Mosaic law message 12 – God seeking a perfect heart
Scripture Reading
2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
That verse we just read has been one that has captivated me for much of my Christian life.
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
What has always captured my imagination and heart is that God is actively looking for a particular type of person. He’s scouring the earth to find this special kind of person. It reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the wedding party that a master was filling with guests. The first guests he invited refused his invitation, thus proving themselves unworthy of attendance, so the master said to his servants, “go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in” that my house may be full of guests.
The parable is a portrayal of God the Father, the wedding party for God the Son, and the guests are those who come to faith in the Son. Great story, but once again, it is amazing to think that God is searching for people.
The “eyes of the Lord” passage was spoken to King Asa in the Old Testament just after he had proven himself to lack faith in the Lord.
God through the prophet said to Asa, God is searching for someone with a heart full of faith.
Amazing, God is searching. It says in
Proverbs 15:3 – “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”
Do you know what that means for you if you are a Christian today? God is watching you. And not in the sense that He’s waiting for you to blow it. He is watching you with an anticipation and a desire that you stand out from the rest of this world. That you are different. You don’t bend to the ebb and flow of the world’s priorities and values.
That thought energizes me. I tell you what it makes me feel like.
We watched a video at school this week in our Professional Development meetings. The theme of our meetings over the last few has been “Building Relationships with Students.” They are trying to encourage teachers to build positive relationships with students because that often makes a difference in how much they are invested in learning. But the video we watched was of a TED talk from Rita Pierson a 40 year veteran teacher encouraging student teacher positive relationships. Now she said a lot of good things, and some okay things. But one thing I’ve always remembered about her talk was something she told one of her classes one year. She said this, “One year I came up with a bright idea, I told all my students, “You were chosen to be in my class, because I am the best teacher, and you are the best students, they put us all together show we could show everyone else how to do it. She said, one of the students said, “really?” She said ”really” we have to show the other classes how to do it, so when we walk down the hallway, people will notice us, so you can’t make noise, you just have to strut.” She went on to say that she gave them a saying to say, they were to say, “I am somebody. I was somebody when I came. I’ll be a better somebody when I leave. I am powerful and I am strong. I deserve the education I get here. I have things to do, people to impress, and places to go.” And the kids said, “yeah.”
Of course, I know that that video and speech are designed to encourage teachers to try build relationships with their students and try to inspire them to see possibilities in their future. It is designed to tap into something that exists in every human being; potential.
And I also know that there is a limit to how much a teacher can do.
But I wanted to illustrate for you what the passage of Scripture “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth,’ makes me feel. My friends, if you are a Christian, It’s exhilarating to know that God is searching for, and watching you. And he is watching your heart. He’s looking for one “whose heart is perfect toward him.”
And, as a believer knowing that, it is as though God is saying to me, “Son, daughter, you were chosen to be in my class. You were not the best or the worst student, but I am the best teacher. And by my power we are going to show the world how it is supposed to be done. And then He teaches us to say this, “
““You are somebody, because you are in My Son, you are my daughter. You were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world was ever laid, and when you walk in My Spirit, you will never walk forgotten. I have called you to become like Christ. And so, you will grow stronger every day, for My strength is made perfect in weakness, and you will shine brighter every day, for My Spirit lives in you. You did not deserve grace, yet I freely poured it out for you, I am shaping you, I am teaching you, and I am sending you. I have prepared good works for you to do, people to bless with My love, and a place to be with Me forever. I have my eye on you, so go be what Christ in you will empower you to be. In Christ, you are Mine, and in Me, you are somebody.”
That’s what that verse, “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” makes me feel like. Well before we go further with “God seeking a perfect heart.” let’s go to the Lord in prayer.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We come before You in awe that Your eyes search the earth, not to condemn, but to find those whose hearts are fully Yours. Thank You that in Christ, You have chosen us, redeemed us, and called us Your children. Lord, we confess that on our own, our hearts are not perfect, our motives are not pure, and our strength is not enough. But in Christ, we are made new. In Him, we are somebody—not because of our own merit, but because of Your grace and Your Spirit at work within us.
Father, as we open Your Word, shape our hearts to reflect Yours. Teach us to love what You love, to walk in Your truth, and to honor You in every thought, word, and deed. May the honor You command and the truth You require not be distant rules, but living realities that flow from hearts transformed by Your Son. Strengthen us to live differently from this world, to stand firm in faith, and to shine brightly as people who belong to You.
