I have been reading the laws transcribed throughout Deuteronomy these last couple of days and trying to figure out what God is saying through this (other than just rules). This is mainly the reason I have not posted anything lately, simply because I have been trying to figure it out!
Anyways, I finally feel like I know what God is trying to say, and it jumped out in Deut. 22:22-29. This gave rules concerning the handling of adulterous affairs. If both parties were in on it, then both shall die or be punished. If one was raped, then only the one doing the raping was killed. Finally, I felt I knew what God was saying - it's all about the motives of the heart!
My mind goes to the beatitudes in Matthew 5 when Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." God does not want us to follow a basic set of guidelines to get to heaven; no, God wants our hearts! He wants our full being. Our everything!
This is what the Law, and what the Gospel, is all about! God wants us. He wants us to do things, not out of fear, but out of love. He wants us to trust in Him that He really does know what is best for us, and by following what He says WITH THE RIGHT HEART, we are putting our full trust in Him because of the sacrafice He made for us - because He simply loved us first!
This was the problem Jesus had with the Pharisees: they followed the Law outwardly, but their heart wasn't in it. God could care less about our rule following if our hearts are not in it. It's only when we do it for Him that it really matters, and only then does it touch His heart.
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