November 6, Day 310 – Love That Which is Good

Psalm 119:161-168; Ezekiel 7-9;

Hebrews 6:13-7:10

"Still Life with Candle" © by Terri L. Stricker - Original Watercolor on Paper

Today in Psalm 119:161-168, we read that the writer continues to praise God for giving us His Word, herein described as God’s “Word, promises, law (three times), commands, statutes, and precepts.”  He writes, “I love your law” (verse 163), and he “praises God seven times a day for His righteous law” (verse 164).  The writer asserts that “great peace accompanies those who love the law – nothing can make them stumble” (verse 165).  Seldom do we ever encounter anyone who “loves” laws of any kind.  Most people – though law-abiding – complain about various laws and find them burdensome.  This is actually by God’s design; He wants us to feel the restraint of the supervisor (cf., Galatians 3:25) and the weight of the law because the law was not God’s final word on righteousness.  God’s grace rests on a higher plane, and it enables us by faith to keep or fulfill the law by rising above it and its burdens.  Nevertheless, both Jesus and Paul insisted that the law is good (cf., Matthew 5:17-20; Romans 7:12).  Thus, we ought to love that which is good.

In Ezekiel 7-9, we read about God’s imminent judgment coming on Israel for its idolatry. God says to the land of Israel, “The end!  The end has come upon the four corners of the land. The end has come upon you” (verses 2-3).  This is a classic example of the use of Hebrew superlative – repeating an expression three times to elevate its extreme importance.  This literary device is used again as the chapter progresses.  Notice the judgment words contained in the chapter: “unheard of disaster” (verse 5); “doom” (verses 7 and 10); “violence” (verse 11); “sword, plague, and famine” (verse 15); “bloodshed” (verse 23); and “calamity” (verse 26).  These chapters detail God’s judgment on [some of] the “detestable practices” in which the Israelites engaged (7:3, ff.; and 8:1-18).  In chapters 8-9, we see Ezekiel’s visions of God’s righteous anger and judgment revealed against Israel’s idolatry. Israel’s wickedness was so abhorrent and abominable to God that His punishment on the Israelites would be equally unbearable.

In Hebrews 6:13-7:10, the author tells us that our “hope in God’s promises” is a “firm, secure anchor for our souls” (6:19).  In this section, the writer tells us that there was “no one greater than God to swear by,” for which reason “God swore by Himself” (verse 13).  In other words, God Himself guarantees His promises by Himself.  He is the highest and final authority – one can go no higher either for an appeal or for a guarantee.  Thus, God’s Word – and His promises – are firm and fixed.  God wants us to trust Him – to believe and accept His promises – exactly in the same way that Abraham did (cf., Genesis 15).  In chapter 7, we see how Abraham recognized and honored Melchizedek – a forerunner of Christ – by paying a tithe to him.  We note that “the lesser person is blessed by the greater” (verse 7), and significantly, “Levi paid the tithe [to Melchizedek] through Abraham” (verse 9).  This action not only demonstrates Abraham’s faith in God and His Word, but also it shows the supremacy of Melchizedek’s priesthood over the Aaronic priesthood.