Today’s reading includes Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20, Luke 7:36-8:3, Psalm 69:1-18, Proverbs 12:1.

Today, we see more instructions, more pep talks for the people before they enter the Promise land.

When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites,Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you—

                                                                                       Deuteronomy 7:1

Remember, 7 is the number of completion and perfection.  God is putting before them a mighty test and a difficult trial.  These 7 nations will provide the opportunity for the people of God to completely trust the Lord.  The nations will be bigger and stronger than God’s people, but He is on their side.    And He is strongest of all.  They will have to trust Him for their very survival, as well as their victory.  They are to remain who they were meant to be and not fall into the trap of the ungodly habits of those around them.  They are smaller and weaker, but God will make them strong.  They are given a series of promises that can apply to our own weak, God-follower hearts.

¹⁸ But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. ¹⁹ You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear. 

                                                                                    Deuteronomy 7:18-19

They have good reason to be of good courage.  The mighty One, the Creator of all things is on their side.

²¹ Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.

In the midst of this great courage-building speech, there is also a warning sandwiched in the middle.

²² The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.

Though God is capable of a swift and great victory, an immediate healing, or a miraculous upset, He usually works little by little.  Our enemies will fall, our deliverance will come, but it may take a while.  But even in the waiting there is purpose and protection.  We can’t see how one event effects another.  But He can.  We don’t understand God’s perfect timing, but He has one.  And in the waiting, we must trust Him.

This passage continually provides promise and warning.  It speaks of promises for victory and success and blessings and provision which He will provide for His people.  And it speaks of warnings to never take our eyes off the Provider of these things, lest we find ourselves slaves to pride, forgetfulness, and punishment.

¹⁰ When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. ¹¹ Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. ¹² Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, ¹³ and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, ¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ¹⁵ He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. ¹⁶ He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. ¹⁷ You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” ¹⁸ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

¹⁹ If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. ²⁰ Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.

  Deuteronomy 8:10-20

We must not forget what He has done for us and what He has promised us.  We must not forget Who He is.  He is worthy of praise for Who He is, not just for what good things He has done.

Today’s reading in Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25, Luke 7:11-35, Psalm 68:19-35, Proverbs 11:29-31.

Today’s reading highlights the commandments given to the people of God.  The ten commandments are repeated here and Moses makes an interesting distinction.

³ It was not with our ancestors^[a] that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today.

                                                                        Deuteronomy 5:3

According to some scholars the translation here is more accurately a “not only” with our ancestors was covenant made.  It was also nod to what was stated in Deuteronomy 4:37.

Because he loved your ancestors, he chose to bless their descendants, and he personally brought you out of Egypt with a great display of power.

We see a truth here that is demonstrated throughout the Old Testament.  The past is connected to the present and the future.  What we invest or squander makes a difference in the future.  A righteous generation benefits a future generation.  If we want things to go well with our children and children’s children, we must make efforts toward developing a faith which can be passed down to the next generation.  As we continue reading in today’s text, we come to a crowning moment of truth in this regard.

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^[c] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

                                                                                    Deuteronomy 6:4-8

When we realize our responsibility in this passing on the truth to the future generations, it may feel overwhelming and intimidating.  So, how will we do this?  How will we be faithful witnesses when we are still working out our own faith questions?  First, we acknowledge He is Lord:

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^[c

Next, we love Him.  Not with just a “go to church on Sundays” love, but with all our hearts and souls and strength.  We focus on, absorb, memorize, test and approve His way as the right way. We hide His Word and truth in our hearts.

⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.

This great love is then passed down in the day to day living.

⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

As our children spend time with us, they should experience the overflow of the love we have for God and see the love He has for us—and for them.  We make it a contagious faith.  But note that the methods of passing down truth to our children involves our close proximity to them.  We talk with them, sit with them, walk with them, live out our faith for them night and day.  And the responsibility is ours.  We tie the symbols on us and bind our foreheads—our thought processes—with God’s truth.  We display the truth in our homes with our words and actions.  When a child is surrounded by a sincere faith which is modeled day in and day out, it will become a contagious faith passed on to the next generation.  The best thing we can do for our children is to develop our relationship with Jesus.  It will make a difference in our lives and the lives of ofuture generations.

Today’s reading includes Deuteronomy 4:1-49, Luke 6:39-7:10, Psalm 68:1-18, Proverbs 11:28.

We begin today’s reading with Moses reminding the Israelites of truth and reminding them of the consequences of not adhering to the truth.

Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. ² Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.

