Deuteronomy 13:6-11 – Preferring God above all human relationships

In previous verses in Deuteronomy 13, God warned the people of Israel that enticement to turn to worship and serve other gods would not only come from the Canaanites but could also come from a prophet or a dreamer among them. In Deuteronomy 13:6-11, He turned to another group of people who could be a potential source of enticement for them to deflect from God. These people were none other than their close and intimate members of their family. The allurement to deflect and worship and serve other gods could come from their brother, son, or daughter, and even a bosom friend.

In fact, close family members would be more dangerous than those of the Canaanites and prophets or dreamers because they were people with whom the Israelites had shared affinity. They were people whom they would naturally give their attention to and would be more ready to listen to than people whom they were unfamiliar with. God insisted that such a relative or intimate friend should not be heeded to. How should they be dealt with instead? Verse 8 explicitly said with emphasis the Israelites must not yield, listen, show pity, and spare or conceal such a relative. This errant family member must be executed. In fact, the whole community should be involved in the execution.

An enticement to deflect from God was a serious matter and the source must be dealt with severely. God's prescription to deal with such people tells us how seriously He regards the people who cause others to stumble. Again in our setting to kill someone would be against the law. The application of God’s instruction regarding this matter in our context meant we should cut all ties with such a relative. There is a wise Chinese saying that tells us to get rid of weeds, one must also remove the roots. Jesus Himself views the matter of stumbling others seriously. This was what He said to His disciples in Luke 17:1-2. “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones (or precious one) to stumble.”

As we consider what God told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 13:6-11, we cannot forget what Jesus Himself demanded of us in Luke 10:37-39. And He is still saying to each one of us, that “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” We must also remember His words to us in Luke 14:26-27. He said, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” True love for God makes us prefer Him to any other dear family members of ours. Yes, He demands that we must give Him priority above all relationships. Be sure to make Christ the pre-eminence in all of life!

 

Deuteronomy 13 – Don’t be distracted by the spectacular, be discerning

God’s people must follow and fear Him only. They must keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. To do that they must watch out for people who would seek to lead them astray. Such people would not only come from without, but they could also come from within them. There were prophets and dreamers that could hail from among them to lead them astray. A prophet was one who would speak for God to guide and point the people to honor and serve Him. A true dreamer based his message on his dream would seek to lead God’s people to worship and serve God.

Here Deuteronomy 13:1-5 warned the Israelites against readily accepting messages given by a prophet or a dreamer purported to be from God. Even when they could perform signs and wonders, the Israelites must not be hook-winked by their performance. They should instead evaluate a prophet or dreamer based on who they were directing them to worship and serve. They should never evaluate a prophet or dream based on the signs and wonders they could do. A true prophet or a dreamer purported to speak for God would always exhort one to worship and serve the true and living God and never to other gods.

Be careful not to be tricked in our walk with God. How can we prevent ourselves from being deceived? The first thing we need to do is to stay faithful to God and be discerning. We must never forget that He had brought us out of our bondage and redeemed us. We must learn to evaluate every message we hear and not take every message hook, line, and sinker. Don’t be duped by performances even when they seem miraculous. A genuine message from God always leads one to worship and serve Him and not other gods. Verse 5 calls for a prophet to be put to death. While it is not possible for us to put a false prophet to death in our setting, we can dissociate and have nothing to do with him or her. We must choose to be faithful to God and not be distracted by signs and wonders. Remember Satan disguises himself as an angel of light! 

 

 

Deuteronomy 12:29-32– Going all the way with God

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Knowing how the children of Israel needed it, God in Deuteronomy 12:29-32 warned them ahead of time. This was to enable them to cope with what they would soon be exposed to in Canaan. Already in Egypt, they were exposed to idolatrous practices, so much so that hardly had they left the land long enough, they had already constructed a golden calf and worshipped it. But as they entered the promised land, the idolatrous influence they experienced in Egypt would be multiplied by a thousand times. Their exposure to ungodly influence would come with greater intensity. So they needed a warning to prevent them from pivoting to the practices of the pagans.

The reason why they needed the warning was so that they could avoid the risk of falling into idolatry. Without the warning, the risk of falling into the danger would be greater. The caution given to them was “…beware that you are not ensnared to follow them….” They must also be warned because the enticement in the promised land would be more rigorous. Remember the pagans in Canaan were people who worshipped their idols on mountains, on hills, and under every green tree. The Israelites must guard against being lured into emulating their practices after destroying them.

The warning would be ineffective if they were not made aware of the consequences of adopting the practices of those pagans. If they ever pivot to the idols and did what the pagans do, God would be offended, and that would bring about their own ruin. To avoid that, the children of Israel must diligently obey the instructions of God. They must be careful to do all that God had commanded. Like them, we too have to be wary of the influence of the world. First John 2:15 warned us saying, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Hence, we must not conform to this world. We must make obedience to God’s Word a diligent practice. It will help in our transformation. When we diligently follow God’s Word, we will be able to attest to the truth of His Word. We will experience the perfect will of God. And we will be living under the protection of God!  

Deuteronomy 12:15-28 – Eating and living right

In the previous section of Deuteronomy, we learned that God wanted the worship to be centralized. So in Deuteronomy 12:15-28, He needed to stipulate for the Israelites, anything that they had set aside to offer to God in worship and as a sacrifice to Him, could only be eaten in the place of worship. They could partake it with their family, even their slaves, in joyful celebration there. The reason God gave this instruction for those animals or grains to be eaten in His presence was also to ensure that the Levites had a means for their sustenance. Anything, especially animals which they had not set aside to be offered to the Lord, could be eaten at the gates of their dwelling and not necessary at the place of worship.

However, in the partaking of meat whether for sacrifice or not, they were not allowed to partake of the meat with the blood. Why was blood not allowed for ingestion? It was because the pagan in their idolatrous worship would eat their meat with blood. But Israel as God’s chosen people must be different. They were forbidden to partake of anything with blood. Besides, blood was the symbol of life, a gift of God. It was to be reserved and offered to Him.  Also because God had set aside blood as the medium for the atonement of the sinners. Hence it would not be appropriate for the people to partake of the blood.

Concerning the meat and food that the Israelites would eat, God was using them to remind them that they were His covenant people. He used them to inculcate a life of total reliance and obedience to Him. Food had been God’s provision for their sustenance. They were provided so that they could find the strength to live and to labor. It showed how much God cared for them. Hence, they ought to be thankful and to partake of them as He had prescribed. Verse 28 underscored the need for them to pay attention to what God had instructed concerning these matters. It was for their wellbeing. So they must “Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.”

Ultimately it is about living for God. Remember to keep 1 Corinthians 10:31 at the foremost of our minds. We are urged here to glorify God in all things. Paul admonished us saying, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of  God.”

 

Deuteronomy 12:8-14 – The worship God desires

Anticipating the future when the children of Israel had conquered, possessed, and settled down in Canaan, life would be more orderly. God's instruction was for them to centralize their worship in the promised land. The place for worship now carried out in the Tabernacle would be at the temple when it was eventually set up. Remember that the nation of Israel comprised of 12 tribes. If left to their own, worship could be a disorganized and haphazard experience. So these instructions were needful to ensure that they remained intact as a nation. God wanted worship to be the center of the life of the community.  

The reasons are obvious. Worship centrally would firstly help to garner unity among the people and secondly, it ensured that pure worship would be offered to the Lord. Worshipping God ought to be a uniquely joyful experience and should be entirely different from the pagans of the land who worshipped their gods on mountains, on hills, and under every green tree.  So in verses 13-14, God emphasized saying, “Be careful that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every cultic place you see, but in the place which the LORD chooses in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.”

For us, the worship of God must not only be inspirational, but it must also be intelligent and instructional. It ought to be inspirational because God is central in our worship. We worship the true and living God. Being with Him will always inspire us to live a life worthy of Him. It is also intelligent because worship is an organized and logical experience. Everything, whether in adoration, in giving, in sharing of the word, has a logical reason. Each component is not something that we randomly and haphazardly put together. Careful thought must be put into them so that worship can be a joyful experience. And worship is instructional because after worship we are taught how to relate with God and others. Let us make our worship of God a powerful experience. Make it inspirational, intelligent, and instructive!

Deuteronomy 12:1-7 – The call to worship God only

The worship of God was to be central in the life of the people of Israel. He must be given first place in their lives as individuals as well as a community. He had shown them what He expected of them in the Ten Commandments. So starting from this chapter the Israelites would be shown how they need to apply what God expected of them in their relationship with Him. Deuteronomy 12:1-7 stipulate the way God wanted to be worshipped. Here God began by making sure that their attitudes toward Him were rightly set. For He knew that when the attitude was rightly placed,  how they would worship Him would be aligned. If their attitude was not aligned, everything they would do would be wrong. It is true that when we appreciate who God is and worship Him as He has prescribed, the foundation for obedience and service would be established.  

God expected absolute allegiance. In the land of Canaan where the Israelites would soon possess was a pagan land full of idols. The first thing God wanted was for all the false gods, and everything associated with them to be destroyed. In verse 3, He expressly told His people saying, “You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place.” The reason God wanted everything demolished was to remove the source that could lure them to worship Him the way the pagans worshipped their false gods.

The pagans would worship their gods in many places. They would worship their gods on high mountains, on hills, and under every green tree.  But the people of Israel must not do the same. Verse 5 said that God would stipulate a place for them to worship Him. A place where they could bring their sacrifices, offerings, tithes, and contributions. It would be a place where they could celebrate the Lord and rejoice in the blessings God had showered on them. Though not stated, we surmise that the place would be where the tabernacle would be set up. The tabernacle was the tent that God had instructed Moses to build for His dwelling. In their wandering years, it was the central place of their worship life.  

True worship must be offered to God. The total removal of idols tells us that God wants us to have a single-minded devotion towards Him. Anything that can compete with our allegiance to Him must be dealt with. While we may not have physical idols like the pagans, our wives, children, friends, hobbies, interests, TV shows, possession such as cars, houses, modern gadgets, handphones, and etc can be the “idols” that compete for our commitment to God.  Be sure not to let them take God’s place in our lives. True worship also requires that we offer the best that we are and the best that we have, to God in joyful celebration and service. There is truly no greater act of worship than to give to God all that we are. He deserves only the very best of us!      

Deuteronomy 11:26-32 – Choices and destiny

Admittedly, life is made up of a series of choices. However, we need to know that while we have the right to pick our choice, we do not have the right to pick the consequence of our choice. The results, which may not be known immediately, will always follow the choice we make. It is therefore extremely important that we carefully evaluate any choice before us before we make the decision. It must also be said that our conduct and how we behave will usually follow the decision that we make.

The most fundamental decision of life is whether we will follow God or not. Following God and obeying His Word will result in a blessed life. Conversely, the choice not to follow God will result in a  flagrant disregard for His Word leading to a cursed life. This is the message of  Deuteronomy 11:26-32. Like the Israelites, every one of us is also presented with the same solemn choice. It is important for us to take note of the message of verse 32. The issue for the Israelites was not just about a one-time decision of obeying God and crossing the Jordan into the promised land. It was also to be a lifelong decision of living and following God henceforth. The same is for us today. Being a Christian is not just about praying the conversion prayer but also a life of commitment in following the Lord and living in obedience to His Word.    

It was not enough for the people of Israel to hear what God had said and only have a mental picture. It was also needful for them to have something they could physically see and recall God’s instructions. So in verses 29-30, they were told to have a ceremony to rehearse what He had told them when they entered the land. The two mountains chosen for the enactment were Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. The former reminds them to live a life of obedience hence a blessed life, and the latter a reminder that a life of disobedience would lead to a cursed life.             

As it was critical for the Israelites to carefully evaluate the kind of life they wanted, it is also critical for us to determine the kind of life we want. The same two alternatives are ours today. A blessed life or a cursed life, a life of obedience or a life of disobedience, being faithful to God or pandering to worldliness and idolatry. One brings honor to God and the other insults and disregards Him. One brings blessing and the other curses. The choice is ours today - a life of liberty in Christ or a life dominated by sin and bondage.  As we follow the dictates of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, we are set free from the law of sin and death. Hear what John Maxwell has said, “Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you.” Since choices will determine our destiny, be sure to choose rightly today!  

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 11:18-25 – The effect of memorizing and keeping God’s Word

Deducing from what God said to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 11:18-25,  we can tell being obedient is a very important key to sustain victory in our Christian walk. God had been telling the Israelites to be obedient to His commandments. By actively obeying His words they would grow to love Him devotedly and serve Him dedicatedly. How could they obey God’s Word unless they were accustomed to them? In Deuteronomy 11:18-25, we will see how one can make God central in one’s life, as well as the life of one’s children. When God’s Word takes root in one’s life, victory and protection will be the assured outcome.  

An important step to obedience is to know what God is saying. For that to happen, one must store up the Word of God in one’s heart and soul and keep them constantly in view. The call of God here in verse 18 is for one to lay His words on the heart and soul, to bind them as a sign upon one’s hand and as frontlets between one’s eyes. How could anyone do this? By Scriptural memory. It is a call to constantly rehearse the Word of God, musing over it and keeping it ever before us. Besides the Word of God must be perpetuated. It must be diligently, constantly, and consistently taught to one’s children. Parents must seize every given opportunity to instruct the Word of God to their children. The Word of God must be manifestly present in every aspect of their lives as well as that of their children.

Verses 22-24 describe the certain effect that would take place when the Word of God took root in the life of every individual, their family members as well as the whole community. When the Word of God became central in the life of the community, victory would be secured. They would be enabled to conquer the enemies, enlarge their territory, and secure their possession. There would be no ground that they would not be able to conquer. Their commanding presence would be felt in the promised land, and no one would be able to stand against them.  

Here in these verses, God is again calling for obedience to His Word. The importance of memorizing and keeping God’s Word is underscored for us here. If we are to experience constant victory in our walk, obedience to God’s Word is vital. We must exercise obedience diligently, heartily, and constantly. It’s a sure way to victory in life!  

Deuteronomy 11:13-17 – Making the main thing, the main thing

God is interested in a relationship where there’s a deep trust in Him. The kind that makes a person act on His word. Knowing and acting on God’s Word show a genuine trust in Him. Such obedience will result in a wholehearted love for him and a life of dedication in faithful service to Him. It is one thing to hear and know God’s instructions and do nothing, and quite another to listen and act on them. 

Loving God must always be translated into action. This will always result in blessings.  This is the promise of God in Deuteronomy 11:13-17. He promised to send rain on the children of Israel as well as their animals when they obeyed Him. The rain would come in abundance in due season to enable the cultivation of their crops to sustain them in the promised land.

Here in these verses is also a warning. In verse 16, God warned them about pivoting to trust in the false gods of the land in the time of their abundance. If they should “…turn aside and serve other gods and worship them”, then the anger of the Lord would be kindled. They would experience barrenness. There would be no rain for them. The land would not yield any fruit and they would perish in the promised land.  

What can we take away? There is a connection between obedience and blessing. When we obey God, we set the ground for blessing. However, we must not obey just because we want His blessing. We must obey God because we genuinely love Him and want to serve Him. God’s blessing will follow when we live obediently to His instructions. To obey Him because of the blessing will be placing our focus wrongly. God must be the object of our love and not the blessing. Don’t put the cart before the horse. Love God and His blessing will follow!   

     

Deuteronomy 11:8-12 – Live in total dependence on God

The new generation of the children of Israel was now on the verge of entering the promised land. Moses’ earlier recollection of all that God had done for their fathers was to challenge them to trust and obey the Lord. He wanted them to know that God’s grace had been showered on their fathers and would surely follow them if they keep faith with God. Deuteronomy 11:8-9 showed them what they must do. They must keep God’s instructions taught to them. When they do so they would be enabled to take possession of the promised land and to live there for a long time. Moses reminded them that the land they were going to possess was God’s promise to their fathers and to them. It would be a land flowing with milk and honey and would be decidedly different from Egypt where they were delivered from.

In Egypt, the lives of the Israelites though hard were predictable. Pharoah had settled them in Goshen, an area where irrigation was a natural and usual feature due to the regular flooding of the River Nile. Hence, they could sow their seeds and cultivate their area like a vegetable garden. But now they would be entering the promised land. Unlike the region of the Nile, the promised land was a land of hills and valleys. The source of water would be from the rain. However, they could take heart because God cares for the land and watches over it throughout the year.

From Deuteronomy 11:8-12, we cannot get away from the fact that God wanted the Israelites to live in daily dependence on Him. In Egypt, they did not have to be concerned about where the water would come from. They just waited for the Nile to overflow. But not so in the promised land, if God did not send the rain, they would have no supply of water. So they would have to look to God constantly. While they would have to put in the fair share of work by tilling and sowing, they would need God to supply the rain.

The lesson for us is the same. God is also asking us to live in dependence on Him. We must understand that He is the true source in our lives. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being. Primarily God is the source and supplier of all our needs. Our employers and people who bless us are God-sent resources. Ultimately, all that we need come from God.  Like the Israelites, we take heart because God cares for us and will take care of us. If He cares for the lower order of His creation such as sparrows and the grass of the field, He will certainly take care of us, the higher order of His creation. This is the assertion of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 6:25-32. So we take courage and cast all our cares on Him, for He cares for us! Trusting God helps us to take Him at His Word as we take the next step. He will never fail us!

Deuteronomy 11:1-7 – The importance of living discerningly

We need to know that the events that happen in our lives are never without a purpose. In every experience, God has an intended purpose to shape and guide our lives to walk in His ways. Whether in deliverance, in calamity, or in judgment God is working out all things for our good. We need to discern His work and respond positively to them.  In learning to discern the lessons of those moments, many a times God also requires that we look back to those experiences to identify the lesson. Bear in mind that God’s purpose is to make us a people who will trust Him, obey Him, and walk faithfully in His ways.    

Here in Deuteronomy 11:1-7, the children of Israel were urged to consider the various ways had God dealt with them. He delivered them from Egypt by a great display of His power to reveal His love for them. Verses 3-4 described what He did to deliver them from the clutches of their Egyptian bondage. Not only did He deal severely with the Egyptians, but He also dealt kindly with them. These could be seen in the guidance, provision, and protecti0n shown to them throughout their journey. Verse 5 suggests that they were brought safely through the wilderness to where they were now, ready for the promised land. Finally, in His love for them, He punished and removed the rebels among them. By a mighty act of judgment, He punished Dathan and Abiram for their rebellion against Moses' leadership. More details are given in Numbers 16. In that incident, God caused the ground to open up and swallow these rebels, their families, and their tents.

The first three words in verse 2, “And consider today…”, is a call to discern the events and recognize the hand of God in all the experiences they went through. The word “consider” suggests that one should take the time to mull through and perhaps analyze the purpose of God in all the experiences that one is going or has gone through. It is true that if we nonchalantly and mindlessly saunter through life without taking time to evaluate the things that happen to us, we may miss the lesson God has for us in them. It is needful that we thoughtfully evaluate the events that happen in our lives. It is one thing to see but another to discern God’s intention. Spiritual insight is so important to progress in our Christian life. Whatever happens to us is never there to break us but to build us. As Paul had suggested in Ephesians 5:16-17 that we should redeem every opportunity presented to us. But how can we redeem the opportunity presented to us if we don’t rightly discern the moment and will of God? So be sure to live discerningly!   

Deuteronomy 10:12-22 – The call to consecrated living

Israel had benefitted from God’s graciousness. They were pardoned, preserved, and granted great privileges. God had delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians, preserved them through their journey, pardoned their backsliding, granted them the privilege of being His Chosen people, and even planned for their future.  For all these kind overtures He had shown toward them, they owed Him their lives. He now had the right to expect Israel, His people, to reciprocate His grace towards them by living godly lives. Deuteronomy 10:12-22 not only showed how the Israelites should conduct their lives but also t0ld them why they should do it.

How must God’s people behave as recipients of His grace? Firstly, they must fear Him. Secondly, they must walk in all His ways. Thirdly, they must love Him. Fourthly, they must serve Him wholeheartedly. And fifthly, they must keep all His instructions. We learn here that fearing God is the only right, proper, and good thing to do as His people. Our reverence for Him must be translated into humble and grateful living. We must no longer pander to our obstinacy. Instead, we are to live a consecrated life by developing a singleness of heart and mind to love God. We must also seek to live an upright and moral life seeking to abstain from all fleshly desires. Furthermore, verse 19 tells us that we ought to engage in active service to others, even to strangers. Here we are called to be compassionate to all. As the recipients of God’s grace, believers must live godly lives.

Why must the people of God live godly lives? Firstly, to live a godly life as He has described will be advantageous to us. This was Moses' assertion in the last part of verse 13. He implied that to do the five things described was “for their good.” The Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 4:8 also assures us of the same thing. He says  that “…godliness is profitable for all things since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” Secondly, to live a godly life as described will reflect the nature of God. Verse 14 shows the supremacy of God. He is the sovereign God and to Him “…belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it.” When God’s people live such a life they reflect the supremacy of God. Verse 15 shows that God is gracious and merciful. He chose Israel solely on His own free will and not because of their exceptional quality. In His mercy, He preferred them to all others and made them uniquely His chosen people. Hence to live such a life would reflect God’s grace and mercy. Verse 17 says “For the Lord, your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.” This verse shows two characteristics of God. We see that God is not only powerful but also impartial. When God’s people live as they should, they will reflect not only the power of God but also His impartiality. And that He is no respecter of persons. Finally, God’s goodness deserves our godly living. Verses 21 -22 tell us that God was not only gracious to His people but He also had greatly multiplied and prospered them. His goodness towards us is why He is worthy of our godly living.

The lesson we glean from these eleven verses: we must live a godly and consecrated life. The three reasons why we should do it. Firstly, it is beneficial for us now and forever. Secondly, we will reflect the nature of God when we conduct godly lives. And thirdly, God’s goodness towards us deserves the best we can bring to Him. Live for Him alone!   

 

Deuteronomy 10:6-11 – Don’t give up no matter what

Moses’ intercession was effective.  God heard his plead and gave the people a second chance. Note here that Moses was addressing the new generation of Israelites. All that he described were what their forefathers did to disappoint God. The purpose of his exhortation was to get this new generation to complete the journey which their fathers had started. They all perished in the wilderness because of their stubbornness and unbelief. None of them, except Joshua and Caleb, was allowed to enter the promised land. If this new generation would not believe God and fail to get up and enter the promised land, the whole plan of God for Israel would be incomplete. The whole purpose of recollecting the failures of their fathers was to tell this generation not to commit the same error.  

Deuteronomy 10:6-10 are put in parenthesis. Why? This was likely not part of the address that Moses gave to the people. It was likely added to the book later. But they reveal to us several things. Firstly that God heard the prayer of Moses, and that mercifully He allowed the rebellious children of Israel to continue in their journey. Remember God was so angry that He wanted to destroy them. Secondly, we also know that God spared Aaron, for he did not die immediately. He only died in the last month of the fortieth year of the wandering. His son Eleazar was appointed priest in his place. Aaron was only barred from the promised land like Moses when they both disrespected God at the incident in Meribah, recorded in Numbers 20. Thirdly,  the function of the Levi, the building of the Tabernacle, and the construction of the Ark of the Covenant were only given later and not at the point of their failures. They only took place after the incident at Horeb. Fourthly, this parenthesis also shows us that God not only had forgiven them. It also shows us that His covenant with them was intact. In His mercy, He gave them a new set of the Ten Commandments in the two stone tablets He told Moses to hew. They were preserved and ferried in the Ark, journeying with them till they entered the promised land.   

Deuteronomy 10:10-11 resumes Moses' address to the people. It tells us that because of his prayer God did not destroy the children of Israel but spared them. The reason Moses painted the picture of their father’s stubbornness and God’s mercy and patience was to urge this new generation to complete the journey into the promised land. God’s whole plan for Israel as a nation would only be complete if they would move forward and possess the land. Hence Moses was calling on them to harness their faith, put their trust in God, cross the Jordan and take the land. Just as the challenge was issued to the second generation of Israelites, the same challenge is issued to us in Hebrews 12:1-2. Like them, we must pick up our faith and get up and get on with our journey. And focusing on how Jesus finished His race will help us. We must aim to complete the race, claim our inheritance, and not abort it midway. No matter the circumstance, in God we are winners and not losers. Hence, we must persevere to the very end of the journey in the strength that He will surely provide. He never fails in His promise!

 

Deuteronomy 10:1-5 – Make loving God central in life

The Ten Commandments given by God were meant to be the foundation on which the people of God were to build their lives. They were God’s given standards to mark them out as His covenant people. But as Moses was receiving the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments which God had given earlier orally, the people were already breaking them at the base of Mount Sinai. At the urging of God, Moses hastened and returned to the people and saw exactly what happened as God had said. In his indignation, he smashed the two stone tablets for the people had already broken their covenant with God. Moses knew how serious their sin was. They had literally broken the commandment not to have any other gods before the Lord. They had the gall to make a golden calf to represent God when He had already warned them not to make Him look like any of His creatures. 

Moses knew God wanted to have a people who could rightly reflect Him. The Ten Commandments when adhered to would rightly reflect God. Seeing how grievously the people had violated and sabotaged God’s plan, Moses interceded for them. Deuteronomy 10:1-5 show us that God heard his pleading, forgave the people, and was giving them another opportunity to make good their wrong. What a marvelous God! So he asked Moses to hew two stones and go up to the mountain so that He could write the Ten Commandments again on them. He also instructed Moses to make a chest made of acacia wood to temporarily store the two new stone tablets. Moses did as God had instructed. He went up to the mountain, returned, and placed the set of stone tablets in the chest of acacia wood that he had made.   

The fact that God had the Ten Commandments written again show how central they were supposed to be in living for God. Knowing them will help us to conduct our lives and live rightly for God. The Lord Jesus had summed them up into two critical commandments. He said that we must love God devotedly and wholeheartedly and we must also love our neighbors as ourselves. While loving God is an intensely personal matter, it is also an important matter. It is because the degree to which we love Him will determine the degree of our ability to love our neighbors. Always make sure that our vertical relationship with God is rightly aligned. It will make our horizontal relationship with others more attainable. So love God with all our hearts, minds, soul, and strength, then we will be enabled to love our neighbors as ourselves!              

Deuteronomy 9:25-29 – True intercession

was Moses was a true intercessor. He had deep compassion for the heart of God as well as a deep love for the people. Selflessly, he gave Himself to pray for the Israelites for 40 days and nights with fasting. Remember, when God in His anger wanted to destroy the people of Israel, he referred to them as Moses’ people. God actually said, “Arise, go down from here quickly, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made a molten image for themselves. I have seen these people, and indeed, it is a stubborn people. Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.”

Deuteronomy 9:25-29 give us a glimpse of how Moses went about interceding for the Israelites. Firstly, he persuaded God not to destroy them by reminding Him these were God’s own people and not his. In both verse 26 and verse 29, Moses reminded God that it was He who had personally delivered them, and made them His own possession. Besides, He had redeemed them by His greatness, with a mighty act of miracle from the hand of the Egyptians. Moses was essentially telling God that Israel was His heritage, and who would destroy one’s own heritage? He was basically asking how could God now go back on what He had done.

Secondly, in verse 27, he reminded God of His promise to the Patriarchs namely Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Here he was implicitly asking God how could He go back on His promise made to them? Thirdly, He reminded God of His reputation. He asked what would the pagans in Canaan think of Him, should He choose to destroy the children of Israel now? They would conclude that God was not able to honor His words to the Israelites, so He had them destroyed in the wilderness. He even postulated what the  Canaanites would think, that God hated the Israelites, so He had them all killed.   

We can see from the content of Moses' prayer that he had great consideration for both God’s character and reputation. He reminded Him of the promises that He had made, and he did not want the people observing what’s happening to conclude that God had gone back on  His words. Like God, Moses referred to the Israelites as a stubborn people as well. In his pleading, he did not minimize the sin of the people. neither must we when we are engaged in intercession. Next time when we intercede, remember God’s character and reputation. Seek to lay hold of God’s will and persist in prayer till His will be done. Another trait of an intercessor is perseverance. Don’t give up!

Deuteronomy 9:22-24 - The effects of unbelief

In Deuteronomy 9:22-24, Moses pointed out four other incidences that the children of Israel had rebelled against the Lord. The sin that had been committed at Horeb was a grievous one and should have kept them walking in line with God. They should have been humbled by the mercy of God and kept in check along the way. Apparently, it did not. They continued to show their stubborn trait by rebelling against the Lord. In all three places they again blatantly provoked the Lord.

The first was at Taberah. Numbers 11:1-3 give us a little more detail about what happened there. This was the first stop after they left Mount Sinai. From Numbers  10:33, we conclude that it was hardly three days since the incident at Horeb, they were already showing their ingratitude and were grumbling against the Lord. They provoked the Lord to anger by their grumbling. He sent a fire to consume the outskirt of where they were engaging in their murmuring. It was not until they fled to Moses who then interceded on their behalf that the judgment of God abated. The place was named Tebarah meaning “burning”.   

The second place Moses reminded them of their ingratitude was at Massah, a place near Rephidim. When they arrived there, they could not find any water. Without hesitation, the grumbling against Moses started. They even wanted to stone him. They used the lack of water to provoke the Lord. Like spoilt children, they were threatening not to follow God if water was not provided. Moses named this place Massah, which means testing, because of the question they asked. “Is the Lord among us or not?” How ungrateful they were.

The third place where they grumbled against the Lord was at Kilbroth-hattaavah. Here they wanted meat. It was not wrong for them to crave for meat, but it was wrong of them to doubt God’s ability to supply their needs. They doubted that God was concerned for them. In that incident, God supplied them quails till they could not take it anymore.  

The forth place was their show of unbelief at Kadesh Barnea, where they were told to go into the promised land and possess it, and they refused to go. They hardened their hearts in unbelief and chose not to obey the Lord. All those times they had stubbornly refused to trust God. Unbelief always leads to disobedience and disobedience to open defiance.     

Moses brought up these incidences to challenge the present generation to trust the Lord. The pains their fathers went through because of their unbelief and disobedience, need not happen to them if they respond positively to God’s kind overtures. There is a need to keep trusting and obeying the Lord. Faith in the Lord is the anchor that gives our hearts the settled feeling that God always keeps His promise. It enables us to trust and keep moving forward with Him, no matter how tough the circumstances of life may present themselves. Keep trusting and believing in God, He will never fail us!  

 

Deuteronomy 9:18-20 – Standing in the gap

Moses had a deep appreciation of God’s heart. He knew how serious the sin committed by the children of Israel at Horeb was against the Lord. He knew how deeply the sin cut into God’s heart. The proposal of God to Moses to let Him destroy the children of Israel was not an empty threat. In part the people and even his own brother Aaron was spared because of His unrelenting intercession for them. What Aaron did was inexcusable. As the second in command, he should have known better. But his lack of courage made him pander to the clamor of the people and made a molten calf for them. Moses had to take the cursed calf, grounded it into dust, and scattered it in the brook.     

Acting as the mediator, Moses pled with God. And his pleading started long before he came down and smashed the two stone tablets. Then he spent another 40 days and nights in God’s presence fasting and interceding for the people, for what they had just done was no trifle. In Deuteronomy 9:18-20, we are given a glimpse into the heart of a true intercessor. Moses’ unselfish prayer for the Israelites cushioned the judgment that God wanted to pour out on the people. Had Moses not interceded they would have been destroyed by God in His wrath and hot displeasure. In Moses’ intercession, we can learn much about what a true intercession entails.

Firstly, true intercession must be entered into with the spirit of earnestness. Moses said he “fell down before the Lord.” This is a posture of humility. With a humble attitude, he literally poured himself out in intense pleading. This earnestness was also seen in his abstinence from food and drink. So urgent was the matter to him that he abstained from food and drink for 40 days and nights. Secondly, true intercession must be engaged with deep feeling and concern. Not only was Moses concerned for the name of God but also for the lives of the people. It takes empathy to be able to stand in God’s shoes and feel how He felt. And it takes sympathy to feel for the people despite their wrong to want to pray for them. Thirdly, true intercession requires boldness. Ordinarily, to face one’s boss who was seething in anger would already be a terrifying experience. Just imaging facing a wrathful God. Even multiplying the intensity of the terror by a thousand times would not adequately describe the trepidation. Intercession has to be entered into with fearlessness. Fourthly, true intercession calls for perseverance. Moses prayed for forty days and nights. For all of us, spending one day in prayer would be a difficult thing much less forty days and nights. In fact, to pray for an hour would already take a toll on many of us, much less one day. Remember the disciples who couldn’t even tarry an hour with Jesus in the Garden. It is true that if we can tarry with God for one hour, we can pray for seven. The fact of the matter is this: lacking perseverance, it’s hard to be an intercessor. God is still looking for intercessors to stand in the gap before Him for the people and the land so that He would not destroy them. Are we willing?   

Deuteronomy 9:13-17 - The danger of idolatry

God made known to Moses how incorrigibly stubborn those children of Israel were as He hastened him to return to the people at the base of Mount Sinai. Knowing the man Moses, we guess that he must have begun to intercede for the people already. In telling Moses to leave Him alone, we conclude that God foresaw Moses would be interceding for the Israelites. But He was prepared to wipe out those stubborn Israelites and raise a new group of people mightier and greater for Moses. What a tempting offer? Any lesser person would have accepted the offer but not Moses. He knew the heart of God.

Deuteronomy 9:15 then said that without hesitation, Moses hastened down Mount Sinai with the two tablets of stone, inscribed with the Ten Commandments, in his hands. Meanwhile, God’s fire was still raging on the Mountain. When he arrived at where the people were, he could see that the Lord was right. The Israelites had indeed sinned against the Lord. They had built for themselves a molten calf and had so quickly turned to do what they were commanded not to do. In anger, Moses threw the two tablets in his hands and smashed them before the people.  This was not just an indication of how angry Moses was, but also a public demonstration that they had broken the covenant with the Lord.

In fact the people could not tell the gravity of what they had done. They did not see how grievously they had offended the Lord. In Exodus 32:25, even as Moses was confronting Aaron, some of them were still engaging in the drunken and wild revelry. It took the Levites who stood with Moses to go about killing those participating in the carousing. The sin the people had committed was indeed grievous. They did not just forget God or disown Him but making Him into the likeness of a calf. They had broken the commandments of the LORD.  

For the Israelites their idolatry was in the form of a golden calf. For us today, let’s look at Colossians 3:5-6 for the kind of idolatry we could be guilty of indulging in. Take heed said Paul, “…consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience….” Know that when we value something above God, that something has become our idol. Be assured that God alone is sufficient. He is all we need and should be all that we want. Everything else we receive in life is His gift to us. Enjoy it but never worship it. Worship God alone!  

 

Deuteronomy 9:6-12 – Don’t be stiff-necked

In the earlier verses of Deuteronomy 9, Moses was essentially urging the people of Israel not to over-estimate themselves. He did not want them to think that they deserved the blessings of God because of their righteousness. They were such stubborn, underserving people and would have been destroyed if not for the grace and mercy of God. All that they had and would soon be having were granted them not on the merit of their goodness but on God’s generosity and magnanimity. If He were to deal with them according to what they had done, they would have perished already. Moses wanted them to know that he did not accuse them of being a stubborn people without any basis. He told them that since they left Egypt, they had been rebelling against the Lord. They continued to do so throughout the wilderness journey. Even when they had arrived at the edge of the promised land, they were still provoking the Lord to anger.  

In verses 8-12, Moses brought them back to the event at the foot of Mount Sinai to further substantiate his accusation. He recalled that after God had spoken to the whole assembly a few days earlier, He summoned him up to Mount Sinai. He went up to receive the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written by God’s own finger. He remembered staying up in the mountain waiting on God for 40 days and 40 nights, and neither ate food nor drank water for that duration. At the end of the 40 days, as the Lord handed him the two tablets of stone, He told Moses a piece of very unpleasant news. God hastened him to return to the assembly to deal with it. These were the words of the Lord, “Arise, go down from here quickly, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made a molten image for themselves.”   

This passage serves as a call for us to be vigilant in our journey with God. Firstly, we need to watch out for our stubborn traits. Stubbornness can be a positive attitude if we used it rightly. When we stubbornly resist the world and its luring temptation, stubbornness can be a good thing. But when we stubbornly resist the prompting of God’s workings in our lives, we will be guilty of grieving or quenching the Spirit. Don’t be stubborn when it comes to obeying God. Secondly, we must learn to rightly discern the moment. If we do not, we risk being enticed into a life of levity. Here was Moses up in the Mountain in the most intense sacred moment with God. He was fasting and waiting on God. Instead of waiting together with him at the base of the Mountain, they lived their lives frivolously. If we don’t rightly discern the moment, though God is near we can be distracted and be led to a careless disregard for Him. As the leaders wait upon the Lord for direction, what we can do is to undergird their ministry with our prayers as well. Thirdly, we need to remember that sin will unwittingly influence us to act corruptly. The lament of God in verse 12 was that the people had acted corruptly and had quickly turned aside from the way that God had commanded them. Sin always makes us contradict God to pander to its corrupting nature. We must not underestimate the influence of sin. The fact that Moses was told to go down quickly to deal with it shows us how swiftly God wants us to deal with our sins. Don’t allow sin to influence us a minute longer to bring us to our ruin. So be vigilant and seize every moment to live for God. The route to backsliding is very real!

 

 

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 9:4-5 – Boast only about the Lord

For the children of Israel to have victory over the forces in Canaan and possess the land was a foregone conclusion. We can see why this would be so. For firstly, Canaan was God’s promised land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob long before Israel became a nation. Secondly, God literally delivered them from their slavery in Egypt and made them His Chosen people. Thirdly, having delivered them, God continued to provide them with life’s necessities and sustain them throughout their journey. Fourthly, God constantly came against the enemy forces that came against them. He not only fought for them, but He also fought the enemy with them. His presence was with them in many of their battles. Truly, “If God is for us who could come against us?

With victory experienced so often, there was the temptation for the Israelites to conclude that they were the reason for the victory. There was a possibility to assume that they deserved the victory because of their righteousness. In truth, their history revealed that they were in fact a stubborn, undeserving people. God’s love for them was due entirely to His grace alone. They had little in themselves to deserve God’s love. In verse 5, God made clear the reason for their victory. And it was not because of their righteousness or the uprightness of their heart. They were only given the ability to possess the land because of the wickedness of those nations in Canaan that He was driving them out before the Israelites, His Chosen people. Besides, it was done to confirm the oath which the Lord had sworn to their fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

It is a known fact that everyone craves approval, acceptance, and appreciation. Some crave it so badly that they would resort to boasting. There is this penchant in people to take credit for one’s success without acknowledging the contributions others had made. In the Bible, there is only one place where boasting is acceptable. If we must boast, Paul in Galatians 6:14 has this to say. “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” As we conclude our reflection here, think of what Lord exhorts us to do in Jeremiah 9:23-24, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things.” 

Deuteronomy 9:1-3 – Victory comes with relying on God

The children of Israel were about to cross over the Jordan into the promised land. They were at the place where their fathers were many years back. They now have the same opportunity as their fathers to cross into the promised land and possess it. The previous generation forfeited the opportunity not because God was not able to take them in. But because they chose to trust the negative report given by ten of the spies, whom they had sent to survey the land. They were told that the land had many great fortified cities suggesting that they were impenetrable. And that the inhabitants of the land, the Anakim, were great and tall people suggesting that they were impossible to be overcome. Choosing to believe the negative report, they were thus discouraged from taking a bold step to enter the land God had promised to them.

Moses wanted to impress upon this new generation of Israelites, so that they would not make the same mistake as their fathers did. The problem that the previous generation faced was in their wrong focus. Their attention was on the great fortified cities in the land and the giants instead of the Lord who had so mightily delivered them. In so doing they failed to realize that their ability to take the land would not rest in their ability but in their God who would go before them. This time around Moses wanted this generation to be rightly focused. To him, nothing had changed. The promised land remained full of fortified cities. The inhabitants, the Anakim, remained a threatening people. The difference, however, was that they have God, who like a devouring fire, would go before them. With Him going before them, the Anakim would feel the effect. They would be so subdued that the children of Israel would have no problem destroying them and possess their land.

The lesson for us: to overcome our insurmountable odds in life does not rest in our ability but in our reliance on God. Our victory in life rests in our dependence on the Lord and not in the skills or strength that we possess. Make sure to have John 15:5 indelibly written on our hearts and deeply etched in our minds. The words of Jesus in this verse for us are: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” And again remember to live out Proverbs 3:5-6

And again remember to live out Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all our heart And do not lean on our own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make our paths straight.

