Why is obedience to God's commands crucial, as highlighted in Numbers 19:20? The verse Numbers 19:20: “But if a man who is unclean does not purify himself, he shall be cut off from the assembly, for he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of purification has not been sprinkled on him; he remains unclean.” What the scene teaches • God defines both sin and the remedy; we do not. • Purification water (from the red-heifer sacrifice) pointed to the only way back into fellowship. • Refusing the remedy was treated as open rebellion, not a minor oversight. Why obedience to God’s commands is crucial 1. God’s holiness is non-negotiable – Leviticus 11:44: “Be holy, for I am holy.” – Any willful disregard makes a person “cut off,” excluded from God’s people. 2. Obedience preserves fellowship – Amos 3:3: “Can two walk together unless they are agreed?” – Sin breaks communion; obedience restores and keeps it. 3. Disobedience brings real consequences – “Cut off” in Numbers 19:20 includes loss of community, blessing, and in some cases life itself (cf. Deuteronomy 28:15–68). 4. God’s commands reveal His character and love – Deuteronomy 10:12-13: His statutes are “for your good.” – Ignoring them denies His wisdom and care. 5. Obedience foreshadows and honors Christ’s work – The red-heifer water prefigures Christ’s cleansing blood (Hebrews 9:13-14). – To refuse cleansing is to reject the Savior Himself (Hebrews 10:29). Living it out today • Take sin seriously; no rationalization, no delay in confession (1 John 1:9). • Run to the one provision God has given—Jesus’ atoning blood—rather than inventing substitutes (Acts 4:12). • Stay teachable; God’s Word is the standard, not shifting culture (Psalm 119:9). • Remember obedience flows from love (John 14:15) and is empowered by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Echoes throughout Scripture • 1 Samuel 15:22 – “To obey is better than sacrifice.” • Joshua 1:8 – Prosperity and success are tied to meditating on and doing God’s law. • Psalm 19:11 – “In keeping them there is great reward.” • James 1:22 – “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” • Revelation 22:14 – Those who “wash their robes” gain access to the tree of life. Obedience matters because God’s holiness has not changed, the consequences of sin have not softened, and the path of cleansing still runs exclusively through the provision He has made. |
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