Yahweh Saves.

Joshua 1-2

Moses my servant is dead. Get ready! Cross the Jordan River! Lead these people into the land which I am ready to hand over to them. – Joshua 1:2 NET

The Book of Joshua, like all other books of the Bible, is primarily a book of theology. Through it God has revealed himself and continues to do so. – Donald H. Madvig, The Expositors Bible Commentary

As we begin a new book, we begin a new chapter in the lives of the Israelites. They have a new leader in Joshua. They have a new generation. The old generation – the one that refused to go into the Promised Land 40 years earlier – has died off. Moses and Aaron are now dead. Joshua has been commissioned by God to serve in Moses' place. "Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun with these words: "Be strong and courageous! You must bring the people of Israel into the land I swore to give them. I will be with you" (Deuteronomy 31:23 NLT).

Interestingly enough, the man who God chose to lead His people into the Promised Land was named Joshua. His name means, "Yahweh Saves." Joshua is the Hebrew name that translates into Aramaic as Jesus. Yahweh, God Himself, was going to save His people, but He was going to do it through a man named Joshua. God was going to use this man to lead the people of God into the blessing of His promises for them. Just as Jesus, the God-man was going to lead those whom God has chosen into the blessings of His promise of eternal life and life more abundantly. While the book of Joshua is an historical account, it is more than that. It is a revelation of God's will. It is a picture of God's interaction with men as they attempt, sometimes unsuccessfully, to accomplish His will in a land rife with trials, temptations, and powerful forces that stand in opposition to them. So in a lot of ways, the book of Joshua is a glimpse into the very lives we lead as the people of God today. We have been given a Promised Land. We have been promised abundant life. We have been warned that there will be battles in the days ahead. But like the Israelites, we have been assured of God's presence and of access to His power.

This book is going to be a sometimes uncomfortable reflection of our own struggle with believing God. He has given us our own Promised Land to possess, but it is occupied by enemy forces. It is filled with formidable foes who make it appear as if the promises of God are false. We face the constant temptation to allow fear to replace faith. We have to daily fight the urge to give up on God and give in to the desire to compromise with enemies rather than conquer them. God is going to be highly visible and active in this book. He will be behind the scenes working His plan and fulfilling His promises to His people. But they will be active as well – stumbling, bumbling, failing, and falling – as they attempt to live as God's people in the land He has promised to give them.

They will experience victories and defeats. They will have moments when they obey and moments when they rebel. They will succeed and they will fail. They will listen to God, but then they will have times when they refuse to even hear His voice. Sound familiar? It should. Their story is our story. We are going to see ourselves in the lives of the people of God as they cross over the Jordan and attempt to possess what God has promised.

Father, make this book come alive to me. May I see You clearly in its pages. May I learn more and more about You and how You work. But may I also see me and my tendency to live like the Israelites – with limited faith and a seemingly unlimited propensity to disobey and doubt You. Show me the reality of Your promises and the barriers to enjoying them. Amen

Greater Than Moses.

Deuteronomy 34; Psalm 91

There has never been another prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.. – Deuteronomy 34:10 NET

Well, this is the final chapter – of the book of Deuteronomy and of Moses' life. Here we have recorded the last days of this mighty prophet of God. Because he had struck the rock in anger in the wilderness of Zin, failing to show respect and reverence for God, Moses had been denied the privilege of taking the people into the Promised Land (Numbers 20). Instead, Moses was only able to go to the very edge of the land, and view it from a distance. God took the life of Moses on Mount Nebo. He was old, but not in bad health. "Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever" (Deuteronomy 34:7 NLT). This great leader died in the land of Moab and went to be with the Lord. His death is marked by 30 days of mourning and a statement commemorating his role as God's chosen spokesman:

There has never been another prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. The LORD sent Moses to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and his entire land. And it was through Moses that the LORD demonstrated his mighty power and terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel. – Deuteronomy 34:10-12 NLT

Yet as great as Moses was, there would be someone greater. Not Joshua, his replacement. But Jesus Christ. He would be a prophet not unlike Moses in His role as deliverer and shepherd of God's people. He would be the spokesman for God. He would be God's representative, performing great signs and miracles as proof of His power and validation of His words. The book of Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus was greater than Moses himself.

And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are bound for heaven, think about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s Messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully and was entrusted with God’s entire house. But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a fine house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but God is the one who made everything. Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house, but only as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, the faithful Son, was in charge of the entire household. And we are God’s household, if we keep up our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. – Hebrews 3:1-5 NLT

Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses. Moses was a foreshadowing of who was to come. He as an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. While Moses was a deliverer, Jesus was the deliverer. Moses could provide release from captivity to Egypt. Jesus provides release from captivity to sin and death. Moses could only provide the law written on tablets of stone, outlining the requirements of God, but incapable of providing the power to keep those requirements. The law pointed out the sin of man but could not prevent it. Jesus came to fulfill the law and provide mankind with a way to satisfy the righteous requirements of God and stand before Him as sinless and pure. Moses could only lead the people to the Promised Land, but Jesus would provide a true Promised Land marked by eternal life with God the Father.

Jesus is greater. But like the people of Israel, we can run the risk of failing to listen to the words of Jesus just as they did the words of Moses. We can rebel against the leadership of Jesus, just as they did the leadership of Moses. So the writer of Hebrews warns us:

That is why the Holy Spirit says, "Today you must listen to his voice. Don’t harden your hearts against him as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested God’s patience in the wilderness. There your ancestors tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ So in my anger I made a vow: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’" Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, as long as it is called "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. But never forget the warning: "Today you must listen to his voice. Don’t harden your hearts against him as Israel did when they rebelled." – Hebrews 3:7-14 NLT

Today you must listen to His voice.

Father, You have sent Your Son Jesus as the greater prophet. He has brought us words of truth directly from You. He speaks to us daily through Your Word. He reveals to us Your will. But we tend to disobey and rebel, rejecting His words and refusing to believe. Forgive us for treating Him just as the people of Israel did Moses. Forgive us for the many times we have refused to listen to His words and keep His commands. But thank You for Your patience and kindness. And thank You for sending Your Son as our deliverer and redeemer. Amen

A Song Worth Singing!

Deuteronomy 32-33

"See now that I, indeed I, am he!” says the Lord, “and there is no other god besides me. I kill and give life, I smash and I heal, and none can resist my power." – Deuteronomy 32:39 NET

Have you ever had one of those songs that you just can't seem to get out of your head? The kind that just keeps coming up no matter how hard you try to get rid of it? Usually, it's some worthless little ditty with meaningless lyrics and a less-than-memorable tune, but for some reason it takes up residence in your head and it won't go away.

In chapter 32 of Deuteronomy Moses teaches the people of Israel a song that he wants them to get stuck in their heads. It's a song that God had give him. In fact, God tells Moses, "Now write down for yourselves the following song and teach it to the Israelites. Put it into their very mouths so that this song may serve as my witness against the Israelites!" (Deuteronomy 31:19 NET). God wanted the people to learn this song and to sing it to themselves relentlessly as a reminder of their rebellion and disobedience against Him. This song paints a picture of God as the faithful One. It sings of His power and might, His justice and faithfulness.

He is the Rock; his work is perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! (Deuteronomy 32:4)

Look now; I myself am he! There is no god other than me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one delivers from my power! (Deuteronomy 32:39)

But this song also tells of the wrath of God and His anger with the people of Israel because of their constant rebellion and unfaithfulness. It's a tune that tells the sad story of man's turning away from God in order to give their love and allegiance to false gods.

