God-seekers or letter-keepers

[God] has also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

– 2 Corinthians 3:6

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Among men there are two types of people: God-seekers and letter-keepers. Even so-called atheists are letter-keepers. Their lives are governed by rules. Rules they have created for themselves or acquired from some other person but, nonetheless, rules by which they have chosen to live.

Among Christians it is easy to tell which camp we fall into. When, in the scriptures, we hear or read the word “law,” do we immediately think of “rules” to which God intends that we externally conform? If that is so, we remain a letter-keeper. We are still not fully governed by the Spirit of God dwelling in our spirit.

Psalm 119 is a God-seeker’s psalm

Consider, however, the writer of Psalm 119. No psalm is more notably associated with “the law” than this one, commencing as it does with

“Blessed are those whose way is perfect, / Who walk in the law of Jehovah.”

But, what we New Testament believers forget is that to the Old Testament saints, “the law” didn’t mean just commandments and ordinances in their formal “command” form. “The Law” to these O.T. saints included the whole of the first five books of the Old Testament (i.e., Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy).

If, then, we consider the contents of just the first book, Genesis, we find all of the following dealings with God in His work to gain men for His purpose and His plan:

• The Tree of Life in the garden of Eden
• The generations of man
• The choosing and calling of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel)
• The coming of Melchizedek as the mystical King of Salem and and King of Righteousness
• The offering up of Isaac
• The life Joseph

Now, consider for a moment what God felt was so important in this portion of “the Law.” The entire act of creation of the universe and man was covered in less than three chapters. Joseph—God’s dealings with man to gain a man for His purpose—covers 17 chapters.

So, when the psalmist says, “Blessed are those whose way is perfect; who walk in the law of Jehovah,” I don’t believe the writer is speaking of letter-keeping. He is not saying that the blessed ones are those who are flawless in keeping all of God’s commandments and ordinances. For, if he were saying this, then only Jesus Christ Himself can meet this requirement and blessed.

Rather, the writer is speaking of God-seekers. He is speaking of those who “walk” in all of God’s dealings with men for the gaining of men for the purpose of God. Joseph was such a man. He submitted to God’s dealings, enduring the chaos of his circumstance by taking God as his grace and  his supply, in order that he might fulfill God’s purpose and become a supply to others.

Joseph was not a letter-keeper. He was not seeking retribution under “law” for what his brethren did to him. Rather, Joseph was as God-seeker—finding God and God’s grace in all his circumstance—and understanding that “the law” of God had to do with revealing God’s heart toward man, not merely seeking to make man simply outwardly conforming to the letter of ordinances. For, the letter kills, but the Spirit of God working in man’s spirit gives life.