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."
Friday, July 16, 2010
Deuteronomy 4
Akkkkk!! It has been nearly a month! Time to get back on the train. Help, anyone???
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Moses continues to speak to the Israelites, reminding them to obey God's commands. Why?
1. So you may live & take possession of the land
He reminds them of how many that did not follow God died at Horeb.
2. Shows their wisdom & strength to the surrounding nations
Other nations will be amazed at Isralites' god
Moses finally reminds the Israelites not to forget what God has done, and to tell their children about it too.
Moses tells idolatry of any kind is forbidden, and reminds them of the golden calf incident. He warns them - if you don't follow God, you will be mostly destroyed or scattered. Then if you are in distress and seek out God, you will find him, for God is merciful and has not forgotten his covenant with his people.
Moses reminds them to think back in history - nothing like this has ever happened before, where God clearly made himself known to a nation and took them out of oppression with so many wonders and miracles. Why? So that they would know that the Lord is God.
Moses then sets aside some cities as Refuge Cities and begins to lay out the law.
Moses continues to speak to the Israelites, reminding them to obey God's commands. Why?
1. So you may live & take possession of the land
He reminds them of how many that did not follow God died at Horeb.
2. Shows their wisdom & strength to the surrounding nations
Other nations will be amazed at Isralites' god
Moses finally reminds the Israelites not to forget what God has done, and to tell their children about it too.
Moses tells idolatry of any kind is forbidden, and reminds them of the golden calf incident. He warns them - if you don't follow God, you will be mostly destroyed or scattered. Then if you are in distress and seek out God, you will find him, for God is merciful and has not forgotten his covenant with his people.
Moses reminds them to think back in history - nothing like this has ever happened before, where God clearly made himself known to a nation and took them out of oppression with so many wonders and miracles. Why? So that they would know that the Lord is God.
Moses then sets aside some cities as Refuge Cities and begins to lay out the law.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Deuteronomy 1-3 (Summary of their journey thus far)
Moses narrates a summary of the Israelites journey up to this point to the Israelites in the desert east of the Jordan . . .
God told the Israelites at Horeb, "You have stayed here long enough. Go and take possession of the land I had promised to your forefathers." [heavily paraphrased]
Moses asked each tribe to appoint a leader to be judge because he could not personally handle and arbitrate each case. They also sent spies to check out the land that they were going to enter.
The spies reported back of a rich and prosperous land that was walled, heavily fortified, and inhabited by giants. The Israelites began to grumble in fear, complaining that God had brought them out of Egypt to destroy them. They refused to go because they did not trust God. God was angry, telling them that none of them would enter (they would instead die wandering in the desert), with the exception of Joshua and Caleb.
Then the Israelites were remorseful, and changed their minds. "We have sinned against the LORD. We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God commanded us."
Bad idea. They thought it would be easy, but God told them NOT to go because he was not with them. They did not listen, and then totally got defeated.
God then guided the Israelites in a long roundabout way to the promised land. This basically killed time until all of that first generation passed. God would give them commands about how to approach each people group. If the Israelites obeyed God, then things would go their way. Here are some examples of those commands.
Moab at Ar: pass through; land is already given to descendants of Lot
Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country: defeat, leave no survivors
Ammonites: do not take their land
Og king of Bashan: defeat, leave no survivors
Dividing Up the Land
At this point they had obtained quite a bit of land. If you remember from the end of Numbers, the Reubenites, Gadites, and Half Tribe of Manasseh wanted this to be their inheritance. Moses gave them the land here and they settled with their women and children. The men would continue to cross the river to get the Promised Land.
Moses pleaded with God to let him see the land, but God was angry and told him he would never enter. Instead, he brought him to the top of a hill and let him see it.
God told the Israelites at Horeb, "You have stayed here long enough. Go and take possession of the land I had promised to your forefathers." [heavily paraphrased]
Moses asked each tribe to appoint a leader to be judge because he could not personally handle and arbitrate each case. They also sent spies to check out the land that they were going to enter.
The spies reported back of a rich and prosperous land that was walled, heavily fortified, and inhabited by giants. The Israelites began to grumble in fear, complaining that God had brought them out of Egypt to destroy them. They refused to go because they did not trust God. God was angry, telling them that none of them would enter (they would instead die wandering in the desert), with the exception of Joshua and Caleb.
Then the Israelites were remorseful, and changed their minds. "We have sinned against the LORD. We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God commanded us."
Bad idea. They thought it would be easy, but God told them NOT to go because he was not with them. They did not listen, and then totally got defeated.
God then guided the Israelites in a long roundabout way to the promised land. This basically killed time until all of that first generation passed. God would give them commands about how to approach each people group. If the Israelites obeyed God, then things would go their way. Here are some examples of those commands.
