The blessings of Divine instruction

Psalm 94:12–14 (NKJV)

12 Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, And teach out of Your law,

The scripture reveals to us that the man whom God instructs and teaches out of his law is blessed.

The very fact that God would so favor a man to to chose him and give him divine instructions and guide and teach out of his word is a blessing.

2 Timothy 3:16 “16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

Lack of divine instruction only leads to death

Proverbs 5:21-23 “21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths. 22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin. 23 He shall die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.”

When God loves us and he does not want us to perish, he instructs and teaches us by his Word.

Proverbs 10:17 “17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.”

The ways of life is the way of Instruction.

Jeremiah 6:8 “8 Be instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul depart from you; Lest I make you desolate, A land not inhabited.””

When the Lord wants to dwell with us he will instruct us and teach from his Word.

13 That You may give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit is dug for the wicked.

The blessing ultimately is rest from the days of Adversity (evil ) and Judgement is brought upon the wicked.

Hebrews 4:11 “11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”

God gives us rest by bringing us into his rest which is his Kingdom.

Hevean, where there is no evil, no pain, no sorrow, nor death.

Proverbs 19:20 “20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days.”

Psalms 73:24 “24 You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.”

only those who have been guided by him will be received to glory.

Israel as an example

Deuteronomy 4:5–10 NKJV

5 “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. 6 Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7 “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? 8 And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? 9 Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, 10 especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

Moses was reminding the people how blessed they are to called and chosen to receive God’s laws and his divine instructions that makes them wise and understanding among the neighbouring nations.

Suddenly they were not wise nor understanding in their ways even though God instructed and taught them by his Word.

If you give instruction and guidance to someone but he is not instructable or teachable then that instruction will not benefit him.

They did not enter into God rest because they would not submit themsleves to the instruction of God, they would not be taught by God.

Things we must not lack if we are to be instructed by God.

Psalm 32:8–9 NKJV

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you.

We must have an understanding heart inorder for us to be able to be instructed , taught and giuided by the Lord.

Brute animals without reason must be controlled and compelled by force to learn to submit to man’s will. They only respond to force.

Deuteronomy 29:2–4 (NKJV)

Deuteronomy 29:2–4 NKJV

2 Now Moses called all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land— 3 the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders. 4 Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.

2 Now Moses called all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land—

3 the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders.

4 Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.

Percieve means to understand

The people of israel saw and heard God teach them and instruct them but they did not have understanding heart so they never learned.

They were people who wanted to be guided like a horse and a mule.

They lacked understanding so the way they could only be instrcuted was if they are compelled by force just like brute animals that don’t have understanding.

The desires of our heart Can keep us from receiveing God’s instruction.

Jeremiah 32:33 NKJV

33 And they have turned to Me the back, and not the face; though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction.

Jeremiah 16:10–12 NKJV

10 “And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the Lord pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’ 11 then you shall say to them, ‘Because your fathers have forsaken Me,’ says the Lord; ‘they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them, and have forsaken Me and not kept My law. 12 And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me.

What kept them from listening to God, from hearing his words and keeping them and there by be instructed by the Lord. The dicates of their heart.

Numbers 13:4 “4 Now these were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur;”

The desires in the hearts of the people were causing the people of Israel not to receive God’s divine instruction. It was turning them away from the Lord. Because God’s word was not accomdating those desires.

2 Timothy 4:2–5 (NKJV)

2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;

4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Conclusion

God instucts us, and teaches us in so many ways through his spirit and by his word because he loves us and he wants us to enter into his rest, he wants us to live.

We must have an understandning heart, we must not be like the brute animals like a horse or mule who have no understanidng that only respond to force.

we must not be captivated by our desires lest we find ourselves turning away from the instruction of the Lord, from teachings of the Lord.