Gift of Direction; New Commandment
God gave Adam, Noah, and Abraham instruction. He gave Moses and Israel His Law and commandments. Jesus gives us a new commandment.
The Ten Commandments were not the first time God gave His people directions. God’s first set of directions were given to Adam and Eve. God told Adam what to do and what NOT to do. First, He told Adam to tend the garden; “to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15). God then told him what NOT to do; “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 16-17). This was the perfect placement for God’s restriction because it involved Adam and the garden.
Next, God brought all the animals to Adam to name. While naming them God also looked to see if any of them were suitable for a mate for Adam. God also gave them umbrella directions too; “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 2:28). After their sin these tasks would be more difficult, but God never repealed these instructions.
With Noah, His instructions were much more defined. He told Noah to build an ark. God specified EVERYTHING from start to finish on this project; size, materials, layout, provisions, passengers, and timing of the voyage.
After leaving the ark, God repeated His instructions regarding being fruitful and filling the earth. God also gave them His permission to eat meat. They were to drain it of its blood before eating it but He gave “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything” (Genesis 9:3). Noah and his family were the new beginning of man.
We now come to the instructions God gave to Abraham. God started with telling him to leave his home land. That wouldn’t have been such a hard thing to do IF God would have told him where he was going. Abraham is the first of God’s chosen people. God grew Abram’s faith along the way and when he was finally ready, God gave Him a specific task to do.
Abram laid out a sacrifice exactly as God directed; and then he waited. Again, Abram wasn’t told what to expect. He had to do this task, believing that God would use it somehow for something. Later, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and gave his specific directions again.
These directions would affect EVERY male in Abraham’s camp. God to Abraham to circumcise EVERY male, no matter their place, role, or age in his camp. I can’t imagine that this went over very easily with everyone, but they all submitted. This act of circumcision was to be continued throughout all generations after that day.
The last of the instructions God gave to Abraham would have made anyone with weaker faith turn away. God told Abraham to sacrifice, KILL, his son Isaac. I don’t believe that Abraham was excited to do this, but he obeyed God’s instructions. We know that God stopped Abraham from going through with the sacrifice, but Abraham’s willingness to do EVERYTHING God asked of him SEALED the bond between God and Abraham.
It’s on to Moses now where God gives His people His Laws. The Ten Commandments are just the tip of those Laws. God gave His people laws on clothing, food, washing, eating, medical conditions, worship, sacrifice, praise, assembly, and even who camped where as they broke and made camp each time God called them to get up and follow Him. The book of Leviticus contains those Laws.
Finally, we come to the instructions Jesus gave us; His church. Jesus came to fulfill the Law, thereby closing the book on it. Instead of leaving us lawless or under God’s original Law, Jesus gave us a NEW commandment. This New Commandment wasn’t something out of ‘left field’ but was the core concept behind God’s original Law. Jesus first put forth this new commandment when He was being questioned by MANY religious leaders. The Pharisees were trying to trap Him with a question; “Which is the greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:36). Jesus answered by giving them two commandments that contained the foundations of the Law; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39).
Jesus didn’t call this the New Commandment at this point. He waited until He was preparing for the end of His life on earth. Jesus gave this New Commandment right after Judas had left the final Passover dinner Jesus was celebrating with His disciples, hours before His death. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34). This commandment was for ALL who love Him past, present, and future. And it was to be a sign to those who view our lives as evidence of our being His followers.
Jesus final instructions before returning to His Father was to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
These are the commands of Jesus still has for us today. We NEED direction and He gave it to us. He did NOT leave us floundering. “Love God above ALL else and treat others as you want to be treated.” Do you want someone talking about you behind your back? Do you want someone taking advantage of you in business transactions? Do you want someone to enslave and brutalize you? Do you want someone manipulating you with lies, half-truths, or guilt? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that You said NO to each of these questions. THEN DON’T DO THEM TO OTHERS! That is what Jesus is calling His people to do.
As for the ‘rest of the instructions’ we see explained or pointed out in the rest of the New Testament, these are God, through His Holy Spirit, expounding on areas of difficulty within the boundaries of the New Covenant. They help us see how to ‘walk out’ the commandments Jesus gave.
Father God, thank You for giving me direction for my life. Thank You for spelling out some of the rougher spots for me. I pray I live up to Your new commandment every day. I KNOW I fall short at times. For those times, THANK YOU for Your forgiveness and a new start again.