                                                                                    Deuteronomy 4:1-2

Moses was giving them a truth-filled pep talk before the game begins.  They are about to enter the long-awaited Promise land and he has only 40 days to get them ready.  He is going to teach them the laws and decrees of God.  Surely, they have heard these before.  But it was the first generation of Israelites, the ones who have now died out, who originally received these instructions.  This is the second generation, and Moses needs to make sure they understand.  He sums up his message at the beginning.  He follows the old speech writers’ method:  Tell ‘em what you are going to tell them, then tell it, then tell what you told them.

He begins this oracle with a reason to listen intently:  Follow them so that you may live.  These instructions are words and actions that bring life, not death; blessing, not cursing; pleasure, not pain.  And these commandments should not be added to or subtracted from.  They should not be adjusted to be more pleasing nor tweaked to be easier to follow.  They have been established and they are what they are.

Next, he taps into their experience.  It was this second generation who experienced the plague at Baal Peor.  And what is this he is referring to?  It is the episode when Balaam told Balak how to trip up the Israelites.  “Send in the women,” he said.  It was not just the sexual sin that was the problem.  It was the idolatry.  These sin seduced the men, but also invited and encouraged them to worship their false gods.  And they did.  And it did not go well with them.  All those who participated in this revelry died in the plague.

³ You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, ⁴ but all of you who held fast to the Lord your God are still alive today.

                                                                                                Deuteronomy 4:3-4

Moses is speaking to those who did not participate in sin.  They displayed great wisdom in this choice.  Yes, wisdom indeed is to learn from others mistakes so you don’t have to make them, too.  And all of those who held fast to the Lord were listening now.  And he reminds them to continue to hold fast.

²³ Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. ²⁴ For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

                                                                                                Deuteronomy 4:23-24

An interesting comparison is between the first generation and the second generation.  Both generations were guilty of idolatry—the first generation made a golden calf as an idol; the second generation followed after the gods of the Midianites.  They needed to be reminded of some things.  They needed to know of their bent toward idolatry, lest the same mistakes be repeated generation after generation.  And he reminds them once again about the responsibility to remember.

⁹ Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. 

                                                                                                Deuteronomy 4:9-10

What is the lesson for our practical application?  First, we must remember that we, too, are prone to idolatry.  We can make an idol of anything.  Even good, godly things can become an idol.  Anything we believe in our hearts or acknowledge with our actions as more important than our relationship with God is an idol.  And what is the remedy, the protection for our propensity to make idols?  Remembrance.  Be very careful and watch yourself closely so you don’t forget.  We must remember who He is, what He has done, and what He promises to do.  And then, we pass this faith, this remembrance, down to our children and grandchildren.

Today, ask the Lord to reveal if there is anything that is an idol in our lives.  And then be willing to repent and renounce the idol’s position in your heart.

²⁸ There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. ²⁹ But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. ³⁰ When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. ³¹ For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

                                                                                    Deuteronomy 4:28-31

Praise God for His mercy!

Today’s reading includes Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29, Luke 6:12-38, Psalm 67:1-7, Proverbs 11:27.

As we continue reading through Moses’ recap of the journey through the wilderness, we see more details which we may have missed in previous books.  As would be the case if we were given an audience to recap our past forty years, we would skip over the majority of the details and find our words in those we feel our audience would most benefit from hearing.  Moses does the same.  He skips over a good portion of 38 years and seems to fast-forward through parts which were significant for his audience, God’s people, to focus on and remember.

One of the accounts which caught my eye was found in Deuteronomy 2.  We see that Moses recounts God’s instructions regarding the boundaries of the land.  As they passed through certain areas, God made it clear that there were some areas that were off limits to the Israelites.  Yes, they were God’s people, but like all good fathers, God was not giving them spoil-inducing free reign of whatever they wanted.  He had plans, boundaries, and good spaces and places especially for them.  But He also had given other groups good spaces and places, and He instructed the Israelites to be respectful and humble.  An attitude of entitlement would not be allowed.  Let’s take a look at three examples.

² “Then at last the Lord said to me, ³ ‘You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough; turn to the north. ⁴ Give these orders to the people: “You will pass through the country belonging to your relatives the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. The Edomites will feel threatened, so be careful. ⁵ Do not bother them, for I have given them all the hill country around Mount Seir as their property, and I will not give you even one square foot of their land. ⁶ If you need food to eat or water to drink, pay them for it. ⁷ For the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.”’

