THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD
JOSHUA 1:8 – “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
This is one of the commandments the Lord wants Christians to follow to receive His blessings, including prosperity and success. Many Christians are familiar with this verse—some even know it by heart—but few practice it consistently and faithfully. Some interpret the phrase “Book of the Law” as referring specifically to the five books of Moses (the Pentateuch). Consequently, they may neglect this commandment, as books beyond Genesis and Exodus often fail to capture their interest. There are also other reasons that may explain why Christians, despite knowing this verse, fail to act on it.
In reality, however, the “Book of the Law” encompasses the entire Bible (2 Timothy 3:16–17). From Genesis to Revelation, the Lord provides instruction to Christians regarding what they should do and what they should avoid (Isaiah 30:21). It is a law—a standard—that applies not only to Christians in this world, but also serves as the rule and principle for heaven itself (Ezekiel 36:27). Since the Word of the Lord declares that the Scriptures will endure forever (1 Peter 1:25), it follows that Christians are to read and meditate upon God’s Word not only in this life, but throughout eternity to come.
Some have cited Romans 3:28 to argue that Christians need not follow the law, asserting that faith alone is sufficient. However, the term “law” as used by Paul in Romans 3:28 specifically refers to the rite of circumcision—a practice that certain Jewish individuals were promoting within the churches, claiming that Christians had to be circumcised in order to be saved (Acts 15:1, 5). Through Paul, the Holy Spirit clarified for God’s people the distinction between the law that served as a shadow (Hebrews 10:1; Galatians 6:13) and the “law of faith” (Romans 7:12; 8:2).
Paul himself indicated that Christians must uphold the law of God (Romans 3:31)—that is, they must obey the “law of faith” and the “law of liberty,” which encompass the godly standards taught throughout the entire Bible (Hebrews 10:16; James 1:25; 2:12). If Christians fail to meditate upon the Scriptures with care and thoroughness, they may be led astray by the devil and fail to follow this law of faith. This happened even during the Lord Jesus’ earthly ministry (Luke 6:46). In this context, “My words” refers to the Lord’s commands and teachings, which He recorded throughout Scripture. Therefore, the Bible as a whole is called the “Book of the Law,” and its godly standards are regarded as law—not only for Christians but for the entire world (John 12:48).