Do Be Do

In Deuteronomy we read, "Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it" (Deut 12:32). There is a similar warning in The Book of Revelation (Rev 22:19), but that one specifically references "the words of the prophecy of this book." The object of this command is whatever God commands ... the Word of God. So ... what are we to make of it? Note, then, He says to "carefully do" whatever He commands.

On multiple occasions Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (e.g., Mark 4:9; 4:23; 7:16). Note that there are three categories in that built on two criteria ... hearing and not hearing, and ears and not ears. So, obviously, those who are in the "not ears" category are also in the "not hear" category. Who doesn't have ears? Those who are dead ... spiritually. After that ... there are those who have ears and don't hear and those who have ears and hear. What is Jesus hoping they will hear? "Whatever I command you," essentially. Hearing God's Word. So James wrote, "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves" (James 1:22). We can, then, not hear or hear, but beyond that, we must do.

The command in Deuteronomy is to do whatever He commands. Jesus told His disciples to make disciples, "teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" (Matt 28:20). "All." Fortunately, Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15), so loving Him perfectly will produce the desired result. But we need to both hear (James said not to be merely hearers, which means "Yes, be hearers, but don't stop there.") and do. Do ... be a hearer and ... do ... be a doer. (Thus the title.)