Posted on October 23, 2024

Do the details matter to God?

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) W e live in a world that is no longer concerned about the truth. To many, truth is subjective, being based upon feelings, opinions, or emotions.

Some have stated “there is no absolute truth” (which is to say the idea that there are some things that are always true no matter what the circumstances, some things that are fact and cannot be changed), and if this is true, I would like to have an apology from every teacher I have ever had, apologizing for the many red marks they made on my papers and tests and all of the failing grades I was given in school should be changed to passing grades. From the beginning of our education, we are taught absolute truths. Two plus two equals four. The letter “b” always comes after “a” in the alphabet. What goes up must come down. There are only two genders, male and female. Some would read these facts and would agree with most of them but would argue the last fact because they hold to a subjective truth and change what has always been to accommodate their feelings and emotions.

In the recorded prayer of Jesus, just before He would be tried and crucified, Jesus spoke of the absolute truth, which is the Word of God (John 17:17). God has given His Word to man to be our instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16), supplying all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). God did not give His Word with the intention of it being ignored and it will not return to Him void (Isa. 55:11), but every person should study this Word to be a workman that is approved of God (2 Tim.

2:15). The time is swiftly approaching when we will all be called before the Judgment Seat of Christ and on that day, we will give account for the things done in this body (2 Cor. 5:10), being judged by the Words of Jesus (John 12:48). Through the Word, we are instructed to speak the same things, being perfectly joined together (1 Cor. 1:10), but when surveying the many differences in religious belief, it is obvious that not many are concerned with the details. Many worship in ways that are not authorized in Scriptures. Some teach doctrines that cannot be found in the Scriptures. Many deny fundamental teachings from the Scriptures. Why is there so much religious confusion?

Why are some groups adding to or taking away from the Scriptures? Do the details God has given us truly matter or are there some instructions within the Bible that can be ignored?

Brother BJ Clarke, when teaching classes at the Memphis School of Preaching, would emphasize the fact that the details do matter to God. When we look in the Old Testament, there are a multiplicity of examples/illustrations proving the details matter to God and when reading the accounts of these examples, the point is made crystal clear, the details do matter to God and as He has instructed, man is obligated to obey His commands. The Old Law given to the children of Israel, was given to be a “schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24), and we are able to study the things written “aforetime” for “our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4), and when studying the Old Testament we are able to see the importance of keeping the instruction and doctrine delivered in the New Testament, proving the details do, in fact, matter to God.

The Creation: The first two chapters of the Bible prove the details matter to God. In the beginning of time, God created the heavens and the earth by commanding it to be created. When everything was created, it began by God saying, “let there be…” and then it was so. During this creation process, God created everything necessary for survival for what was about to be created. God created light, then dry land, seas, vegetation, the sun, moon stars, sea creatures and birds, animals on the earth, and then He created man. This process was not haphazard, and God never created something by chance, and after everything was created God stated, “it is good”. Not only did God create all that is in creation, but within the process of creation, God established time.

God created for six days (the Hebrew word “yom” which is translated in English as “days” signifies a literal 24-hour period, proving God established how much time is in each day), and then rested on the seventh day and in so doing He established the period we call a “week”.

These details alone (we could mention the intricate details of creation and the differences between animals, or the details found within space and on earth) prove God is concerned with the details.

Noah: One of the strongest arguments to prove the details matter to God might be the instructions given to Noah to save him and his family from the flood (Gen. 6-8).

God looked down on creation, noticing the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Gen. 6:5). God would destroy the creation with a world-wide flood, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Gen. 6:8) and God would provide instructions to Noah for the building of the ark. Did the details matter to Noah? If God commanded the ark to be made of a certain wood, commanded the ark be certain dimensions, and commanded which animals and people were to enter the ark, would it be necessary for Noah to obey the commands of God, being concerned with every detail?

Could Noah change the plans if he decided his plans would please God? Would Noah and his family have been saved from the flood if he was not concerned with the details God gave? Noah was warned of God and moved with fear, keeping the commands and the details as God gave them and became the heir of righteousness which is by faith (Heb. 11:7).

The Passover: Through the process of ten plagues, God would deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage and just before the final plague, God would give instructions to Israel that could be followed to save Israel from this final plague, having the angel of God pass over the houses of Israel. In the instructions found in Exodus 12, there are many details that had to be followed if Israel wanted to be saved. There was a specific time that preparation was to be made (Exodus 12:3). The lamb that would be sacrificed “shall be without blemish, a male of the first year” that was to be kept until the fourteenth day of the same month and would be sacrificed in the evening. After making sacrifice, the blood of the sacrifice was to be applied to the side posts and the upper door posts of each house and as the blood would be seen by God, God would pass over and the plague would not destroy Israel (Exodus 12:13). What would happen if Israel did not keep these details? What if someone did not have a lamb and decided to sacrifice an ox? What if the blood was not applied to the doorposts? What if preparation was made early or the sacrifice was kept longer than what God specified? God gave these details and those that kept the details were able to be saved from the final plague.

We could mention Nadab and Abihu that offered strange fire (Lev.10), Uzzah touching the ark (2 Sam. 6:6), Moses striking the rock when being told to speak to it (Numbers 20:11), the command for the Levites being authorized to offer sacrifices to God, etc. May we summarize by stating the Old Testament provides ample proof that the details do matter to God, and as God has commanded man should keep the details and obey the Word of God. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb.

11:6). Thankfully, God has provided His Word and it is by His Word, and our keeping the details, that we are able to be saved (Rom. 10:17).