Why Are There So Many Rules?

by Donovan Sabog on March 12, 2026

SCRIPTURE:

8 “And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he swore to your ancestors, and gives you all the land he promised them, 9 you must designate three additional cities of refuge. (He will give you this land if you are careful to obey all the commands I have given you—if you always love the Lord your God and walk in his ways.) 10 That way you will prevent the death of innocent people in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession. You will not be held responsible for the death of innocent people.

Deuteronomy 19:8-10

 

OBSERVATION:

Have you ever read the beginning of the Bible and thought to yourself, “why are there so many rules”? Have you ever wondered why there are so many specific directions they have to follow? Why there are so many protections on the Promised Land? If so, today’s devotion explains a major reason why.

In Deuteronomy 19, one of the directions that God gives is on places of refuge––special areas where people who have caused certain sins could flee to and be shown grace and protection. This is just one of the many intentional rules God asks them to follow in the Promised Land. However, it is at the end of this section that God answers our questions. Here, in verse 10, God refers to the Promised Land as “the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession.” Your special possession. 

Through all of these rules, God is showing the Israelites how to care for a “special possession.” Why? Because they are His special possession. As God later reveals in 1 Peter 2:9, He declares that “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 

Why does God make the Israelites put so much care into the Promised Land? Because He is showing them how much care He has for them. Through the love, and protection, and intention He is asking the Israelites to invest into the Promised Land, He is teaching them how great a love, how careful a protection, and how purposeful an intention He is investing into them.

APPLICATION:

Why are there so many protections on the Promised Land? Because God has the same intentional protections on you. For you are God’s special possession.

You are chosen by God. The King of Kings has called you into His royal priesthood. The Lord of Lords has consecrated you as His holy nation. You are not average. You are not one of a million. You are God’s special possession. The rules set in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy do not reveal God as controlling; they demonstrate Him as caring––for how He asks the Israelites to care for their special possession, He is willing to go to even greater lengths to care for His special possession. For you.

God cares for you more than you could ever know. Cast all your cares on Him. Give Him your worries and anxieties. Trust Him with your life, for you are His special possession. 

PRAYER:

God,

Thank You that You continue to demonstrate Your love for me in so many magnificent ways, including through the rules and regulations You set for the Israelites to take care of their special possession. What a privilege it is to be Your special possession. I give You my fears, my anxieties, and my control, for I know the best place I could ever be is right in the palm of Your hand. I trust You with my life. I love You, Lord. Thank You for loving me.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

About the Author

Donovan Sabog

Pastor Donovan Sabog joined our staff in 2020 and was appointed as our Executive Pastor in 2025. He loves God, loves people, and is passionate about helping people discover their God-given potential, release their dreams, and become all God created them to be.

Donovan grew up at New Hope Oahu and has been a part of this church with his family since 2004. Starting from a young age, he served on our Worship, Youth Performing Arts Center, NHO Music, and Children’s Ark teams, and he led our Lighting Team through its transition from Farrington High School to our Ministry Center when he was a high school student at Punahou School. 

These experiences led him to Yale University, where he received B.A. degrees with distinction in Economics and History, and worked as Head Recruitment Coordinator and Senior Presenter for Yale Undergraduate Admissions. While at Yale, he performed in the Yale Spizzwinks and Yale Whiffenpoofs a cappella groups, traveling with these groups to 25 states and 35 countries across all six inhabited continents. Donovan also received his M.A. in Formational Leadership from Lancaster Bible College and Capital Seminary.

Prior to New Hope, Donovan was a management consultant in New York City and has held various internships in finance, investment, education, government, and strategic policy at various firms in Hawaii. 

When he's not at church, you’ll probably find him eating a plate lunch (Garlic Chicken or Tonkatsu…with white rice and mac salad, of course), on a plane headed to serve the global Church on mission, or loving on people God places in his path.

Donovan is grateful to serve God, serve you, and do church as a team here at NHO. And if there’s one thing Donovan hopes that you always remember, it’s that “YOU ARE LOVED!”

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” - Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

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