Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the Lord had given him. All the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.” Then Moses carefully wrote down all the Lord’s instructions… – Exodus 24:3-4 NLT
Have you ever wondered why whenever or wherever there’s a rule, something in man just wants to break that rule! You tell a child, “Do not touch” and something in them just wants to dare you and touch! We see signs like: “Please Keep off the Lawn” or “No Parking” but we just ignore them and do what we want anyway!
The Archbishop of Canterbury was recently in the news. He was caught by a speed camera doing 25mph on a 20mph road somewhere in London and was fined £500. As usual, the media made a fuss about the incident forgetting that he’s only human.
I’m sure many of us at one point have broken a rule of some sort. In fact, on Christmas Day 2015, I was caught by a speed camera doing over 65mph on a stretch where there was roadwork on the M5. I was fined £100 and got six points on my licence…ouch!
There’s an adage that says, “Rules are meant to be broken”. The original quote was made by an American General, Douglas MacArthur who famously broke a lot of rules during his military career. His actual quote is: “Rules are mostly made to be broken and are too often for the lazy to hide behind.” His carefree attitude for doing things his own way led him to be fired by President Harry Truman for not respecting the authority of the president.
Adam exhibited this very behaviour. By breaking God’s command, Adam was basically saying he does not trust God. He was saying he trusts in what his eyes can see, and he believes the words of Eve and the serpent. The consequence of his actions still haunts us today. “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.” Romans 5:12-13 (NLT)
So, why is it so enticing or appealing to resist or break rules? Is it because there’s something liberating by not conforming to rules? Do people feel smarter and wiser than others when they don’t follow rules? Does getting rid of rules allow us freedom to be “creative” in our thoughts and act without limitations or boundaries? Is there ever a reason or justification to break a rule or law?
Perhaps your answer to the above questions may be in the affirmative, however, know that there are always consequences when we break the law. It is always wise to evaluate if the outcome of breaking a rule or law is worth it. We need to ask ourselves the question, will the outcome justify the consequences of breaking that law? And will God approve of it?
We shall talk about the law of God and the law of Moses in the next blog.
Stay blessed,
LaraLex
Hills and Valleys 