They have roused my jealousy by worshiping non–gods; they have provoked my fury with useless idols. Now I will rouse their jealousy by blessing other nations; I will provoke their fury by blessing the foolish Gentiles. (Deuteronomy 32:21)

This song tells of a people who had been blessed by God, but as a result of their abundance they had become "fat and happy." They had gotten satisfied and complacent in their relationship with Him. Instead of recognizing their prosperity as the handiwork of God, they began to take credit for their successes and become self-sufficient and developed a habit of unfaithfulness.

But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed! Then they abandoned the God who had made them; they made light of the Rock of their salvation. They stirred up his jealousy by worshiping foreign gods; they provoked his fury with detestable acts. (Deuteronomy 32:15-16)

This wasn't exactly a Christmas carol with a catchy tune and light-hearted lyrics. It was at the same time an anthem to God's greatness and a lament to Israel's unfaithfulness. It is a timeless picture of God and mankind, and a chilling reminder of our inability to live the life He has called us to live without His help. We are prone to wander and leave the God we say we love. We are wired to rebel and turn away from the very One who created us. But this song does have a happy ending. It tells us of God's mercy and grace. It reminds us that, in spite of our rebellion, God restores. He continually shows us compassion.

Yes, GOD will judge his people, but oh how compassionately he'll do it. When he sees their weakened plight and there is no one left, slave or free. (Deuteronomy 32:36)

The lyrics of this song don't exactly roll right off the tongue and I don't know if it would be easy to sing even with a great tune behind it, but the message is one we all need to remember. We need to have it stuck in our heads and we need to sing it from the roof tops. This is the message of God and His relationship with mankind. It is about rebellion and redemption, sin and salvation, helplessness and hopefulness. It is the story of our plight and God's plan. The song of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Father, we have something to sing about. We can sing of Your greatness and grace. We can sing of Your mercy in the midst of our sinfulness. You have provided a way – the Way – Your Son Jesus Christ. You have made it possible for us to sing about salvation in spite of our sin and rebellion. Never let us stop singing the reality of who You are and what we would be without You. Amen

Be Strong and Courageous!

Deuteronomy 31

Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! The LORD your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you. – Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT

We live in a time filled with fear and apprehension. We are filled with questions and doubts about the future. What is going to happen to the economy? What is going to happen to the environment? What is going to happen to our culture? What about my 401k? My kids? My job? My marriage? The world appears unstable and insecure. Nothing seems to be reliable or lasting anymore. It's hard to trust anyone or anything. And it is at times like these that we, as Christians, can run the risk of trying to look some place other than God for our hope, peace, security, comfort, strength, and direction. That is exactly what the Israelites faced as they stood on the edge of the Promised Land preparing to go in. Moses was not going with them. God had already made it clear that he would not be joining them in their conquest of the land, but would die in the wilderness. The people were scared. They were filled with apprehension and doubt. How in the world were they going to be able to pull this off? They were not a military power, but a rag-tag bunch of runaways from captivity in Egypt. Yet God was calling them to boldly take over a land occupied by nations bigger and badder than themselves.

So Moses steps in one last time to remind the people where to place their trust. In God. He tells them once again that their God can be trusted. There is no reason to fear or faint. He puts it simply and succinctly. "Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! The LORD your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT). Be strong and courageous. Those four words appear throughout this chapter. Moses tells Joshua, his replacement, "Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the LORD swore to give their ancestors. You are the one who will deliver it to them as their inheritance" (Deuteronomy 31:7 NLT). He reminds Joshua that God is going to go ahead of him, and will be with him every step of the way. God will not fail in His responsibilities or forsake His people, so there is no reason to fear. Once again, at Joshua's commissioning, God Himself uses these same four words to launch this new leader's ministry. "Be strong and courageous! You must bring the people of Israel into the land I swore to give them. I will be with you" (Deuteronomy 31:23 NLT).

As the people of God stood facing the unknown, they were encouraged to be strong and courageous. As Joshua contemplated his new role as leader of the motley group of stubborn and rebellious wanderers, he is told be strong and courageous. Why? How? The answer is found in God Himself. He is our strength. He is our source of courage. Like then, He still goes ahead of His people, preparing the way, working His plan, and accomplishing His will. He is with us and will not forsake us. We have no reason to fear. Even though God knew that the people of Israel were going to rebel against Him, rejecting His authority and turning to other gods, He was going to be a constant source of strength and power throughout it all. All they had to do was turn to Him and trust Him. He would do all that He said He would do. He would be all that He said He would be. God is telling you and me the same thing today. Paul even picks up on this theme in his letter to the Corinthians. "Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT). We are called by God to be ready, faithful, courageous and strong. We have His presence with us at all times. We have His power at our disposal at all times. We have His promises to encourage us at all times. He is with us and will not forsake us. So be strong and courageous!

Father, it is easy to be fearful. It is easy to turn to anything and anyone else other than you during times of fear and doubt. But don't let us forget that You are with us and will not forsake us. You can do what You say You will do. You always have and always will. Give us the strength to trust You more. Give us the courage to step out in faith, trusting in You and You alone. Amen

Choose Life!

Deuteronomy 29-30

Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! – Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT

It's really quite simple. Choose life or choose death. Choose death or choose destruction. Choose blessing or choose cursing. In chapters 29-30, we have God making His commands quite clear to the people of Israel. Choose life so that you and your descendants might live. There were a lot of things about God the people did not understand. There were mysteries about Him they would never be able to explain or comprehend. But what He wanted from them was perfectly clear. "There are secret things that belong to the LORD our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our descendants forever, so that we may obey these words of the law" (Deuteronomy 29:29 NLT). He had revealed His law. He had given them His instructions. Now all they had to do was choose – to obey or disobey. This was not nuclear science.

"This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand or perform. It is not up in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go to heaven and bring it down so we can hear and obey it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it." – Deuteronomy 30:11-14 NLT

They knew perfectly well what God wanted. Now it was a matter of choice. "Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between prosperity and disaster, between life and death" (Deuteronomy 30:15 NLT). They could choose to obey and experience the life He had promised them or they could choose to disobey and experience an existence void of blessings. You see to choose a life that is missing God is to choose no life at all. To live outside of His will and apart from His presence isn't life, it's death. Yet, even today, people will choose to live their lives apart from God and then learn that the life they seek is non-existent. The blessings they desire are unattainable. The joy they desire is nowhere to be found. To choose God is to choose life. To reject God is to reject His blessings. It's that simple.

Over in the book of Romans, Paul quotes from this very passage in Deuteronomy when talking about the Jewish people and his desire that they choose life through Jesus Christ. "Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is that the Jewish people might be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Instead, they are clinging to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. They won’t go along with God’s way. For Christ has accomplished the whole purpose of the law. All who believe in him are made right with God. For Moses wrote that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands" (Romans 10:1-5 NLT). Paul goes on to quote directly from Deuteronomy 30 when he says, "But the way of getting right with God through faith says, "You don’t need to go to heaven" (to find Christ and bring him down to help you). And it says, "You don’t need to go to the place of the dead" (to bring Christ back to life again). Salvation that comes from trusting Christ––which is the message we preach––is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, 'The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart'" (Romans 10:6-8 NLT). The message was simple. Paul was preaching it. Choose life. Choose Christ. It was that simple. The gospel message is incredibly simple. Choose life through Christ. Jesus Himself said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again" (John 11:25 NLT). He is life everlasting. And He is offering it to all who will accept it. And He offers it to those of who are already His followers – on a daily basis. He came that we might have life to the full. He said, "My purpose is to give life in all its fullness" (John 10:10 NLT). Full life. Abundant life. Choose life. Choose to make Christ your Lord and Savior. It's really that simple.

