Why it Matters - Courage

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 31-34

Be strong and courageous. A phrase that appears multiple times in this chapter. Moses spoke these words to the people of Israel as they prepared to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. He spoke them to Joshua as he prepared to hand off his leadership to the next generation. And the Lord reinforces this message by speaking directly to Joshua before Moses’ death. It makes perfect sense. The people of Israel are about to embark on a military campaign that will take them years to complete. They will fight city after city, tribe after tribe in an effort to secure the inheritance God promised them. Among the many things they will need to accomplish this mission, “strength” and “courage” would definitely be at the top of the list. Strikingly enough, however, is where their strength and courage come from. It’s not something they can muster up for themselves. No amount of training or preparation will produce the strength and courage they need. It can only come from one place and one place alone…the presence of the Lord.

Take a moment and consider all the attributes it takes to lead a rich and full and meaningful life. Qualities like strength and courage are essential as are qualities like love, joy, peace, humility, and wisdom. The Bible makes it clear that the source of such qualities is God Himself. No human being can produce these qualities on their own. Even at our best, we can only produce cheap imitations. The qualities we need are the byproducts of experiencing the abiding presence of God. Staying in step and walking with the Holy Spirit. Keeping our focus on Jesus. “Do not be afraid…for the Lord goes with you.” “Be strong and courageous…for the Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you.” “Be strong and courageous…I myself will be with you.” Over and over again, God makes it clear that strength and courage only come from Him and He is faithful. He will never leave His people for forsake them.

Do we believe God? Do we take God at His Word? Do we trust Him to be faithful to His promise? That’s the fundamental question. So if we find ourselves living in fear, we should seek refuge in the presence of God. If we find ourselves overwhelmed with anxiety, we should run to Christ and cast all our anxieties on Him. If we find ourselves in need of strength and courage to face the challenges of our day to day life, we should start each day on our knees asking God to make us aware of His abiding presence in our lives. The more aware we are, the more courage and strength we’ll have to face each day.

Readings for tomorrow: Joshua 1-2, Psalms 105

Why it Matters - Covenant

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 28-30

God has made an eternal covenant with His people. He initiated this covenant when He first called Abraham out of Ur and delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. They are His people. He is their God. And His great desire is to dwell with them just like He did with Adam and Eve in the Garden. However, human sin presents a threat to the covenant. Not in the sense that it could break the covenant. That’s not possible. The covenant God makes is unbreakable and unconditional and eternal. But sin does impact the human experience of God’s covenantal faithfulness. When we walk in accordance with God’s will and God’s commands, we will experience covenantal blessings. When we walk away from God and disobey His commands, we will experience covenantal curses. Both are a reflection of God’s faithfulness to us.

I know that’s hard to understand. It’s hard to read through the curses listed in these chapters and imagine how they are a reflection of God’s love. It’s why when the rabbi’s read through this section in the synagogue, they do so quickly and quietly, in a subdued tone to emphasize their gravity. They understand God disciplines those He loves. He refuses to let us persist in sin. His curses and divine punishments are designed to always draw us back to Himself in repentance. This is God’s heart. It’s why careful readers will note the escalation in the punishments themselves. Economic collapse. Social breakdown. War and exile. Each stage is meant to provoke reflection with the hope of return. God makes it clear that His desire is blessing not curse. His desire is favor not rejection. His desire is life not death. “Look! I have set before you today life and prosperity on the one hand, and death and disaster on the other. What I am commanding you today is to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to obey his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and become numerous and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are about to possess.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭30‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NET‬‬)

Why do God’s punishments seem so harsh? That’s always a question that comes up when we read. And it only serves to illustrate how little we understand the depth of our sin. We don’t understand the impact it makes on us as individual human beings, on those in our community around us, or on creation and all God has made. God has a plan for our lives and for this world. When we enter into a relationship with Him there is no going back and no backing out. He will not rest until we have fulfilled His will for our lives and become the people He has created and called us to be. This is what it means to be in a covenantal relationship with Him.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 31-34

Why it Matters - First Fruits

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 24-27

Gratitude. Thanksgiving. Remembering all the things the Lord has done for you. My wife and I are currently enjoying some time up in the mountains. It’s her spring break and a dear family in our church generously offered their condo for us to stay in for the week. As we were eating dinner our first night here, we started talking about all the blessings we’ve been given in our lives. We talked about when we first got married. We had no money. We were living on minimum wage in Boulder, CO at the time. We had no real plan. My grades from college were so bad no seminary would take me. We had experienced significant loss. Our firstborn son, Caleb, didn’t survive past twenty-two weeks in the womb. We had no idea where life would take us. But we did know one thing. We knew God. We knew God was faithful. We knew God was with us. And we knew if we sought God’s will and walked in His ways, our lives would be rich and full. This really is the secret to the Christian life. Seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness first and all the rest will be added to you. Take care of the things God cares about first and He will take care of the things you care about. Put God first in your schedule, in your finances, in your priorities and you will find Him filling your heart and your hands to overflowing with His blessings.

This is why the principle of first-fruits is so important. Before we do anything else, we offer to God the first and best of the fruit of our labor. For ancient Israel, this meant the first-fruits of their harvest and the first-fruits of their flocks and herds and the first-fruits of the tribute they won in battle. For us, it looks like the first-fruits of our paychecks or the first-fruits of the interest we earn on our investments. We do not give because God needs it. He doesn’t. We do not even give because God commands it though He most certainly does. No, we give out of gratitude for all He has done for us. Listen again to the prayer every ancient Israelite made when they came to make their offering of first-fruits to the Lord. “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor, and he went down to Egypt and lived there as a foreigner with a household few in number, but there he became a great, powerful, and numerous people. But the Egyptians mistreated and oppressed us, forcing us to do burdensome labor. So we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and he heard us and saw our humiliation, toil, and oppression. Therefore the Lord brought us out of Egypt with tremendous strength and power, as well as with great awe-inspiring signs and wonders. Then he brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now, look! I have brought the first of the ground’s produce that you, Lord, have given me.” Then you must set it down before the Lord your God and worship before him. You will celebrate all the good things that the Lord your God has given you and your family, along with the Levites and the resident foreigners among you.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭26‬:‭5‬-‭11‬ ‭NET‬‬) God made them a great and powerful and numerous people. God delivered them from humiliation and toil and oppression. God brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey. Because God did all these good things for us, we give out of gratitude and celebration.

