What other scriptures reinforce the call to obey God's laws and decrees? Ezekiel 20:19—The Anchor Verse “I am the LORD your God. Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and practice them.” Foundational Calls in the Law • Leviticus 18:4–5 — “You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking in them. I am the LORD your God. Keep My statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am the LORD.” • Deuteronomy 10:12–13 — “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD that I am giving you today for your own good?” • Deuteronomy 11:1 — “You shall therefore love the LORD your God and always keep His charge, statutes, ordinances, and commandments.” Historical Examples That Underscore Obedience • Joshua 1:7–8 — “Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.” • 1 Kings 2:3 — “And observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in His ways, and keep His statutes and commandments and His ordinances and decrees, as is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you turn.” Wisdom Literature Echoes • Psalm 19:7–11 — “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul… By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward.” • Psalm 119:4 — “You have ordained Your precepts, that we should keep them diligently.” • Proverbs 3:1–2 — “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.” Prophetic Voices in Harmony • Isaiah 48:17–18 — “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea.’” • Jeremiah 7:23 — “But this is what I commanded them: ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. Walk in all the ways I have commanded you, that it may go well with you.’” • Micah 6:8 — “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” New Testament Continuity • John 14:15 — “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” • John 15:10 — “If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.” • Romans 6:17 — “But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you obediently accepted the teaching that was entrusted to you.” • James 1:22 — “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” • 1 John 2:3–4 — “By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. Whoever says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” • Revelation 14:12 — “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Living the Call Today • God’s statutes are life-giving, not restrictive—Ezekiel’s admonition aligns perfectly with the entire sweep of Scripture. • Blessing, peace, and spiritual vitality are repeatedly tied to walking in obedience. • The same Spirit who inspired the commands empowers believers to live them out, ensuring that obedience remains a joyful expression of love rather than a burdensome duty. |
    |