Search us now, O Lord, and make our hearts wholly Yours, so that in all things, Christ might be glorified in us. In His holy name we pray, Amen.
God seeking the perfect heart
Well, this morning we are continuing with our series of messages entitled, “Foundations of the Faith.” And we’ve been going back to where our faith started, in Genesis when God created the world, and made the first people, to their fall into sin, to Exodus when God calls His specially called nation out of Egypt, and gives them His law.
And we’ve been studying these things for one reason. God gave us this book, and all of it reveals who He is, and what He has called us to.
We have discovered that some of these Old Testament laws were designed by God to be temporary, so they don’t apply to us today, but others; the moral law, was designed to be a testimony to God’s heart, not only for Israel, but for all nations, for all of human history.
Why do we study these laws? Because they are a window into who God is, and what He wants us to be. If we are going to be somebody, this is the somebody He is making us to be. He gave us the moral law to accomplish that transformation in us.
Here are the categories of moral laws. Violence Laws, Intimacy laws, Honor laws, Truth laws, Property laws, Fairness laws, Compassion laws and Worship laws.
And last week we talked about murder, violence, and intimacy. Those laws let us peer into God’s heart. You want to know what we see when we look in God’s heart? Love
1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
He gave mankind these laws about violence and intimacy because He loves us. And He wants us to show His love by how we treat one another.
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Love doesn’t murder, love doesn’t abuse physically or mentally, love doesn’t break promises, love doesn’t violate trust by destroying exclusive intimacy in marriage.
And we not only discovered last week what God commanded mankind not to do, but also that He authorized governments to enforce these moral laws with punishments, up to and even including death.
The moral laws around violence and intimacy show us God’s heart for all time. They existed before the Mosaic law, and they were reiterated in the New Testament.
Today we will see two more categories of moral laws that show us God’s heart of love, and how God is perfecting His people in these laws; Honor laws and Truth laws.
I mentioned last week that you can tell which laws are moral laws by 4 tests; did this law predate the Mosaic law? Was it a part of the Mosaic law? Did Jesus and His disciples reiterate the law? Are violators of the law excluded from heaven?
And the final question last week and this week is, where should the heart of the Christian be in regard to this law?
Let’s look now at Honor laws.
III. Honor Laws
Honor is a huge virtue described in Scripture. Now, when we hear the word “honor” and think about the Bible, our minds probably first go to one of the ten commandments, “12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
And the word honor there has to do with elevating someone. Putting them on a pedestal. It can refer to parents, to another person, or especially to God. This commandment, and obedience to it is an acknowledgement that God ordained that our world run by a system of hierarchy. Children are under their parents, parents are to honor their elders, all are under spiritual leaders, those are under magistrates and governments, and all are ultimately under God.
And giving honor to even people with the smallest authority, is to acknowledge how God designed it. It is God’s design and His heart. I want to demonstrate that to you with the same points we considered last time.
Before Mosaic law
Even before Moses ever received the commandment, “Honor your father and mother” or have respect for the aged, or honor the king, God’s standard was to honor elders and those in authority over a person.
A. The Law Before Moses
In Genesis 9:20–27, we see Noah’s sons respond in very different ways to their father’s vulnerability.
You might remember that after the flood, on one occasion, Noah got drunk, and stripped himself of his clothes, and passed out exposed on his bed. And his sons reacted. One son, Ham, laughed about it and went and told his two other brothers as though inviting them to see the exhibition of their father’s humiliation. But the other two boys, Shem and Japheth, took a blanket, and walked backwards into their fathers’ tent to cover him up. They honored their father.
Ham dishonored Noah, and as a result, his own son Canaan was cursed. In contrast, Shem and Japheth respectfully covered their father’s nakedness, and they received blessing. And God held up the blessing and cursing on that day, showing that He was in agreement with both the reward and the punishment doled out in Noah’s words.
God mandated honoring parents, even before the commandment was given. Later, in Genesis 28:6–9, Esau recognized that his father Isaac disapproved of his Canaanite wives. In an attempt—though poorly motivated—to please his father, he married a daughter of Ishmael. While misguided, his action still shows that children were expected to consider and respect their parents’ wishes. Even before the Mosaic Law, God’s standard for honoring parents was already woven into the lives of His people.
But honor was not limited to parents.
