The First and Greatest Commandment

Posted on 07/30/2017 by goodnewsfromadistantland — Leave a comment

In the book of Matthew, there is the account of a lawyer asking a question of Yahushua Messiah [the Hebrew name for Jesus Christ]:

“Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” (Matthew 22:36)

How could Yahushua narrow down God and His Word to only one commandment as being the greatest?? God is infinitely wise and good and great, in countless ways! Is there one thing that would express the greatest commandment?

Yes, Messiah did narrow down God’s commandments to only one — one commandment that is all-embracing — one commandment that is completely inclusive of the WORD of Yahuwah Elohim [the Hebrew name for the LORD God]:

Yahushua [Jesus] said unto him, You shall love Yahuwah Elohim [the Lord your God] with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38)

The answer to the lawyer’s question reveals to us the one commandment that is the Foundation of all the rest of God’s commands.

Love for Yahuwah Elohim is the leading, foundational commandment! Love for Yahuwah leads us into the way of obedience to all the rest of Yahuwah’s Word.

When we love Yahuwah with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind, then we will naturally have a love for obedience to all of His WORD — His commandments, His instructions, and His guidelines — from the beginning (see Psalms 119:160; 2John 1:6).

“Only the full treasure of the commandments of God can lead me securely through my life. I can be certain that there is no life situation for which God’s Word will not speak the necessary direction.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The more we show our love for God through our obedience to Him (John 14:15), the more He sheds His love abroad in our hearts, so that we are able to achieve the goal of loving one another (Romans 5:5; 1Peter 1:22).

Loving Yahuwah is truly The One All-Embracing and Completely Inclusive Commandment! This is why Yahushua said it is the FIRST and the GREATEST commandment.

If we love God with all our heart, it will be a deeply sincere and united love.

If we love God with all our soul, it will be a strong and intense love.

If we love God with all our mind, it will be a love that we understand, a love in which we are willing to place God and His Word as first place in our actions, in all that we do.

When we have this kind of all-consuming love, we will gladly, joyfully walk in obedience to the written Word of Yahuwah Elohim, enduring any obstacles that may try to prevent the expression of our love for Yahuwah Elohim [the LORD God].

Those who love Yahuwah, find it easy to love Him! Why?

First of all, because He first loved us (1John 4:19)!

Secondly, because we have come to know His Name (Psalms 9:10).

When we begin to realize how much He loves us, and then begin to truly know His Name, then we begin to know His character!

It is His eternal character that makes our heart want to love Him completely:

And Yahuwah [the LORD] descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the NAME of Yahuwah. And Yahuwah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Yahuwah, Yahuwah Elohim [the LORD God], merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. (Exodus 34:5-7)

As this Scripture teaches us, Yahuwah Elohim’s character is as He has described Himself —

merciful,
longsuffering,
ABUNDANT in goodness and truth,
forgiving of sins,
seeking to correct us (as a loving Father would do) whenever we go astray!

Yahuwah’s eternal, unchanging character draws us to Him because He is so GOOD!

More and more, we understand the beauty of His holiness, and we yearn to be with Him! And just as we easily trust and love those whose character is honest, good, and reliable, in the same way, we trust and love our Heavenly Father and His awesome WORD, because He is truly honest, good, and reliable!

Yahuwah’s Name reveals His character! Yahuwah Elohim [the LORD God] our Maker, truly is worthy of all our love and devotion!

Our dedicated love for Yahuwah will never fail to bring us into the fullness of everything that Father desires for us!

And you shall love Yahuwah Elohim [the LORD your God] with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

“The way we relate to God determines the way He relates to us.” – Derek Prince

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