Father, we try to make everything too difficult. We want to understand all mysteries. We want to be able to explain who You are and how everything in the universe works. But what we really want is life and You offer it through Your Son. While we're busy looking for answers, we tend to walk right past the solution to all of life's problems. The abundant life we seek is found in Jesus, not in knowing more and more. It's so simple, but we try to make it so complex. Open our eyes. Help us see that to choose Jesus is to choose life. Amen

Obedience and Blessing.

Deuteronomy 27-28

If you fully obey the LORD your God by keeping all the commands I am giving you today, the LORD your God will exalt you above all the nations of the world. – Deuteronomy 28:1 NLT

Blessings and curses. These two chapters are filled with both. And the key to enjoying one and escaping the other is the same: obedience. God calls His people to live lives of willful obedience. The benefits are staggering. The penalty for failing to obey are devastating. Over and over again, Moses stresses the importance of obeying God's commands, of keeping His laws. God tells him to erect large stones, white wash them, then write the laws on them as a reminder of what they are supposed to do once they arrive in the land. Any future disobedience on the part of the Israelites was not going to be a case of pleading ignorance. God was making it perfectly clear what His expectations were. The people would have no excuse. Obedience and disobedience are always a choice – a decision of the will. And God makes the ramifications of both quite clear. The burden was on the people to obey what God had commanded them to do. And we know how it all turned out. We know the rest of the story. What is predicted here actually takes place. The people fail to keep God's commands, and end up in exile. Everything Moses predicts comes about. The curses come about with chilling accuracy – from the sieges to the peoples' ultimate exile in foreign lands.

But here's the good news. We don't live under the curse of the law. Paul makes that point clear. "But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, 'Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all these commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.' Consequently, it is clear that no one can ever be right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, 'It is through faith that a righteous person has life.' How different from this way of faith is the way of law, which says, 'If you wish to find life by obeying the law, you must obey all of its commands.' But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.'" (Galatians 3:10-13 NLT).

Christ has rescued us from the curse of the law. We don't have to keep to the law to keep God satisfied. Christ has satisfied His righteous demands by doing what no other man could do: keep the law perfectly. He alone could satisfy the demands of God. He alone could obey the righteous law of God. We are now free to enjoy the blessings of God, not because we have kept the law, but because Jesus did. And because He has paid the penalty required by the law for our disobedience. His death satisfied God's demand for justice. So now we obey, not out of a sense of fear or to avoid the curse, but out of a sense of gratitude and love. Jesus said that if we love Him we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). Obedience is the result of love, not the antidote for cursing. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). And an expression of our love is our obedience.

Father, You have already blessed us in so many ways and it has nothing to do with our obedience. It has to do with Christ's obedience. Because He obeyed You fully, we are blessed completely. And as a result, we should desire to obey you willingly. Open my eyes so that I might see just how blessed I really am. Let me understand more completely with each passing day the reality of what Christ has done for me. He has freed me from having to keep the law in order to keep my relationship with You right. He has made me right with You permanently and perfectly. Amen

Gratitude for God's Magnitude.

Deuteronomy 25-26

The LORD has declared today that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands. And if you do, he will make you greater than any other nation. Then you will receive praise, honor, and renown. You will be a nation that is holy to the LORD your God, just as he promised. – Deuteronomy 26:18-19 NLT

We take a lot for granted as God's people. Sometimes even our salvation itself can become "old hat." We can get so used to the fact that we have been saved by God through Jesus Christ that it loses its significance. The Israelites faced this same problem. As God's chosen people, they ran the risk of forgetting the significance of their position. With all the talk about rules and regulation, laws and legal requirements, they could very easily begin to think it was all about what they were doing for God instead of all that God had done for them. But God wanted them to remember. He wanted them to constantly recall the reality of their situation and the significance of their calling. Their lives and their keeping of God's laws were to be a response to all that God had done for them. He had taken an insignificant group of people, placed them in the land of Egypt, multiplied and blessed them, rescued them from the slavery imposed on them by the Egyptians, led them across the wilderness, provided for all their needs for more than 40 years, and given them an incredibly fertile land in which to live. Their response should have been one of gratitude. They should have been willing to give back to God a portion of what He had given to them – out of thankfulness for His grace and generosity.

And the same should be true of us. Not only does God shower us each and every day with all kinds of physical blessings, He has made us His own possession. We are His people, His treasured possession. He has set us apart as His own and given us His promise of eternal life. Peter reminds us of this very fact. "But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you--from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted" (1 Peter 2:9-10 MSG). We are blessed. We belong to God and He has chosen to make us His instruments to accomplish His purposes here on this earth. And our attitude should be one of gratitude. Gratefulness for God's incredible goodness and grace.

Father, thank You for all You have done. Forgive me for the many times I take Your grace for granted. Too often I fail to remember all that You have done for me. Never let me forget the greatness of Your goodness. Amen

He Walks Among Us.

Deuteronomy 23-24

For the Lord your God walks about in the middle of your camp to deliver you and defeat your enemies for you. Therefore your camp should be holy, so that he does not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you. – Deuteronomy 23:14 NET

Like the two chapters that precede them, chapters 23-24 contain what seems to be a wide range of topics that don't seem to fit together. But they all have something to do with the presence of God. They each reflect an awareness that God is in the midst of His people. As a result, He has different standards and He expects His people to live differently than the nations around them. We may view some of these restrictions as unnecessarily harsh, but God had a reason for them. He was illustrating for His people His own holiness and set-apartness. Even when the people of God went out on manuevers as an army, they had to remain holy. They couldn't cut corners or excuse themselves from following God's commands. "When you go out as an army against your enemies, guard yourselves against anything impure" (Deuteronomy 23:9 NET). Personal and corporate purity were to be a priority – at all times. Even when it came to personal hygiene, they were to practice purity. When an army was out in the field, each of the men was to cover his waste products, not leave it out in the open like a latrine. Why? Because God would be walking about their camp. He would be in their midst. Not only did this result in good hygiene, it resulted in a constant awareness of God's presence. God's people should ALWAYS conduct themselves in view of God's presence among them.

This is a huge need in the church today. So often we fail to sense God's presence among us. We act as if He is nowhere to be found. Which results in a flippant, casual kind of attitude about our thoughts and actions. Over in his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul says, "Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes––these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God" (Ephesians 5:3-4). We are to remove these things from our community. We are NOT to live like the rest of the world. Our homes are NOT to have in them the same kind of things the rest of the world has. We are NOT to watch the same kind of movies and TV shows. We are NOT to listen to the same music. We are NOT to have the same kinds of conversations. Because we are better? No, but because the holy, righteous God walks in our midst. He walks among us. I remember one time having a conversation with my oldest son about his use of the Internet. I warned him about the dangers of pornography available online. I tried to tell him that there would be temptations to look at things he knew he was not supposed to look at. But the thing that made the greatest impact on him was when I told him to consider what it would be like if he was surfing the Internet and decided to click on a site he knew was inappropriate – and I was sitting next to him when the improper images appeared on the screen. I remember the uncomfortable look on his face. I asked him if he would ever click on something inappropriate or improper on the Internet if I was sitting next to him and he said, "No!" Then I told him to consider the fact that God Himself was sitting next to Him at all times. The holy, righteous God of the universe was with Him every second of every day. So if he did end up clicking on that site in order to look at images he knew were wrong for him as a believer, he would be doing so right in front of God.

