In the last chapter true faith was presented as the truth of God revealed in the scriptures. The faithful are those who are obedient to the word and have placed their trust in God with the assurance that He will perform the things He has promised. The idea of being faithful then implies resting on the faith of God, the scriptures, and being filled with these truths. As was noted, living in such a manner was referred to as walking in Christ (Colossians 2.6-7).
The faith that one has then, in order to be in as close a relationship with God as possible, must be based solely on the scriptures since this constitutes the faith of God. The one faith (Ephesians 4.5), which we have been examining, implies limitations or boundaries that identify not only the doctrine of God, but also those who are faithful to that doctrine. The word of God has always been exactly that. His word. God has always accepted those who lived in accordance with His word and rejected those who did not do as He directed. The limitation imposed by God is that one who would be acceptable to Him must live by His entire word. In other words, the scriptures imply an all or nothing principle that applies to following God.
Christ emphasized the importance of keeping the message in it’s entirety in His rebuke of Satan. Tempted to turn stones into bread, after forty days of fasting, Christ replied, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4.4). Christ illustrates that the word of God, in addition to being the food of the spirit, is a package deal. One who will live spiritually must live by the entirety of God’s wishes. It is the word of God that has proceeded from His mouth and has been delivered to mankind in writing (2 Timothy 3.16, 1 Corinthians 2.9-13).
This all or nothing principle is not restricted to the New Testament. Throughout the scriptures the importance of living in accordance with all of God’s wishes can be seen. One of the most significant representational aspects, which serves the doctrinal features of the scriptures, is the idea that God’s word cannot be altered to suit individual need. There are a number of warnings against doing this in the scriptures (Deuteronomy 4.2, 12.32, Joshua 1.7, Proverbs 30.6, Revelation 22.18-19). Those who are described as faithful, such as those listed in Hebrews chapter eleven, were those who placed their entire trust in the Lord as guide and provider. This trust, it should be noted, does not eliminate the need for individual action and personal care for one’s needs, but rather, is a commitment that extends beyond the normal duties of life.
A survey of the scriptures will show that those who are faithful are those who accepted God’s word. They trusted and revered his authority and so kept the commands given to them by the Lord. In this manner, the faithful of all ages are linked together by the commonality of being faithful to the word of God. This is true of the establishment of the kingdom of Israel. God speaking to Moses stated, “Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people...” (Exodus 19.5). The conditions here are simple. Israel would be a peculiar treasure as long as they obeyed the voice of God and kept His covenant. These two phrases may seem separate but are complementary in that they imply a relationship (covenant) and conditions to be met (obey my voice).
To illustrate that the entire message of God is crucial to meeting the conditions for maintaining this relationship some contrasts can be drawn. On one hand, there are those who were faithful to God, who, in spite of personal weaknesses and human fault, managed to keep the commands of the Lord. On the other hand there are those in the scriptures that kept most of the covenant of God but failed at a crucial point in such a way as to cost them dearly. Two things may be said of these situations and comparisons. First, it is possible, in spite of being human, to be pleasing to God and serve Him well enough to be recognized as faithful. Secondly, while one may keep the whole of God’s commands, it only takes a moment to sever that relationship.
The intent of this particular chapter is to show that one must not be so overwhelmed with the idea of attempting to serve God that they never feel that they are good enough. It is equally important not to become so secure in one’s convictions that one believes that God automatically understands and pardons the weaknesses of life. God does understand and forgives when one truly repents, but, in spite of the hardships of life, God understands faithfulness more than anything else.
It is not possible for one to overcome everything and therefore meet some imagined entry criteria for becoming a Christian. There is nothing that we can do to reach this point except to repent and have an honest desire to conform ourselves to the life found in the pages of the scriptures. On the other hand, God has never promised that there is nothing we can do that will cause us to be lost, although there are many who teach and believe this. The following examples will demonstrate that serving God is a matter of God’s love toward us and our willingness to submit to His authority.
Noah is an example of how the conditions for preservation set forth by God were critical to survival. God instructed Noah to build an ark because of the flood He was bringing on the earth to destroy all living things (Genesis 6.17). Included in the instructions for the construction of the ark is a list of specific materials and the precise dimensions of the vessel. Noah was instructed to build the ark, “....of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second and third stories shalt thou make it.” (Genesis 6.14-16).
How important were God’s commands in this instance? The situation becomes more interesting when we look at the total context of Noah’s life. Noah had never seen rain, nor had it rained since creation began, so there was no one to tell Noah what rain was like. Noah may not have known what a flood was since it seems that the environment of the earth was radically different than it is now. What Noah did understand was death. He had seen it and had relatives that died. When God stated that all life would be destroyed (Genesis 6.17) Noah could understand the concept well enough to take the matter seriously.
