What other scriptures emphasize the importance of following God's laws and decrees? Setting the Stage: Ezekiel 18:9 “He follows My statutes and faithfully keeps My ordinances; the man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Lord GOD.” Echoes in the Law of Moses • Deuteronomy 6:17 — “You must diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God and the testimonies and statutes He has given you.” • Deuteronomy 10:12-13 — “Now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, … keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD… for your own good?” • Joshua 1:8 — “This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; … be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed.” Songs and Wisdom Celebrations • Psalm 1:1-3 — Blessed is the one “whose delight is in the Law of the LORD… whatever he does will prosper.” • Psalm 19:7-11 — “The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul… in keeping them is great reward.” • Psalm 119:33-35 — “Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes… Give me understanding, that I may keep Your Law and obey it with all my heart.” • Proverbs 3:1-2 — “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for they will add length of days and years of life and peace to you.” Voices from the Prophets • Isaiah 48:17-18 — “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best… If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river.” • Jeremiah 7:23 — “This is what I commanded them: ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people.’” • Micah 6:8 — “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Jesus on Obedience • Matthew 5:17-19 — “I have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them… whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” • Matthew 7:21 — “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father.” • John 14:15 — “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” • Luke 11:28 — “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” The Apostles Carry the Torch • Romans 2:13 — “For it is not the hearers of the Law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law who will be justified.” • James 1:22-25 — “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only… the one who looks intently into the perfect Law of freedom and continues to do so… will be blessed in what he does.” • 1 John 2:3-5 — “We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commandments… whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him.” • Revelation 22:14 — “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.” Living It Out Today Ezekiel 18:9 frames obedience as the pathway to life. From Moses to the Prophets, from the Psalms to the teachings of Jesus and His apostles, Scripture consistently ties love for God to the careful keeping of His commands. Obedience is not drudgery; it is the route to blessing, peace, and intimacy with the Lord who gave those commands for our good. |
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