Positive Divine Commands
A. SOME COMMANDS OF GOD SEEM COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY AND
UNRELATED TO THE NEEDS OF MAN, MAYBE EVEN FOOLISH.
B. SOME ARE REASONABLE AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND, DIRECTLY RELATED
TO OUR WELFARE.
C. TWO CLASSES OR KINDS OF COMMANDS OR LAWS.
1. Both come from God, the Lawgiver.
2. Both carry the same weight and must be obeyed (James. 4:12; 2:10).
D. WE WANT TO EXPLORE THESE TWO CLASSES OF LAW.
A. MORAL LAW – THAT WHICH RIGHT IN ITSELF.
1. It is always right to be truthful.
2. It is always wrong to treat others with disdain or contempt … to hate, or murder.
3. Adultery and drunkenness always wrong.
4. And we can see why!
B. POSITIVE LAW OFTEN SEEMS FOOLISH, OBNOXIOUS, OR EVEN WRONG.
1. This is of a higher order than moral law.
a. The law rests solely on the authority of the lawgiver. God said, and I must.
b. It often serves as a great test of our loyalty and faith. Because God said.
2. There are three degrees of Positive Law.
a. When we cannot see the good in a command.
b. When we see clearly that there is no good in the command, morally speaking.
c. When we see that the command is clearly wrong in itself.
A. THE PASSOVER LAMB AND BLOOD ON THE DOORPOSTS (Ex. 12:1-13).
1. Blood on the doorpost kept the death angel away.
2. No logical connection – death angel cannot be stopped (Ecc. 8:8). GOD SAID DO IT.
3. Just an outward ceremony, but what if they didn’t do it?
a. What would it tell them and God about their faithfulness?
b. What would happen to their first-born?
B. UZZAH TOUCHED THE ARK ON THE THRESHING FLOOR OF NACON.
1. David knew God’s command – only Levites could touch the ark (1 Chron. 15:1-2, 13).
2. No logic, no deep diabolical pledge to the power of darkness involved.
3. What did God say?
C. ADAM’S AVACADO.
1. Thomas Paine in AGE OF REASON asked, “What harm was there in eating an apple?”
2. Human reason endorsed the eating: Good for food, A delight to the eye, Wise as God.
3. Mostly true, but God said, “Thou shalt not eat of it.” They ate and they died.
D. NAAMAN THE LEPER (2 Kings 5:10-12).
1. No connection between dipping in the Jordan and a cure for leprosy.
2. “I THOUGHT…” Naaman allowed what he thought to interfere with what God said.
Football coach to lineman: “Don’t think, you’ll hurt the team.”
3. Healing was in obedience.
E. THE WALLS OF JERICHO (Joshua 6:1ff.).
1. They marched 7 times round, blew the trumpet, and shouted. Men have sought a
naturalistic explanation, even Bible believers.
2. There is none. The walls fell because God willed it … PERIOD.
A. ABRAHAM TOLD TO OFFER ISAAC, THE SON OF PROMISE (Gen. 21:12).
1. Murder?
2. The end of the promise?
B. WHAT DID ABRAHAM BELIEVE? (Heb. 11:17-19).
1. The certainty of God’s promise (vs. 17-18).
2. God’s ability to raise Isaac (vs. 19).
C. SOMETIMES WE ARE ASKED TO THE OBNOXIOUS, WHAT SEEMS WRONG.
1. The Adulterer must leave his adulterous relationship. Break up a family?
2. We must disappoint our family and friends, sometimes.
3. Quit a job that demands unrighteous and dishonest behavior.
A. WHAT BLESSING IS OFFERED?
1. What is the connection between baptism and remission? Not a logical one.
2. Must we see a connection? Do we believe God?
3. Some say to me, “I don’t see the connection between physical act and spiritual reward.”
B. BUT GOD COMMANDED IT (Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-27;
Rom. 6:3-7; Col. 2:12; 1 Pet. 3:21; John 3:5).
C. HERE IS ENTRANCE INTO THE KINGDOM, THE BODY, THE CHURCH, INTO
CHRIST HIMSELF. WHY? GOD MADE IT THAT WAY.
A. WILL YOU SUBMIT YOUR WILL TO HIS, TO OBEY HIM, NO MATTER WHAT?
B. Heb. 5:8-9. SALVATION IS CONDITIONED ON OUR OBEDIENCE.
C. DO YOU HAVE FAITH? DO YOU REALLY LOVE GOD? (1 John 5:3; John 14:15).
