My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name.
Malachi 2:5 (NIV)
From Genesis to Revelation, God continually gives His conditions for living in harmony with Him and receiving His blessings. Some see these conditions as a barrier and believe that it is a trick of God not to give us what we desire, because we will never be able to keep them all. When we read the Bible, we see that many have disobeyed and fallen into sin, yet God considers that they have walked straight before Him.
Is there something unclear in God's laws? No! As we read the book of Malachi, we will see that God's goal in our obedience to His commandments is the reverence we have for Him. Someone can decide to obey God's word without reverence for Him, what they are looking for is the blessing that comes with it. Levi saw God first before seeing His offer of life and well-being, which is why God used him as an example to address Israel.
God asks you to love, honor, and respect Him with all your heart. In return, He will shower you with all kinds of blessings. His request is not an exchange but rather a sincere gesture from your heart. Levi revered God so much that he trembled in His presence. Isn’t this the same attitude we should have before a holy and perfect God? The true obedience you should have is the one that reveres God and not the one that expects blessings.
May the grace and peace of God be with you all.
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