(I had written this a week ago, and since then, a podcast by Gary Stearman came available, which I've added to my list.

I haven't heard that far into the list yet, so I look forward to hearing it.

His podcast is titled, "Studies with Stearman: Love and Law".

Perhaps what he says may be about the same subject, and if so, some may be similar, some different.

But, I have to be prepared for some of it to be a correction for me, as well.)

(I had been thinking about, that the law is a perfect picture of the love of God, so these were those thoughts:)

 

Numbers 32:11 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:

  12 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.

 

Numbers 14:24a But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully,

 

Numbers 27:18b Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit

 

I Samuel 13:14b the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart,

 

Acts 13:22d I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

 

(How did they get like that?)

 

Psalms 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

 

(Somehow, it's all related to this book, the word of God, for these three, Joshua, Caleb, and David.

David most likely had his own copy of the word of God, but how did Joshua and Caleb get the word of God?)

 

Acts 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

 

(Perhaps that began while Israel was still in the wilderness, where Joshua and Caleb may have heard the word of God read each sabbath.

Others have heard or read the word of God, as well, so why did the book have such a life changing impact on these three?

To many, the law is no more than a bunch of "dos & don’ts", boring genealogies, and details of the tabernacle & sacrifices.

But these three no doubt were somehow hearing a voice, a voice of someone very wonderful, revealing himself through the words.

The same words that were grievous dos and don'ts to many, were actually words of love and comfort to these three.

Moses may have met the LORD in a burning bush, but these three met the LORD in the words, and continued to meet him in the words.

And ever since, that is how the LORD reveals himself, through the words:)

 

I Samuel 3:21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

 

(If we're saved, that is where we met Jesus, in his word, which we either read or heard, when the gospel came to us.)

 

(So, what happened to these three, when they read or heard the words?)

 

I John 1:5b  that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

 

Revelation 21:23b  for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

 

(So, then:)

 

Psalms 119:130a The entrance of thy words giveth light;

 

(Somehow, as they heard the words, the light of the LORD entered them, revealing himself to them.

So, what is revealed?)

  

I John 4:8b  for God is love.

 

(This wonderful being of love reveals himself by his word, and it's either received or not received, by those that hear it or read it.

In the scriptures, it calls itself the word of God, with a small "w", and Jesus is seven times called the Word of God, with a large "W".

Jesus has revealed himself in writing, like Jesus in print.

And it is the entire book, not only the new testament, because also, the law reveals Jesus.

So instead of only being a collection of dos and don'ts, to some, the law displays the very mind of God.

The law is a perfect picture and reflection of his very character and attributes.

In fact, the law is all about love:)

 

Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

  29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

  30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

  31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

 

(All the law is summed up in love: love God, love our neighbor, and also his love shown by his provisions for forgiveness & fellowship.)

(This wonderful being of love met them in the words, giving them light and revealing himself to them.

Joshua and Caleb were radically changed, another spirit, full of faith, and so they gladly followed him fully.

David was transformed, not only into great faith and courage, but filled with the scriptures, and love for the LORD and his word:)

 

Psalms 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

 

Psalms 119:113 I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

 

Psalms 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

 

(David was born a child of Adam, like the rest of us, so, it wasn't "in his DNA" to be a man after God's own heart.

He was changed into that man, as he read, loved, and meditated on the word of God.

The more he read, believed, loved, and followed the word of God, the more his heart became like the one revealing himself.)

 

Psalms 19:7a The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul:

 

(The law had a wonderful effect upon David, but others had the opposite reaction to the law.

Either we'll love the one revealing himself, or we'll despise him, and become more like the devil, instead.

Take for example, the commandments:)

 

Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

  4a Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, 

  7a Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain;

 

(btw - that means more than saying, "OMG", but it includes saying we're a Christian, while we live like a devil.)

 

  8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

 

(To some this means doing something religious once a week, but if we think that we are to thus only keep one day holy:

We are thereby admitting that we are allowing the other six days to be unholy.

For Christians, every day should be holy, joyfully holy, and no doubt it was that way with David, as well.

Also, the "no work" on the sabbath was a picture, in type, of Ephesians 2:8-9, that was to come later, after the cross and resurrection.)

 

  12a Honour thy father and thy mother:

  13 Thou shalt not kill.

 

(What about the enemy?)

 

John 8:44b He was a murderer from the beginning,

 

(If we love and receive the law, we'll love our neighbor, but if not, then we'll have ethnic and racial prejudice in our hearts.)

 

  14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

 

(Samson and Solomon were used mightily of the LORD, but the love of pleasure was overwhelming for them.

Solomon's 700 wives & 300 concubines - how similar was that from lot's of pornography, today?)

 

  15 Thou shalt not steal.

  16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

 

(When we gossip, we're just like the devil, the accuser of the brethren.)

 

  17a Thou shalt not covet

 

(That one is particularly un-American, the opposite of Madison Avenue advertising, in our consumer driven economy.

But what does Jesus say to those of us who have a hard time receiving his word?)

 

John 8:42a Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me:

  43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

  44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

  47a He that is of God heareth God’s words:

 

(However, did we have to keep the law in order to be saved?   No, we're saved by grace through faith, believing the gospel.

Since then, do we have to keep the law to stay saved? No, Jesus said, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish".

So, what about the law, now?)

 

Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

 

(Some have wondered, has Jesus changed his mind? Is he okay now with coveting, stealing, adultery, murder? Absolutely not!

We got saved after we realized that we had failed to keep the righteousness of the law, and that we were heading to hell.

Now that we're saved, how are we doing with that? Are we living righteously?)

(Should we say that it doesn't matter now, since we cannot lose our salvation?

No, it matters to the one who died in our place and saved us, it matters to him a lot.

How can we possibly live that way, when we know that we were totally unable to before?

For one, it is not something that we "try to do". That is what the Pharisees were all about.

The Pharisees "tried with all their might" to keep the law, but couldn't, especially in their hearts.

To them, the law was a set of dos and don'ts, and they failed miserably, because they "tried" to keep the law.

Whereas Jesus didn't "try" to keep the law, but rather he "lived" the law, and it was thus perfectly fulfilled.

Jesus is God, and the law is a perfect picture of his character and attributes, so all he could do is live the law.

But what about us, now that we are saved?)

 

Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 

(The Holy Ghost, who is the author of the scriptures, can only be who he is, and he will always live the Bible perfectly.

As long as we are in submission to the Spirit, and let him live through us, all he will do is live the book.)

 

Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

 

(By faith, in the Spirit, rather than under the law, yet he is perfectly holy and righteous.)

 

Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

 

(Then like David, by the word of God, we now also, even more so by the Spirit:)

 

Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

 

II Thessalonians 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

 

Deuteronomy 30:20a That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life,

 

(Like David, receive the love of the truth:)

 

Psalms 119:77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

  174 I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.

  103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

 

Psalms 94:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

 

Proverbs 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

 

(But what about those who will not receive the love of the truth?)

 

II Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

  11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

  12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

(Rather, for us who have received the love of the truth:)

 

II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

  17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

 

(But then that ties back to love, and that only happens when we're in the Spirit:)

 

I John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

 

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

 

I John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

 

Jude 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

 

(How? Continue meeting Jesus in his word, receiving his love, loving him, loving his word, and submitting to his Spirit.

We were not able to keep the commandments before we were saved, and we cannot really keep the commandments now.

But the Holy Ghost will live the perfection of the law and the new testament, through us, if we submit to him.

Trying to keep it is "all about us", but by submitting it is "all about Jesus".)