But most of us don't seem to believe that God is with us at all times. We don't recognize that He walks in our midst. So we tolerate all kinds of "uncleanliness" in our midst. Rather than bury our filth, we allow it to remain in the open, subjecting God to our sin and uncleanness. Sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes. Sounds like a description of prime-time TV doesn't it? Yet as we sit on the couch taking it all in, God is there with us. He is in our midst. His presence is there whether we feel it or not. Yet we live like the nations around us – ignoring His presence and pursuing a lifestyle that has no place among God's people. "GOD, your God, strolls through your camp; he's present to deliver you and give you victory over your enemies. Keep your camp holy; don't permit anything indecent or offensive in GOD's eyes" (Deuteronomy 23:14 MSG).

Father, You are in our midst, but we live like You are not there. We allow all kinds of uncleanness to exist in our camp, ignoring Your commands for holiness and purity. We resemble the world around us more than the God among us. We have lost our distinctiveness. Forgive us Father and remind us once again of our uniqueness as Your people. You walk among us. You have placed Your Spirit within us. We belong to You and not this world. Make us increasingly aware of Your presence so that we might willingly remove any and all things in and around our lives that have no place in the life of a believer. Amen

Extremely Tough Love.

Deuteronomy 21-22

Suppose a man has a stubborn, rebellious son who will not obey his father or mother, even though they discipline him. In such cases, the father and mother must take the son before the leaders of the town. They must declare: ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious and refuses to obey. He is a worthless drunkard.’ Then all the men of the town must stone him to death. In this way, you will cleanse this evil from among you, and all Israel will hear about it and be afraid. – Deuteronomy 21:18-21 NLT

Chapters 21-22 of Deuteronomy are difficult at best. The content appears to be somewhat random and unrelated. It covers everything from how to properly marry a woman taken captive in the defeat of an enemy city to the proper resolution of manslaughter cases when you don't know who committed the crime. There's even some admonitions about home safety, cross dressing, and the care of animals. But all these topics have something to do with the fifth, sixth and seventh commandments. "Honor your father and mother." "You shall not murder." "You shall not commit adultery." Each of the situations covered in these chapters have something to do with illustrating in greater detail what these commandments really meant. These two chapters are practical, daily applications of these three laws. Yes, they seem a little odd to us at times, but they fit the context in which the people of Israel were living. They were real life events that took place every day.

But the one that struck a chord with me was the one on the rebellious son. As the father of two boys, I have actually used these verses to jokingly remind my sons how important it is that they obey. At times, when they have given me a hard time and disobeyed me, I have reminded them that in "Bible days" boys like that could have been stoned. Now hear me out. I never threatened to stone my kids and I was not trying to instill the fear of God into them. I was just kidding around. But as I read this passage again in its context, I am struck with how much this is NOT a laughing matter to God. Obedience is a serious matter to God. So is rebellion. In God's economy, parents are his legal representatives. They exercise authority over their children on His behalf. This is not a role we should take lightly. This passage is given as a last resort for parents who have exhausted all other avenues to restore their son to a right relationship with them and with God.

The fifth commandment states, "Honor your father and mother." This was a command that God took seriously. Disobedience to authority was a serious matter to God. A child that habitually disobeyed his parents would be a man who willingly and regularly disobeyed the commands of God and every other authority in his life. He would become a bane to society and a blot on the community. This passage was not intended to give parents the freedom to kill their rebellious sons, but to encourage them to do everything in their power to restore their child. But in the end, their love for God was to supercede their love for their child. This passage seems to indicate a son who had developed a habit of willful rebellion. The terms "stubborn and rebellious" are used to describe the son. They are the same terms used throughout the Old Testament to describe the nation of Israel in terms of their relationship with God. Whenever Israel disobeyed God, it was in effect saying, "You are not my God!" They were declaring by their actions that they rejected His authority over their lives. They were dishonoring Him as their rightful ruler and authority. In rejecting the authority of his parents, a son was doing the same thing. The son, in renouncing his relationship with his parents, has effectively declared, if not by his words, then certainly by his deeds, what the adopted son in the Mesopotamian adoption contracts says when he abrogates his contract, "I am not your son; you are not my parents."

As a parent, I am to place my love for God above my love for my child. I am not to excuse his behavior, but see his rebellion and disobedience as an affront to the authority and sovereignty of God. A rebellious child will grow up to be a rebellious man. To allow my son to habitually disobey my authority would be to encourage his future rejection of God's authority in his life. God seems to have given this regulation as a reminder of His ultimate authority and requirement of obedience, but also as an effective deterrent to disobedience and juvenile delinquency. No loving parent would have willingly brought their son to be stoned without first having done everything in their power to restore their son. But in the end, our love of God should even overshadow our love for our own children. Our desire to honor God should supercede our desire to tolerate our childrens' rebellious behavior. In his commentary on the book of Deuteronomy, Dr. Thomas L. Constable has this to say about this passage:

"It may appear at first that God was commanding the Israelites to exercise less grace with their own children than He showed the whole nation. However, God had previously promised never to cut off His people (Genesis 12:1-3). The Israelites were to be God's instruments of judgment in many specific situations, as we have seen in Deuteronomy. The punishment of sinners, be they Canaanites or Israelites, for specific types of sin was imperative for Israel to fulfill God's purpose for her in the world (Exodus 19:5-6). This legislation teaches us that parents should put their love for God above their love for their children."

Father, as a parent it is so easy to excuse little acts of rebellion or disobedience in my children. I have done it regularly over the years. And when I do, I fail to see that I am creating an environment of rebellion. I am encouraging a lifestyle of disobedience. I am allowing what I think is a love for my child to become a tolerance of unrighteousness. You have given me a position of authority with the responsibility to teach my children to obey me so that they might one day obey You. When I allow them to reject my authority, even in small ways, I am training them to reject Your authority in the future. Show me how to love You more than I love my own children. May I long to see them live lives of obedience so that they might grow up to obey You in all things. Amen

He Will Give You the Victory.

Deuteronomy 20

He will say, "Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight today! Do not lose heart or panic. For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!" – Deuteronomy 20:3-4 NLT

One of the realities facing the people of Israel was war. For them to enjoy all the blessings inherent in the Promised Land, they were going to have to do battle with the inhabitants of the land. This was not going to be a cake walk. It was not going to be easy. God was not just going to hand over the land with no effort expended by the people. Sure, He had given them the land. But they were going to have to fight for it in order to occupy it. So war was going to be a regular part of their life for the foreseeable future.

And the same is true for us as believers. We have been assured of a victory by Christ because of His death on the cross. We have been promised a life filled with joy, peace, contentment, and the daily, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. But we live in a land where the enemy hates us and is out to destroy us. We are under daily attack by that enemy. He is out to defeat us in any way that we can. Jesus promised us that He came to give us life more abundantly (John 10:10), but that does not mean we are going to have an easy go of it. He also promised trials and tribulations in this life. "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world" (John 16:33 NLT).

In Deuteronomy 20, Moses reminds the people that they are getting ready to do battle. When they begin the process of possessing the land, it was going to involve war. And this was not a nation with a standing army. They were not trained to do battle. They had been farmers and shepherds in Egypt. They had been common laborers. But now they were going to have to prepare to do battle with nations much more numerous than them and with a lot more military experience. But Moses tells them, "When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The LORD your God, who brought you safely out of Egypt, is with you!" (Deuteronomy 20:1 NLT).

Do not be afraid! Instead, they were to remember that God was with them and to rely on His help with confidence regardless of the enemy's strength. As believers, we are called to trust God in the midst of the conflicts of this life. We are to recall God's past faithfulness and gain courage from His promises that He will be with us.

