It's All Good

“For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.” (Pr 4:2 AV)

Although doctrine and law are closely related, they are not exactly the same.  The simple statement of what is right and what is wrong.  Doctrine is principle upon which the law is based.  Law is the list where doctrine is the explanation.  This shows us a very important principle.  The laws of God are arbitrary.  They are not a random list of do’s and don’ts based solely on His preferences.  Rather, the laws of God are an extension of His person.  Right is right because God is right.  Wrong is wrong because God is not wrong.  Doctrine is the structure whereupon the law suspends.  There are reasons the law is what it is.  These reasons are found in the infinite character of God.

There are two views as to law.  The first is a pragmatic one.  It is utilitarian.  If the law does not work, then it is not a law.  This is too arbitrary.  The definition of ‘working’ is subjective.  It all depends on what works for us.  This is the current attitude toward the laws of our nation.  The other view is that law is absolute.  What works for us is conformed to a law that does not change.  This is why in the preamble of one of our most important documents, we are guaranteed the right of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness by the Creator.  These are inalienable rights.  They are unchangeable and absolute.  How we view law is the key to how we order our walk with God.  We will either find exceptions to a rule or we will search for the principle behind the rule so that we might conform to the law of God.  The law of God will either bend to our values or we will bend to the demands of the law.

Having said all that, let us see the adjective that Solomon uses to describe doctrine and law.  He uses the word ‘good’.  Good is to be appreciated.  Good is to be desired.  Good is to be the quality of our life.  Good is not to be refused.  Good is not to be considered bad.  There are laws that govern music.  We all inherently know the difference between good music and bad music.  We know when the musicians and singers are in sync and performing with pitch-perfect precision.  We also know that something is off.  The law is the same way.  Why do we shun it so much?  Why is it that when God tells us not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, that is exactly what we want?  Why is it that we cannot see the blessing of liberty that comes from law?  They could have eaten from every other tree.  Just not that one!  Yet that is exactly what they did.  This is our nature.  It is time to trust that law is good.  It is time to see it as good.  And it is time to see there are reasons why it is good and that if we simply strive to obey, we will have a life that is blessed.