Love the Lord Your God . . .
God reminds the Iraelites that it was not their children, but they who saw all the blessings that God gave them (deliverance from Egypt, etc.) God tells them that they must continue to "love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." If they do that, he will bless their promised land and bring TONS of rain . . the land will not be like Egypt, which was difficult to farm and required tons of irrigation. No, this land will DRINK UP the rainwater and produce bountiful crops.
Worshipping Other Gods
God warns them to be careful because they will be tempted to turn to other gods. He tells them to remind their children in many different ways of how faithful God was to the Israelites.
Essentially, God tells them He will bless them if they obey his commmands (to love the LORD), but if they turn to other gods, He will curse them.
God them gives further instructions about how they should remove all the places on the high mountains where their conquerees worship. They really MUST NOT worship other gods. God then gives some instructions about how the Israelites are to sacrifice and worship, including instructions on when they can or cannot eat meat and how to eat it.
Finally, God gives some REALLY STRICT instructions about what to do if others Israelites are worshipping other gods. This just continues to demonstrate how strongly God feels about this. Essentially, if you are enticed by a prophet, your own family members, your own spouse, or "wicked men" in the next town over, you must put the enticer to death. God has no room for people who worship other gods and try to entice others to do the same.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Deuteronomy 7-10
"God will deliver them over to you" (chapter 7)
Moses next describes to the Israelites how they are to drive out the nations on their quest for the promised land. He tells them that they must DESTROY THEM COMPLETELY. He warns against intermarrying with these people, or getting involved with their gods. Instead the Israelites must destroy their gods.
Moses reminds the Israelites again that it was because of God's promise to their forefathers that he loves them and favors them. Moses also warns them that God will keep his covenant of love "to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him."
Moses reminds the Israelites that they MUST FOLLOW & OBEY God's commandments. He tells them to have faith that God will carry them through in defeating all these foreign peoples.
"Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God" (chapter 8)
Moses warms the Israelites not to forget about how good God has been to them. He reminds them of how God brought them out of slavery. Moses tells them they must remember and praise God once they have become comfortable in the promised land. "Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."
Moses ends with an ominous warning:
"If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God."
"For you are a stiff-necked people" (chapter 9)
Moses tells the Israelites that they will soon attack Anakites (HUGE GIANTS) and yet the Lord will make the Israelites victorious. He warns them not to think that it was because of their righteousness that they were victorious, but because of God's promise. In fact, he tells them they are a "stiff-necked people."
Moses then goes into describing various instances in history where God wanted to destroy them due to their sinful nature but Moses interceded and plead with God to save them. This was the golden calf incident, and other incidences at Taberah, at Massah Kibroth Hattaavah, and Kadesh Barnea. In all the cases, the Israelites did not trust & obey God and Moses had to intercede for them, praying "forty days and forty nights."
"Do not be stiff-necked any longer" (chapter 10)
Moses finishes off this section by describing how God decided he was not going to destroy the Israelites. He made a new set of stone tablets with the commandments on them. Instead, he told Moses to go and lead the people into the promised land.
I love this last part, so I've pasted it in its entirety. Such a good reminder of who God is, highlighting so many different aspects of his personality.
"And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today.
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.
Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.
Moses next describes to the Israelites how they are to drive out the nations on their quest for the promised land. He tells them that they must DESTROY THEM COMPLETELY. He warns against intermarrying with these people, or getting involved with their gods. Instead the Israelites must destroy their gods.
Moses reminds the Israelites again that it was because of God's promise to their forefathers that he loves them and favors them. Moses also warns them that God will keep his covenant of love "to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him."
Moses reminds the Israelites that they MUST FOLLOW & OBEY God's commandments. He tells them to have faith that God will carry them through in defeating all these foreign peoples.
"Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God" (chapter 8)
Moses warms the Israelites not to forget about how good God has been to them. He reminds them of how God brought them out of slavery. Moses tells them they must remember and praise God once they have become comfortable in the promised land. "Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."
Moses ends with an ominous warning:
"If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God."
"For you are a stiff-necked people" (chapter 9)
Moses tells the Israelites that they will soon attack Anakites (HUGE GIANTS) and yet the Lord will make the Israelites victorious. He warns them not to think that it was because of their righteousness that they were victorious, but because of God's promise. In fact, he tells them they are a "stiff-necked people."
Moses then goes into describing various instances in history where God wanted to destroy them due to their sinful nature but Moses interceded and plead with God to save them. This was the golden calf incident, and other incidences at Taberah, at Massah Kibroth Hattaavah, and Kadesh Barnea. In all the cases, the Israelites did not trust & obey God and Moses had to intercede for them, praying "forty days and forty nights."
"Do not be stiff-necked any longer" (chapter 10)
Moses finishes off this section by describing how God decided he was not going to destroy the Israelites. He made a new set of stone tablets with the commandments on them. Instead, he told Moses to go and lead the people into the promised land.
I love this last part, so I've pasted it in its entirety. Such a good reminder of who God is, highlighting so many different aspects of his personality.
"And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today.
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.
Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Deuteronomy 5-6
Moses reminds the Israelites of the 10 commandments he received at the top of the mountain. He reminds them that God made this covenant with them not just their forefathers.
1. No other gods
2. No idols
3. No misuse of God's name
4. Observe the Sabbath
5. Honor your parents
6. No murder
7. No adultery
8. No stealing
9. No false testimony against your neighbor
10. Don't covet your neighbor's wife or his stuff
After seeing God's power on the mountain, the Israelites were amazed at God's glory. They said to Moses "go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then tell us whatever the LORD our God tells you. We will listen and obey."
God was quite pleased with them. Moses said "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."
Moses continues to give the Israelites more guidance on how to honor and obey God.
1. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength
2. Don't forget the Lord, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt
3. Fear the Lord, and serve him ONLY
4. Do not test the Lord
5. Keep the commands of the Lord
The moral of the story?
"And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness."
1. No other gods
2. No idols
3. No misuse of God's name
4. Observe the Sabbath
5. Honor your parents
6. No murder
7. No adultery
8. No stealing
9. No false testimony against your neighbor
10. Don't covet your neighbor's wife or his stuff
After seeing God's power on the mountain, the Israelites were amazed at God's glory. They said to Moses "go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then tell us whatever the LORD our God tells you. We will listen and obey."
God was quite pleased with them. Moses said "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."
Moses continues to give the Israelites more guidance on how to honor and obey God.
1. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength
2. Don't forget the Lord, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt
3. Fear the Lord, and serve him ONLY
4. Do not test the Lord
5. Keep the commands of the Lord
The moral of the story?
"And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness."