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Read Deuteronomy 18
Deuteronomy 18:15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” 17 The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. 19 If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.” THIS scripture is why the ruling Jews asked John the Baptist, “Are you the Prophet?” (John 1:21) God’s promise of a prophet like Moses to be raised up pointed to the prophets to come. As Moses did, they would hear directly from God and convey God’s Word truly to the Jews. They revealed God’s will – his commands, prophecies, judgments and salvation to the Jews. The question, “Are you the Prophet?” could have been asked of many whom God had appointed to know and do the King’s work in the world. This prophecy was also seen as a promise of a particular prophet – a Messiah – who would have the same intimacy with God as Moses. When John then appeared, 400 years had passed since a prophet had spoken. The ruling Jews would certainly want to know who this new voice was! When Herod executed John, the Jews’ wonder shifted to Jesus. Jesus’ teachings and miracles – particularly the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6) – were often compared/contrasted with Moses’ law and miracles. In turn, Jesus repeatedly pointed to the LORD God as the source of all things, even himself. That is one reason Jesus often affirmed, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” (John 14:10) Jesus affirmed his voice is true through his suffering, resurrection and ascension. Truly he is the perfect and holy Prophet. God’s law is specific in this passage to warn of false teachers. The evidence of a true prophet is that all his prophecies are fulfilled. The Jews were correct to question Jesus’ authority. Their sin was to deny Jesus’ words. We must know the true to dismiss the false. Heed Moses’ warnings. Believe Jesus’ teachings. Trust his promises of judgment and salvation to fully come true one day. Rejoice and Know: Jesus is the Living Word delivered to mankind. Deuteronomy 17:16-20 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. 18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.
KING Solomon, who reigned about 400 years after this, is considered to be one of the world’s wisest and wealthiest men ever. But sadly, these five verses from God’s law could be a prophecy of many ways he was not wise to follow God’s Word. Solomon didn’t get horses from Egypt, but his first wife was from the forbidden country. He accumulated untold wealth and countless wives and concubines. Solomon joined his foreign wives to worshiped idols. God’s law was not his boundary; instead, the king who was wise in his early life seemed to continually move outside the law’s boundary. What happened then? Instead of God’s promise of legacy in Israel, Solomon’s son’s reign began the breakup of the kingdom. Ten tribes rebelled to form a new Israel in Samaria. The two tribes Judah and Benjamin formed Judah. Israel never had a God-fearing king. Judah had some. God removed Israel’s tribes from the earth as his nation. Judah was exiled to Babylon before returning to fulfill God’s promise of the Savior to come from Judah’s lineage. God had also specifically warned Solomon: 1 Kings 9:6-7 “But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands…then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name.” We know of too many churches, families and nations destroyed by one man’s sins. Be very aware that your life is not your own. What you say and do can affect generations to come. We can’t control others’ lives, but we can control our own. In the Spirit’s power, let’s know and live in the Lord’s commands with an eagerness to guide our family into His wisdom. Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Read Deuteronomy 17
Deuteronomy 17:6-7, 12 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 7 The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you…12 The man who shows contempt for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering there to the Lord your God must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel. THE LORD has established his laws over Israel. Now he gives an directive to judging lawbreakers in order to purge the evil from Israel. See the process. If one sees a crime, he is to report it. There must then be an investigation. Evidence that points to guilt leads to a trial. The judge’s decision is final. One must accept the judgment. Evil is in the crime, and evil is ignoring the crime, foregoing its prosecution or rejecting the judgment. Obedience to all God’s laws “delivers us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13) Witnesses are essential to the process, too. This reduces the possibility that a false witness will cause an unjust verdict. Note, too, the accusers must be the first ones to throw the stones of execution. A witness cannot simply point a finger, then walk away. The LORD established safeguards against vengeful, hateful hearts. Mankind’s sinful nature finds many ways to reject God’s law and order system. Judges are corrupt. Authorities charged with keeping the law can be the ones breaking it. We also turn a blind eye to immoral behavior. Our best response to these commands is to do right. We can look at corrupt systems and ask, “What’s the use?” But we are commanded to a just process. Our next lesson will look at one man who disobeyed one of God’s primary leadership commands. The one man’s crimes became a legacy of suffering in Israel. Be just before the Lord. He has commanded it. Read Deuteronomy 16
Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. No man should appear before the Lord empty-handed. THESE three required feasts point to the church. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is also Passover. Since Jesus has become the Passover Lamb whose blood is the way God’s judgment passes over us, we celebrate this on Good Friday and Easter. The Feast of Weeks is also called the Feast of Firstfruits. “Weeks” refers to the seven weeks from the time Israel left Egypt until God gave Moses the Law on Mt. Sinai (or Horeb). As the law began God’s gathering of his people to hi, “firstfruits” points to the first harvest of grain. Celebrating the first of the harvest is a faithful response to God. To submit the first grain to God is demonstrating one’s faith the full harvest is expected. This was also known as Pentecost. Again the name refers to the seven weeks or 50 days from the exodus to the law. The church remembers this as Pentecost today because the Holy Spirit began the church in Jerusalem during Pentecost, 50 days from Jesus’ crucifixion. The Spirit harvested the first souls for the church that day. And the harvest has continued. The Feast of Tabernacles recalls Israel’s dwelling in tents during the 40 years’ wandering. God also tabernacled with them. This feast included setting up tents around the temple for one week. It also was marked with great lights high above the temple in Jerusalem and throughout Judea. The lights would recall God’s presence in the Wilderness Tabernacle with the seven lights and leading the nation with a pillar of light. It is the end of this feast when Jesus declared in the temple square, “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) The light had come to dwell with – to tabernacle – with his creation as a man. The Spirit dwells today within each Christian. The Jews were to celebrate the feasts, so they could stop their work and remember God’s great work over their lives. We must continue to stop, remember and celebrate God’s glorious salvation each day. We know we feast with Christ at the Lord’s Table, the Spirit harvests souls daily and tabernacles within all who call Jesus, “Savior”. Prayer: We thank you, LORD God, for being such a personal God. Our hearts praise you for your magnificent work to save us to feast with you forever. Amen. Read Deuteronomy 15
From Deuteronomy 15
HOW do we respond to these commands? Do we reject them as “Old Testament” rules? Surely such economics cannot flourish in our world today. How could any lender cancel all of the debts each seven years and stay in business? Why would we be openhanded to the poor? Every person can work to earn a living. The underlying promise in this Scripture and elsewhere in the law is of Israel’s future wealth. Even the words “Promise Land” points to an exceptional place to live. Moses repeatedly offers the Lord’s wealth promise as in Deuteronomy 15:4 However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you. Under the LORD God’s sovereign care, Israel was to be a nation with all they needed. No one should have been poor if they worked. Yet, there are always circumstances that occur in people’s lives they can’t control. Sickness and disabilities can impoverish one. A generous community was to aid them. God’s “openhanded” blessing, though, would only come when Israel obeyed God’s commands. Would Israel reflect God’s gracious redeeming power to become a generous people Scripture’s evidence tells us Israel did not obey the economic, worship and governmental laws. The Lord eventually removed Israel from his promise and from the land. These laws are principles of trusting in God, so we will correctly us our possessions. We must see all we have as God’s gift. There is a time to work and a time to rest, a time to earn and a time to give. The Bible has many verses about the blessings of an open hand and the curse of a closed fist. Know these words. Listen to them and trust the Great Provider. Prayer: Help us, O LORD to trust you with each possession. May we honor you with a generous heart, reflecting your unending love toward us. Amen. Read Deuteronomy 14