It is interesting that the priest had a role to play in preparing the people for battle. He even accompanied the army into battle. But before they engaged the enemy the priest was to remind the people by telling them, "Attention, Israel. In a few minutes you're going to do battle with your enemies. Don't waver in resolve. Don't fear. Don't hesitate. Don't panic. GOD, your God, is right there with you, fighting with you against your enemies, fighting to win. (Deuteronomy 20:3-4 MSG). The priest represented the Tabernacle of God, the place where the very presence of God dwelt. As a servant of God, the priest was to consecrate the people and represent the Tabernacle and God's name in the midst of the battle. The presence of the priest was a visual reminder of the presence of God. The priest didn't just give a pep talk and then send the people out to do battle. No, he went with them.

We must remind ourselves constantly that we are at war. We are engaged in an epic struggle between two kingdoms. And just because we know how the story ends and who the ultimate victor is, does not mean that the war is any less real. In a real sense, every one of us, as followers of Christ, are priests. We are His representatives. As such, we should remind one another daily that we are in battle, but that we can face and foe with faith and not fear because our God is with us. We don't need to fear, panic, or worry. Our God goes into battle with us. He fights alongside us. And we fight alongside one another.

Father, we are at war. The enemy is real and he is out to destroy us. But You have promised to fight with us and for us. You have given us the weapons of our warfare. You have equipped us with everything we need to live in this world victoriously and confidently. May we learn to remind each other daily that You are with us. There is no reason to fear. Amen

A Prophet Like Moses.

Deuteronomy 18-19

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites, and you must listen to that prophet. – Deuteronomy 18:15 NLT

Back in Exodus 19-20 we have recorded the incident where the people of God begged Moses to intercede with God on their behalf. They had seen the power and presence of God on the mountain top in the form of thunder, lightning, and smoke. God had just given His commandments to Moses and the people were terrified. So they told Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die" (Exodus 20:19 NASB). Moses became their spokesman and intercessor. He communicated to them the words of God. He interceded on their behalf with God. Now in Deuteronomy 18, Moses lets the people know that there would be other prophets to come after him. There would be one in particular who would be raised up by God from among them. God would put His words in this individual's mouth and he would speak on behalf of God.

This statement by Moses clearly speaks of Jesus and His future coming. "But even as he said it, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, 'This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him. Listen to him.'" (Matthew 17:5 NLT). In speaking to the Jews of His day, Jesus said, "Yet it is not I who will accuse you of this before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, on whom you set your hopes. But if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me because he wrote about me. And since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?" (John 5:45-47 NLT). Jesus made it clear that He spoke on behalf of God, just as Moses had predicted. "But all who reject me and my message will be judged at the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me gave me his own instructions as to what I should say. And I know his instructions lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say!" (John 12:48-50 NLT). Peter, after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, told the Jews in the crowd, "Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’ Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be cut off from God’s people and utterly destroyed.’" (Acts 3:22-23 NLT). Jesus was clearly the ultimate fulfillment of this prophesy. This prophesy is clearly a Messianic promise and Jesus fulfilled that promise in a number of ways::

He was spared in infancy (Exodus 2; Matthew 2:13-23)

He renounced a royal court (Hebrews 11:24-27; Philippians 2:5-8)

He had compassion for the people (Numbers 27:17; Matthew 9:36)

He made intercession for the people (Deuteronomy 9:18; Hebrews 7:25)

He spoke with God face to face (Exodus 34:29-30; 2 Corinthians 3:7)

He was the mediator of a covenant (Deuteronomy 29:1; Hebrews 8:6-7)

God had revealed Himself through Moses in the Old Testament period. But that role, as great as it was, would be surpassed by Jesus during the New Testament period. While Moses saved the people from slavery in Egypt, Jesus would provide salvation from slavery to sin and death. But while there are many similarities between Jesus and Moses, Jesus is superior. Moses was a prototype of what was to come. Jesus was the fulfillment. Moses was simply a shadow of the Light of the world. So here are seven ways in which Jesus was superior to Moses.

Jesus provided eternal salvation through His death

While Moses died in the wilderness, Jesus was resurrected from the dead

Jesus ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father

Moses job as prophet and intercessor ended with his death, but Jesus continued to speak on behalf of God after His death (through the New Testament prophets)

Jesus continues to intercede for us

Jesus will one day return for us

Jesus will ultimately bring us into God's presence

The writer of the book of Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus was and is superior to Moses. Moses was a man who spoke on behalf of God. Jesus is the God-man who came as the very image of God in human form, delivering God's message of redemption and reconciliation. Jesus didn't just deliver from physical slavery, but spiritual slavery. Jesus didn't just come to provide a land in which to live, but an eternity in which to dwell with God. "But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a fine house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but God is the one who made everything. Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house, but only as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, the faithful Son, was in charge of the entire household. And we are God’s household, if we keep up our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ." (Hebrews 3:3-5 NLT).

Father, Your Son is the fulfillment of all things. He is the prophet Moses promised. He is the one who was to come, and He did come, delivering Your message of hope and healing. He was the ultimate sacrifice. He was the prophet, priest, and king. He was the deliverer and the One who was delivered up for my sake. His words are Your words. Teach us to listen to Him, just as Moses said. Amen

When God Was King.

Deuteronomy 16-17

Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. They must appear before the LORD your God at the place he chooses on each of these occasions, and they must bring a gift to the LORD.– Deuteronomy 16:16 NLT

There is something interesting going on in these two chapters that I have never noticed before. At first glance, they appear to be disjointed and a little confusing. Moses seems to jump around from talk about festivals and feasts to judges, idol worship, and then kings. It's almost as if Moses suffers from ADD. He appears to be all over the map topically. And yet, after closer examination, the emphasis seems to be on the sovereignty and reign of God.

This section is all about God as king. In fact, when Moses reminds the people that they are to come before the Lord three times a year at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths, he is calling them to bring tribute to God as their king. This was a practice common among the nations who occupied the land. This requirement that the men of Israelreport to the central sanctuary three times a year had a parallel in the Near Eastern treaty requirements. It was common practice for suzerains to require their vassals to report to them periodically, in some cases three times a year, in order to renew their allegiance and to bring tribute. So God is calling His citizens to come before Him three times a year to renew their allegiance and to bring tribute to Him as king.

As king, God would appoint judges, just and righteous men to help settle disputes and dispense justice. "Let true justice prevail, so you may live and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you" (Deuteronomy 16:20 NLT). God wanted justice to flourish in His kingdom. And as king, He would not tolerate the worship or veneration of other gods. He demanded unflagging loyalty from His citizens. Unfaithfulness was to be punished. Justice was to reign in His land and among His people.

But Moses also alludes to a day coming when the people of God would demand a king other than God. In spite of the fact that God would allow the people to enter the land, possess it, and live in it, they would decide that they want a king like all the other nations. They would become dissatisfied with God as their king and determine to place a human king on the throne of Israel. God anticipates this event and even gives requirements regarding this eventual outcome. This king would be chosen by God. He would rule according to God's standards, and adhere to God's laws. His kingdom would only be as successful as he was faithful. Sadly, we know the outcome of this story. Israel would demand a king. And God would give them a king after their own hearts – King Saul. He would be all they ever hoped for – tall, good looking, a natural born leader. But also a lousy follower of God. He would disobey God and disappoint the people of God. God would eventually replace him with David. But David and his son Solomon would both violate the very requirements outlines in this passage. And their disobedience would lead to God's punishment on them and their kingdoms. Their legacy of less-than-perfect leadership would live on in the lives of the kings of Israel and Judah, most of whom were flawed and faithless kings and sorry replacements for the one true king – God Himself.