The coming flood was therefore a matter of life and death for Noah and the members of his family. A matter of that importance would logically require the greatest degree of concentration and attention to detail. With their lives literally on the line, would it have been wise for Noah to have altered the dimensions of the ark? Would Noah have been taking the matter seriously if he made a personal decision to apply only one coat of pitch on the outside rather than coating the ark inside and out as directed? What if the window was a cubit and a half rather than a cubit as given? Would that have provided enough air for the family and the animals to breathe? Could the door have been moved a story, left off, or a few cubits shaved from the dimensions to save on materials and work hours needed to complete the project? With no previous experience of such events, and the lives of his family hanging in the balance, only a very brave, or very stupid individual, would have considered such things.
The instructions for the construction of the ark came from God Himself. This alone was a blessing in that God desired to preserve mankind. Noah was a man of faith as we are told in the statement that he “walked with God...” (Genesis 6.9). God preserved Noah because of the reverence he had for the Lord which implies that Noah followed God’s wishes. Noah is characterized as a just man (Genesis 6.9) in contrast to the violent and greedy world in which he lived (Genesis 6.1-7). Noah’s trust in the validity of God’s word is demonstrated in that he was “moved with fear” and “prepared an ark to the saving of his house...” (Hebrews 11.7). Had Noah chosen to substitute a different type of wood or alter any other detail he would not be remembered in the manner in which he is and the lives that we lead, if in existence at all, would no doubt be very different as well.
Abraham is another example of someone who trusted God and followed the instructions that God gave in their entirety. God stated that Abraham, or Abram as he was known in Ur, was told to go out from the land in which he lived (Genesis 12.1-3). He was told to separate from his family and friends. This may have meant giving up a lot of things and certainly constituted a major life change for his household. Whatever the move entailed, it definitely involved a high degree of uncertainty. As with Noah, Abraham did exactly as God asked. Had Abram not gone out of the land of the Chaldees, or had remained in Haran (Genesis 11.31) then Israel may never have come into being as a nation.
Of special note is not only the faith that Abraham had but also that of Sarah, or Sarai. How many wives would pack their belongings and journey with their husbands into the wilderness. While not every word that Abraham and Sarah spoke has gone into the account, there is enough of a record to conclude that not only did Abraham do the will of God in this instance, but his wife supported that decision demonstrating her own faithfulness as well. Traveling into the unknown with nothing more than the word of God as a guide is spiritually the most commend- able of actions yet in the worldly view of his time, or in ours, Abraham may have looked very foolish to his countrymen. In this the faithful actions, attention to detail and the courage to follow through, set these individuals apart from the world in which they lived.
Moses is another example of the need to attend to detail. Having led the Hebrews out of Egypt by the power of God, Moses received instructions to construct the Tabernacle and the various implements that were used in worship to the Lord. The instructions given to Moses were from God and therefore no different in importance than those given to Abraham or Noah. They were to be followed in their entirety. God told Moses, “And look that thou make them after their pattern which was shown thee in the mount.” (Exodus 25.40). Speaking specifically of the tabernacle, we read, “And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shown thee in the mount.” (Exodus 26.30).
Moses, having received the admonition to construct the objects required according to the design given by God, did not stop with his verbal assent. Moses was a man of God because of his atten- tion to detail and is known for his faithfulness in that he carried out what he was asked to do. A reading of the instructions given to Moses in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and the repetition of many of these in Deuteronomy, is overwhelming to the extent that these sections of the Bible are regularly avoided by many. In spite of all this detail Moses took the time to do it right making sure it was done the way that God wanted. Some other individual may have looked at the detail of the candlestick and cut a few flowers or leaves here and there to save time. Moses on the other hand obeyed God’s commands and performed the tasks that God set for him in the manner in which they were to be done (Numbers 8.4, Hebrews 8.5).
In the New Testament Christ states that it is the entire word of God that one lives by spiritually (Matthew 4.4). Paul the apostle, in his speech to the Ephesian elders, reminded them that he had declared “all the counsel of God.” (Acts 20.27). In these two references there is the idea of completion or fullness. Peter states one should speak as the “oracles of God” (1 Peter 4.11). James, likewise, admonishes those who would teach to be mindful of the stricter judgment and consequences for teaching falsely (James 3.1).