So let’s talk about giving for a moment. Do you give regularly and faithfully to the Lord? Do you prayerfully consider what to give and do you give it cheerfully or out of a sense of duty or obligation? Do you give God the first-fruits of your labor or what’s leftover at the end of a pay period? When you give, do you take time to remember and celebrate and thank the Lord for all He has done for you? Let me encourage and challenge you to spend some time praying over these questions today and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you reflect on what God is calling you to give.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 28-30

Why it Matters - Historical Context

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 20-23

Many people who read the Bible assume that because every word is “divinely inspired”, it means every verse represents a timeless principle. And that’s why so many of them struggle when they hit a set of chapters like the ones we read today which talk about warfare, slavery, economics, and ritual purity in the ancient world. They can’t conceive of a God who would command the complete annihilation of the population of a city or the harsh punishment for a rebellious child or adultery in a marriage. They can’t comprehend the prohibitions against mixing seeds or plowing with different animals or mixing fibers when making clothing. It seems so strange and foreign to us in the 21st century. However, this is where historical context comes in as well as some general principles around how to not just to read the Bible but understand it.

First, ancient near east laws were commonly presented as “ideals” but the people implementing such laws were given wide discretion in their application. Laws set the moral boundaries for the nation but the judges and elders who were in charge of enforcing the laws often treated them as guiding principles rather than unbending, unyielding legislation. They applied them in a cultural context where the community was far more important than the individual and their goal was to protect and nurture and guide that community so it could flourish.

Second, the biblical authors often used hyperbole, particularly when it came to their military campaigns. This was very common in the ancient world. For example, we know the Israelites did not actually annihilate the Canaanite cities they attacked because later biblical books record those people still living in the land. Many scholars therefore believe, as I do, that what we are reading is a kind of rhetorical device, declaring total victory. We’ve seen similar language in our own time such as when President Bush declared “Mission accomplished” onboard the USS Lincoln.

Third, and this may be the most challenging aspect to get our minds and hearts around, the Bible records a theological and ethical progression as God reveals Himself and His will to His people over time. Because God has given dominion to the creatures made in His image, He is committed to working in and through us to bring about His will on the earth. He works within human systems of science, law, politics, culture, etc. to make Himself known and push us to greater ethical clarity and understanding. It’s why you don’t see God simply come out and abolish slavery though He certainly moderates the practice. For example, the women taken in captivity in battle are treated with much greater compassion in Israel versus the ancient near east nations around them. Furthermore, when you read about protections for runaway slaves, care for widows and orphans, economic fairness, and safeguarding of an inheritance against favoritism; you are beginning to see ethical advances that will eventually lead to Jesus’ own teachings like the Sermon on the Mount.

Don’t be afraid to use AI or Google to help you understand the historical context in which you’re reading. There are lots of resources available online now to help us grow in our understanding of the Scriptures and the God to whom they point.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 24-27

Why it Matters - Yeast

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 16-19

The first few times I read through the Bible in a year, I tended to skip over what I believed were the “minor” details. Obscure Old Testament laws regarding shellfish and mixing fibers. Esoteric religious rituals having to do with the Tabernacle. All the numbers of silver plates, oxen, and sheep that each tribe brought as their offering. These things didn’t concern me. They didn’t seem applicable to my life. I didn’t think they were relevant so I would breeze through them without really taking the time to ask why God put them in the Bible in the first place. All that changed when the Holy Spirit stopped me short in Deuteronomy 16 where the Lord begins talking about the importance of yeast. “You must not eat any yeast with it; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast, symbolic of affliction, for you came out of Egypt hurriedly. You must do this so you will remember for the rest of your life the day you came out of the land of Egypt. There must not be a scrap of yeast within your land for seven days, nor can any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until the next morning.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭16‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NET‬‬) What’s the big deal about yeast? Why is God so serious about it? This is where I began to realize how important every single detail is in the Scriptures.

Yeast symbolized several things for the ancient Israelites. First and foremost, it reminded them of their history. Particularly the way God had miraculously delivered them from slavery and bondage in Egypt. After four hundred years of hard labor, they suddenly had no time to let their bread rise. They had to bake unleavened bread because of how suddenly God’s rescue came upon them. God never wants them to forget what He has done for them so He commands them to eat only unleavened bread during the Passover meal.

Second, removing all the yeast from the land for seven days symbolized an act of ritual purity. Yeast works its way through the dough by the process of fermentation. It spreads invisibly. Imperceptibly. Incrementally. Until the whole lump of dough is leavened. Sin acts in a similar manner, corrupting the people of Israel, so removing the yeast becomes an act of repentance. A way of showing God how single-minded and whole-hearted they were in their devotion to Him.

Third, removing yeast for a week would have impacted Israel’s daily meals. They would have noticed its absence. It would serve as a daily reminder as they celebrated their feasts of the Exodus. In this way, the unleavened bread becomes a teaching tool they can use to pass on their history to their children and their children’s children. Whenever a child would ask why the bread did not rise, they would recite what God had done for them.

Finally, when they came together for the feast and ate as a community, they celebrated their shared history and national unity and the covenant faithfulness of God. It was a powerful unifying symbol for the entire people of Israel no matter what their particular tribal affiliation.

As I said, no details are too minor for God. He puts them in Scripture for a purpose and the same is true for our lives as well. Every detail matters. Every thought. Every word. Every action. Every desire. God sees it all and God cares about it all and God wants to use it all to advance His Kingdom.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 20-23

Why it Matters - Idolatry

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 12-15

I remember talking to one of my kids when she was in middle school. She had a friend who struggled with deep depression and she wanted to know how best to help her. We talked about medical care, licensed counseling, and prayer. I encouraged her to share Christ with her friend which she did. Her friend told her she wasn’t a Christian and instead, believed in a spirit animal. She even described her spirit animal to my daughter. This confused my daughter so she came home to ask me about it. She asked me if I thought it was legitimate. This led to a deep conversation about the danger of idolatry. The reality is her friend believed in a lie. Her spirit animal offered her no help for her depression. Her sincerity of belief didn’t matter because the spirit animal wasn’t real. Contrast that with Jesus. A real person who lived in a real place at a real time in human history. He was born to a real family, led a real ministry, suffered and died a real death. Three days later, His tomb was really empty. He appeared bodily to His followers. His resurrection was real and that means He’s still alive today and more than able to help us in our time of need. Does that mean faith solves all our problems? Of course not. But faith is a key component, along with medical and mental health care, as we seek to process the pain this life can often bring.

