I held off posting for a couple of days because I know everyone was busy celebrating our freedoms for July 4. We should be so grateful to live in a country where we can openly worship the One True God. May we never take it for granted, and may we speak up when anyone tries to take our freedom of worship away from us.
The book of Deuteronomy is sort of Moses' farewell address to the people and the passing of the baton to his successor Joshua. I've always wondered why Deuteronomy is largely a repeat of the previous two books of the Bible. It is because Moses is addressing the new generation of Israelites. The former generation has passed away in the desert, and now God is preparing new leadership to lead the nation into the Promised Land. Are you and I doing a good job of telling the story of Christ to the generation who will follow us? Are we mentoring someone who can take our place when God calls us home?
Deuteronomy 5:3 "It was not with our fathers that the LORD made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today." This verse makes better sense when you understand that the people "who are alive here today" were the children and grandchildren of the generation that crossed the Red Sea out of Egypt. I also think it gives us permission to apply this covenant to ourselves. Even though we were not present at Mt. Sinai, many of the people whom Moses addressed in this chapter were not there either. I believe Moses is saying that the LORD makes His covenant available to all who will follow and obey.
Deuteronomy 5:9-10 "for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." When we read Exodus 20, we skipped over this part of the commandments. I love this promise! We tend to easily remember that God will punish us for sin for three and four generations. Let's focus on the promise that when you and I are faithful and train our children to be faithful and loving toward God, He will reward a thousand generations who follow us. Praise be to God! Deuteronomy 5:29, 32-33 "Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! 32 So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33 Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess."
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is known as The Shema. The Jews recite it and post it on a mezuzah on the doorframes of their homes. They are very intentional about passing these words on to their children. Does anyone have an example you wish to share about how you are passing on your beliefs to the next generation? In verses 20-25, Moses tells the Israelites how to respond when their children ask the meaning of the law.
The first verses in Deut 7 seem harsh. Why would God command that the Israelites wipe out the other nations? What was the harm in marrying foreign wives? It was because God had set Israel apart as holy. They could not live a separate life from the foreign culture; so God told them to destroy all others. We will see later the effects of Israel's disobedience in this area.
Deut 7:7-10 further answers our question from before about why God chooses some and does not choose others. God chose the weaker nation as His people so that He could display His power through them and so that He could show love to them.
Deut 7:22 "The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once," I'm not sure I noticed this verse before. I always wondered why God didn't send them in to divide and conquer immediately. I think this verse describes the battles you and I face in our lives. We want God to give us immediate victory over sin in our lives, but many times it happens "little by little." Anyone identify?
Deut 8:2 "Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands." Do I keep God's commands during the time of humility and testing? Verse 5 "Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you."
Deut 8:6-10 I like this passage. Obey God because He is bringing you into a good land where you will lack nothing. You will be satisfied. Be sure to give God the glory!
Deut 8:14-20 Don't become proud and think you achieved it all on your own power. God gives you the ability to succeed. Don't forget it!
We will pick up with Chapters 28-31 & 34 in Deuteronomy tomorrow.
I will be helping another church with their VBS, and I probably will not have the time to post much next week. And then for two weeks after that I will be gone to California on our Vacation. So it will be awhile, I will miss reading your posts.
ReplyDeleteDeut. 5-8- God repeats the Ten-Commandments and gives the blessings for obeying them and the curses for disobeying them.
Deut. 8 - God has promised them, that He will drive out all the nations before them, But they have to step out on faith to do this.
They stopped doing this, and God had told them when they stopped that these people would be a thorn in their sides. That sounds like how it is today?
Deut. 34 - v.10 This verse has always meant alot to me. I want to be that close to God, that He would say that about me.
See ya later
Deut 7:22"The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to put an end to them quickly, for the wild beasts would grow too numerous for you."
ReplyDeleteI never thought of this before. The amount of true carnage there must have been at certain times. Many times we see things on TV where there's been tragedy or distaster, and back in Biblical times, they didn't have relief organizations to come in and clean up the mess, Even the way in which God drives out our enemies is merciful, not overwhelming the resources He gives us.
Deut 8:11-20
These warnings about not forgetting God's blessing, lest we think we've done it ourselves is such a stumbling block in our own society. I'm really learning to slow down and listen to God' voice rather than going ahead with my plans and then asking God to bless them as an afterthought. My constant prayer is for God to go before me and show me the path He has in mind.
Deut. 6:6-9 gives the command to keep God's commandments upon my heart and teach my children at all times, not just Sunday or Wednesday or when I have time but always! At this time in my life, this is my greatest task. Our choice to homeschool is probably how this is manifested in our lives right now. I doubt my abilities at times but God covers me with His grace and I know that grounding my children in Christ is what is ultimately most important. If the time comes for them to go back to school, God will lead that and we will follow. God has to be in charge of this from year to year.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of Deut. 7 does sound harsh but it rings so true for us even today. If we make a treaty with the world or marry someone that does not also believe in Christ we set the stage for falling away from the Lord and the beginning of great pains.
At the end of Deut. 7 v. 26 "Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction." When we allow those things into our lives or homes, Satan crouches ready to devour his prey...and we let him in.
Again a reminder in Deut. 8:19 to not forget the Lord and follow, worship or bow down to other gods or we will be destroyed. He wants our undivided attention just as a parent takes the child's chin in hand, turning their eyes to meet so there is full understanding that as a parent we want their attention only on us.
Hello everyone I think I am finally getting back into the grove of things after being behind :) Wonderful posts everyone had, loved reading them!!!Reading Duet 5-8 reminded me that God just wants us to keep the 10 Commandments and praise him when we are blessed. It talks about the land and food, we have all that now we have all the freedom to be able to tell about the amazing blessings that we have here in Yuma. Again I here the message God does not change!! His expectations from his people then are the same as his expectations from us now. And God reminds me what a blessing it is to have children and how important it is to teach them to have a Godly life. Teach them to praise God all the time, in storms and out of them. It is a daily task to do this, there are always oppotunities to apply Gods word into our daily lives and I love that we can do that but so often it is to easy to say "well it's late I don't feel like praying" That is the example that we are setting for the next generation?God really has made it simple, we make it hard! God forgive me when I forget that nothing is more important then you because without you I would have nothingBlessigs :0)
ReplyDeleteForgive me Father for not truly remembering you. I sometimes get so angry with you for not making my life better that I forget how much you have given me and love me. Forgive me for not accepting that your love for me is what matters most! Thank you for that unconditional love and acceptance. Help me to stand firm to that and obey your way. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, and strength. And help me to teach that daily to my children!!
ReplyDeletemmms thank you for your little prayer. It really blessed me. As I was reading it, I not only read it, but I sent it up as a heart felt prayer.
ReplyDelete