Deuteronomy 14:1-2, 22 You are the children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, 2 for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession…22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. HERE is God’s pattern of salvation. “You are the children of the Lord” and “you are a people holy to the LORD your God” define Israel’s unique status in all the earth. The LORD formed a physical nation and separated them from the world to demonstrate his authority, law, grace and love. Israel was a physical sign among its neighbors that the LORD God is like no other. Psalms 147:20 He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the Lord. What was to be Israel’s response to such a glorious calling? For one, God again commands them to reject pagan gods and evil worship practices. Cutting oneself was a pagan practice. It certainly is opposed to the LORD’s many commands regarding physical health. God’s children also were to respond in faith with a tithe of their crops. Note this was to save for the special feasts to enjoy in God’s presence. It was sitting at the Lord’s Table. Saving some food for that time was trusting God would provide their “daily bread.” A tithe is a faith test. Giving and saving to worship God is a faith action. Trusting God with their food supply would form Israel’s mind more truly to be holy children of the Holy Father. Centuries later, Peter echoed Moses as he called the God’s eternal nation, the Church, to faith. 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Confessing Christ, we are truly eternal children of God, made holy without sin through Jesus’ saving blood. We are to live in preparation of our eternal feast at the Lord’s table. Our lives are to be a grateful response to the Father’s gracious call. What might you do this day to demonstrate you are a holy child of the living God? Matthew 18:2-4 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Read Deuteronomy 13
Deuteronomy 13:4 It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. HAVE you ever talked with someone to correct a mistake? Sometimes we don’t directly say, “You are doing this wrong; here is the right way.” Our hope is one will discover errors with questions we ask to help the person understand wrong and do what is right. If he doesn’t get the point, we might directly say, “Truth be told, this is what you must do.” What happens then? You’ll likely test him. You give him a circumstance or job that requires the new knowledge with the encouragement, “Now let’s see what you’ve learned.” This is always God’s way. “Truth Be Told” could be another name for the Bible. Or better yet, one could use Jesus’ directive, “I tell you the truth.” (75 times in the gospels) There is no excuse. God’s Word clearly informs, corrects and encourages. When you know the truth, what will happen? You can see here that God will test you on your knowledge. He has given Israel specific commands on recognizing and responding to false teachings. Note he even empowers some false teachers with dreams and visions, so they will be his test to know if Israel lives in truth. He also tests us with our possessions. The commands regarding the money and property in this chapter point to a major obstacle in living God’s truth. We love what we own! We often refuse to release even a small portion to the Lord. Truth be told, he wants us to know he has much more for us than any form of physical wealth. Generosity is a sure sign of God’s Word is truly in us. Perhaps our current challenge with the virus is an opportunity to pass God’s test as we display a generous hand. Matthew 5:18-19 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Read Deuteronomy 11-12
Deuteronomy 12:7 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you. THREE times in chapter 12, Moses promises Israel they will rejoice as they feast and celebrate in the presence of the Lord your God. Yes, you could read through these chapters to say, “Why so many rules on how to worship and what foods to eat?” But I hope you see that closely following the rules teaches you who you are in Christ. As God’s commands set Israel apart from the world, you are the new “Israel”, the church of Jesus Christ, you are set apart from the world into God’s presence. Do you know that? When asked, “Who are you?” Does your response include, “I’m a child of the Living God.” The first couple, Adam and Eve, would have said that. They knew God, and he knew them. They knew their purpose, set apart from all creation. These godly children experienced a joyful life in a loving father-child relationship with their Creator. But then came the sin. Adam and Eve hid from God. Sadness, guilt and remorse suffocated the joy. Since that awful time, God’s purpose has been to reunite mankind into his joy. He began by re-introducing himself to his creation. He formed a God-believing line of people from Seth to Noah. After the Flood, he set apart Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then he went to Israel in Egypt. The LORD identified himself as “the Lord, the God of your fathers – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” (Exodus 3:15b) Through the plagues he changed nature’s laws to show his majesty. He set relationship laws to reveal his fatherly purpose: “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.” (Exodus 6:7). Today we know much more of God than Israel did. In addition to the law, we know the prophets, gospels and epistles. We can understand the entire Bible is God’s plan to teach us to know we have passed from death to life. (1 John 3:14). This means he has acted to set apart all Christians into eternal life. Yes, indeed. In faith, we can rejoice once again in God’s presence. Let’s not read God’s demands and commands as too restrictive or too much to know. But let’s approach each day with a desire to see God’s purpose in his teachings. Century upon century, the Father’s loving commitment came from heaven, so people from every tribe and tongue will rejoice with the Father in the new Eden. Isaiah 25:9 In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Read Deuteronomy 9-10
Deuteronomy 9:16-18 When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the Lord your God; you had made for yourselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the Lord had commanded you. 17 So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands, breaking them to pieces before your eyes. 18 Then once again I fell prostrate before the LORD for forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water, because of all the sin you had committed, doing what was evil in the LORD’s sight and so provoking him to anger. COULD there be any more dedicated servant leader than Moses? How does one grasp the reality of his passionate petitions for his people? Lying on the ground praying with no food, no water – it is not humanly possible. Certainly God’s presence empowered Moses to prayer. Why do you think Moses would do this? Oh, wait a minute. What if my loved ones were living lives opposed to God? What if God threatened to annihilate them? Would I so purposefully seek God’s mercy? Does it matter if it is 20 days or 40 days – or any specific number? Forty is a number God has chosen to demonstrate repentance, worship and cleansing. Forty days of rain washed the sin from the earth (Genesis 7). Israel was judged to 40 years in the Wilderness. Jesus battled the devil 40 days in the wilderness (Luke 4). In his despair, Elijah traveled 40 days to meet with God (1 Kings 19). Forty days of cleansing, of resisting evil, of repentance…the struggle is enormous…the struggle is for life…the struggle is constant. Consider, also, how God has transformed Moses’ heart. Moses was on the ground for a people who had more than once made him impatient and angry. God had transformed Moses’ resistant, judging heart to a great, sacrificial love for Israel, even as they disobeyed. Love is why Moses didn’t give up. He reflected God’s Holy Love, the same love God extended to him. Love God, and love others. God’s will is done on earth as he forgives Israel and moves them toward their future. Live long in the land. Do you need to meet with God? Who in your family needs your loving intercession? How do you respond? Is if for a minute? Is it once a day? Once a week? Once a year? Or is it “prostrate for 40 days”? 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray continually. Read Deuteronomy 7-8
Deuteronomy 7:12-15 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers. 13 He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land — your grain, new wine and oil — the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you. 14 You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young. 15 The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you. & Deuteronomy 8:3-4 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. PRAISE God for the beauty and the joy of these words! What glorious promises. The Bible instructs us regarding the many covenants – promises – God makes with mankind. Some are for a particular time; others are for God’s eternal plan. For example, God promised Adam a Savior would come, Noah a flood will never again destroy the world, Abraham he will make a great nation, and the church, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:20b) All of the Bible’s covenants can be defined as Moses does here, “his covenant of love”. These words defines God’s loving will for his people. When people say, “The God of the Old Testament (Promise) is a vengeful, judging God.” they must know, instead, love motivates the Holy Trinity. In love he has formed, protected and prospered those who love him. Throughout Scripture God is the perfect Father, who sacrifices for his family. He provides all material needs, even blesses their animals. Health and strength embrace his children. As Israel prepares to enter the Promised Land, they can see the evidence of the Father’s future blessings in the 40-year desert journey. God reminds them they had all they needed to eat. Their clothes did not wear out. Their feet were healthy – only one pair of shoes was all they needed! As you consider the future, consider closely God’s hand on your life. Look to the many ways he has blessed your life. Trust he will continue to care for you. Know what the Father has done; believe and trust what the Father will do. Psalms 145:13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. |
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November 2024
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