“But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law… to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” – Joshua 22:5
Where love is the incentive the way is not long. The commandment of the Lord is not grievous, heavy, and burdensome. It is the light burden and the easy yoke of Christ. It is the new commandment which is the old commandment which we had from the beginning. It si the commandment f the Lord which is written upon the tables of our hearts; it is not written merely upon tables of stone! Such is the new covenant, which the Lord has made and not man!
Each Sunday morning you hear your minister read the law of God, the Decalogue. He reads the law which is recorded in Exodus 20, and which is quoted in Question 92 of the Heidelberg Catechism, does he not? He reads the Law as it is found in the “Third Part” of the Heidelberg Catechism. Yes, you have heard it often: How many things are necessary for thee to know, that, thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happily? And, although you are inclined to abbreviate this answer given in the Catechism, in full it reads: “Three; the first how great my sins and miseries are; the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries; the third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance.” Have you noticed it: Question 92 in the Heidelberg Catechism is found in the “third” of these three?
Each time a child is baptized in the congregation you hear the minister read (not drone!) as follows: “The principle parts of the doctrine of holy baptism are these three:
“First. That we with our children are conceived and born in sin…
“Secondly. Holy Baptism witnesseth and sealeth unto us the washing away of our sins through Jesus Christ…
“Thirdly. Whereas in all covenants, there are contained two parts: therefore are we by God through baptism admonished of, and obliged unto a new obedience, namely, that we cleave to this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; that we trust in him, and love him with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our mind, with all our strength; that we forsake the world, crucify our old nature, and walk in a new and holy life.”
Did you notice? In both the Catechism and in the Form for Baptism the same “Three Things”?
Now I would have you notice something more. I would have you notice and lay it to the heart that the “thirdly” in the Baptism Form is taken almost literally out of the Bible. It is almost literally taken from Joshua 22:5. In this passage Joshua is addressing the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan River; that they live separated by this river and virtually outside of the land of Canaan proper, where the tabernacle and temple stand, does not mean that they must forget about the tabernacle and the temple of the Lord. “On the other side of Jordan” does not mean no longer subject to the Lord and the new obedience to him. On the contrary they are now delivered too from the bondage of Egypt, and have also passed through the baptism of the Red Sea, and now dwell in the land. And here they are to show true “thankfulness to God”!
They are to take diligent heed to do the commandment of the law! The term in the Hebrew text for “diligent means: might, very much. With all their strength they are to take heed. Even our English term diligence is a very beautiful term. It refers to persevering application of effort. We speak of a diligent servant. The Heidelberg Catechism does not say that we shall go regularly to the church of God to hear his word; no, the Catechism says that “I diligently frequent the church of God to hear his Word, use the sacraments, publicly call upon the name of the Lord, give alms to the poor…” We are to serve the Lord diligently! Have you done so during the past year in your catechism lessons and instruction? You diligently took notes? You diligently go to church with the purpose to learn his Word? You diligently attended the Society meetings and prepared yourself with equal diligence?!
And all this we do diligently to take heed to the commandment and the law? We do this because we would walk in thankfulness for the Lord’s great redemption? We walk in our “part” of the covenant, our response to God by virtue of the grace which we received from God as obsignated in Baptism?
All diligence is characterized by our “love” for the Lord our God. Then we shall also “walk in all his ways, beginning to live not only according to some, but according to all of God’s commandments. Then we shall cleave to the Lord, even as a little child cleaves to and embraces its mother who holds it in her arms!
Yes, this we then do with “all our heart” and “with all our souls.” Yes, that is the great Commandment. All the law and the prophets are contained in it depend upon it. This is the truth concerning our Christian walk in a capsule!
Vacation time is come upon us. You may make a trip, go to the cottage, play ball, even live a bit on the “other side” of the river as did the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh! However, remember that there is no vacation permissible, apart from taking diligent heed to do the commandment of the Lord. Yes, with all your heart and soul.