This is about God. It always has been and always will be. He is our God and we are His people. We owe Him tribute and honor. We are to live according to the rules of His kingdom, not our own. We are to remain faithful to Him and to be satisfied with His leadership in our lives.

Father, You are king. I am to answer to You and You alone. But so often I fail to obey You and I seek others kings in my life. Help me to remember that I owe all my allegiance to You. I am to worship You and You alone. I am to live according to Your rules and the terms of Your kingdom. You are a faithful and just king who rules with fairness and dispenses justice. There is no reason I should ever doubt You or dethrone You from my life. Amen

Distinctively Different.

Deuteronomy 14-15

You have been set apart as holy to the LORD your God, and he has chosen you to be his own special treasure from all the nations of the earth. – Deuteronomy 14:2 NLT

The people of Israel were no different than anybody else. At least when it came to their worthiness. They were no better than any other nation. They were no more deserving of God's love than any other people group on the planet. There was nothing about them that set them apart except for the fact that God had set them apart – for Himself. These chapters are all a reminder to the people of God that they belong to Him. As they get ready to go into the Promised Land and occupy it, Moses is reminding them that they are to live distinctively different lives. They have a different standard by which to live. God has called them to live lives that are reflective of their unique relationship with Him. Rather than blend in and fit in with the surrounding culture, they were to stand out and be set apart from it. In every area of their lives. The external appearance of the people should reflect their internal status as the chosen and holy people of God.

From the food they ate and the clothes they wore to the way they worshiped, everything was to be different. They were not free to eat anything they wanted. They were not free to dress like the surrounding nations. All of these rules and regulations seem highly restrictive to us, but they were really God's way of ensuring that His people stood out from the crowd. They were designed to keep the people of God from living like the Canaanites and other people groups who occupied the land. God did not want them eat like them, act like them, worship like them, or treat one another the way they did. So God provided the people of Israel with divine standards for everything from food consumption to debt reduction. Even their treatment of the poor was to be distinctive. God was blessing them so that they might be a blessing. That was part of the original Abrahamic covenant. They were going to be enjoying the blessings of God in the land, so they were required to pass that blessing along to those in need. "…as the Lord your God has blessed you, you must give to them" Deuteronomy 15:14b NET). Even to the point of suspending or forgiving debt. This would have been unheard of among the people who lived in the land. Word of this kind of relationship between brothers and sisters would have spread quickly among the pagan nations. News of forgiveness of debt and compassionate care for the poor would have gotten the attention of all the neighbors of Israel. It would have set them apart as different and distinct. But it would have also illustrated the heart of God.

We are called to live lives that are set apart. Not to inconvenience us, but to mark us as belonging to God. We are His and as such, we are to live lives that illustrate our unique relationship as His called out ones. We only are a people holy to GOD, our God; GOD has chosen us out of all the people on Earth as His cherished personal treasure. And we should live like it.

Father, You have called us out and set us apart. Yet so often we fail to live distinctively different lives. We would rather blend in than stand out. We would prefer to reflect the world's standards than live according to Yours. Forgive us and continue to call us out. Show us how to be in the world but not of it. May our lives reflect our unique relationship as Your sons and daughters. Amen

A Crime Worthy of Death

Deuteronomy 13

Stone the guilty ones to death because they have tried to draw you away from the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery. – Deuteronomy 13:10 NLT

So just how serious was God about His people keeping the first commandment? It seems that when He said that they were not to have any other gods in place of or besides Him, He meant it. Deuteronomy 13 is an explanation of what was to happen to anyone who tried to tempt the people of God to worship idols. Whether it was a prophet, brother, son or daughter, wife, or even a best friend who tried to entice the worship of false gods, the penalty was the same: death by stoning. In God's eyes, these individuals were counseling rebellion against Him. God had called the people of Israel to follow Him, fear Him, keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him (Deuteronomy 13:4). God required faithfulness and fidelity from His people, and unfaithfulness was not to be tolerated. God saw idolatry as spiritual sedition. It was rebellion against His rule and authority in their lives, and it was a serious crime that carried a serious punishment.

But today we have softened our stance on idolatry. We seem to believe that we are safe and secure because we don't have any idols in our lives. After all, we don't worship totems or golden statues on the mantel of our homes. We don't pray to other gods or offer sacrifices in pagan temples. But are we idol-free? Have we kept the first commandment fully and completely? In his book, Counterfeit Gods, Tim Keller helps us see that idol worship is a lot more evident in our lives than we might like to admit.

"The Bible often speaks of idols using the religious metaphor. God should be our true Savior, but we look to personal achievement or financial prosperity to give us the peace and security we need. Idols give us a sense of being in control, and we can locate them by looking at our nightmares. What do we fear the most? What, if we lost it, would make life not worth living? We make 'sacrifices' to appease and please our gods, who we believe will protect us. We look to our idols to provide us with a sense of confidence and safety. The Bible also speaks of idols using a political metaphor. God should be our Lord and Master, but whatever we love and trust we also serve. Anything that becomes more important and non-negotiable to us than God becomes an enslaving idol. In this paradigm, we can locate idols by looking at our most unyielding emotions. What makes us uncontrollably angry, anxious, or despondent? What racks us with a guilt we can't shake? Idols control us, since we feel we must have them or life is meaningless."

So you see, idols are more prevalent in our lives than we might like to admit. And when you couple that fact with God's hatred for them, we have to take this as a wake-up call. We must see our tendency to seek other source of satisfaction and fulfillment as a serious crime against God. It is nothing less than spiritual sedition. God is to be our sole source of comfort, security, safety, strength, hope, satisfaction, joy, and fulfillment. Any time we seek for those in something or somebody else, we have made that thing or individual an idol in our lives. And God will not tolerate it. Is He asking us to stone one another today for our acts of idolatry? Probably not, but He is testing us. "The LORD your God is testing you to see if you love him with all your heart and soul" (Deuteronomy 13:3 NLT). He wants to see if we will worship Him and Him alone. Will we remain faithful. Are we willing confess our love affair with other things and return to Him? If we do, He promises to bless us. Because He is faithful even when we are not.

Father, I have so many idols in my life and I ask Your forgiveness for allowing myself to turn to them in place of You. The sad thing is that they never really deliver what they promise. They disappoint all the time, but I keep going back to them. But You are always faithful and true and never let me down. Help me see the seriousness of my sin. Help me to take idolatry seriously and see it as rebellion against Your rule and authority in my life. Amen

No Other Gods!

Deuteronomy 11-12

So have love for the Lord your God, and give him worship, and keep his laws and his decisions and his orders at all times. – Deuteronomy 11:1 BBE

We are entering a portion of the book of Deuteronomy where Moses begins to unpack the commandments of God in practical ways. He is preparing the people for entering the land and giving them a recap of the Law that God had given them back at Sinai. He is explaining in greater detail the meaning of the various Ten Commandments and helping the people understand how they will apply to their life in the Promised Land. But in revisiting the commands of God, Moses is giving them and us a glimpse into the heart, mind, and will of God. We see how He thinks, how He relates, and what His desires are for the people He chooses. Chapter 11 is a call to love and obey God, to keep His commandments, to walk in His ways, and to hold onto Him. "Be careful to obey all the commands I give you; show love to the LORD your God by walking in his ways and clinging to him" (Deuteronomy 11:22 NLT). It paints a picture of blessings and curses based on obedience or disobedience to the commands of God. Chapter 12 is really an elaboration of the first commandment: "You must not have any other gods besides me" (Deuteronomy 5:7 NET). Moses is making sure the people understand the commandments fully so they can keep them completely and enjoy the blessings of God.