Why do I share that story? It illustrates why God hates idolatry. It places in context some of the passages from our readings today where God calls for the complete annihilation of the pagan gods of the people living in the Promised Land. It’s why God refuses to tolerate false prophets among His own people. He doesn’t want His people to fall into the trap of believing something that isn’t real. God has made Himself clear. There is only one God. His name is YHWH. He alone is the creator and sustainer of this world. He alone is worthy of worship. The other gods are human creations, human projections. They don’t exist and therefore have no power to help or comfort or protect or provide. They are simply nothing. No substance. No form. No being. Worshipping them is like worshipping smoke or hot air. Furthermore, the worship the pagan gods demanded was a desecration. An abomination. They often required child sacrifice or immoral sexual fertility rites. By contrast, God wants His people to live holy and sacred lives. They are set apart to represent Him in the world. They are His chosen people. “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. He has chosen you to be his people, prized above all others on the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭14‬:‭2‬ ‭NET‬‬)

Sadly, the modern world is just as full of idols as the ancient world and it’s easy to fall into the trap of falsely believing that our God is just one among many. Because we live in a pluralist society where there is no state sanction of a particular religion, everyone is free to make it up as they go along. However, God’s hatred of idolatry still stands. To worship any other God but the God revealed in Jesus Christ is to engage in idolatry and to risk God’s judgment. The reality there is no other God but Jesus. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and the end. He is the first and the last. And that’s why there’s no other name under heaven by which we may be saved.

Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays

Why it Matters - Discipline

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 8-11

Discipline seems to be a bad word these days. In fact, the opposite seems to be celebrated and promoted. Everyone is encouraged to do what is right in their own eyes. Do what feels good to them. Live life to the fullest, even to excess, without a care of how it might impact others. The results are not good. I’ve watched marriages break up as spouses seek to “live their truth.” I’ve watched children struggle for lack of discipline in the home or at school. I’ve watched people incur hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt as they live beyond their means. On a national and/or global scale, it often maps out as fraud, waste, and abuse. Political leaders taking advantage of the system to line their own pockets or accumulate power or use their influence to hurt those who might stand in their way.

How is discipline developed? Through hardship. Through trial. Through what the Bible calls “long-suffering.” The people of God had wandered in the wilderness for forty years. An entire generation had died. Now they stand on the cusp of the Promised Land. A land flowing with milk and honey. A fertile and prosperous land where they will find great wealth and success. Moses is preaching his final sermon to them. This is the last chance he has to remind them of what’s most important and what does he encourage them to keep in mind? “Remember the whole way by which he has brought you these forty years through the desert so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not. So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach you that humankind cannot live by bread alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth. Your clothing did not wear out nor did your feet swell all these forty years. Be keenly aware that just as a parent disciplines his child, the Lord your God disciplines you. So you must keep his commandments, live according to his standards, and revere him.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬-‭6‬ ‭NET‬‬) Remember the lessons God taught you. Lessons about His provision. Lessons about His protection. Most of all, lessons on discipline. Learning to live according to God’s Word and God’s commands.

It takes discipline to follow Jesus. In fact, Jesus Himself said that following Him requires us a deny ourselves daily. Deny the sinful passions and pleasures we would otherwise indulge in. Deny excess and greed. Deny our natural tendencies to cling to pride and entitlement and make “self” the center of our lives. Jesus gets to be the center. But Jesus also knows such discipline doesn’t come naturally so He teaches us. He trains us. He takes us through hard seasons in order to refine and test us. Do not resist the Lord’s discipline when it comes for God only disciplines those He loves and His desire is for you to become like Him.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 12-15

Why it Matters - The Law of God

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 4-7

“Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NET‬‬)

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is the most important verse in the Jewish canon. It is known as the Shema and it is recited daily by faithful Jews all over the world and throughout history. It is the core statement of their faith. It summarizes the greatest commandment of them all. Jesus Himself will cite it when asked which commandment is the greatest. But how does one live it out? How does one love the Lord with all one’s mind, being, and strength? This is where the law of God comes in. God doesn’t leave us to wonder about His will. He is specific. He is direct. He is clear. The way we live in this world and the commands we follow determine whether or not we truly love God. It’s why Jesus says, “If you love Me, you will obey My commandments.” It’s not about earning God’s love, it’s about showing God how much we love Him.

What is the purpose of the law of God? A great question. One that’s been asked throughout the centuries. And there’’s not one answer. The law was given to restrain human evil. Just a cursory glance at history reveals the depth of depravity human beings are capable of and it’s terrifying. God sees it all and knows it all and gives us His law so that justice and righteousness will be clearly defined, giving us no excuse. The law was also given to train us in righteousness. Not just a list of “do nots”, it provides us a clear roadmap on how to live a life that glorifies and pleases God. It also lays out the blessings of obedience for all who commit their way to the Lord. Finally, the law of God was given to point us to Christ. None of us can fulfill the law’s demands perfectly. And for those who try, a deep sense of learned helplessness sets in. We know we fall short. We know we aren’t perfect. We know we are guilty. And this points us to our need for a Savior.

Now I know a lot of people reject the law of God today. Even Christians. They point to archaic and obscure regulations regarding the mixing of fibers or the eating of shellfish as examples of the absurdity of following an ancient near east law code in the 21st century. But such protests entirely miss the point. There are definitely laws in the Old Testament that are time-bound to civil and religious life of ancient Israel. But the moral law, embodied by the Ten Commandments, is clearly still in effect. God never wavers on His commitment to His law which is why Jesus deepens and expands on it in His famous Sermon on the Mount. He essentially restates the moral law of the Old Testament and intensifies it for His followers. In this way, it still fulfills the original purpose for which God created it.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 8-11

What it Matters - Promised Land

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 1-3

A few years ago, I had the privilege of visiting Israel. One of my favorite sites on the trip was Masada. If you don’t know the history of Masada, it is a two thousand year old fortress built by King Herod the Great. During the first Jewish-Roman War (66-73AD), Jewish zealots seized control of the fortress and courageously held off the full might of the Roman legions. Eventually, however, the legions were able to build a ramp up to the wall (which you can still see today) and break through the defenses of the fortress. Rather than be captured and sold into slavery, the remaining zealots committed mass suicide, thus becoming a powerful witness to future generations of Jewish courage and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. The symbol remains so powerful that for decades, new recruits into the Israeli Defense Force would take their vows at Masada. (This has changed in recent years. Most now take their vows at the Western Wall though some special brigades still go to Masada.) Interestingly enough, when they take their vows, Jewish recruits are handed a rifle and a Tanach (Hebrew Bible containing the 24 books of the Old Testament), and promise to defend the State of Israel.