God’s attention to detail is seen in other ways as well. Paul states that the invisible God may be known by those things which are visible (Romans 1.20). Christ stated that God’s word was so important that not the smallest part of that word would cease until it was all fulfilled (Matthew 5.17-18, Luke 16.17). Nothing in God’s word is insignificant and those who have been noted as faithful kept God’s word, honored His commands and respected His authority. Samuel, for example, is noted as faithful, because he “let none of His words fall to the ground.” (1 Samuel 3.19). Unfaithfulness, or transgression, which has been recorded very negatively, indicates that those who were involved in such activities lacked the respect and reverence for God’s word that was needed.
We often think of the death of some in the scriptures as being due to great transgression while those who are faithful to God are completely the opposite. Two things can be seen in the scriptures. Those who are regarded as faithful to God indeed have their own problems in spite of loving and respecting God and His authority. On the other hand those who are probably the most notable among the fallen are sometimes attributed with sinning in a manner which we would see as being trivial. In other words it was often a little thing that resulted in condemnation. The following illustrates this point.
Adam and Eve were placed in a virtual paradise that met their every need. God gave them only a few commands to follow with one prohibition (Genesis 1.26-2.25). Later, as we read in Genesis chapter three, the devil influenced Eve, and consequently Adam, to transgress against God’s commands (Genesis 3.1-7). The sin for which the two are ultimately condemned (Genesis 3.8-24) is not so much the eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil but the fact that they allowed themselves to be influenced by another voice. The sin here is against the authority of God and represents a breach of the trust and closeness they were able to enjoy in their sinless state. The eating of the fruit simply represented a breach in their willingness to remember the will of God. Sin, simply stated, is a failure to hold God’s word in mind with the respect necessary to deter actions against Him.
Eating of the fruit of a tree is viewed as being silly or mythological to many in our present world. The fact remains that, even as Christ stated above, all of God’s word is important and needs to be held in the highest regard. Sin is always the result when this amount of respect is not present. The little things are deadly when they constitute a breach of God’s word. Achan is a good example of this. God told Joshua and all of Israel that the spoils of their first conquest, Jericho, were to be accursed with the exception of the silver, gold, iron and bronze, which was to be placed in the treasury of the Lord (Joshua 6.17-19).
God promised He would be with the Hebrews in their conquest of the land and His fear would go before them (Exodus 23.27). The Hebrews were told that one of them would put a thousand of their enemies to flight (Deuteronomy 32.30), and yet, shortly after their entry into the land, this changed. Following the taking of Jericho (Joshua 6) the people moved on to a small city called Ai (Joshua 7.1-5). Here the Hebrews suffered their first casualties. Thirty-six men in the first assault on Ai were killed and the heart of the attackers was “turned to water” (Joshua 7.5). Joshua himself became so discouraged that he began to question what was happening (Joshua 7.5-9). God informed Joshua that there was someone who had taken of the accursed things of Jericho and therefore had defiled the camp (Joshua 7.10-12).
Achan soon confessed the transgression that he had commit- ted and the inventory of those things he took was not large by any means. Achan stated he had taken a “beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels” (Joshua 7.20-21 NKJV). This really wasn’t that much and some today might ask why he could not have simply thrown it back in the ruins of Jericho or given it to the treasury of the Lord, which would have been admirable, or destroyed it, any of which, by human reasoning would have been acceptable.
Achan knew he was not to have taken these things and yet did it anyway. Achan then attempted to deceive everyone by burying these items in his tent (Joshua 7.21-22). The problem was that God had said that nothing was to be removed from the city of Jericho. A simple command, and yet Achan chose to disobey it. The situation is further compounded in the fact that since sin was present in the camp God had to withhold His blessings from the Hebrews which cost thirty-six people their lives. Achan had not respected the word of God and thus endangered all of the Israelites.
The justice of God is seen in the fact that He gave warnings and directions which were to be followed. God stated the consequences for violation of these commands so His people knew what the limits were. God, especially as described in the Old Testament, is interpreted as a rigid, wrathful being who sets out rules that do not seem to make any sense and then provides extreme consequences for minor infractions. Notice that there are two things that can be observed in the account of Eden, Achan and those following that provide insight into the justice and judgment of God.
First of all is the fact that some of the most severe consequences are those experienced by God’s people. They have a relationship with Him that is different. Adam and Eve were in a close personal relationship with God to the extent that God walked with them in the garden in the cool of the evening (Genesis 3.8). Since they were the only two beings alive at the time they constituted the sum of God’s people. Their violation of the limits and boundaries set by God literally constituted a total corruption of God’s people. The Hebrews, in a simi- lar fashion, represented the people with whom God made a covenant. They had been selected for the express purpose of being the agency, or vehicle, through which God would bring the Messiah into the world who in turn would bless all nations.
