Not long before the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River and entered the land of Canaan, Moses gathered them together to rehearse in their ears important messages from the Lord. The Israelites needed instruction, as well as some reminders.

The Lord was the One to be thanked for the Israelites’ deliverance from Egyptian bondage. The Lord was the One that had given the Law of Moses to Israel at Mt. Sinai. He was the One to be praised for their survival through the wilderness. He was the One that would lead them to victory over the Canaanites. Time and again Moses warned his brethren, "Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God" (Deuteronomy 8:11).

The Lord God was also the One that ruled their lives. To Him they must turn for guidance. To Him alone did they owe their allegiance. Yea, in all things they were to walk according to the teaching of His word. This idea is clearly expressed a number of times in the book of Deuteronomy, including the special emphasis that we read of it in chapter six: "(1) Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: (2) That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged" (6:1,2).

What were the children of Israel to do? According to the two verses quoted above, they were to "do" or "keep" the Lord’s commands. Look closer at what God was telling the Israelites to do.

Keep GOD’S Commands – Not the commands of a man. Not the commands of some human council. Not one’s own personal opinions. No, what Israel needed to do was to keep the Lord’s commands. Does not the New Testament teach people of the Christian age to do the same? If we love Jesus, what are we to do? He said, "If ye love me, keep MY commandments" (John 14:15; emphasis mine, rdc). It is God’s will for all people of all nations to obey what Jesus has commanded (Matthew 28:19,20).

Keep God’s COMMANDS – What the Lord said to Israel through Moses was not a series of suggestions. No, they were not suggestions, but commands. Not preferences, but commands. Not advice, but commands. There is a difference, is there not? Some people seem to approach the Bible like they would an editorial in a magazine or newspaper: "That’s just one person’s opinion. I’ll consider what he/she has to say, then I’ll make up my own mind and do what I think is right, or to be completely honest about it, I’ll just do what I want to do." Good people, God has not given us commands in order for us to brush them aside and act as if they are matters of option!

When God gives commands to humans, what response does He expect? Obedience, of course. In every age, man’s whole duty has always been: "Fear God, and keep his commandments" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Some refer to the Bible as a "love letter" from God. The Bible truly is a message from God (2 Timothy 3:16). It is also true that God’s love for us is what motivated Him to provide salvation for us, including giving us His Book of salvation, the Bible (Ephesians 2:4). Yet, to label the Bible as a "love letter" does not do away with the commands that it contains and our obligation to obey those commands that are part of the gospel. There may be those that detest the idea of commandment keeping, but the Bible’s teaching is plain: God wants us to obey what He says. Remember, Jesus is the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). If we obey the Lord’s commands, that does not mean that we earn our salvation. Eternal life is a gift from God (Romans 6:23), but it is a conditional gift. Loving submission to the Lord’s commands is what He requires.

Keep ALL of God’s Commands – That was God’s desire for the children of Israel, and it is His desire for every person living today. When Jesus sent forth His apostles to preach the gospel, He told them, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:20). How much of what Jesus has commanded should we obey? "All things." The instructions of God to which all people are amenable today are those of the gospel. Thus, when we speak about obeying "all" of God’s commands, we do not refer to those of the Old Testament era, but only those that are in effect now, that is, those that are part of Jesus’ doctrine.

Keep all of God’s Commands ALL the Days of Life – Faithful service to Jehovah is not a one-shot deal. It is not temporary service that lasts only for one week, one month, or one year. It is not even a service that we should plan for "most" of the rest of our lives. God wants us to obey His will all the days of our life. We must continue to be steadfast in the Lord’s work (1 Corinthians 15:58). Like the apostle Paul, we must strive to finish our course and keep the faith until "the time of my (our) departure" (2 Timothy 4:6,7).

ALL MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY Keep All of God’s Commands All the Days of Life – Again, the instruction of Deuteronomy 6:2 reads, " . . . fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life . . ." Here was a message for every Israelite, for his son (children), and for his son’s son (grandchildren). It is not enough for Grandpa to be faithful. No one person can be a family’s "representative" in the Lord’s service. Service to God is an individual matter. Another family member’s faithful standing with God does not automatically put or keep you or me in fellowship with Jehovah. God’s desire is for every family member to be committed to keeping His word at all times. Joshua could truthfully say, "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15). What a beautiful sight it is in our day to see kids, their parents, and their grandparents all faithfully serving the Lord God together! What an example that is to the world! What an encouragement that is to other Christians! There are many "mission fields" throughout the world. None, however, is more important than the "mission field" that we call "family." Kids and grandkids need to be trained to serve the Lord and make that their top priority in life.

We were not part of the nation of Israel that heard Moses’ exhortation to keep God’s commands, to keep all of His commands, to keep His commands all the days for their life, and for all their family members to keep those commands. We can, however, see and appreciate the eternal lessons from those instructions. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning . . ." (Romans 15:4). How well are we listening and learning?

-- Roger D. Campbell