We have seen that sacred writings were recognized by the faithful in Old Testament times from the days of Moses, as the word of God; and therefore demanding implicit subjection, and continual obedience. They were not to “add unto the word,” nor “diminish ought” from that which God commanded; and so indispensable was it, that Jehovah instructed Israel that he might “know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeded! out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.” (Deut. 4:2; 8:3.) But while God’s people were called to hearken to, and hold fast, what He had revealed, and to obey it at all cost, yet it is well to observe how remarkably in these times, God’s blessing was with those who honored Him in obeying His truth, and how manifestly His displeasure followed those who turned away from it. Nothing can be more plainly marked. It runs all through scripture It will be interesting to notice a few examples.
The disobedience of our first parents, in doing what was contrary to the word of God, has been followed with unutterable misery, to them and to their posterity. “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Rom. 5:12.) Cain became “a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth,” for he refused to hearken to the voice of God, and do His will; while Abel obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, because he hearkened to the truth of God, believed it, and therefore honored God in acting upon it. Noah believed God’s testimony as to coming judgment, because men had corrupted the earth, and filled it with violence. He therefore, according to the word of God, prepared an ark to the saving of himself and his house; while the world was so overrun with infidelity as to reject the testimony of this preacher of righteousness, and was therefore swept away by divine judgment. Abraham was singularly blest and honored in obeying the word of God, while just Lot vexed his righteous soul from day to day, had to escape for his life, and his posterity came under God’s curse. All this could be traced to walking after the sight of his eyes, and doing his own will, instead of being subject to the will and word of God.
When God gave the children of Israel manna in the wilderness, He commanded that no man should leave of it till the morning. But some of the people hearkened not unto Moses, and left some manna till the morning, and it bred worms and stank; and Moses was wroth with them. Whereas, when on the sixth day the Lord sent them a double portion so as to feed them also on the sabbath day, and they had therefore to lay it up to be kept until the morning according to the word of the Lord by Moses, it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. Again, we find there were some who would not believe God, that there would be none sent down on the seventh day, therefore some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? Scarcely anything could more strikingly show the divine authority of the word, the peace and blessing connected with subjection to it, and the evil of departing from it. (Exod. 16)
The children of Israel, after the solemn covenant of the law, wherein they promised obedience to all the words which the Lord had said, almost immediately rebelled in making a golden calf, and worshipping and sacrificing to it, saying, “These be thy gods, Ο Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” Thus they brought upon themselves the just judgment of God in acting so contrary to His holy word. We are told, “There fell of the people that day about three thousand men.” (Exod. 32)
When Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, entered upon the solemn office of priesthood, they were cut off by instant death, because they offered strange fire, which Jehovah commanded them not. Jehovah said, “I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified.” (Lev. 10)
When the son of an Israelitish woman blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed, God commanded that he should be put to death, and that all the congregation should certainly stone him. (Lev. 24)
Those too, who were under the law of Moses were commanded to keep the sabbath day holy, and in it to do no manner of work. When a man therefore despised the word of the Lord, and was found gathering sticks upon the sabbath day, he was stoned to death. The word of the Lord was “The man shall be surely put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp” (Num. 15). Again, we find that a stubborn and rebellious son who did not obey his parents according to the commandment of the Lord, was also stoned with stones till he died (Deut. 21). These are some of the instances of the sad results of despising the law of Moses—they died without mercy.
Saul lost the kingdom by rejecting the word of the Lord, he was commanded by the Lord of hosts to utterly destroy and spare not Amalek, man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. Instead of this he spared the king of the Amalekites, Agag, the best of the sheep and oxen, the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. Saul might have thought he was doing a good thing in reserving some of the sheep and oxen for sacrifices; but it was contrary to the word of the Lord. Therefore Samuel said, “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Sam. 15).