LOVING LOYALTY TO GOD IS FOR OUR BENEFIT, AS ARE ALL GOD'S LAWS
Christ made a major revelation to his critics regarding the purpose for the Law. Christ said the Sabbath Law was made for man – not man for the Sabbath law.
Mark 2:27, “And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.’” (NKJV)
This concept no doubt applies to all Ten Commandments when understood deeply. They are the laws of love and liberty. The wise Solomon was inspired to write that the most important thing in all our lives was the keeping of the Ten Commandments. The First Commandment tells us the most important thing to God – putting love for God first.
Matthew 22:36-38, “‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ 37 Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.’”
Exodus 20:3-5, “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God…”
Loving God is vital to our growth and development. We must learn to love, honor and respect God to develop as happy, mature people. A child who does not learn to respect his or her parents is headed for a trouble filled life. Loyalty to God is for our own good!
OBEDIENCE TO ALL TEN COMMANDMENTS IS TAUGHT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Obedience, as we have seen, helps us learn to be loyal to God first and foremost. The man who wrote much of the New Testament witnessed and displayed this publicly for all to see.
Acts 21:21-24, “And they are informed concerning you, that you teach all the Jews who are among the nations to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, nor to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? At all events a multitude will come together, for they will hear that you have come.
“23 Therefore do this, what we say to you: We have four men who have a vow on themselves;
“24 taking them, be purified with them, and be at expense for them, so that they may shave their heads.And all may know that what they have been told about you is nothing, but you yourself also walk orderly and keep the Law.” (MKJV)
Church leaders knew that the New Covenant church obeyed the law appropriately and so did the Apostle Paul, so they arranged a demonstration for all of Israel to see this truth. The point is that Paul also kept the law and propaganda against him was lies.
Verse 26, “Then taking the men on the next day, being purified with them, Paul went into the temple, declaring the fulfillment of the days of the purification, until an offering should be offered for each of them.”
Paul followed thru with his demonstration of obedience but those with a deranged syndrome against Paul refused to believe their very eyes. Paul was not against the Temple or the Law. The Law teaches loyalty to God above all else. Put God first, period!
Acts 22:3, “I am truly a man, a Jew born in Tarsus in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the exactness of the law of the fathers, being a zealous one of God, as you all are today.”
Why put God first? Because we will be with God for all eternity.
WHY WAS KING DAVID A MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART?
The best example of love and loyalty to God is King David. He loved God with a passion.
Acts 13:22, “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart…” (KJV)
How was this achieved by King David ? He was very ardent and loyal using music and prayers.
Psalms 63:1-3, “A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. 2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life… all praise You.”
2 Samuel 6:14, “Then David danced before the LORD with all his might;”
The Temple of God in Jerusalem was David's idea, not God's. He wanted to honor God.
2 Samuel 7:12-16, “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name… If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him…16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.”
God loved that David wanted to build a fabulous house for Him but told King David, “No. Instead I will build a house for you. Your dynasty will last forever.” Wow! What love for David! Even when David sinned his repentance was deep and seems to have given God another reason to love him even more. Note:
Psalms 51:1-10, “A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him…Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness…4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight... And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
The First Commandment teaches us to put God first in our lives. Love and loyalty to God is our number one objective so we can have a trusted relationship with Him forever.
Acts 2:30, “Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne…”
What a stupendous, loving gift to David. We believers are not King Davids, but in a lesser but still wonderful way, can have that kind of relationship with God. Follow the spirit of the First Commandment and all the commandments, especially the first four. They tell us how to love God and the last six tell us how to love each other. Notice:
Matthew 22:39-40, “And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law.”
The law teaches us to not use false images of God or idols because no picture or statue can fully capture all His Eternal glory – it will just be a misleading false illusion.
The Third Commandment tells us to honor God's name. Honoring God in our mind and speech is good for us.
The Fourth Commandment teaches us to dedicate some of our time to God. The seventh day is also a sign to all others that we belong to and love the creator God.
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT IS ABOUT LOYALTY TO GOD
Learning loyalty is so essential for being with God for all eternity. Lucifer and a third of the angels failed God utterly. When a society is not loyal to the Great God it hurts them. Jeremiah told the decadent Israelites that their worship of the feminine goddess Ishtar – consort to all the Baal’s – was driving them to confusion and shame, harming themselves.
Jeremiah 7:18-19 “The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. 19...Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame..?”
Turning away from God is like a plant turning away from sunlight.
Loyalty has two sides. God is loyal to us and we need to believe in and trust God. Romans 8:28-37 proves we can trust God. Nothing will keep him from loving us. As we practice and keep the First Commandment, God will know that throughout all eternity He can trust us. People who are loyal to the Supreme Being and respect his authority will make better and more loyal spouses and neighbors in any situations as well.
Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.”
Christ told all of us on the last night before he died for us that if we loved him we would “Keep the Commandments!” See John 14:15, 15:10.
