What God requires of us should be an easy answer, however, as history shows, something easy can be very much complicated and cause a lot of misunderstandings. As we see throughout the Old Testament, Israel didn’t fully understand the message from God and thus it caused a lot of heartache. One of the reasons is that God is a spirit, therefore the message is usually delivered through other prophets or worldly circumstances. Other blockages are expectations, people are usually having an idea or expectations of what God requires, what God is like and if they hear something different to their expectations, then that message is rejected. And finally, interpretation of ancient texts can also be problematic. When reading any ancient texts we always have to put few things into perspective: the message is expressed in the language of that time and place. And we are not only talking about words but also cultural aspects, common believes and also level of consciousness of people at that time. It’s as if we have to take ourselves back to those times and think as people back then thought, not through the lens of modern times.
One thing that is important to mention is hat regardless of the understanding or level of consciousness that was expressed in the language of that time and place, God’s requirements towards humanity haven’t changed. The complexity lies in different expressions based on the time, language and labels, but if we strip this all and translate into one universal language, they all come to the same conclusions. Therefore the difficulty lies in perceptions or in the eyes or ears of the beholder, not the information itself. Another difficulty is Christian belief and interpretation of the new covenant through the false Apostle Paul, who convinced all Gentiles that Jesus completed the Old Testament, nailed the Law to the cross and now what God only requires of us is the belief in Jesus. I have explained in my previous posts on the Covenant truth that we are still under the old covenant and we are still under the Law, that is in fact an everlasting Law.
When we look back at those ancient texts and see how Israel struggled, it is easy for us to judge it from our modern perspective and say they had it easier because God was very active through the prophets back then, and so much much now. But as I mentioned, it wasn’t just a message but expectations, culture around, habits and demonic forces in play that would confuse people or dull their understanding. This struggle is seen even today. We might not have so called prophets, but we have people calling people back to God, back to the Law and back to the observance of the Sabbath. And yet people argue that Sabbat was then and only for Israel and is not for the church. The excuses continue, just under different circumstances.
The truth is people will always want to find a way that will still be according to how they want it rather than how God wants it. However we have to remember, God is the same yesterday, today and forever, therefore what was written in the Old Testament is still valid today. God still wants from us exactly what the prophets were calling people to do. The message hasn’t changed, the times and ears have. For this purpose, I wanted to bring all the messages of God to people and use the Old Testament only and the true words of God. Please remember that those messages are for all who want to follow God, not just Israel. Even if there is word “Israel”, it still applies to other nations and to people who decide to follow God. Let the scripture speak for itself and those that have ears will hear and understand.
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good.” Deuteronomy 10: 12-13
“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.” Deuteronomy 10: 17-21
“Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always”. Deuteronomy 11: 1
“Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’” Deuteronomy 11: 8-9
“Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” Deuteronomy 11:18
“Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.” Deuteronomy 11: 26-28
“I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1: 5;9
“See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days.” 1 Kings 21: 28
“Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord.” 2 Kings 22: 19
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;” 1 Chronicles 16: 34-35
“The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.” Ezra 8: 22-23
“And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You.” Nehemiah 1: 5-6
‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ Nehemiah 1: 9-10
“Nevertheless they were disobedient
And rebelled against You,
Cast Your law behind their backs
And killed Your prophets, who testified against them
To turn them to Yourself;
And they worked great provocations.
Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies,
Who oppressed them;
And in the time of their trouble,
When they cried to You,
You heard from heaven;
And according to Your abundant mercies
You gave them deliverers who saved them
From the hand of their enemies.” Nehemiah 9: 26-27
“But after they had rest,
They again did evil before You.
Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies,
So that they had dominion over them;
Yet when they returned and cried out to You,
You heard from heaven;
And many times You delivered them according to Your mercies,
And testified against them,
That You might bring them back to Your law.
Yet they acted proudly,
And did not heed Your commandments,
But sinned against Your judgments,
‘Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’
And they shrugged their shoulders,
Stiffened their necks,
And would not hear.
Yet for many years You had patience with them,
And testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets.
Yet they would not listen;
Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
Nevertheless in Your great mercy
You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them;
For You are God, gracious and merciful.” Nehemiah 9: 28-31
“Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.” 2 Chronicles 30:8-9
“How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Psalm 4:2
“God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready.
He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity;
Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.” Psalm 7: 11-15
“The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.” Psalm 14: 2-3
“Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;” Psalm 15: 1-3
“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Psalm 24: 3-5
“Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.” Psalm 25: 8-10
“Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33: 8-9
“Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 34: 11-14
“But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to declare My statutes,
Or take My covenant in your mouth,
Seeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you?
When you saw a thief, you consented with him,
And have been a partaker with adulterers.
You give your mouth to evil,
And your tongue frames deceit.
You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
These things you have done, and I kept silent;
You thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And set them in order before your eyes.” Psalm 50: 16-21
“God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.” Psalm 53: 2-3
There shall be no foreign god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;” Psalm 81: 9-10
“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.” Psalm 95: 1-5
“Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.” Psalm 96: 1-3
“Let all be put to shame who serve carved images,
Who boast of idols.
Worship Him, all you gods.
Zion hears and is glad,
And the daughters of Judah rejoice
Because of Your judgments, O Lord.
For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.” Psalm 97: 7-12
“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100: 1-3
“Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!” Psalm 106: 3
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.” Psalm 111: 10
“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.” Psalm 112: 1-3
“You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.” Psalm 115:11
“Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!” Psalm 119: 1-2
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.” Psalm 145: 17-20
“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy.” Psalm 147: 11
“To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.” Daniel 9: 9-11
“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8
“Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the Lord’s anger.” Zephaniah 2:3
Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord.” Zechariah 1: 3-4
“Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘If you will walk in My ways,
And if you will keep My command,
Then you shall also judge My house,
And likewise have charge of My courts;
I will give you places to walk
Among these who stand here.” Zechariah 3: 7
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother.’ “But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear.” Zechariah 7: 9-11
“These are the things you shall do:
Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the Lord.” Zechariah 8: 16-17
Therefore what God requires from us is to love the Lord, to keep His commandments, to fear the Lord, to stand in awe of Him, to serve Him, to love the stranger, to keep His judgements, to keep God’s words in your heart, to be strong and of good courage, to humble yourself, to humble your heart, to seek the Lord, to weep before Him, to repent, to return to God and do His commandments, to not provoke Hm, to not be stubborn and stiff necked, to not love worthlessness and to not seek falsehood, to walk uprightly, to speak the truth, to not do evil to your neighbor, to have clean hands and pure hearts, to not have idols, to not have any other gods, to keep your tongue from evil, to keep your lips from speaking deceit, to depart from evil and do good, to seek peace, to avoid corruption, to be grateful and thank the Lord, to sing to Him, to hate evil, to keep justice, to trust the Lord, to walk in His law, to seek Him with the whole heart, to speak truth, to love mercy, to walk humbly with God, to turn from evil and do good, to walk in His ways, to execute true justice, to show mercy and compassion, to not oppress others, to not think evil thoughts…
Remember, God does not change and those expectations still stand today.
By Dagmara Z.