While God separated a specific nation of people to be His own and revealed Himself to them, in addition to giving them a law to live by, they were therefore less excusable than the nations around them. God remains the God of all the earth but planned for one nation, the descendants of Abraham, to be a peculiar treasure among the nations. God, in relation to nations outside Israel, allowed many things to occur as indicated by the speech of Paul to the Athenian philosophers when he stated that God in times past “winked” at mankind’s spiritual ignorance (Acts 17.30).
Once God had given a law or other instructions and stated that there were consequences for doing otherwise it seems that one who has the ability to apply some logic to a situation would be able to obey and therefore reap the positive benefits and not the negative consequences. Achan had the same ability to obey the Lord as he had to disobey. His decision to do otherwise caused a breach in the relationship with God that was severe enough to cause God to withhold His blessings upon the Hebrews in their conquests.
Moses also had difficulty in not respecting this principle. God instructed Moses to speak to the rock at Meribah to bring forth water. Moses instead struck the rock for which he was not allowed to enter into the promised land (Numbers 20.1-12). Many would think that this is harsh treatment for a man who had done everything God had asked. God on the other hand stated that it was because Moses had not sanctified Him before the congregation that he would not be allowed to enter into Canaan. The reputation of God suffered when Moses disobeyed Him (Numbers 27.12-14).
No doubt Moses was overcome by the continual complaining of the Hebrews. In spite of the numerous things God had done for them, as soon as a hardship occurred they began to speak against the Lord. At that point, Moses, by example, should have obeyed the instructions God had given exactly in order to impress upon the people that there is a need to listen to what the Lord says. Instead Moses violated those instructions and therefore provided a negative influence for the people. Such an action against God limited the blessings which Moses was able to receive.
Another point to be emphasized at this time is that the actions of those such as Moses and Achan, while costing them to some degree in their relationship with God, resulted in two different situations. Moses disobeyed God out of human weakness and therefore suffered a temporal consequence. Moses was later transfigured with Christ in the promised land centuries later (Matthew 17.1-3). From this we understand that while he sinned, Moses was forgiven and still considered faithful being listed as such in Hebrews chapter eleven (Hebrews 11.23-28). Achan, on the other hand, knowing the command of God, chose to ignore it, satisfy his own greed, and then attempted to hide it from God and the nation. Achan and Moses demonstrate two conditions that have more to say about their overall attitude and respect for God which we will discuss in more depth shortly.
Uzzah is another example of the fact that there is an all or nothing principle in the word of God. David, moving the ark of the covenant, did so in a manner that violated the word of God. The ark was to be carried by the Levites using staves inserted into rings at the corners of the ark (Exodus 25.10-15). David had placed the ark on a cart where it was endangered by the oxen who shook it (2 Samuel 6.16). Uzzah probably had very good intentions. He wished to prevent the ark from being damaged and reached out to touch it (2 Samuel 6.6). God told the Hebrews the ark was not to be touched and stated that the penalty for this was death. Uzzah in a moment of possible well meaning suffered those consequences as he took hold of the ark (2 Samuel 6.6-7).
What does all this have to do with the discussion of faith and the quality of being faithful in an individuals life? In each of the situations listed above, God’s word was violated and the consequences were in accordance with that word. The faith, being the body of knowledge given to His people in each age, and faithfulness, describing the degree to which an individual adheres to this body of knowledge, says something about the state of a person’s heart. Christ stated that if one loves Him they will keep His commandments (John 14.15). The same can be seen in each age of Biblical history. Those who love God strive to keep His laws fully. Those who have no respect for his laws attempt to find ways to hide their transgressions as in the case of Achan.
Being faithful is a description of the degree of emphasis which a person places on God’s word. It is God’s word, not ours, which He has given us. He has specified that one is to follow it with an attitude of thankfulness toward the creator for the provisions and blessings found in that word. God has specified certain benefits to those who love his word enough to keep it intact and respect it as He intended. In each of the cases in which someone lost their life in the scriptures, as a result of violating God’s laws, there is an element of disrespect toward God that is evident.
God’s judgments are against the person’s state of heart rather than a simple infraction of the rules. David and his sin with Bathsheba is a good example of this (2 Samuel 11-12). David committed covetousness when he saw the wife of another man. He then committed adultery and, in order to cover this up, conspired to commit murder. Others, it seems, died for less so what is the difference? The difference can be seen in the confrontation of David for his sin.
