Today's Reading:

Deuteronomy 4
Deuteronomy 5
Deuteronomy 6
Deuteronomy 7

God calls His people to obey His commands- do not add, do not subtract from His commands. This also applies to all of Scripture in the Bible. Where God speaks, we are to remain steadfast. Where God is silent, we must resist the urge to make rules, judgment, or add our own words. True wisdom comes from carefully observing and living out the decrees and commands. No other nation’s gods are with them in close proximity like the Lord, who dwells with His people. He is merciful and faithful; He will not abandon those who belong to Him (4:31).

Where might you be making following God harder than He intended by adding your own rules or expectations? How does remembering that God is close, merciful, and faithful help you to trust Him instead of trying to control everything?

 

 

Moses continued with his speech to the Israelites on the plains of Moab. Calling them to remain faithful, and to warn them against turning to idolatry. He warns not to forget the covenant and follow all the laws, do not follow Baal or Peor. Do not make idols of any shape, no man or woman, no animals, and do not bow to worship the sun, moon or stars. There would be consequences to idolatry. They were the people of His inheritance now and should stand firm for other nations to see. Man-made idols were merely wood and stone. They held no power- they could not see, hear, eat, or smell. They were worthless.

Moses urged this next generation to listen and learn so they could live and multiply and possess the land God had promised. He told them not to forget what the eyes had seen at Horeb (Sinai), and to continue to teach each following generation. Moses reiterated what happened at Horeb where God spoke to him from fire, and declared the covenant, giving him the 10 Commandments. God is a consuming fire and a jealous God, this generation had not been there for the Exodus, so they needed to be fearful of Him. The Lord alone is God; there is no one besides Him.

The verses repeat the defeat of Sihon as a turning point for the new generation. This was their first major victory and proved that God was with them. Israel had offered peace, while God hardened Sihon’s heart. It now established the Israelites' legal claim to the land by winning the war.

Moses continued with the teaching of the 10 Commandments, as this generation did not hear them firsthand. Moses spoke of God’s loud voice, and fire, and how the people begged Moses to be a mediator between them and God for fear of dying. Moses said that God was pleased with the fear (awe) and how He wished their obedience would last. Seek Him with all your heart and soul (4:29)- this was reflected by Jesus in the books of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The words were to be kept in their heart and talked about constantly, when sitting, walking, lying down, written everywhere as a sign to remember.

Chapter 6 gave a warning about forgetting that there is one true God who brings prosperity. Keep Him in your heart and you will get to enjoy the Promised Land filled with cities, houses, and wells- it was ready to go. Remember God when you have no work to do but to occupy the land.

Chapter 7 set up the standards, God would drive out the 7 nations that were larger and stronger, the Israelites would defeat them. Do not make treaties with the other nations, show no mercy, do not intermarry, and this paragraph was the eventual downfall of the Israelites. They must break down altars, smash stones, cut down the Asherah poles (carved posts, used for Canaanite worship to the fertility goddess). Moses told them they were holy to God, they were His chosen, and that He would keep His oath, love them, and bless them- but they must destroy all of His enemies’ idolatrous influences. There would be a blessing for obedience. Do not fear or pity the evil nations- God would send literal hornets to panic them! Divine help came with wings, stingers and no mercy- like the “murder hornets” of today.

In the end, Moses made it clear: obey fully, destroy every evil influence without pity or compromise, and God would fight for them so they could claim the land as His. Anything less than this would bring downfall to the nation, that this generation's parents had already felt. Do not risk repeating the rebellion that doomed their generation.

Today's Discussion question: 

Where might you be making following God harder than He intended by adding your own rules or expectations? How does remembering that God is close, merciful, and faithful help you to trust Him instead of trying to control everything?

 
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