Wisdom Wednesday: Walking in Wisdom – Not Wandering Away

Wisdom Wednesday: Walking in Wisdom – Not Wandering Away

Submitted by: Debbie’s Dad

 “So you shall observe to do just as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. You shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.” (Deuteronomy 5:32-33  NASB 95)

In this passage in Deuteronomy, Moses writes what the LORD told him to instruct the Israelites–obedience. The metaphor the LORD uses is walking in a straight line:

• WALK: This was a daily walk in a relationship with the Lord. Exodus 18:20, the advice of Moses’ father-in-law to a weary Moses: “And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws and show them how they must walk and the work they must do”.
• Walk in the WAY: The daily walk must be in the way of the Lord (Deut. 8:6 “Observe the commands of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.” See also Prov. 1:7) The walk must be in obedience to God’s word.
• Do not WANDER to the left or right–we are to walk along a straight line–not deviating in disobedience.

Later in Deuteronomy, Moses summarized the need for fear of the LORD, obedience (daily walking in the way of the law and commandments), love and service: “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord they God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk  in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul?” (Deut. 10:12.)

As the Israelites entered the land, Joshua reiterated these instructions to walk in all of God’s ways to the warriors of Israel when the wars to capture of the land were over. Joshua exhorted the men (and all of Israel):

“Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5 (NASB 95)

In the golden years of Israel’s kingdom, the Psalmist reassured us that this is the way to the blessed life: “Blessed is every one that fears the LORD; that walks in His ways” (Psalm 128:1 NASB 95)

But centuries later the Israelites failed to follow the straight path and the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the people of Judah, relaying God’s use of the straight walk metaphor once again: ^“Thus says the Lord to this people, “Even so they have loved to wander; they have not kept their feet in check. Therefore the Lord does not accept them; now He will remember their iniquity and call their sins to account.” (Jer. 14:10)

Let us not wander from the walk of reverence and obedience! Paul said we should, “…walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which [we] have been called…” (Eph 4:1). May we “keep or feet in check” and walk as Christ would have us walk.