God gives the people very explicit instructions regarding the worship of Him when they arrive in the land. He makes it clear what they are to do and not do. They are to completely purge the land of all alters, high places, and shrines to false gods. They are not to leave any remnants of them in the land. Why? Because God knew the people would be tempted to worship these gods in place of Him or in addition to Him. They had to worship the one true God, not the god of their choice. They were not to worship their version of the one true God, but only God Himself. And not only were they to worship God and God alone, they had to worship Him correctly. They couldn't worship Him using an alter built for a false god. They couldn't worship Him in a place other than the one designated and determined by God. The bottom line is that God is very specific about how we are to worship Him. So He tells the people that it is going to be very different when the arrive in the Promised Land. He even tells them, "Today you are doing whatever you please, but that is not how it will be" (Deuteronomy 12:8 NLT). They were going to play by His rules and live according to His standards, not their own.

In the introduction to his book, Counterfeit Gods, Tim Keller makes this sobering statement: "Our contemporary society is not fundamentally different from those ancient ones. Each culture is dominated by its own set of idols. Each has its 'priesthoods,' its totems and rituals. Each has its own shrines – whether office towers, spas and gyms, studios, or stadiums – where sacrifices must be made in order to procure the blessings of the good life and ward off disaster. What are the gods of beauty, power, money, and achievement but these same things that have assumed mythic proportions in our individual lives and in our society?" We are called to love and worship God and Him alone. We are commanded to have no other gods beside Him. Yet each of us struggles daily with the temptation to offer our time, talents, money and attention on something other than God. We worship at the shrines of power, position, pleasure and possessions. We have taken the idols of our culture and made them our own. We seek satisfaction, fulfillment, joy, and contentment from them. We expect them to deliver what only God Himself is capable of providing. And we suffer as a result. We are disillusioned, disappointed, dysfunctional, dissatisfied, and distant from the very God who wants to bless us beyond our wildest dreams. But our God wants to be our only god. He wants us to worship Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. He wants our undivided attention and love.

Father, You have called me to love and obey You. But to do that I must remove all the other gods in my life. And there are a lot of them. I worship anything and everything, including myself sometimes. And even though none of these things really deliver on their promises, I find myself going back to them time and time again. You have told me to have no other gods before me. You have commanded me to remove all these idols from my life. Give me the strength and determination to do just that. So that I might worship You and You alone. Amen

God Chose Me!

Deuteronomy 10

Look around you: Everything you see is GOD's – the heavens above and beyond, the Earth, and everything on it. But it was your ancestors that GOD fell in love with; he picked their children – that's [you]! – out of all the other peoples. That's where we are right now. – Deuteronomy 10:14-15 MSG

I have to be honest. Sometimes I don't fully understand or appreciate the reality that the God of the universe has chosen to have a relationship with me. For some reason I lose sight of just how incredibly awesome that fact is. I take it for granted. I even convince myself that I somehow deserve to have a relationship with God. But I know I'm not alone. The Israelites had the same problem, and Moses knew it. That's why he has spent the last few chapters reminding them of all the great things God has done for them. Now in chapter 10 he gives them a not-so-subtle reminder that God chose them, not the other way around. The Creator of all things, the God of the entire universe, "set His affection" (NASB) on Abraham and his descendants. He showed them favor. He delighted in them. All so He could express His love for them. His choosing of Abraham had nothing to do with Abraham himself. It was not based on anything Abraham had done or not done. God chose Abraham. And God chose Abraham's descendants. And God chose the Israelites who found themselves standing on the edge of the Promised Land, waiting to inherit the blessings of God, in spite of their stubborn hearts and rebellious spirits.

And God chose me! Not because I deserved to be chosen. He just chose me. That ought to blow my mind every time I think about it. But instead, I have grown so accustomed to the reality of it, that it sometimes carries no weight with me at all. I use phrases like "child of God" so flippantly and casually, not realizing or appreciating the remarkable nature of my relationship with the Almighty God, creator of all things. When I think about the reality of my relationship with God, it should blow me away. And it should engender a response, much like the one Moses encouraged the people of Israel to have. To fear Him, obey Him, love Him, and serve Him with all my heart and soul. "So now Israel, what do you think GOD expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve GOD, your God, with everything you have in you" (Deuteronomy 10:12 MSG). I am to serve Him with everything I have in me. But I will never do that fully if I don't come to realize just how marvelous it is that He chose me! Moses describes God in these amazing terms: "GOD, your God, is the God of all gods, he's the Master of all masters, a God immense and powerful and awesome" (Deuteronomy 10:17 MSG). That same God chose me! He wants to have a relationship with me. He put HIS Spirit within me. He calls me His child. He has made me His heir. That incredible reality should produce in me a desire to obey Him, love Him, follow Him, fear Him, listen to Him, and more than anything else, appreciate the fact that I can have a relationship with Him.

Father, thank You for choosing me! What more can I say? Thank You, thank You, thank You. Amen

The Danger of Disregarding God.

Deuteronomy 8-9

After the LORD your God has done this for you, don’t say to yourselves, "The LORD has given us this land because we are so righteous!" No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is doing it. – Deuteronomy 9:4 NLT

Excessive self-reliance and self-importance can destroy our concept of God. We can become so self-consumed that we turn God into a caricature of Himself. He becomes less the all-powerful, Holy God than a personal valet who meets our desires and rewards us for our good deeds. This is a risk the Israelites faced and it is one that confronts us today. In chapters eight and nine, Moses covers two themes with the people: remembering/forgetting and wilderness/Promised Land. He warns them to remember all that God has done for them during their years in the wilderness. He led them, fed them, humbled them, tested them, taught them, and disciplined them. Then he warns them not to forget all that God has done for them once they arrive in the Promised Land. Moses knew that they would have a tendency to think they somehow deserved all they are getting because of their own righteousness. In spite of their track record of rebellion and sinfulness. They would develop short-term memory loss and forget what the incident of the golden calf and their habit of grumbling and complaining against God. Instead, they would falsely think of themselves as righteous and somehow deserving of all the blessings found in the land of promise. They would wrongly conclude that all this was all because of THEM. So Moses wants to remind them of their own sin, so they would understand God's mercy and grace.

While there is an extreme form of pride that completely leaves God out of the picture and tends to attribute success and prosperity self-effort, there is another kind of pride that is more insidious and dangerous. It comes disguised as a false sense of humility expressing gratitude to God for all His blessings. But hidden behind the veneer of gratefulness and admissions of God undeserved goodness is a subtle belief that we somehow deserve what we are getting. His blessings are somehow proof of our own righteousness. Like the Israelites we say, "Because of my righteousness the Lord has given me this land." In other words, we can acknowledge God's goodness while basing it on our own righteousness. God is good to us because we are good!

This kind of thinking tends to distort and disregard the true nature of God. He was a sovereign God who had chosen them, not because of anything special about them, but because He chose to do so. They were no more deserving of His goodness than any other nation. He was displacing the Canaanites and other people groups because of their own rebellion and sinfulness, not because of the righteousness of Israel. Whenever we begin to think that we somehow deserve or have in any way earned God's favor, we diminish God. He devalue His grace and mercy. We make ourselves the hero and God the dispenser of rewards for our righteousness. And in doing so we fail to remember the truth: We are sinners saved by grace. We are rebels who deserved death, but have been given life and righteousness. We are a stubborn and stiff-necked people whom God has chosen to redeem, in spite of us, not because of us.

