blood, redeemed us. Help us to gladly and willingly submit to Your holy Commandments. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1994 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

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