Moab at Ar: pass through; land is already given to descendants of Lot
Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country: defeat, leave no survivors
Ammonites: do not take their land
Og king of Bashan: defeat, leave no survivors
Dividing Up the Land
At this point they had obtained quite a bit of land. If you remember from the end of Numbers, the Reubenites, Gadites, and Half Tribe of Manasseh wanted this to be their inheritance. Moses gave them the land here and they settled with their women and children. The men would continue to cross the river to get the Promised Land.
Moses pleaded with God to let him see the land, but God was angry and told him he would never enter. Instead, he brought him to the top of a hill and let him see it.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Numbers 34-36
Moses lays out the boundaries of the promised land and then explains that Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun, together with a leader from each tribe, would decide how to divide up the promised land. Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh were not included in this list because they had already received their inheritance.
Giving to the Priests
Moses also made provisions for each tribe to give some of their land for the Levites. Some of these towns would be refuge towns for a person who has killed another to flee. It was to protect him from the avenger before he could receive a fair trial.
Murder
Moses then sets out laws about murder and the refuge cities.
If an accused leaves the refuge city and is killed by an avenger. The avenger will not be guilty of murder. The accused must stay in the refuge city until the high priest dies. Then he can return home.
There are early forms of laws regarding murder and manslaughter. For example, if you accidentally kill someone out of rage, it's not as serious as premeditated murder. The assembly will judge. If a person is found to be a murderer, he will be put to death.
Zelophehad's Daughters
Remember these ladies? The women's rights activists? Well, some other members of the clan got concerned that if they married non-Israelites, then a part of the inheritance would belong to an outsider. Worse yet, during the year of the jubilee, all debts would be forgiven, and those properties would be lost forever.
The Lord agreed, and stated that women who had inheritances had to marry within their clan. Zelophehad's daughters obeyed the Lord and married some cousins on their father's side, thus preserving the inheritance.
And with that, we finish NUMBERS! Only one of book (Deuternomony) and then we will be done with the first five book of the Bible (plus Job!). Deuternomony should be easier since we've been having sermon series on it. It's almost like we've already read it.
Numbers 31-33
Taking Vengeance on the Midianites
God commanded Israel to go to war against to Midianites to take vengeance for God (because of all their sins). They killed everyone and plundered everything (lots of livestock, jewelry, etc) except the women and children. Moses was angry, reminding the Israelites that it was the women that tempted the Israelites away to other gods. Moses told them to kill all the boys and all the women except women who "had never slept with a man."
They divided the plunder between the fighting men (1,000 from each tribe) and the Israelites.
Wanting to Stay - Skipping the Promised Land
The Reubenites and Gadites, who by trade were in the livestock business, saw that the land they had just acquired from the Midianites was great for herding, and they asked Moses if they could just forget the promised land and instead stay in this great land that God had provided for them.
Moses got really angry and reminded them that this is what their forefathers did. The result? Wandering in the desert for 40 years until they had all died.
Finally, the Reubenites and Gadites proposed building cities here now for their wives and children, but sending the men to go fight for Israel to ensure that Israel would obtain its inheritance (the promised land). Once they had the promised land, then they would come back and get their women and children.
Moses agreed, promising to give the Reubenites. Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph this land if they followed through on their promise to go fight for the promised land. Theses three tribes set up pens for their livestock and built cities here for their women and children.
The Journey that Israel Took
This next section outlines step by step the route that Israel took (starting from when they left Egypt after all those plagues) all the way to Canaan (the promised land).
God commanded Israel to go to war against to Midianites to take vengeance for God (because of all their sins). They killed everyone and plundered everything (lots of livestock, jewelry, etc) except the women and children. Moses was angry, reminding the Israelites that it was the women that tempted the Israelites away to other gods. Moses told them to kill all the boys and all the women except women who "had never slept with a man."
They divided the plunder between the fighting men (1,000 from each tribe) and the Israelites.
The Reubenites and Gadites, who by trade were in the livestock business, saw that the land they had just acquired from the Midianites was great for herding, and they asked Moses if they could just forget the promised land and instead stay in this great land that God had provided for them.
Moses got really angry and reminded them that this is what their forefathers did. The result? Wandering in the desert for 40 years until they had all died.
Finally, the Reubenites and Gadites proposed building cities here now for their wives and children, but sending the men to go fight for Israel to ensure that Israel would obtain its inheritance (the promised land). Once they had the promised land, then they would come back and get their women and children.
Moses agreed, promising to give the Reubenites. Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph this land if they followed through on their promise to go fight for the promised land. Theses three tribes set up pens for their livestock and built cities here for their women and children.
The Journey that Israel Took
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