In Genesis 23:7–12, Abraham demonstrated humility and respect when he bowed before the elders of the land while negotiating for Sarah’s burial place. His posture revealed both the cultural and divine expectation of honoring elders in positions of influence. Later, in Genesis 50:1–11, Joseph and his brothers showed deep reverence for their father Jacob by leading an extended and formal period of mourning, even involving Egyptian officials in the process. Their actions displayed not only personal grief but also the importance of honoring a patriarch, showing that such respect was to be upheld even in death.
And before the Mosaic law, there are also examples of
In Genesis 14:17–20, Abraham honored Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God Most High, by giving him a tenth of all the spoils from battle. This act reflects deference to both spiritual and civil authority, acknowledging God’s representative with humility. Later, in Genesis 41:38–44, Joseph likewise showed respect for Pharaoh’s authority. He received his position of power humbly and carried it out under Pharaoh’s direction, while the people bowed to Joseph, demonstrating that honoring appointed authority was already a recognized standard. Similarly, in Exodus 18:13–24, Moses listened to the wise counsel of his father-in-law Jethro, valuing his elder’s wisdom and authority in matters of family and governance. Together, these accounts highlight that God’s standard of honoring leaders and those in authority was established well before the Mosaic Law.
And I think there is something we should notice about these stories and it is this; the people being honored weren’t necessarily worthy of the honor. In fact, many weren’t. Pharaoh was an idolator, Noah was drunk.
But the principle remained that God expected His people to show deference to those in authority over them. Why? Because in a very real way, the way you treat people in authority, your attitude toward them, may show your attitude toward the final authority, God.
B. In the Mosaic Law
The Law of Moses made God’s standard of honor unmistakably clear. In the Ten Commandments, He declared, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long…” (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16), placing respect for parents at the very heart of covenant life. This command was reinforced with strong prohibitions against dishonoring them, as seen in Exodus 21:15 and 17, where striking or cursing one’s parents was strictly forbidden. Beyond the family, the principle extended to the wider community, as Leviticus 19:32 instructs, “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.” In this way, God’s law firmly established respect for parents, elders, and leaders as a reflection of reverence toward Him.
C. Reiteration in the Gospel & New Testament
Jesus Himself rebuked those who sought to nullify God’s command to honor parents, condemning the Corban tradition in Matthew 15:4–6 as a man-made excuse for disobedience. The apostles carried forward this standard in their teaching, commanding children to obey their parents in the Lord (Ephesians 6:1–3; Colossians 3:20), showing that respect within the family remained central to Christian life. The principle of honor was also extended to all spheres of authority, as Romans 13:1–7 instructs believers to be subject to governing authorities, recognizing that they are established by God. Likewise, 1 Peter 2:17 sums up the call to a life of respect: “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” In every setting—family, community, and nation—honor remains an essential mark of obedience to God.
Now, this is not to say that we just bow to people in authority, do all they tell us to, regardless of whether it is right or wrong. No, as the apostles said to the Sanhedrin in the book of Acts, “we must obey God rather than men.” When parents, elders, teachers, those in authority, tell us to break a command of God, we obey God rather than man, but even in that defiance of authority, we do it with respect, love, and a desire to be a positive witness to even the person who may hate us.
D. Exclusion from the Kingdom & Heaven
Scripture makes clear that disobedience to parents is not a small matter but a serious sin in God’s sight. In Romans 1:30–32, Paul lists being “disobedient to parents” among the marks of those given over to depravity,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Likewise, in 2 Timothy 3:2–5, he warns that in the last days people will be characterized by ingratitude, dishonor, and rebellion, including disobedience to parents, describing them as “unholy, heartless…” and ultimately opposed to godliness. The consequences are eternal, for in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 Paul teaches that the unrighteous, which includes those who persist in rebellion and dishonor, will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Our world is becoming more and more disrespectful to authority every day. This is what respect and honor are; Treat everyone with respect. Elevate everyone.
1 Peter 2:17 – “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
You may say, but they haven’t earned it. They don’t deserve it. It doesn’t matter, as Jesus said, treat others as you would like to be treated.
IV. Truth Laws
God has always held truth at a premium. Jesus said, “I am the truth.” And God’s requirements from the beginning was that people speak the truth.
