Deuteronomy 10:1-5 - The Lord directed Moses to keep the tablets containing the Ten Commandments in an ark. In the footnotes under ark, it says that it could also be a cabinet or a chest. This is to protect the Ten Commandments and to keep them safe. This shows us that the Lord wanted to keep the tablets that contained the Commandments safe and nice. Likewise, we should have a similar attitude toward sacred things and keep them sacred in our hearts and minds even if we don't specifically have two tablets of stone containing direction from the Lord.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 84:14-27. What blessings did the children of Israel deny themselves through their disobedience in the wilderness?
The children of Israel denied themselves the blessings of the higher, Melchizedek Priesthood. Despite all that Moses did, they were not willing to sanctify themselves and they hardened their hearts so that they could not endure the presence of the Lord while in the wilderness. So the Lord "took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also." The lesser priesthood which contains the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel remained with them though.
Compare Deuteronomy 11:1, 13-14, 22; 30:6, 16, 19-20 with Matthew 22:36-40.
Love is the most important commandment because it dictates all other things that we do. If we truly love the Lord we will want to be obedient to Him. We will want to keep the rest of the commandments and strive to obey all his laws. Sometimes this is hard for people because they argue that they can't see the Lord and therefore cannot love Him. But we don't have to see Him to know that He is real and that He is there. We are blessed to be able to have the Holy Ghost that bears witness of Him to our hearts. This allows us to know even more assuredly that we have a Father in Heaven that knows and loves us and that His Son, Jesus Christ is our Savior. And sometimes, really the best we can do is to just fake it until we make it! I know that's not the best way, but it does work! I know for me when I desire to keep the commandments, and I desire to love the Lord, but I just don't feel anything I pretend like I do. I do the things I know that I am supposed to do and eventually those real feelings come. Sometimes it does require a lot of faith to just keep the commandments everyday, and sometimes that is hard. But the Lord blesses our efforts and we can begin to feel of His love and His presence in our lives!
Read Deuteronomy 10:12-13; 11:1, 8-9; 13:4; and 26:17-19.
In these verses the Lord again commands the people to love Him with all their heart and soul. All of them declare the importance of keeping all the commandments. In D&C 130:20-21 we learn that "there is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated--And when we receive any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." This helps us to understand the importance of being obedient to the commandments. If we want to receive blessings from the Lord we have to keep His commandments! In Mosiah 2:41 we are taught about the "blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God." Truly the commandments are given to us to make us happy! It is through keeping the commandments that we can experience true joy in our lives, and we can be blessed by our Father in Heaven in all things.
Read Deuteronomy 28:1-14. Blessings that come from keeping commandments:
- We will be blessed wherever we live
- Our children will be blessed
- Our flocks and fields will be blessed, those things that we strive to take care of and raise
- We will be blessed in all that we do
- Our enemies will not overtake us
- The Lord will make us a holy people
- All our work will be blessed
Deuteronomy 28:15-65. If we don't keep the commandments all the blessings that were promised previously will be replaced with curses. However, we also know that the Lord chastens His people and gives them afflictions. This helps us to remember the Lord and remember our dependence on Him always.
The Lord clearly stated consequences of disobedience, but He does not desire to curse His children. Read Deuteronomy 4:29-31; 26:7-11; Isaiah 55:6-7; Ezekiel 18:21-23; and Mosiah 26:30.
The Lord's greatest desires are for His children to return to Him again. He wants us to repent of all the things we do wrong. He wants to forgive us! He is anxiously engaged in doing all that He can to help us return to Him and live the commandments. I am so grateful for this knowledge. The Lord does not ask us to do things that are too hard. He doesn't give us the commandments because He wants us to be miserable and lead boring lives, but He wants us to be happy and He knows the ultimate way to happiness! He knows what will bring us joy. He knows how to help us in all our needs. He will be there for all that we seek Him for. I know that He loves us and that He is mindful of us!
No comments:
Post a Comment