All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
—Psalm 25:8-10
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
—Psalm 121:7
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
—Genesis 2:15
And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.”
—Genesis 17:9
“You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.”
—Leviticus 19:30, 26:2
“The Lord bless you and keep you”
—Numbers 6:24
The casual, everyday usage of "keep"—as in "keep the change"—simply indicates retaining possession. But that is far too weak to explain uses that imply care, responsibility, and protection—as in “the grandparents will keep the kids this weekend”. And that is much closer to the usage in Scripture.
The first use appears in connection with the human's responsibility for the garden of Eden, given by the Lord. It appears hundreds of times in the Hebrew Bible, often in familiar contexts such as the Lord's commanding Abraham to “keep my covenant” or commanding Israel to “keep the Sabbath”. Despite the behavior of some in Israel, when the Lord commanded them to “keep my statutes”, that didn't simply mean to possess a written copy of a rulebook. We might get a better understanding when we look at the roles reversed.
The priestly blessing, “The Lord bless you and keep you”, the pleas in the Psalms for the Lord to keep his people, or the assurances that He would do so all imply more than simply ownership. They refer to the kind of loving protection, compassion, and attention that a child should receive from a parent.
And that is the same kind of “keeping” that the Lord's people should have toward the Lord's instruction, His creation, and all those whom He desires to have as His children.
Keep (part 1)
Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
—Psalm 25:8-10
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
—Psalm 121:7
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
—Genesis 2:15
And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.”
—Genesis 17:9
“You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.”
—Leviticus 19:30, 26:2
“The Lord bless you and keep you”
—Numbers 6:24
The casual, everyday usage of "keep"—as in "keep the change"—simply indicates retaining possession. But that is far too weak to explain uses that imply care, responsibility, and protection—as in “the grandparents will keep the kids this weekend”. And that is much closer to the usage in Scripture.
The first use appears in connection with the human's responsibility for the garden of Eden, given by the Lord. It appears hundreds of times in the Hebrew Bible, often in familiar contexts such as the Lord's commanding Abraham to “keep my covenant” or commanding Israel to “keep the Sabbath”. Despite the behavior of some in Israel, when the Lord commanded them to “keep my statutes”, that didn't simply mean to possess a written copy of a rulebook. We might get a better understanding when we look at the roles reversed.
The priestly blessing, “The Lord bless you and keep you”, the pleas in the Psalms for the Lord to keep his people, or the assurances that He would do so all imply more than simply ownership. They refer to the kind of loving protection, compassion, and attention that a child should receive from a parent.
And that is the same kind of “keeping” that the Lord's people should have toward the Lord's instruction, His creation, and all those whom He desires to have as His children.