“It is for your own good.” We don’t like to hear those words because they usually mean we have to do something we don’t want to do. Our mother used those words when telling us to take our medicine or eat our vegetables. Our father used those words when we were getting punished. How is any of that for my good? Someone tells us it is for “our own good” and we become suspicious, even doubtful. How do they know what is good for me? Our free selves simply don’t like to be directed by others, even if they may know what is best. We like to make decisions for ourselves. We like to be the judge of what is good for us. We like to be in control. We don’t want someone telling us what is for our good, even when that someone is God Himself.

In our OT lesson, the question about God’s requirements for His people had just been raised. They had been wandering in the wilderness for forty years at this point, the punishment for their idolatry and disobedience at the foot of Mt. Sinai. It had been a long, difficult path, but now they were at the banks of the Jordan River, ready to inherit the land of milk and honey God had promised. They stood there with one foot in the wilderness and the other in the Promised Land, and they wanted to know God’s expectations for them. God responded with five commands for His people, all for their own good. (1)They were to fear the Lord their God, which meant to show God the highest reverence and worship. (2)They were to “walk in all His ways,” living with utmost devotion to God and acting justly. (3)They were to “love Him” or set their affections toward Him alone. (4)They were to “serve Him” with all their heart and soul, living for God in all of their daily duties and in their worship. (5)They were to “observe the Lord’s commandments,” meaning they were to keep them, obey them, fix them in their hearts and minds, and teach them constantly. All of this was for their own good. A life of total allegiance to God would benefit them. After all, the Lord God who owns the farthest reaches of the “heavens, the earth and everything in it” had set His affection and love on them. The Lord had graciously chosen their descendants and even them. Certainly, if God had graciously poured His love out to them, rescued them from Egypt, preserved them in the wilderness, and brought them to the edge of the Promised Land, then He would know what was best for them. If the Lord their God was over the highest heavens and the lowest parts of the earth, then He would know what was for their own good. Wouldn’t He be acting in their best interests?

As the people stood there with one foot in the wilderness and the other in the Promised Land, how do you think they received these commands? In the wilderness, they had repeatedly rebelled against God’s commands, not trusting they were for their good. At Sinai they had made a golden calf and the anger of the Lord had burned against them. At Taberah they complained about God’s protection in the wilderness and the judgment of God was on them.  At Massah they tested God and quarreled with His servant Moses, provoking the Lord to wrath. At Kibroth-hat-taavah they were greedy for meat and the anger of the Lord was kindled against them. At Kadesh-barnea they disobeyed the Lord’s command to possess the land, not trusting His Word, and they were under the threat of destruction. Over and over God’s people had a difficult time trusting that His Word and commands were for their own good. And the danger of their suspicious, doubt, and resistance to God’s Word existed there at the banks of the Jordan, with one foot in the wilderness and the other in the Promised Land. “Is this really for our own good?” “Is all of this really in our best interests?” So God commanded them to circumcise their hearts and cease being stiff-necked. The “circumcision of the heart” means being open, responsive, and obedient to the Lord. It is a heart that has been consecrated to God. It is a life that is devoted to God and His Word. It is the opposite of being “stiff-necked,” which means stubborn and rebellious. The “stiff-necked” would only receive God’s Word with suspicion, doubt, and resistance. They would question, “Are these commands really for our own good?”

But isn’t this the response of God’s people through the ages? Isn’t this our response from day to day? Are such commands really for our good? Are such requirements really for our benefit? They just don’t seem relevant for our daily lives. Fear and reverence for God? Devoting ourselves to God? Loving God above all things? Serving God in all of our daily duties? Keeping His commandments to love our neighbor?  Is this really for my own good? We resist such requirements at every turn because we aren’t real sure that such things will play out for us in the long run. We are suspicious and full of doubts when it comes to God’s directives, if we even know them at all.

We live our lives with one foot in the wilderness of the world and the other in the Promised Land.  Instead of allegiance to God and His kingdom, looking to the blessings of the Promised Land, we spend so much of our time and energy on those things we consider to be good and beneficial, and so we struggle in the wilderness of this world. Our fear and reverence is mostly reserved for those who have power over us at home, work, or school. Our devotions are most often expressed in the never-ending pursuit of our own happiness and contentment. Our love is directed to the pleasures of the flesh and the trappings of the world. Our service is given to others only with strings attached. We follow the empty, cliched commandments of this shallow wilderness of a culture—be true to yourself; success at all costs; you are what you buy; pull yourself up by your own bootstraps; watch out for #1; follow your heart; you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else; such bromides could continue ad nauseum. So we wander distractedly in the wilderness of this world. We are often stiff-necked and our hearts are uncircumcised. We often trade the God and Lord of all for the gods and lords of this world. We often trade justice for safety and convenience. We forsake the alien and stranger among us for our own comfort. Such failings, doubts, suspicions and resistance provokes our God. And has all of this really been good for us? Has it really made us happy? Has it really given us contentment? Has it really made our lives better?

We stand here today with one foot in the wilderness of the world and the other in the Promised Land. Like the people in Moses’ day who had difficulty remembering all God had done for them by His grace, we often have difficulty remembering the work of God’s grace in our lives. In the wilderness of this world, we cannot forget the grace of God in Christ, which has given us an inheritance in the eternal Promised Land. We cannot forget that the God who owns the heaven and the highest heaven, the earth and all that is in it, has come down in the person of Jesus Christ, and rescued us from the condemnation of sin through His precious suffering and death, and glorious resurrection. Christ is our Passover Lamb, who has defeated our sin and death by His precious shed blood. Christ has made the Holy Exodus through the wilderness, from death to life, and has opened up an eternal rest for us in His Promised Land. Baptized into Christ Jesus we have been set apart from the wilderness of the world, called to a life of allegiance to God. We cannot forget that the God who owns the heaven and the highest heaven, the earth and all that is in it, has come down to us, people of no account, and graciously claimed us as His own in Holy Baptism.  In the words of St. Paul, we have been “sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy.” We are washed, cleansed, and forgiven! We are saints in Christ!

Therefore, we should stop being stiff-necked and circumcise our hearts. Quit resisting the Word of God. Stop rebelling. Live before Him in fear and reverence. Devote yourself to Him. Love Him above all things. He demands service to Him and all people. He orders our obedience to His Law. It is for our good. God’s requirements are the best thing for us. They direct our steps and life in the wilderness of this world. Our family and friends will benefit.

Most important, our Lord’s commandments will constantly drive us to Christ in repentance and faith for our fear and reverence is never absolute; our devotion is never complete; our love is fickle; our service is half-hearted; our obedience is less than perfect. Realizing this is for our good. It is for our good because it brings us always and daily to Christ, the one who alone is the hope of our salvation. It is for our good because Christ alone can rescue us from the wilderness of our sin and lead us into the Promised Land of God. Christ now is our Holy Pillar of Fire, guiding and directing us in this wilderness by His Word of repentance and faith.  Christ is our Manna from Heaven, nourishing us in this wilderness with His Holy Body and Blood for our forgiveness and life. These gifts of God are the means by which He will keep us strong to the end, so that we will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, and gain entry into our Heavenly Home. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. So at the end of the age, at the hour of your death, Christ will lead you through the Jordan to His eternal Promised Land! Truly, Christ is for your good.