Keep

“Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn.” 1 Kings 2:3

Keep – Why was Jesus born?  Yes, we all know the answer, “to save us from our sins”.  But don’t be so quick to reply.  Why was Jesus born?  The real answer is found in this statement from David.

The reason Jesus needed to come to this earth as a man is this:  we didn’t keep the charge.

God gave us the way of life.  David summed up the whole thing in his dying breath.  Keep (shamar).  A word that means, “to exercise great care over, to guard by careful attention”.  We were given the task of keeper.  Way back in the Garden of Eden, God assigned keeper responsibility.  Adam and Eve failed to give the way careful attention.  Cain shoved the responsibility off his shoulders (Am I my brother’s keeper?).  So the history went.  God asks us to accept the role we were destined to play – the keeper.  And we constantly ignore, defy or sabotage that role.

Jesus came because we could never be the keepers God intended us to be.

Now notice something else about this responsibility.  Keeping results is tremendous rewards.  David tells us that keeping the charge will produce success in all that you do wherever you go.  That’s an amazing promise.  God is willing to give us success in anything and anywhere as long as we are willing to embrace the role He designed for us.  Such a deal! 

This raises some important questions, worthy of asking on the day that we celebrate Jesus’ birth.  Do I even know what the charge is?  Have I even read the requirements of this responsibility (like Deuteronomy)?  Or do I assume that because Jesus arrived I am now exempt from all that?  Did Jesus come to annul this promise?  Or did he come so that you could get a second chance at accepting your role?  Has God changed the rules of the keep?  Or has He cleaned your slate so that now you can keep His charge?

Christmas is a celebration!  God has given His Son.  A way that was closed has been opened.  Rejoice!