A. The Law Before Moses
Lying led to hiding
From the very beginning, Scripture condemns lying as destructive and contrary to God’s truth. In Genesis 3:4–5, Satan’s lie to Eve led to humanity’s fall into sin. And even after Adam sinned, God came to him in the garden and gave him the opportunity to tell the truth when He asked, “Adam, where are you?” This is an interesting dialogue, because it reminds me of what we as parents do with our kids. We want to teach them the value of telling the truth and confession, so when we know they do something wrong, we don’t always come right out and confront them. God did that here. After Adam and Eve ate of the tree they were commanded not to, God comes to the garden. Adam is hiding, he has sewed fig leaves together to cover his newly discovered nakedness. And God doesn’t come into the garden, yelling, “Adam, get out here, I know what you did.’ Listen to this conversation.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
This is Adam’s opportunity to speak the truth, “I’m an idiot. I wanted it, so I ate it.”
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Instead Adam tries to deflect the blame.
God’s moral law upheld the truth even before the Mosaic law said, “thou shalt not bear false witness.”
Later, Abraham’s deceit about Sarah in Genesis 20:2–7 brought rebuke and required God’s intervention to protect her. Jacob’s deception of Isaac in Genesis 27:35 further highlights how dishonesty damages relationships and trust, as Isaac sorrowfully admitted that deceit had stolen the blessing. Each account shows that lies bring harm, separation, and judgment.
And then God enshrined His heart, His desire for truth in the inward parts in the Mosaic law.
B. In the Mosaic Law
In God’s law given to Israel He makes clear that lying and false testimony are forbidden. In the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:16 and Deuteronomy 5:20 prohibit bearing false witness, underscoring the seriousness of honesty in both legal matters and daily life. Deuteronomy 19:16–19 further shows the gravity of deceit by prescribing that a false witness must suffer the very penalty he sought to bring upon another. Leviticus 19:11 widens the command beyond the courtroom,
11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
Together, these passages affirm that God desires truthful, trustworthy, and upright speech in all relationships.
And this moral law was
C. Reiteration in the Gospel & New Testament
Matthew 5:33–37 33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Jesus firmly condemned lying and swearing falsely. By contrast, the seriousness of deceit is underscored in John 8:44, where Satan himself is called the father of lies, showing that falsehood originates from him.
The account of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1–11 demonstrates the same truth within the church, as their deceit brought swift and severe judgment from God. Together, these passages reveal that dishonesty is not a small matter but a sin that separates people from God and His eternal kingdom.
In contrast, Paul repeatedly commanded believers to live in truth, urging in Ephesians 4:25 to put away falsehood and speak truthfully with one another, and in Colossians 3:9–10 to stop lying, since they have put off the old self and are being renewed in Christ. Together, these passages show that honesty is not optional but essential to the new life of a Christian.
D. Exclusion from the Kingdom & Heaven
The New Testament gives strong warnings about the seriousness of lying and deceit. Revelation 21:8 declares that all liars, along with other unrepentant sinners, will face eternal judgment in the lake of fire, while Revelation 22:15 shows that those who love and practice falsehood will be excluded from the New Jerusalem.
But the final question we ask ourselves as believers is, “Am I after God’s heart?” His heart is the heart of love. People who love, love the truth, because the truth sets free. He has shown by His moral law that He commands the Truth.
Psalm 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:
Do you know what that means?
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
6. truth in the inward parts] In the most secret springs of thought and will, unseen by man but known to God, He desires truth, perfect sincerity, whole-hearted devotion, incapable of deluding self, as David had done, or deceiving man, as he had endeavoured to do by his attempts to cover his sin and its consequences, or dissembling with God, as in his infatuation he had imagined to be possible.
That means that as you seek to follow God’s will, you don’t just look at whether your words are truthful, but also whether the thing you are saying by your words is truthful, and your motive is truthful, and your desired result is truthful.
In other words, we ask ourselves whether we are intending to deceive.
Our world is full of that kind of deception. I watched a short video a few months back of a husband in the laundry room. His wife called in from the other room, “Honey, if the clothes in the dryer are dry, take them out please, if they are still wet, put more time on the dryer.” He opened the dryer and threw in a cup of water. “They’re still wet.”
Romans 13:7–9 (ESV):
“Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
God is calling us upward. “When you walk in this world, you have to live like I’ve commanded, because you have to show everyone how I want them to do it. You have to let the light of Christ shine in you richly, so that in seeing Christ, I will draw all men to myself.”
Let’s pray