Nathan the prophet recounted the tale of a wealthy man who took the beloved lamb of a poor individual to feed his guests (2 Samuel 12.1-4). David immediately saw the cruelty in this situation and pronounced judgment that such a person should die (2 Samuel 12.5-6). Nathan pointed out that David was the man of whom he was speaking (2 Samuel 12.7). Confronted with his behavior David was overwhelmed with the reality of what he had done (2 Samuel 12.13). Nathan pointed out that David’s sin gave the enemies of God cause to blaspheme the Lord’s name (2 Samuel 12.14). Nathan indicates that God recognized there was something different about this situation (2 Samuel 12.13) and David was spared the sentence of death. The king would bear the consequences of his sin for the rest of his life (2 Samuel 12.11-12) including the loss of the child that he had sired (2 Samuel 12.14).
This episode in the life of David should not be misused as a justification for indulging one’s weaknesses. It should be fully noted that the rest of David’s life was to be troubled as a consequence for his actions against God. David serves as a good incentive to take what measures are needed in order to fortify ourselves to avoid this type of thing.
God looks upon the heart of an individual and knows the state of the person’s mind. God does not condone transgression, nor does he punish for simply breaking a rule (Ezekiel 14.22-23). The heart and the potential for the person’s repentance makes the difference. The knowledge that some things carry a spiritual death penalty should make a lasting impression on mankind and yet there are those who choose to ignore God’s warnings. There are some who think they can violate the word of God and do what they please, or, become gods in their own minds, and have Jehovah follow along with their plan instead.
God’s word constitutes a contract which defines the limits and boundaries of acceptability. One who chooses to live within the confines of this arrangement should come to respect and love the word of God since He is the author of it. Many see, and some teach, that the sum of godliness is to live in accordance with a strict set of rules for the sake of the rules themselves. There is more involved in the relationship that one has with God than ritual obedience.
The relationship the faithful have with God, as recorded in the scriptures, is an example of the all or nothing principle. The faithful of God are those throughout the ages who have trusted in God with their entire being. Abraham, for example, left all he had and his entire family to go to a place he had never seen (Genesis 12.1-5). Moses gave up all he might have enjoyed in Egypt in order to serve the Lord (Hebrews 11.24-26). Christ serves as an example of one who was willing to give up all that He was, or had, in Heaven in order to come into the world and save mankind (Philippians 2.7-8). Christ stated that one should “love the lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matthew 22.37). The love one has for God needs to be out of appreciation for the Lord’s blessings He provides and a desire to be with Him when this life is over.
Other passages in the scriptures confirm this. The whole heart is how the Psalmist describes the degree to which the faithful strive to serve God. David writes, “I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.” (Psalm 86.12). The same sentiment is expressed in other Psalms as well. The Psalmist writes, “With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy com- mandments.” (Psalm 119.10). The heart, or reasoning aspect of mankind, as well as the emotions one has for God, are involved in the search to be faithful to Him. In this one may find that the faithful had a deep reverence for the word of God and indeed held it sacred. This deep respect underlines the point of our discussion. God’s word is the body of knowledge, the faith, by which one is to live. When one lives in accordance to that word, demonstrating reverence for His commands, one can be described as faithful. Faithfulness thus implies submission to God by sacrificing our will in exchange for the will of God.
Unfaithfulness, marked by a disregard for God’s word, is exemplified throughout the scriptures. Christ, addressing the unfaithfulness of the religious leadership during the first century, quotes the prophet Isaiah, stating, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15.8-9, Isaiah 29.13). As the faithful are characterized as having a deep respect for God’s word, to the extent that they seek to uphold it in every aspect, the unfaithful are characterized in the opposite manner. As Christ stated above, the unfaithful gener- ally adopt an attitude that is based on some degree of devotion to God but His word is exchanged for “the commandments of men”. In the contemporary world this same situation can be seen whenever an appeal is made to accept Biblical teaching and authority on a number of subjects.
David writes, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee .... I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.” (Psalm 119.11,15). Paul stated that faith comes by “hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10.17). The faith of God began with His commitment to His own purpose. It continued with the revelation of His will in a form that those who would be faithful may turn to for guidance. Those then who are faithful to God show a desire to be filled with the word of God (1 Peter 2.2). Filled with God’s word, the faithful demonstrate a respect and reverence for that word and strive to follow it to the best of their ability at all times. One trying to maintain a faithful relationship with God may stumble at times but God shows mercy to those who follow Him and is willing to forgive if we are willing to change (Exodus 20.6, 1 John 1.9).