But what is the State of Israel? This is a highly volatile question. One that is the source of a lot of violence in the region. Certainly, many Arab and Palestinian groups refuse to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist. Many Muslims deny the existence of the historical Temple of Solomon as they too seek to de-legitimize Israel’s right to exist. The United Nations and many other international organizations may accept Israel’s right to exist for the sake of political expediency but certainly would never support Israel’s right to the territories mentioned in Deuteronomy, chapter three. In recent years, many left-wing political groups have joined the chorus against Israel’s right to exist. On the flip side, many right-wing political groups both within Israel and among international pro-Zionist groups do support the concept of a “Greater Israel” which is based on the boundaries set for the Promised Land in the Bible. It’s why settlement construction is taking place in Palestinian Territories and why some advocate for a complete takeover of Gaza or the rebuilding of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount.

Deuteronomy is Moses’ final sermon to God’s people as they camp on the plains below Mount Nebo across the Jordan River facing Jericho. They are poised to begin their conquest of the Promised Land. They will spend the next several years doing what all tribes and civilizations have done throughout history, carving out a place for themselves and their descendants. Their national identity will be forged in the fires of conflict and suffering and pain. They will face and fight against all kinds of overwhelming odds as the powerful empires around them battle for control of what is an important land bridge between Asia and Africa. Egyptians. Assyrians. Babylonians. Persians. Greeks. Seleucids. Romans. Muslims. Crusaders. Ottomans. British. All will take their turn ruling this particular strip of land. And though they would be exiled and displaced and persecuted wherever they went, the Jewish people never stopped believing and hoping for a day when they could return to the Promised Land. It’s why the modern nation-state of Israel isn’t just a political entity but a theological and religious one as well.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 4-7

Succession

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 31-34

It’s not an easy thing to contemplate one’s mortality. It’s not easy to come to the end of a season, the end of a relationship, the end of a career, much less the end of a life. It’s not easy to come to terms with the fact that our lives are just temporary blips on the radar screen of eternity. We are eminently expendable. Completely replaceable. None of us is here forever. Father Time is undefeated. One day, we will all walk out the door of our jobs for the final time and someone else’s name will be on the door. One day, we will all say goodbye to our spouse and loved ones and hand off our work to the next generation. Even the best and most successful runs professionally and personally have an expiration date. It’s why succession planning is so important.

Moses had a succession plan. He knew his time as the leader of the people of Israel was coming to a close. He had accomplished his main task which was to bring them to the Promised Land. For forty years, he had been faithful. For forty years, they had looked to him for guidance and wisdom and to discern the Lord’s will. For forty years, he had led them through success and failure in battle and in their journey in the wilderness. They had seen him perform miracles. They had seen him make hard choices. They had seen his face light up with the glory of God. But now a new generation of leadership was needed. And though Moses’ “eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not left him”(Deuteronomy‬ ‭34‬:‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬), it was time for him to pass on the mantle of leadership to another. Thankfully, Moses had been intentional. Joshua had been his right hand man for years. God had been at work preparing Joshua for this moment. And when the time came, Moses was able to pass away in peace, knowing God’s people were in good hands.

Do you have a succession plan? It’s never too early to work on one. It’s never too early to think about who or what comes after you. For your family, succession planning involves a will and power of attorney and advanced healthcare directives. For your job, it means making sure everything you do is written down so it can be passed on to the next person. If you are in leadership, it means identifying and training your potential successor. If you are a pastor, it means making sure the church you lead has a strong and deep leadership base so they won’t miss a beat if you get called on or get called home. Again, none of us is irreplaceable. All of us are expendable on some level. Not because we have no value or worth but simply because our lives are like “sparks that fly upwards.” We are here today and gone tomorrow. Our goal should be to make whatever contribution we can with the gifts and talents and resources we’ve received and then humbly hand the work off to the next one in line.

Readings for tomorrow: Joshua 1-2, Psalms 105

Covenant

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 28-30

I have the privilege of walking with a lot of people from a lot of different walks of life in my work as a pastor. They give me the honor of sharing their lives with me. They share their successes and failures, their joys and sorrows, their happiness and heartbreaks with me. Some of them have experienced incredible transformation and triumph. Others seem to never get out of the spiral they find themselves in. Almost always, the key difference has to do with surrender to God.

It’s tempting to read through today’s verses and find “cause and effect.” If I do this, God will do this. If I obey, God will bless. If I disobey, God will curse. Conclusion? Obey and I will live. Disobey and I will die. However, we all know life is not that two-dimensional. It can’t be flattened out. Life is far more complicated because human beings are far more complicated. We are a mixture of all kinds of emotions and motivations that drive our choices and behavior. Who among us can truly say we make decisions with the purest of motivations? I don’t believe any of us can make that claim honestly. There is always a bit of selfishness involved even when we are at our most noble and godly.

The nation of Israel lived in a covenantal relationship with God. The covenant was not based on their obedience but God’s faithfulness. At the same time, there are blessings when we obey God. When we prioritize what He cares about. When we put Him first and worship Him alone. Does that mean all of us will experience health and wealth like the prosperity preachers promise? No. This is not a means to a worldly end. God cares far more about the state of our souls than He does the balance in our bank accounts. He cares far more about the people we are becoming on the inside than the outside. It’s not that God doesn’t care for our bodies. He does! And He will raise us physically from the grave in the resurrection! It’s just that God understands how temporary life in this world can be. Even at our best, we might live into our nineties or maybe one hundred. But our health will fail. Our wealth will eventually be useless to us. So why put our focus there? Focus instead on the higher things. The more important things. Like how our lives bring glory and honor to God. “The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he swore to you, if you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. Then all the peoples of the earth will see that you bear the Lord’s name, and they will stand in awe of you.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭28‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Bearing the Lord’s name. That’s the true blessing of obedience.

And it’s why God is so quick to forgive when we fail and fall short. When Israel disobeys the covenantal commands and falls away, God offers them a way back through repentance and forgiveness and grace. “When all these things happen to you, the blessings and curses I have set before you, and you come to your senses while you are in all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, and you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and all your soul by doing  everything I am commanding you today, then he will restore your fortunes, have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. Even if your exiles are at the farthest horizon, he will gather you and bring you back from there.  The Lord your God will bring you into the land your ancestors possessed, and you will take possession of it. He will cause you to prosper and multiply you more than he did your ancestors. The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭30‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Friends, there’s always an opportunity to choose life. It’s never too late to turn from sin. We are never too far gone. We are never without hope. The arm of the Lord is long and the reach of His grace is great. I love how Psalms 139 puts it, “Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I fly on the wings of the dawn and settle down on the western horizon, even there your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night”  — even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭7‬-‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 31-34

Perspective

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 24-27

Perspective has great power. My mother grew up desperately poor at times. She experienced a lot of uncertainty. A lot of transition. Her father was a pastor who moved around quite a bit due to the philosophy of the denomination he served. He was also quite successful at turning around struggling churches so they would send him to some of the hardest places to do his work. And even though my mom has been blessed with abundance materially and great health physically and a lot of stability in her community, it still shapes her perspective. For example, we gathered on Saturday for a meal at a very nice restaurant. My mom paid the bill which was significant. As she was paying, she remarked to my brother and I that she was going shopping with a coupon the following day that would save her a few dollars. She didn’t see the irony at first but it made us all chuckle.

One of the things Moses attempts to do in his final sermon is remind Israel from whence she came. He wants them to have a healthy and humble perspective as they move into the Promised Land. So he says things like, “Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the journey after you left Egypt…Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. Therefore I am commanding you to do this…Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore I am commanding you to do this.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭24‬:‭9‬, ‭18‬, ‭22‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Why do we observe laws regarding disease or refuse to deny justice to the immigrant, orphan, and widow or leave the gleanings of the fields and orchards for the poor? Because Israel herself was once poor. They were the stranger, the foreigner, the alien. They were the slave, the poor, the fatherless. This is heart behind the Lord’s commands. His laws are not arbitrary or capricious. They are designed to help Israel maintain her perspective. The same is true when they bring the firstfruits of their offering. Every time they do give to the Lord, they are to recite their “origin story.” Deuteronomy 26:5-10, “My father was a wandering Aramean. He went down to Egypt with a few people and resided there as an alien. There he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. But the Egyptians mistreated and oppressed us, and forced us to do hard labor. So we called out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our cry and saw our misery, hardship, and oppression. Then the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with terrifying power, and with signs and wonders. He led us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. I have now brought the first of the land’s produce that you, Lord, have given me.” What a powerful reminder of God’s great generosity and grace and what a powerful motivator for Israel to give.

What shapes your perspective? Over the years, I have found it helpful to recite all the things God has done for me. I have written down my testimony in various places, detailing all the different events over the course of my life where the Lord clearly interceded. Returning to my testimony or the “origin story” of my faith has served as a powerful reminder to me that informs how I live and how I serve and how I love and how I give.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 28-30

Confusion

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 20-23

Whew. All kinds of confusing stuff in today’s reading. Holy war. The massacre of innocents. Strange regulations regarding unsolved murders. Intermarriage with female prisoners. Inheritance rights. Rebellious children. And then a whole string of random laws governing livestock, agriculture, and fashion. Followed by an extended section on sexual immorality and ritual purity. Then another string of random laws governing slavery, banking, and sacred vows. It’s enough to make one’s head spin!

What do we make of it all? Well, first and foremost, we must acknowledge many of these laws are specifically directed at ancient Israel and therefore have no real application for today. They are designed for a cultural context with which we have no familiarity. They may seem barbaric at times and odd at other times but they held real purpose for an ancient people who were just getting started as a nation. However, this doesn’t mean we have nothing to learn from the text. God is communicating something about Himself to us through these ancient words. For example, purity. Notice how God restricts the sowing of two different kinds of seed and the mixing of fibers in clothing and forbids cross-dressing. God is clearly concerned with keeping things distinct and orderly and “according to its kind” much like He did in the creation narrative in Genesis 1. Second, holiness. Why does God demand Israel kill everything in the pagan cities they conquer? He’s concerned anyone or anything left over will become a problem for Israel. He’s concerned they will be tempted to worship other gods. He even says as much in Deuteronomy 20:18, “so that they won’t teach you to do all the detestable acts they do for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.” I know this sounds incredibly harsh and unyielding and unfair in our ears but God will not tolerate any rivals for our affections. He is serious about the sin of idolatry. And for those who might be tempted to dismiss the Old Testament God in favor of the New Testament God, please remember Jesus’ words about the final judgment. God will separate the believers from the unbelievers. Heaven and hell are eternal realities. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Reading this text today can also expose our natural bias. We typically come to the text with a “hermeneutic of suspicion.” Which is to say, we come to the text demanding that it prove itself to us. Prove it’s worth by giving us something to apply to our lives. We have this natural tendency to want to turn the text into a self-help manual. A roadmap to our “best life” now. We want the text to speak to our cultural moment. We want to rub the text like a lamp and treat God like a genie. Instead, texts like the one for today demand something from us. Demand that we take God seriously. Demand that we treat the text on its terms and not our own. It forces us out of our cultural arrogance and chronological snobbery as we come face to face with the holiness of God.

Does that mean there is nothing here for us to hold onto for hope? Not at all! We just have to keep digging. Keep praying. Keep seeking. Keep searching. Dig down deep enough below the surface regulations and what do we discover about God’s nature and character? He loves His people. Fiercely. Loyally. Stubbornly. He does not want to see them fall into temptation. Our God is a God of reconciliation and forgiveness even in situations where justice cannot be served because the murderer cannot be found. Our God is a God of mercy and compassion which is why He graciously welcomes those women captured in battle - who in ancient times were often treated brutally - as part of His people. He orders society for the good of all, protecting property and inheritance rights. He protects the poor from predatory lending and provides for them by allowing them to glean in the fields. He is concerned about the pain and suffering that comes from rampant sexual immorality so He places protections around the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. All of this is in the best interest of His chosen people.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 24-27

Generosity and Joy

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 16-19

The pursuit of happiness. It’s one of the “inalienable” rights granted to us by our Creator according to the Declaration of Independence. It’s one of the key values in our society. Everyone is looking for happiness. They look for it in a bottle, a bong, or an edible. They look for it in the gym, the salon, or the store. They look for it in travel, adventure, and challenge. They look for it from their doctor or therapist. Not all of these are bad, of course, but all of them do share a common thread. We think we can find true happiness by focusing on ourselves. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I love how the Book of Deuteronomy describes the annual sacred feasts of Israel. Yes, there is a lot of ceremony. A lot of sacrifice. A lot to remember. And it’s easy to get stuck in the weeds and miss the point of it all. “Rejoice before the Lord your God in the place where he chooses to have his name dwell you, your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite within your city gates, as well as the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow among you…Rejoice during your festival you, your son and daughter, your male and female slave, as well as the Levite, the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow within your city gates.” (‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭16‬:‭11‬, ‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬) These feasts were celebrations. They were filled with joy. And not just for the people of Israel but for everyone who lived in the Promised Land. They were intended to be huge parties where the name of the Lord was lifted up and all God had done for them proclaimed to every generation. I can only imagine being a “resident alien” and living in Israel at the time. Imagine seeing the people of God worship the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Imagine the expressions of joy as people danced and sang and feasted. It must have been so compelling.

And what made such feasting possible for everyone? Generosity. Every person giving generously from the heart. Every person offering back to the Lord from the bounty He had provided in the previous year. “You are to celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God with a freewill offering  that you give in proportion to how the Lord your God has blessed you. Everyone must appear with a gift suited to his means, according to the blessing the Lord your God has given you.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭16‬:‭10‬, ‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬) This was not a tithe. This was not a law. The people didn’t give out of a sense of obligation or guilt or shame. They gave a “freewill” offering. They gave from the heart. They gave in proportion to all God had given them. They gave to bless others. To bless the community. To bless everyone who lived within their midst, from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich. All were included. None were left out. Can you imagine it?

What could this look like today? As Christians, we don’t keep the Old Testament feasts. All the ceremonial laws governing worship were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. But that doesn’t mean the party ends! On the contrary, because of what Christ has done for us, every day is an opportunity to rejoice! Every week when we gather with God’s people, we have the opportunity to celebrate and share our joy with others! And when we give generously of our time and talent and treasure, everyone gets to share in the blessing. Everyone gets to celebrate what God has done. No one is left out. This is the life God has called us to as His church. A life of abundance and blessing and generosity and joy!

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 20-23

The End of Religion

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 12-15

One of my favorite theologians is a man named Karl Barth. A Swiss theologian in the 20th century, he was an influential voice in the Confession Church movement that resisted the Nazis in Europe and the author of the famous Barmen Declaration. Barth is most known for his relentlessly “Christocentric” theology. Everything was about Christ for him. He believed with all his heart that the fullness of God dwelt in Jesus which means Jesus reveals the fullness of God to us. Among his many famous sayings about Jesus, I particularly love the one where he calls Christ “the end of all religion” because “religion is understood as human striving toward God.” The essence of Christianity is not religion, it is relationship. It is God coming to be with us. God becoming one of us or as Barth himself put it, “God becoming what we are so we may be become what He is.” This is why God hates religion so much. He hates what it does to us. He hates how it diminishes us. He hates how it degrades us. He hates how it shames us. We were not made to be slaves of gods. We were not made to serve their whims no matter how capricious and arbitrary. We were not made to live in our lives in fear over their anger and rage. We were made for relationship. We were created as beloved children. We were shaped and fashioned after God’s own image so we could serve Him joyfully in the world He has made.

No wonder God tells His people to destroy the false gods and goddesses they encounter! “Destroy completely all the places where the nations that you are driving out worship their gods on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree. Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn their Asherah poles, cut down the carved images of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬) He is not being mean or lashing out in rage. He is seeking to protect His people from the dangers of false worship and false religion. He does not want them to fall prey to the paganism of the world around them. He is a jealous God. He will not allow them to turn their affections towards another. He will not share them with any other god because He knows how religion deforms and defaces and dehumanizes. And His love is jealous and fierce and loyal and true which is why He seeks to protect us even from ourselves.

The temptation to worship false gods remains. Our world is full of all kinds of religion. All of which God hates. Religion is the source of so much shame and so much fear and so much pain. It drives us crazy because it presents us with a goal that is forever out of reach. Strive as we might, we can never live up to religion’s ideals. We can never meet religion’s ethical and moral demands. We are always falling short. And this is why we need Christ. The end of all religion. The end of all human effort and striving. The end of all shame and fear. The end of all heartache and pain. What God offers us in Jesus Christ is an eternal relationship not another human religion. What God has done in Jesus Christ is bridge the divide between heaven and earth. The Word becomes flesh and blood and moves into our neighborhood. God becomes Emmanuel - God with us. God comes to us, full of grace and truth, to show us what it means to be truly human. Truly beloved. Truly accepted. Put aside your religion. Embrace a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Readings for tomorrow: No readings on Sundays

Keep

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 8-11

The best definition of discipleship that I’ve ever encountered comes from Eugene Peterson. A long-time Presbyterian pastor, he defines discipleship as a “long obedience in the same direction.” It’s the relentless, life-long pursuit of God that results in transformation. The most impactful people I’ve ever met in my life invest all of their time, energy, and resources in a single community over a period of decades. The spiritual legacy they leave behind is enormous and generational. And it’s how God designed His church to work.

“Keep in mind all God has done for you.” This is where Moses begins. He encourages the people of Israel to keep in mind all the miracles. All the signs. All the wonders. Everything God has done from the moment He began to deliver them from slavery in Egypt through their wilderness journey and now as they stand on the cusp of the Promised Land. Parting seas. Feeding them with manna. Making water come from a rock. Over and over again, they cried out to Him. Over and over again, He answered. Their clothing did not wear out. Their feet did not swell. For forty years they wandered and God was faithful to wander with them every step of the way.

“Keep all the commandments I have given you.” This is Moses second admonition. Keep the commandments of God. Obey the laws He has laid down. He knows better than you. He knows what it takes to make this life work. He knows what you need before you need it. He knows the kind of people He’s trying to create. He knows the character qualities that will lead to a flourishing life. This is why He gives us commands. He is giving us instructions on how to live the righteous life. A life that flourishes. A life God blesses. If they carefully follow all the commands, they will live and increase and take possession of the land God is giving them.

“God will keep you.” This is perhaps the most important lesson Moses wants Israel to learn. God is the faithful covenant-keeper. He will never leave them or forsake them. He will remain true to them through thick and thin. He will remain loyal to them though they will abandon Him. He will remain faithful to them though they will betray Him. He has made them a promise. A promise He intends to keep. A promise that can never be broken. A promise He will fulfill fully and completely in Jesus Christ. And what is true for Israel is true for us today. So keep in mind all God has done for you. Keep all the commandments He has given you. Keep faith with God and know He will keep faith with you.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 12-15

Mercy

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 4-7

Over the course of my life, I have been blessed to spend time with some truly great Christians. Men and women of profound spiritual depth who have exerted a shaping influence on the church and the world through their speaking, teaching, and writing. Their names are well-known. They’ve founded and led great ministries, churches, and organizations. Some of them have passed from this life. Others are still very much engaged in their work. And for reasons I still do not know or frankly understand, they have chosen to spend some of their valuable time with me. It’s deeply humbling to be on the receiving end of such mercy. It was not something I achieved. It was not something I earned. It was not the result of my hard work or effort. I simply lucked out. For whatever reason, they chose me.

I think of these experiences as I try to wrap my mind and heart around the words we read in our text for today. “For what great nation is there that has a god near to it as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation has righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬) It’s been decades since that first meeting between Moses and God at the burning bush. In that time, Moses has seen the most breathtaking miracles. He watched God take a rag-tag group of slaves and turn them into a nation. He watched God humble the greatest ruler of the greatest empire in the world. He bore witness to God’s love and mercy as He carried His people through the Red Sea and delivered them to the Promised Land. He grieved at the faithlessness of God’s people that caused them to wander in the wilderness under judgment for forty years. His life has been rich and full and blessed in so many ways. Perhaps the most marvelous thing of all is that Moses never loses his sense of awe over God’s mercy. Here he is at the end of his life and he still can’t get over the fact that among all the nations of the earth, God chose Israel. 

Not only did God choose Israel but God remains faithful to Israel. Despite her constant whining and complaining. Despite her hard hearts and stiff necks. Despite her many sins and acts of unfaithfulness. Despite the fact that God knows she will fail over and over again. He remains true. He lives up to His promises. “But from there, you will search for the Lord your God, and you will find him when you seek him with all your heart and all your soul.  When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, in the future you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. He will not leave you, destroy you, or forget the covenant with your ancestors that he swore to them by oath, because the Lord your God is a compassionate God.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭4‬:‭29‬-‭31‬ ‭CSB‬) God is so good. His mercies endure forever. His covenant love never fails. 

Why does God do all this? Is it for us? On some level yes. God has chosen us from before the foundations of the earth to be the object of His great love. But more than that, God has chosen us to be His instruments of mercy as well. His great desire is to use us to draw an unbelieving world to faith. God wants the whole world to look on us in wonder and awe just like Moses. To stand and stare in disbelief that the God of the universe would choose a people for Himself. Forge them through fire and trial and struggle and war into a people for His own possession. A chosen nation. A royal priesthood. Set apart to declare His glory to the world. “Indeed, ask about the earlier days that preceded you, from the day God created mankind  on the earth and from one end of the heavens to the other: Has anything like this great event ever happened, or has anything like it been heard of? Has a people heard God’s voice speaking from the fire as you have, and lived? Or has a god attempted to go and take a nation as his own out of another nation, by trials, signs, wonders, and war, by a strong hand and an outstretched arm, by great terrors, as the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬-‭34‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Friends, there is no end to the mercy of God. If you seek Him, you will find Him. If you turn to Him, you will find His arms wide open. If you ask Him, He will come into your heart and into your life and you will be saved. 

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 8-11

Testimony

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 1-3

Moses was an amazing man. He’s right up there with Abraham and David. He’s one of the most important and influential biblical leaders for God’s people. He’s the deliverer. He’s the Law-giver. He’s the one who shapes and forms Israel from a bunch of former slaves into a nation. Moses’ life was broken down into three stages, each lasting around forty years. The first forty years, he was a prince in Egypt. He grew up in Pharaoh’s household. The adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He enjoyed a life of privilege and power. The second forty years, he lived as a shepherd in Midian. He fled Egypt after murdering a man in an attempt to incite an insurrection. He got married. He had kids. He built a life for himself. Things were good. Then God showed up in a burning bush and everything changed yet again. The final forty years of his life was filled with miracle after miracle as well as hardship after hardship. He went back to Egypt. He confronted Pharaoh. He called down plagues. He delivered God’s people. He led them through the Red Sea. He brought them to Mt. Sinai and gave them the Law. He led them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. He faced all kinds of rebellion. He fought wars. He survived death threats. He faced hunger and thirst. The burdens of leading God’s people were overwhelming. Finally, Moses died without experiencing the fulfillment of God’s promise.

Imagine you are Moses. 120 years old. Your eyesight has not dimmed. Your strength unabated. You’re standing on the border of the Promised Land. You know you are not allowed to go in. You have to say goodbye to the people you have led for decades. Men and women whom you have watched grow up and helped raise from birth. A generation who did not know Egypt. Did not walk through the waters of the Red Sea. Did not hear God’s voice at Mt. Sinai. What would you say to them as they prepare to take the next step in their journey without you? This is what the Book of Deuteronomy is all about. It is Moses’ final sermon to God’s people. It is his last will and testament. It is his final chance to encourage, challenge, confront, and comfort God’s people. Given one last chance to address those he loved, Moses points them to God. He points them to God’s faithfulness. Points them to God’s provision and protection. He wants them to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is with them and He is for them and He is going before them as they cross over into new territory under new leadership.

“The Lord your God who goes before you will fight for you, just as you saw him do for you in Egypt. And you saw in the wilderness how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son all along the way you traveled until you reached this place.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭1‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭CSB‬‬) 

“For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this immense wilderness. The Lord your God has been with you these past forty years, and you have lacked nothing.”(‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

“Today I will begin to put the fear and dread of you on the peoples everywhere under heaven. They will hear the report about you, tremble, and be in anguish because of you.”(Deuteronomy‬ ‭2‬:‭25‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

“Your own eyes have seen everything the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms you are about to enter. Don’t be afraid of them, for the Lord your God fights for you.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Now consider your own life. Not many of us - or any of us - will live to be 120. However, in the years we are each given, where do we see God at work? What will our testimony be when our time comes to part from this world? What will we say to those we love and those we lead who will come after us? How can we point them to God?

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 4-7

Sing Your Song

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 32-34, Psalms 64

As we finish the Book of Deuteronomy, we need to pause for a moment and reflect on the life of Moses. Miraculously saved at birth. Raised in the palace of Pharaoh. Exiled for murder. Bedouin shepherd. Husband. Father. Called late in life to save Israel. Prophet. Miracle-worker. Deliverer. Spiritual and political leader of a nation of wandering ex-slaves. His life, especially the last third, was marked uniquely by his close relationship with God. Now we are at the end. Now the people stand on the borders of the Promised Land. Now he’s on a mountain looking over at the fulfillment of all God has promised. Now is his last chance to share with his people all he has learned in his 120 years of walking with the Lord. 

So Moses sings them a song...

“Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak; listen, earth, to the words from my mouth. Let my teaching fall like rain and my word settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass and showers on tender plants. For I will proclaim the Lord’s name. Declare the greatness of our God! The Rock  — his work is perfect; all his ways are just. A faithful God, without bias, he is righteous and true.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬) For Moses, everything begins with God. God’s faithfulness. God’s steadfast love. God’s enduring grace. Without God, he is nothing. Without God, the people of Israel are nothing. Without God, they would still be slaves in Egypt. If God had abandoned them, they would have died in the wilderness. If Moses is going to sing about anything, it will be about the greatness of God.