                                                                               Deuteronomy 2:2-6

“Then as we turned north along the desert route through Moab, ⁹ the Lord warned us, ‘Do not bother the Moabites, the descendants of Lot, or start a war with them. I have given them Ar as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.’”

                                                                                 Deuteronomy 2:8-9

¹⁷ the Lord said to me, ¹⁸ ‘Today you will cross the border of Moab at Ar ¹⁹ and enter the land of the Ammonites, the descendants of Lot. But do not bother them or start a war with them. I have given the land of Ammon to them as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.’”

                                                                                     Deuteronomy 2:17-19

There are simple, practical lessons we can learn in these passages.  First, though we can confidently and truthfully proclaim we are special, called, chosen children of God, that does not mean we should be entitled, arrogant, and selfish.

Secondly, God has good, prosperous plans for us.  Many people claim Jeremiah 29:11-13 as their life verse.

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

These are good, hopeful, truthful promises for us.  But they are not for us only.  We are not above those around us.  God’s has an intricate plan for each of us.  And they are good, hopeful, prosperous plans.  They are as unique as each of us are.  And we do not need to borrow or steal the plan of others.  Ours is perfect for us.  We don’t need to look longingly at the plan God has for others.  We simply need to follow His direction for our perfect plan.  This can be tricky when we see others advance before our time, when we see others obtain what we have desired and worked diligently toward.  But we need to keep our eyes on our prize.  We need to keep our eyes forward to our own, personal promise land, remembering He will be faithful to us.  He will not forget us.  His timing is perfect.

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
    you make my lot secure.
⁶ The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.

                                                            Psalm 16:5-6

Today’s reading includes Numbers 36:1-Deuteronomy 1:46, Luke 5:29-6:11, Psalm 66:1-20, Proverbs 11:24-26.

Today we wrap up the book of Numbers and begin the book of Deuteronomy.  Moses wrote the book of Deuteronomy, and it was a bit of a recap of the journey he and the people had taken over the course of 40 years.  It is really a collection of “sermons” Moses delivered to the people over the course of 40 days.  This was 70 days before they entered the Promise land (Joshua 4:19).  After the 40 days of sermons and recapping the lessons of the years, Moses died.  The people mourned his death for 30 days (Deuteronomy 34:8), and then entered the long-awaited Promise land.  So, the words we read throughout the book of Deuteronomy, were Moses last words.  The last words of a dying man are very important.  The last words are often reminiscing words of memories and wise words of what was learned along the way.

It’s important to note that almost all of the people who had originally left Egypt had died off.  The only ones who were left were Moses, Joshua, and Caleb.  Moses knew he was going to die.  He knew he was not going to be allowed to enter the Promise land because he had disobeyed God by striking the rock instead of speaking to the rock, thus blocking the display of holiness that God had intended for the people to see.  But, his eyes had seen the land and now his lips were ready to speak the final words of preparation.

Joshua and Caleb were the only ones of the original group who would be allowed to enter the Promise land because they were the only ones who stood up and believed God when the spies entered the land 40 years prior.  All the others replaced their faith with fear and caused all of the people to fear the good things God promised.  But finally, the time had come.  The Israelites were about to finally enter the land promised to them so long ago.  This was a new generation.  The old generation was gone and this young generation needed to hear the stories again.  They had not witnessed the parting of the Red Sea.  They had not been there when the ten commandments were received.  They needed to be reminded of the faithfulness of God, the laws of God, and the holiness of God.  And so do we.  And these themes are prevalent throughout the book of Deuteronomy.

In today’s reading, we see another attribute of God—His patience.

² Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai^[b] to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir. ³ But forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month,^[c] Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them everything the Lord had commanded him to say.

                                                              Deuteronomy 1:2-3

Normally, it only takes eleven days.  Less than two weeks.  God’s people could have received God’s promises in less than two weeks.  Instead, it took them 40 years.  They wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, learning lessons the hard way.  And what of us?  Are we content to wander?  Are we content to stay on the east side of God’s best for us?  Are we content to put off receiving all the spiritual riches God wants to give us?  Are we continually having to learn lessons the hard way?

As we go forward in our reading of the book of Deuteronomy, let’s remember God’s faithfulness, let’s strive to understand His laws, and let’s respect His holiness and strive to be holy ourselves, trusting in the One who paid the price for us.  And let’s be thankful for His patience with us.

9The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

                                                                                       2 Peter 3:9

¹⁵ This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. ¹⁶ But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. ¹⁷ All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

                                                                                      1 Timothy 1:15-17