Right or Left - Neither

Last Sunday in the church service the following verse was referred to by the speaker:  Joshua 1:7 “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left….”.  Immediately I was alerted in my spirit regarding these words “to the right or to the left”.  I thought this is my next blog.

The following day I searched for verses with the same words “to the right or to the left”.  Moses is asking the king of Edom permission to pass through his country.  ”.   Numbers 20:17:  “Please let us pass through your country. …….. we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” 
 
God is speaking to Moses.  Deuteronomy  5:32:  “Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you;  you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.”  The reward is in verse 33 of the same chapter:  “That you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land …..”.

 God gives instructions to the Israel regarding the reign of a king over Israel.  Deuteronomy 17: 18 -20.  Verse 20:  “that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, …..”  The reward for obedience – “and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.”

 Joshua speaks to Israel.  Joshua 23:6:  “Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left,”
The reign of king Josiah.  “Josiah was eight years old when he became king, …..” 2Kings 22:1.  Verse 2:  “And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” 
Proverbs 4:27:  “Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.”

Moses pleaded with the king of Edom to allow Israel to pass through his country.  Moses said “we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left”.  Where did Moses get these words?  From God.  God gave these words to Moses, to Israel, and to Joshua.  God instructed Joshua  “observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you, do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left”.   It is noted in 2 Kings 22:1 Josiah became king at the age of   8 years and he did not turn aside.   Solomon warns us,  “do not turn to the right or the left”. 

Clearly we can see that God does not want His followers, His children to turn aside from His Word to the right or to the left.  The Lord Jesus said as much in John 15: 1-14.  Verse 4 states:  “Abide in Me, and I in you….”  Verse 14 states:  “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you”.  God wants us to meditate in His Word day and night and to do according to all that is written therein.  For this is the path way to prosperity and to good success.  Read Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1.  The Lord Jesus did not turn aside to the right or to the left.  He came to do His Father’s will and He did it.  Jesus said in a prayer to His Father,  John 17:4:  “I have glorified You on the earth.  I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.”

Today I continually hear newscasters and commentators speaking about the right and the left regarding social issues and politics.  The Lord Jesus wants us to follow His Word.  He wants us to be single minded.  The Lord Jesus Christ does not want us to go aside to the right or to the left.  We are to follow His Word –whatever it says, wherever it takes us.  God’s Word is from Genesis chapter 1 through Revelations chapter 22 in the Holy Bible.

I do not like to hear people saying “Paul said” this or that; or “the writer” said this or that.  Who is the writer?   The Scriptures are the inspired Word of God.  “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”  2Timothy 3:16.  The entire Bible – all sixty six books are inspired, authored, and preserved through the centuries by God.  When we ascribe books in the Bible to persons, we will run into trouble.   This is why some people reject certain verses in the Bible.  They subscribe to the notion that the Bible has many authors, so it becomes easy to reject portions of the Bible.  Not so!!  The entire Bible is the Word of God and we are to adhere to it.  We are to follow God’s Word, and we are not to turn aside from it to the right or to the left.

 Proverbs 4:26 says:  “Ponder the path of your feet, ….”  Think upon the direction in which you are heading, and where you are currently in your life.   Are you following the Word of God or are you following a sect?   Is your allegiance to God’s Word come what may?  Are you looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of your faith?  Or are you looking toward a man or a woman to sustain you?

Do not turn from the Word of God to the right or to the left.  Both are out of the will of God.


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