Regarding exactness, the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was held to the same standard as are all men is brought out in Matthew 28:6 where we find some women arriving at His burial place to prepare Him for official burial. Upon approaching the tomb they were met by an angel who told them that Jesus had arisen exactly “… as He said” He would arise, meaning after three days and three nights. Recall that Jesus confessed that every Word He uttered had been given to Him from the Father (Jn. 8:28;12:49,50; 14:10,24). The Father spoke to Him in the same way He speaks to other men–through His Holy Spirit. When the angel announced that Jesus had done exactly “… as He said” he would do, he meant exactly as God had told Him to do. Not only did the Father send Him, He sent Him with specific instructions as to what to do, say and think. GOD THE FATHER WAS IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF HIS SON. In order for any man to join Them in the Kingdom of God (be His son) he must obey the Father as did the man Jesus–he must “walk as He walked” (1 Jn. 2:6). Question: What happens to people who do not do exactly as the Lord commands them? He tells us. Bear in mind that the people involved in this episode were HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE. Today, the minutely few saints in God’s church–the “elect”–are also subject to this rule (1 Pet. 4:18). NO ONE IS EXEMPT.

In the Book of Numbers chapter 13 we find the Lord, having miraculously freed the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, had them poised to enter the land He had promised their forefather Abraham. But before He can use a man, or a people, He tests and tries them to see if they will follow His instructions exactly. With this in mind He sent 12 men into the Promised Land to spy it out and to return with a report. GOD KNEW WHO WAS THERE AND KNEW WHAT HE WOULD DO TO THEM. But the people of Israel–His Chosen People–had to face them head on and push forward in order to qualify for their promised inheritance. They failed to do what He told them to do. As a result they spent the next 40 years wandering in the Desert of Sin while He killed off everyone over the age of 20.

Not even Moses was immune to God’s “Do as I say” Law. When God told him to “speak to the rock” and the rock would produce water for the 3,000,000 people and their animals, Moses did not follow His command. Rather, he spoke to the people and struck the rock. As a result he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. When God tells us to “Speak to the rock,” He means for us to do exactly that. TODAY HE TELLS US WHAT TO DO IN HIS WORD, which must be obeyed with exactness in order for us to receive our promised inheritance–eternal life. We must remember that the Lord’s promise to us is only half of the covenant He made with us. The other half  requires us to obey His commands– His “voice”–the Holy Bible which is summarized by the Ten Commandments. Those 10 commandments cover everything mankind can do, say or think. The first and second commandments summarize the entire Law as well as the writings of the prophets and apostles (Mat. 22:40). At that point the apostles had not written their gospels and epistles. I assume that, because God included them in His Holy Bible that they too are covered by His eternal Law. L.J.