“His people have acted corruptly toward him; this is their defect  — they are not his children but a devious and crooked generation. Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people? Isn’t he your Father and Creator? Didn’t he make you and sustain you? Remember the days of old; consider the years of past generations. Ask your father, and he will tell you, your elders, and they will teach you.”(Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Moses also sings of the people he has served. He boldly reminds them of the truth. They are sinners. They are broken. They are rebellious. They despised God. They abandoned God. They doubted God. They disobeyed God. He sings, eyes wide open to the reality of their condition. He pulls no punches. He’s not interested in sentimentality. This is his last chance to speak and he’s not going to waste words on empty flattery. 

“But the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob, his own inheritance. He found him in a desolate land, in a barren, howling wilderness; he surrounded him, cared for him, and protected him as the pupil of his eye. He watches over his nest like an eagle and hovers over his young; he spreads his wings, catches him, and carries him on his feathers. The Lord alone led him, with no help from a foreign god. He made him ride on the heights of the land and eat the produce of the field. He nourished him with honey from the rock and oil from flinty rock, curds from the herd and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs, rams from Bashan, and goats, with the choicest grains of wheat; you drank wine from the finest grapes.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭9‬-‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Moses shifts his focus back to God. It was God who first called Jacob. Found him in the wilderness. Loved him. Nursed him. Cared for him. Taught him how to walk. Taught him how to live. Guided him along the way. Always protecting. Always providing. 

“Then Jeshurun became fat and rebelled — you became fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation. They provoked his jealousy with different gods; they enraged him with detestable practices. They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods they had not known, new gods that had just arrived, which your ancestors did not fear. You ignored the Rock who gave you birth; you forgot the God who gave birth to you.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭CSB‬‬) What was the response of the people? Again, rebellion. As they grew strong and prosperous, they forgot God. They started going their own way. Doing their own thing. Forgetting God. Seeking to be their own gods. They repeated the sin of Adam and Eve. They fell for the original temptation of the evil one. They gave in, wanting to live like gods themselves. 

“When the Lord saw this, he despised them, angered by his sons and daughters. He said, “I will hide my face from them; I will see what will become of them, for they are a perverse generation — unfaithful children.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭CSB‬‬) So God judged them. Disciplined them in his wrath. He sought to purify and sanctify them through suffering. Through exile. Through wandering. Through defeat. He was faithful to remind them they held no power of their own. They had no strength of their own. All they had achieved had come via the mercies of God. He would not allow their illusions and self-deceptions to stand. 

“The Lord will indeed vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants when he sees that their strength is gone and no one is left — slave or free. See now that I alone am he; there is no God but me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from my power. I raise my hand to heaven and declare: As surely as I live forever, Rejoice, you nations, concerning his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants. He will take vengeance on his adversaries; he will purify his land and his people.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭36‬, ‭39‬-‭40‬, ‭43‬ ‭CSB)‬‬ It took God forty years to bring his people to their knees. But the long years of wandering were not in vain. Now they knew God. Now they saw God. Now they understood God. They submitted. They surrendered. They repented. And they were ready to enter the land He had promised. 

Friends, this isn’t just Moses’ story. It’s not just Israel’s story. It’s my story. It’s your story. And this begs a really important question...when the years grow short and your strength begins to fail and you’re surrounded by your family and those you love, what song will you sing? Will you sing of God and His great faithfulness? Will you sing of His mercies and kindness? Will you declare His glory and majesty? Will you make known His mighty works to the next generation? What song will you sing?

Readings for tomorrow: Joshua 1-4, Psalms 65

The Blessing of Loving God

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 28-29, Psalms 62

Two things are required if you truly want to understand the Bible. First, you must read it as a cohesive whole. The sum is greater than the parts. It tells an integrated story that you cannot understand if you try to read one section apart from the others. Second, you must understand your self. You are not a blank slate. You introduce bias into the equation every time you open up the book to read. You are a product of your environment. Your worldview is shaped by your circumstances. As such, you have a filter that you run all that you are reading through and it can often lead to misunderstanding. 

Today’s reading is a classic example. If you try to read Deuteronomy 28 apart from the larger story God has been telling up to this point in time, you will completely miss the point. The point is not to obey God in order to gain the blessings. Our obedience is not a form of manipulation to get God to give us what we want. This is not a step by step process to health and wealth in this world. This is not a guarantee that life will always be easy or a way to avoid suffering. Unfortunately, far too many people read it that way. They flatten out the Scriptures. Dis-integrate this text from the larger context. Atomize the Bible into bits and pieces in order to support their own selfish desires. A lot of us in this group come to the text as Americans. We are raised on the premise that if one works hard, one can succeed. We define success in terms of money made, possessions acquired, health maintained, etc. We view suffering as the ultimate evil. Something to be avoided at all costs. So when we come to Deuteronomy 28, we see a text that naturally fits our worldview. It endorses the American Dream. It fits the American way of life like a glove. But then life happens. We experience failure. We get hurt. Our hearts get broken. We struggle through trials and temptation. And this leads us to doubt God. What happened to His promises? Why doesn’t He deliver? Is He not faithful? We would do better to examine our own false assumptions.

God is faithful. He has declared Himself to be good. He loves us with an everlasting love. His great desire, expressed in the first and greatest commandment, is that we would love Him in return. Love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. And if we make the love of God the great end of our lives, we will quite naturally follow His commands. We will find ourselves authentically seeking His ways. We will define our lives according to His terms. And the result will be blessing. Not in every single instance because that is not how life works but on balance, on the whole, we will find ourselves living in peace and contentment and the blessing of God. When a person who loves God in the way He deserves looks back over the course of their lives, they will see the life Deuteronomy 28 describes. Does that mean you will live in a large house? Drive a fancy car? Live off a flush 401k? Does it mean your marriage will never struggle? Your kids never suffer? Your relationships will never break? Of course not. In this world you will face trials. In this world you will suffer temptation. In this world you will experience brokenness. But those who love God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength overcome the world. They see their trials in light of the eternal glory God is revealing in and through them. And it is more than enough. 

Friends, there is no greater freedom than living wholly and completely for God. There is no greater joy in this life or in this world than giving all you have to God. There is no greater peace than trusting God to meet every need according to His wisdom and the riches of His grace. There is no greater love than laying down our lives for the cause of Christ. All that you desire is within your grasp. All you need to do is deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus. The way to true fulfillment in this life is the way of total relinquishment.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 30-31, Psalms 63 (No devotionals on Sunday)