What is the point of telling someone to do something when you know he’s not going to do it?

Deut. 31:29, “For I know that after my (Moses’) death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you.”

That is what we read God doing to the Israelites in the Bible. He gives them commands to follow for their own good when He knows that they are not going to obey them. And God is not just guessing here. He knows with absolute knowledge that they are not going to listen to Him. But then why did He give them the laws anyway?

I’m not sure if I know the answer to satisfy either you or me. But I think the clue is thinking of it in terms of giving glory to God rather than to men. If we think in human-centered way, it makes no sense. It doesn’t accomplish anything. Fore-knowledge that doesn’t contribute to effecting the future is useless. However, by showing how stubborn we are and how gracious God is regardless, then it makes sense that God would make his standard clear. In other words, God’s laws weren’t given to help make things go better for the people – they weren’t going to follow it anyway – but they were given to make God’s name great – God clearly warned them of what would happen knowing they would go astray, therefore when it happens, God gets the credit for calling it before it happened.

If you didn’t understand all that – I’m not sure I do – it’s OK. The point is to trust God because He knows more than us, He loves us more than we love ourselves and He has the power to carry out His promises for us. And I love the fact that I have a God who is so much smarter, bigger, and more loving than me watching over me. Don’t you? I don’t have to understand everything. I just have to understand someone who does understand watches over me.

PH