Deut 29:5-6 I think it was Karen who pointed out these verses in an earlier post. God's provision for His people is always amazing. Notice that He provided "so that you might know that I am the LORD your God."
Deut 29:12-15 I especially like verses 14-15, "I am making this covenant, not only with you who are standing here with us today, . . . but also with those who are not here today." This idea is further emphasized in Deut. 31:13, when Moses tells the Israelites to be sure that their children hear and learn to fear God. The covenant God made with them was to continue even to our generation.
Deut 29:18-19 Am I reading this correctly? Is this saying that when I see others turning away from God, then I am to "make sure there is no root of bitter poison" allowed to grow? Do the sins of others directly affect my life? Do I have concern for the spiritual growth and holiness of my Christian sisters and brothers? Ouch!
This could be a wonderful life verse, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." Deut 29:29
Deut 30:2-4 Here we see that God already knows that Israel will endure His discipline. God already knows that they will disappoint Him and that He will have to bring them back. And still He loved them . . . .
Deut 30:11 God's commands are not too difficult? Now, wait a minute! Verse 14 "No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. " Wow! When God's Word is in my mouth and heart, it is not too difficult to obey. What a concept!
Deut 30:19 "Choose life so you may live!" Sounds like a great song to me . . . . http://lyrics.crossmap.com/track/big-tent-revival/choose-life-enhanced/choose-life.htm
Deut 31 Moses passes the baton to Joshua. I love that he gives Joshua his authority "in the presence of all Israel" (vs 7). These people were not good followers, and you can bet your bottom dollar that they would have rebelled heartily against the changing of the guard if Moses had secretly told Joshua to be the new leader. Verses 6 & 8 are great words of encouragement!
Deut 31:19-22 refer to chapter 32. If you have some extra time, please read this beautiful song of Moses which recounts all the ways God had delivered His people.
Deut 34 What a sweet story of God's love relationship with Moses! We should weep at the tenderness God demonstrates toward this faithful servant. The LORD knew Moses face to face (vs 10).
Deut 34:9 "Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses." Glory!
I'll see you next time in Joshua 1-6 and 23-24!
As I read through these chapters, I highlighted verses. The first was 29:19...a person...thinks, "I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way." This will bring disaster...
ReplyDeleteI have been taken in by this way of thinking before. The worldly success lured me in and I felt like I had it under control. I can do this, but oh, how wrong I was.
29:24-25 then asked "Why has the Lord done this? Why this fierce, burning anger?" And the answer: "It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the Lord...
Why, how had my life gotten so out of control? I was turning my eyes from the Lord and staggering along a different path. There are consequences.
30:2-3...return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul...God will restore and have compassion on you. Praise God, he can and will restore when we turn back to Him!
Sing Moses, Sing! When Moses died his eyes were not weak and his strength was not gone. Moses rose to the challenge and the Lord was with Him. Thank you Lord for your word. I can see clearly your mighty work through common people just like me.
As I was showering I just kept thinking about Deut. 34:4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it."
ReplyDeleteAll of that and Moses only gets to see it. Thank God his eyes were still strong! The outcome may not always be how we think it should be.
You are so right, Melinda. And where do we get off thinking we have the right to second guess God's plan? You and I would have selfishly wanted Moses to go into the Promised Land to enjoy the fruits of his 40 years of labor. Instead God took Moses straight to heaven, which is the true Promised Land. Why do we cling to earthly land and possessions? God has so much more in store for us.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking as I read these passages, how must Joshua have felt to become the next leader and all these rebellious people. Boy, doesn't that sound like a lot of fun. He must have been thinking, "Why Me, Lord?" I was also thinking how discouraging that must have been for Moses to be able to see the land, but not get to enjoy it all because of the people he was called to be leader of. That sounds unfair, but he just kept plugging along doing what God wanted Him to do. I'm sure he had periods in those 40 years he wanted to just give up and run away, but he didn't he stuck with it to the end, no matter how discouraging things were looking, he stuck with it and didn't give up. Especially, he didn't give up on the Lord!! That's a huge lesson there to learn. Good point to ponder, Dana, about how Moses got to see a more perfect land anyways. I never thought of it like that. But he did get to see the Promised land after all, not the earthly promised land, but an even better promised land. And what an awesome promised land we have been promised if we stick it out and labor our years here on earth. We have something great to look forward to in heaven!!
ReplyDeleteDana, I just went back and was reading to see if anyone had replied to my comment and found yours. Yes, I plan on attending the Beth Moore simulcast. I really appreciate the comments about Moses being taken to the true Promised Land. I have always struggled with what seemed to me an unfair punishment for Moses years of service, but your comments made me see it in a totally different way. I do have a question though, in ch. 32 verse 51 the Bible talks of Moses and Aarons sin against God. I am drawing a total blank, and can't seem to find the specifics of the sin. Can someone please direct me to the verses where I can find it? I can't find it. (something like not being able to see the forest for the trees)
ReplyDeleteKatherine, take a look at Numbers 20:11-13. In the Desert of Zin the Israelites grumbled against God because there was no water. God told Moses to speak to the rock and it would pour forth water for the people to drink. Instead Moses struck the rock. So the LORD told both Moses and Aaron that they would not see the promised land because they did not honor God as holy before the people.
ReplyDeleteGreat question!
wow how is it that I missed that? My bible even has a heading that says Moses disobeys God. Thanks Dana I share this with my daughter and she said "wow, you can't improvise can you?" What a lesson, why as humans can we just not learn to always do what God says when God says to do it? How much more we could be blessed!!
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