Emphasis on Doing

Emphasis on Doing

God’s Law shapes what we are and what we do.

“Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do.” Deuteronomy 12:32

The verb “do” conveys an important aspect of the practical focus of God’s Law. This is the most common verb in the Hebrew language for describing intentional action. It is used of God and people alike. “Do” involves a disposition of the heart, a focus of thought, and a determination of will. What we are in our inner person, therefore, will affect not only what we do but how we do it. God’s intention is that both our being and “doing” should be informed and directed by His Law.

This is the most common action verb associated with obedience to God’s Law. It appears in many places in the book of Deuteronomy in relation to the Law—6:1-3, 6:24, 25, 31:12, 32:46, and so forth. God’s people were to learn the Law with such thoroughness that it formed them heart, mind, and conscience for obedience in every area of life. Whatever the people of Israel did during the course of a normal day—whatever they desired, planned, or willed to do—was to be shaped by the Law and expressive of love for God and love for neighbor. This being so, we can understand the importance the psalmist placed on meditating in God’s Law day and night (all the time—Ps. 1).

If you took five minutes right now to think back on everything you have done thus far today, how confident would you be that all of it was done according to the Law of God? God intended His people to be so steeped in His Law, and to delight in it so thoroughly, that no aspect of their life would be unaffected by the Law’s plain teaching.

This must be the goal of our relationship with God as well—so to know, love, and prefer His Law that its holy and righteous and good teaching (Rom. 7:12) will be expressed in everything we might say or do.

For more insight to the nature of God’s Covenant, order a copy of T. M.’s book, I Will Be Your God, from our online store. Visit our website, www.ailbe.org, and sign up to receive our thrice-weekly devotional, Crosfigell, featuring writers from the period of the Celtic Revival and T. M.’s reflections on Scripture and the Celtic Christian tradition.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T. M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.