Parallel to that, God's Word says that in keeping God's Word there is great reward. Look at Psalm 19:11 (ESV) which speaks of the "law of the Lord,"
"Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward."
The Old Testament folks had lists of laws to observe and keep. God had given them to Moses to relate and record for the good and benefit of the multitudes of the children of Israel. God gave the promise that if they diligently kept the plethora of them, it would go well with them (Deuteronomy 4, especially verse 40 -ESV).
Coming into the New Testament times, there is a similar theme with the "new garment and new wine" way of living Jesus taught about (Luke 5:33-39). However, this keeping of His Word would be more out of that gratitude for Him, that "fear of the Lord" written about in the Lord's Day Devotion -The Fear of Lord. The fear of the Lord is impetus for living in a more holy life and to draw closer in relationship with God Himself through Jesus Christ.
If you read through the book of Luke itself, there are numerous references and inferences where Jesus highlighted the keeping and the reward. For instance, His parable of the wise and foolish man who built their house, respectively, on the rock and sand. Both houses looked calm and bright until the mighty storm blew in and through. The reward went to the wise man who had built on the firm, rock foundation. He still had a house to live in when the storm abated.
Jesus' analogy was that the wise one was the one...
"...who comes to Me and hears my words and puts them into practice..." (Luke 4:46-49 NIV).
Comes, hears and puts...verbs of wise action and reward.
Jesus' parable of the sower and the various types of soil the seed found its way to is another good illustration of this theme.
"...the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the Word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop" (Luke 8:15 NIV).
In the same chapter, just a few verses along Jesus says,
"My mother and brothers are those who hear God's Word and put it into practice" (Luke 8:21 NIV).
There was the occasion when an expert in the law (Old Testament law) tested Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25 NIV). Jesus told him to,
"...love the Lord His God with all His heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to love his neighbor as himself" (Luke 10:27 NIV).
That must have been convicting, so the expert, who was actually speaking to "The Expert", queried further,
"Who is my neighbor" (Luke 10:29 NIV)?
I think Jesus was just waiting for that question to pop up. He told the parable of the Good Samaritan and ends with the soul searching, counter question, "Which of these three (priest, Levite, Good Samaritan) do you think was a neighbor..." (Luke 10:36 NIV).
The expert in the law gamely replied, "The one who had mercy on the victim" (Luke 10:37 NIV).
Ho, ho, see Jesus' next words to the expert,
"Go and do likewise' (Luke 10:37 NIV).
"Go and do..." This is in keeping with keeping God's Word; not just all the rules and regulations the Pharisees were so tediously enforcing upon everyone else, but touching on the mercy and justice that was rather missing, for the most part, from that particular section of society at the time.
Flip to the next chapter and verse 27 and 28. A woman in the crowd wanted to emphasize to Jesus that His mother was a very blessed woman because she had given birth to and nursed Jesus. Jesus diverts her focus to...
"Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." (Luke 11:27, 28 NIV).
By now, we are getting Jesus' point and an understanding of the key verse from Psalm 19:11. However, we may have overlooked the other angle. There is "reward," but there is also "warning". When we heed God's Word's warnings there will be the reward of avoiding that which is detrimental to us physically and spiritually.
Take, for example...1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV about our bodies being the "temple of the Holy Spirit." That is, those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior have the Holy Spirit indwelling. The warning to protect God's temple was to,
"Flee from sexual immorality..."
When a believer realizes he or she is the temple of the Holy Spirit, he or she will be less likely to engage in sexual immorality &/or to harm his/her body with cigarettes, and other harmful substances; to overeat or to under-eat, etc. (Not to minimize a person's problem with these. Seek professional help if needed to find root causes and to help overcome an ongoing struggle.)
Another warning from 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 14 (NIV) is,
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers..."
The verse continues with the reasons why (read for yourself). This could be a liaison in marriage or even a business partnership. There are very foundational differences of belief, or non-belief, of ethics and other practices that will govern a person. Those who are keeping God's Word, will, generally speaking, have a vastly different perspective on any variety of issues that could come up throughout a marriage or operation of a business.
This is not to be so legalistic, as in Old Testament times; Jesus' new covenant way, of kindness and love should be operational in our daily lives. Nevertheless, God gives us His Word and warnings. He graciously spells out some very direct ways of living of which we would do well to take heed.
Additionally, this is not to say that even when a believer joins up with another believer that all will be hunky-dory. I presume God's meaning in His warning is for our best possible 'reward' result. In the fallen world we live in, we need all the help and 'edge' we can get. When we choose to keep God's Word, He promises there will be "great reward".
Diligently sustain a faithful and committed observance of God's Word all the days of your life, not so much because of the reward, but as an avenue of expressing our love and gratitude as an offering and sacrifice to Him. Let us choose to honor our Heavenly Father by being warned and kept by His Word.
~ERC September 2019~
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