A Double Standard
Deuteronomy 4:7-8
“For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?”
Every judicial or provincial or legislative action, from the development of roadways in a municipality to the development of curriculums by teachers’ unions to the arbitrary rules we as parents make for our children from day to day find their merit in their proximity to a God Who is righteousness, truth and justice. Don’t for a moment try to divorce these two inextricably connected principles of life and governance, friend. You can’t have the second part without the first, and you can’t miss the second part if you have the first. Mark it down: the nearer you are to God, the more properly ordered your life will be. That principle doesn’t just apply to our individual pursuit of Christ, but also to the governance of our homes, churches, schools, boardrooms, committees, congresses, and entire nations.
Of utmost importance, the capstone on which all else hinges, is Moses’s first rhetorical question to these pilgrims: “What great nation has a god as near as ours?” Answer: none. And God’s abiding presence, His nearness to His children’s daily need, His immanence in our wilderness wandering is the foundation for our individual, tribal, and national greatness. He’s unlike every other so-called god and He has no rival. As a direct result of that, notice that Moses writes next: “And what great nation is there, that has statues and rules so righteous as all this law?” See, while nearness to God establishes our lives as distinct in a sinful world, it also produces in us a desire to practice His likeness in tangible ways. That is, those who love the LORD with all their hearts love His law too, because His law is an external manifestation of the righteousness, justice, and truth in Him.
Friend, as we draw near to our one-of-a-kind God today, as we approach His sacred Word with humility and ask Him for wisdom, let’s exult in the fact that what will transpire from that intimacy is more righteousness, justice, and truth in our own words and actions today.