“Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard…” (Hebrews 2:1).
Careful, diligent, thorough, precise obedience.
That is the theme of Deuteronomy. This is important to know about the fifth book of the Bible because it is a record of four sermons Moses delivered in the final month of his 120-year life. This man of God had finally led the Israelites to the edge of the Canaan, and they were finally going to conquer the land flowing with milk and honey which they were supposed to do forty year earlier. But…
The Israelites of the previous generation did not exercise careful, diligent, thorough, and precise obedience when God commanded them to enter the land (Numbers 13-14). Only Joshua and Caleb had such a mindset of obedience. The rest of their contemporaries received a just penalty for their failure to obey God. Their inheritance of the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob slipped through their fingers.
Moses did not exercise careful, diligent, thorough, and precise obedience when God commanded him to speak to the rock at Meribah (Numbers 19:1-13). His failure to obey on this occasion received a just penalty. His inheritance of the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was seen (Deuteronomy 32:48-52), but he did not walk upon it (Deuteronomy 34:4). It had slipped through his fingers.
When God speaks, we must listen attentively and then respond immediately with careful, diligent, thorough, and precise obedience. We must ever give the most earnest heed to the things we have heard when God has spoken.
Spiritually-speaking, it is a matter of life or death.