Father, we are so prone to take credit for all You have done for us. We want to somehow think we deserve Your blessings. We want to believe that we have earned Your good favor by our good actions. But we are a stubborn and stiff-necked people. We suffer from short-term memory loss and a false sense of self-worth. Forgive me for devaluing all You have done by wrongly valuing what I have done. You get all the credit all the time. Amen

Small Victories. Steady Growth.

Deuteronomy 7

No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the LORD your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God. The LORD your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, for if you did, the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you. – Deuteronomy 7:21-22 NLT

Transformation takes time. But we live in a quick-fix society that wants everything to happen instantaneously. Whether it's losing weight or gaining wealth, we don't want to wait. TV shows like The Biggest Loser give us glimpses into the lives of individuals attempting to lose significant amounts of weight, but collapse the entire process into a single season of 30-minute shows. We love before-and-after images of people who have been transformed. We like stories about people who have gone from rags to riches, obscurity to fame – seemingly overnight. Every day millions of people waste their hard-earned money playing the lottery in the hopes of winning big and getting rich quick. And if we're honest, many of us as Christians approach our spiritual transformation with the same results-while-you-wait mentality. We are in a hurry to get where we think we need to be. But God doesn't seem to be in a rush. He is in no hurry. Instead He seems willing to slowly and methodically work out His plan of spiritual transformation in our lives.

We see the same no-hurry mentality when it comes to God's plan for the people of Israel possessing the land of Canaan. Moses reminds the people that their God is great and awesome. He is powerful and fully capable of doing whatever He sets His mind to do. But that same powerful God was NOT going to give the instant access to the land and immediate victory over all their enemies. No, this was going to be a slow and steady process. God was going to clear away the nations little by little – one step at a time. When it comes to the renovation of our lives, we can sometimes get intimidated by the sheet size of the task ahead of us. There seems to be so many things we need to work on. We have so many flaws and faults that stand in the way of our transformation. It can be easy to get overwhelmed and lose heart. God knows this about us. He knew it about the people of Israel. He also knew that giving them instantaneous victory would have been disastrous. They wouldn't have been able to handle the success. And neither can we. So God works slowly and methodically. He gives us small victories and steady glimpses of growth taking place. He wants us to move forward one step at a time. He wants us to be faithful and to face our fears knowing that He is with us. He chose us. He loves us. And He is going to change us. On His time frame and in His own unique way. We can count on it.

Father, You are transforming me daily. Forgive me for the many times I get impatient or even upset that You are not working fast enough. Your plan is perfect and Your timing is impeccable. Help me to rest in You and wait on You. Help me to recognize the change that is taking place each and every day. Amen

The Great Commandment.

Deuteronomy 6

And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. – Deuteronomy 6:5 NLT

Sounds a bit familiar doesn't it? Here in chapter six of the book of Deuteronomy, we have the words that Jesus quoted in answer to the question, "Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment" (Matthew 22:37-38 NLT). But the love of God must include obedience to God. That is what Deuteronomy chapter six is all about. Here Moses unpacks the first commandment to love the Lord your God. He expands on it and gives the Israelites a more in-depth understanding of just what that love must include. It must include a healthy fear of God. The fear of God is the respect that comes from an appreciation of His character. He is holy, righteous, just, pure, and yet faithful, constant, consistent, loving, and forgiving. As we have seen, God is a covenant-keeping God. He follows through on His promises. He can be trusted. The love of God also includes fidelity on our part. We must remain faithful and true. We must not have any other gods, or worship anything other than God Himself. The love of God includes obedience. To love Him is to obey Him. Even Jesus said, "If you love me, obey my commandments" (John 14:15 NLT). He went on to say, "Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of them" (John 14:15 NLT).

Loving God also includes bragging about God. Moses told the people of Israel to tell their children all the wonderful things God had done for them. When their sons and daughters asked them about the meaning behind all the laws and commandments, the people were to respond, "We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with amazing power. Before our eyes the LORD did miraculous signs and wonders, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people. He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had solemnly promised to give our ancestors. And the LORD our God commanded us to obey all these laws and to fear him for our own prosperity and well–being, as is now the case" (Deuteronomy 6:21-24 NLT). And in the same way, we're to tell our kids about the incredible things God has done in our lives. We obey Him because He delivered us. We obey Him out of delight, not duty.

We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Nothing has changed. That is still the expectation. It is still the Great Commandment. But it is so easy to love other things. It is so easy to give our affections to someone or something else. It is so easy to disobey and to fail to fear God, refusing to show Him the proper respect His character deserves. We can easily become complacent and forgetful of all He has done. We can become self-sufficient and self-satisfied. But He has called us to express our love to Him through obedience, fear, faithfulness, and a desire to talk about Him constantly because of all He has done.

Father, I want to continue to learn what it means to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I want to show that love to You in tangible ways. I want to express my love for You in a life of obedience, faith, and fear, telling others of Your powerful presence in my life. Amen

A Covenant Breaking People.

Deuteronomy 4-5

What I wouldn't give if they'd always feel this way, continuing to revere me and always keep all my commands; they'd have a good life forever, they and their children! – Deuteronomy 5:29 MSG

As we saw yesterday, the theme of the book of Deuteronomy seems to be the covenant-keeping aspect of God. The covenant is mentioned over and over again. It comes up again in our two chapters for today. Moses reminds the people once again of the covenant God had made with them. He had promised to give them the land of Canaan – the Promised Land. But His covenant with them had a clause that required them to obey. As part of His covenant, He provided them with the Ten Commandments, as a set of rules or regulations for them to keep. Moses reiterates the requirements at the beginning of chapter four. "And now, Israel, listen carefully to these laws and regulations that I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you may live, so you may enter and occupy the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you from the LORD your God. Just obey them" (Deuteronomy 4:1-2 NLT). Then at the beginning of chapter five, he goes back over the original Ten Commandments again.

Moses repeatedly tells the people to keep, to obey, to do them, to beware, to watch themselves, and to remember. He reminds them of God's faithfulness and His compassion. But he also warns them that their failure to obey will result in their destruction and ultimate captivity. What is amazing is that God is predicting through Moses exactly what was going to happen. God knew the people were going to fail to keep His commandments. He knew they were going to be unfaithful and rebel against Him. He knew He was going to have to follow through on His threat to send the into captivity. But in spite of all this, God was going to prove His unfailing faithfulness yet again. "From there you will search again for the LORD your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him. When those bitter days have come upon you far in the future, you will finally return to the LORD your God and listen to what he tells you. For the LORD your God is merciful––he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors" (Deuteronomy 4:29-31 NLT). Even in the midst of the punishment for their rebellion, God would make Himself known to them. He would not abandon them or destroy them. Instead He would show compassion and mercy. He would remember the covenant He had made and keep it.

God didn't want to bring destruction on His people. He didn't want to send them into captivity. He longed that His people would have a heart for Him. "Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever! (Deuteronomy 4:29 NASB). God knew His people would break the covenant. He knew they would rebel. He knew they did not have the capacity or capability to hold up their end of the covenant. But it did not change His commitment to them. In fact, God would eventually provide a way for all mankind to keep His law and fulfill His commands – through the provision of His own Son. He knew we were incapable of keeping His law. So He sent His Son to do it for us, and to pay the price for our sin. He is the covenant-keeping God. He is faithful, even when we are not.

Father, I would not be here if not for You. I would not even have chosen to have a relationship with You if not for Your Holy Spirit drawing me to You. I can't thank You enough for Your faithfulness and mercy. Amen