Deuteronomy 8:1-20 – Be grateful and never forget God.

Here in ten verses in Deuteronomy 8:11-20, God shows how His people must always remember Him for what He had done. He also provided reasons why they should always remember Him. He recounted to the people of Israel of all the things He had done for them. God was referring to what He had done for them as a nation. Note that many things He had raised here were the experiences of the preceding generation. But He was referring to them and the forefathers as a whole. What he did was to bring up the past to motivate the present generation to be grateful and so to remember Him.

He began by taking them back to what He had done for them in the past. Firstly, He was the one who had delivered them out of Egypt, the house of slavery. Secondly, He protected them from all the perils they had encountered in the journey through the wilderness. Thirdly, He provided water and food to sustain them in the dry desert land. Fourthly, they must always remember that It was He who had given them the ability to prosper. In other words, He was the source of all their blessings. They must not pivot to think that they had within themselves to weather all that they had gone through. They must never pivot to acknowledge and serve other gods, or they would be destroyed.  

What would help the people to stay humble and grateful to God? The only way, God reckoned, was for them to consistently keep the commandments, ordinances, and statutes which He had given them. In other words, they must obey Him. By obeying Him, they would not forget all that they possessed came from Him. This would keep them humble and not proud, imagining that they had acquired everything by their own power. On the contrary, should they fail to obey the Lord, they would run the risk of forgetting Him and become self-absorbed and proud. They might even shift to trust other gods. They must always remember that God was their only source in life so that they would not pivot to worship and serve other gods. They would incur God’s anger and be destroyed when they do that.    

People tend to be forgetful. How many of us remember the good things God had done for us? There is a tendency for us to forget what we ought to remember and remember what we ought to forget. What a person remembers or forgets will clearly reveal the sort of person he or she is. An ungrateful person never remembers the good things someone has done for him. Whereas a grateful person will never forget the good things a person has done for him. Let us never forget that God is our source and be grateful to Him and serve Him faithfully. Because, without Him we will not be enjoying all the blessings in life.

 

Deuteronomy 8:6-10 – Living in divine abundance

Up to now the Israelites were accustomed to the wilderness. Some could be so used to the wilderness that they might not have any idea of what they were about to possess. So God  here was painting how rosy a place Canaan was, to prepare them for the richness of life in the promised land. Giving to them the land was just one thing. But what God wanted them to have would be a life that would not only be rich but also plentiful. So here in these four verses, He described to them the land which they were about to inherit. More than the land, God also described to them the rich supplies they would be enjoying in the land. Physically it would be a land of brooks, fountains, and springs, a land very rich in water supply. It was also a land filled with food and fruits of all sorts. The list includes wheat, barley, vines, figs, pomegranates, olive oil, and honey. They would not only have food in abundance, but they would have them in varieties. Also this land would have plenty of iron and copper, a land so rich in mineral resource.

What lessons can we learn from these four verses? Firstly, we need to realize that life with God will always be a progressive one. He doesn’t want us to be stuck in the wilderness. He wants to take us out of our wilderness into the richness of life with Him. The purpose of allowing us to go through the wilderness is to prepare us for the richness of life that He has promised. Secondly, we need to know that God is the source of all that we have in life. All the things we have and will ever have in life come from Him. He is the source. Whoever He uses to give us are our resources. Thirdly, we need to know that God is generous. He does not supply in trickles, but in plenty and full of varieties. Furthermore, He will supply for every area of our needs. Fourthly, we must not be so acclimatized to our old ways, that we refuse to enter the richness of God's new liberated life. There are old ways God wants us to change so that we can enjoy what’s installed for us. Don’t be a stick in the mud. Fifthly, we must stay connected to God through His Word to know where He is taking us. We can never know the promises and direction of God if we are not connected with Him. Finally and most importantly, we must live a life of thankfulness to God for His provision. For when we do so, we will be able to nurture a life that honors and fears the Lord. Lets’ do it!

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 8:1-6 – Perception helps us to advancing with God.

We have already established that our life with God is a journey. Perception and awareness are two critical elements we need to develop if we want to advance in our walk with Him. We can 0nly stay on course when we regularly take the time and effort to evaluate where we have been and where we are now. We need to know what we have done well and where we have failed. The reason is obvious. It will enable us to make the necessary changes to what and where we have gone wrong. In Deuteronomy 8:1-6, the passage before us, tell us that to walk in obedience to God, we need to look back at all that God had done throughout the journey, and evaluate all that had happened at every turn of the way. This will help us to have the right perspective, appreciate God, make needful changes, and stay faithful and obedient to Him.

Moses wanted the children of Israel to know how privileged they were as His chosen people so that they would obey Him and walk faithfully with Him. He was the one guiding them throughout their journey. Everything they had experienced, positive or negative, was permitted by Him to train and hone them. Every circumstance in their life was permitted by Him to nurture them. Some were there to humble them. Others were there to prove their love for Him. And there were those to test their obedience and develop their trust in Him. From all the experiences, one thing God wanted them to know most was that they needed Him more than food or anything they craved for.  

Like the children of Israel we must know that God Himself is leading us. Like what happened to His chosen people, God also allowed our varied experiences to train and discipline us. He also allows circumstances to help cultivate humility in us, to prove our love for Him, and to develop our trust in Him. Here we can identify four things God expected of each of us. Firstly, He wants us to have humility. He will allow circumstances to happen to test our character, take away pride, and humbly trust Him. Secondly, He wants to develop in us a life that depends on Him. There will be times that He will allow us to come to our wits end so that we will begin to look to Him for a solution that He alone can give. Thirdly, He wants us to have an attitude of gratitude. This will help us to acknowledge that all that we have and can potentially have, come from Him alone. He is our source.  And fourthly, He wants us to build in us a life of faithful obedience to Him. Nothing happens to us by chance!