A beautiful type of this principle is to found in the life and work of God’s servant Moses. God wished to dwell among His people Israel, and to that end commanded them to build the tabernacle. But, even as much as it was to be God’s dwelling place, it must not be of human invention, so God took Moses upon the mountain and revealed to him the whole plan of the tabernacle. “According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it” (Ex. 25:9). Nothing was to be left to the imagination or invention of any man, not even Moses. “And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount” (Ex. 25:40). If Moses had deviated from this pattern in one little detail, God would not be pleased with him.
This is how it is with us, as we seek to live a good life, seek to worship Him, and wish to be his children, we must do it according to the pattern that he has given. The apostle Paul mentions this as well in his letter to the Philippians. (Phil. 3:16) “…let us walk by the same rule…” A rule or pattern is what God has provided us with in the Bible, particularly the New Testament, which is our authority today. The apostle also mentions to those who were divided in Corinth, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
We can give honor to Christ by our obedience to the words that he has given, the New Testament, which shows us the rule by which we are to live. The Old Testament is for our learning (Rom. 15:4), but we are to obey the New Testament. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments…keep my words…” (John 14:15,23). Give honor to Christ by fashioning yourself after the pattern of the New Testament. Remember the words of the Father, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him” (Matt. 17:5).
Wayne Rodgers
