Tag: obedience

Daily Word

Deuteronomy 25

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Read Deuteronomy 25 – Crime and punishment – It was a big deal and punishment was carried out immediately.  If the crime merited a beating, a limit of 40 lashes was imposed as more than that would humiliate the neighbor. (:3)  In the New Testament, the Jews restricted such beatings to 39 lashes to be seen as merciful.  Paul was the recipient of such beatings 5 times according to 2 Corinthians 11:24.  

There was an interesting law on marriage and a brother’s duty to impregnate his sister-in-law, in the event of his brother’s death. (:5-10) There is a very colorful account of this law in action in Genesis 38, if you are curious about it.

The law for a wife jumping in on her husband’s fight with another man seems harsh, but I am certain there were very few one-armed ladies as a result. (:11-12)  It specifically applied to her grabbing the other man’s private parts and commentators suppose this may have been in protection of reproduction.

Weights and measures must be equal.  This is about integrity before God and he gives a promise and a warning for it.  The promise for the man who trades with honesty is a long life, and the dishonest man is detestable to the LORD.

Beloved, hold on to that idea to be “detestable to the LORD”.  When you sin, be it cheating, lying, drunkenness, anger, using the LORD’s name in vain, or any number of things, know that this is detestable to the LORD.  God’s Word says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7 and “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom.  Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.”  Proverbs 9:10  I hope each of us would take this to heart, knowing that our sin is detestable to God and fear Him so much that we would not sin, but if we do, that we are quick to confess and repent (which simply means stop doing it, turn away from it). 

Please, Beloved, do not take your sin lightly.  Love and fear the LORD your God so much that it rules over your conduct.  As my pastor puts it:  Obedience motivated by love brings joy.  Disobedience brings pain.  Choose love.

Daily Word

Deuteronomy 11

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Read Deuteronomy 11 – Choices… The Lord loves us so much that he designed each of us with freewill.  Freewill is a risk, but what good is love if there is no other option?  Love is only true love when we lay all other temptations aside and choose it.

Because the Israelites had seen the mighty deeds of the LORD with their own eyes, he is giving them the instruction to obey every command.  And he gives a WHY – so that they may have strength to go in and take over the land they were about to enter. (:7-8).  

God could have just zapped the inhabitants of the land in a divine and miraculous way, but he required that the Israelites take part in the take over.  It would be hard.  Hard things are worthwhile and more valuable to the one who worked for it. The land is wonderful, full of hills and valleys so they will not have to dig irrigation ditches as they did in Egypt.  God tells them it is, “a land that the LORD your God cares for.  He watches over it through each season of the year!” :12  But they still had to do their part.  

The LORD cautions them to guard their hearts lest they are deceived and turn away from the LORD and serve and worship other gods. :16  Beloved, that can happen so easily; Satan is a master at subtly whispering temptations that pull one away from Jesus… Maybe things come up on Sunday that keep you from church, maybe you stop reading your bible once or twice… then before you know it you find yourself so far away you aren’t sure how to get back.  Be on guard and protect your time with the LORD, that is how you show him your love. (:22)

Verses :26-32 present an interesting picture.  They are to pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal.  We love blessings!  We don’t love curses.  But as much as it’s good to know what you are aiming for, the prize, the blessing; it is also important to know what’s at stake, the downside, the curses.  May the words of verse :26 echo in your heart and mind:  LOOK, TODAY I AM GIVING YOU THE CHOICE BETWEEN A BLESSING AND A CURSE! 

Daily Word

Deuteronomy 3

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Read Deuteronomy 3 – “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.  Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5  In our chapter, Moses speaks of learning this lesson.

The Lord assured them of victory over the land of the giants; they conquered all sixty towns, fortified cities and villages, belonging to King Og, the last of the Rephaites (:3-11).  This repeated mentioning of the conquering of the Rephaites stresses that Israel’s original fears that kept them from the Promised Land for 40 years, were unfounded.  Truly, as Romans 8:31 says: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  

Beloved, are there any giants in your life, keeping you from all that God has for you to do, to receive, to glorify Him by?

The Lord gave the conquered lands to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh with the stipulation that they must leave and cross the Jordan with their brothers until all of the land of Israel was secured (:18-20).  Although God permitted that the women, children and livestock could stay behind while only the fighting men left.  I learned in a deeper study of Joshua that this took about 7 years, and I am reminded of our military, who leave families behind to serve God and country.

Beloved, you may be called to go and you may be called to stay behind, either way you are called to PRAY, covering those on the fighting lines with spiritual protection and fortifying those left behind with all that is needed to endure and thrive in the absence of their loved one.

Moses pleaded with the LORD to cross the Jordan (:23-25).  The LORD could not allow it, but He did permit Moses to go up to Pisgah Peak, where he could lay eyes on all that the LORD would give to Israel.  

Beloved, sometimes God says no.  Notice that Moses remained faithful, even when he did not get what he hoped for, as you should too.  Remember, God is good all the time, even when He says no.