Deuteronomy 9-10  Moses reminded the Israelites that they were going into a land to "dispossess nations greater and mightier than you.. "  It would be a victory that the Lord their God would bring.. not because they deserved it or earned it by being righteous.. for they were far from it.  God would remove the other nations because of their own wickedness.. not because of Israel's righteousness.  For they were NOT righteous at all... 

Moses reminds them of the days when the nation was at Mt Horeb.  They had all made the covenant with the Lord their God.. but within 40 days, as Moses was on the mountain meeting with God and the fire was right in front of their eyes.. they begged for an idol.. a golden calf.. and worshipped it. 

God saw the wickedness of Israel.  He was ready to blot them out and make a nation from Moses.. but Moses interceded for the people.  Aaron, the appointed High Priest, had made the idol..and would have been destroyed, but Moses prayed for him too. This was not the only time that Israel rebelled and sinned against God.. over and over they complained and sinned. God called them "stubborn" and "wicked".  Yet, He relented and forgave them when Moses prayed and they repented. 

God had given them the  10 commandments.  Now, He gives them this command, "And, now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and love Him, and to serve the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?" 

Then, Moses reminds the people Who their God really is:

"Behold, to the Lord your God belong the heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it." (v14)  

"For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. (17-18)

"He is your praise and He is your God, who had done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen." (v21) 

This God.. chose to "set His affection" on the fathers of this nation.. He chose to love Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and to make them a nation "above all peoples".  Therefore, He tells them..  "Circumcise then your heart, and stiffen your neck no more." (v16)   Instead, "fear the Lord your God;" .. "serve Him and cling to Him.. " 

Father in heaven, God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty and the awesome God.. You are our praise.. You are our God through the Lord Jesus Christ who has mediated for us a better covenant. You choose to love us and call us Your own when we come to faith in Jesus.. a faith not or ourselves, but a gift from Your loving hand. We come to praise and worship You, the God of heaven and earth, for there is no other.  You alone have purchased our redemption by the sacrifice of the Beloved Son.  How can we thank You enough?  We desire only to love You and serve You with all our hearts and souls. We cling to You and surrender our whole selves to You. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Deuteronomy 8  Moses continued to speak to the Israelites about the ways that God has proved to them that they are His people and He is their God. The covenant between them would not be broken if they would walk in His ways and obey His commands.  Moses told them to "be careful to do" all the Lord had told them.  ".. .remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you.. " 

Remember the lessons of the wilderness, Moses told them.  Remember how God taught them to live by His Word.. not by bread alone.  He humbled them.  He disciplined them. He provided for them.  He was giving them a land.. "a good land" where they would lack nothing..  a land of blessing after blessing... 

But.. "Beware lest you forget the Lord your God.. "  Moses warned again. Don't forget to obey the Lord's commandments.  Don't be satisfied with the blessings.. of houses, of herds and flocks.. of silver and gold.. don't be prideful  and "forget" that it all came from the Lord.  

"But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day."  To forget.. to turn to idols.. to  be like the nations that were about to perish.. would bring about their own destruction... "you shall surely perish." 

This is just as important for us today.. this message of truth and encouragement, as well as warning.  We need to remember all the ways that God has led us and carefully, diligently, abide in Jesus.  God has provided a new covenant through the broken body and poured out blood of Jesus so that we can enter a "good land".. better than the promised land of Israel... a heavenly dwelling place where we will find every blessing.. eternal life with our Lord. Remember.. Jesus told His disciples.. Remember Me until I return. 

Father in heaven, may we never forget You and the greatness of Your love and salvation provided for all who will believe in Jesus, Your Beloved Son.  May we be careful to abide in Your Word and to do Your will. Once again we ask that You would equip us with all that is good so that we can do Your will. Work in us all that is pleasing to Your heart.  Fill us with the fullness of God, Holy Spirit. Come and have Your way in us today, we pray. Amen. 

 Deuteronomy 7 As Israel awaits the day when they enter the promised land, Moses continues to instruct and remind them of God's promises... but he also reminds them of God's warnings. 

They were going into a land with 7 "greater and stronger" nations.. and they would defeat them all because "the Lord your God shall deliver them before you and you shall defeat them.. "  But.. they must not allow themselves to be yoked together with any of these nations.. They must not intermarry with them... they must not allow their gods to remain in the land.  Everything evil must be destroyed by fire.  "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth." (v6) 

The Lord chose them. He chose to love them. He chose to rescue them. He chose to redeem them.  "Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments." (v9) This is an amazing promise given to a wandering people who had failed over and over and over again.  What an awesome and patient God we serve!

The blessings promised to a nation that would keep God's covenant are so great:

v13  "He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which he swore to your forefathers to give you ."

V14 "You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle." 

v15 "and the Lord will remove from you all sickness; and He will not put on you any of the harmful diseases of Egypt which you have known.. " 

God would defeat every enemy. He would provide deliverance. They would have no reason to fear. "You shall not dread them for the Lord your god is in your midst, a great and awesome God." (v21) 

Father in heaven, You are the Lord our God and You have never changed Your promises for those who love You and obey Your commands.  You have blessed us by choosing us in Jesus Christ .. calling us to faith.. filling us with Your Spirit.. and claiming us as Your own. We pray that You will continue to equip us with every good thing to do Your will and work within us that which is pleasing to You. We surrender all to You that we might be completely Yours.. abiding in Christ and He in us.. to the glory and honor of Your Name. Amen.

 Deuteronomy 6  Moses was given commandments, statutes and judgments to teach the people of Israel so that all may be "well" with them and their descendants.  Keeping the Lord's commandments with fear and with profound love.. doing "what is right and good in the sight of the Lord".. with diligence and care.. would result in possession of the promised land..  "So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today." ( v24) 

He reminds them again and again:

"listen and be careful".. (v3)

"teach them diligently to your sons"(v7)

".. watch yourself, lest you forget the Lord.." (v12)

"You should diligently keep the commandments.." (v17) 

"And it will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the Lord our God, just as He commanded us." (v25) 

The promise of God to the people who obey His commandments was more than just a piece of land, although that was a wondrous thing.. the promise was His Presence, His Power, and His Blessing. The land "flowing with milk and honey.. " was God's gift to them.  If they did what was "right and good" they would be blessed.. they would multiply greatly.. and all would be "well" - sound, beautiful, happy, successful, right, glad'; they would know God's kindness and mercy; they would be "satisfied". 

The promises of God are precious.. 2 Peter 1: 2-4 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that  His divine power had granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." 

As Moses taught the Israelites to trust and obey the commandments of God that would lead them to an earthly home.. so Jesus teaches us to trust and obey Him so that we can enter "the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior. "  God instructed Moses to tell the people to be diligent to keep the commandments.. and Peter writes to us to diligently practice the godly qualities of "faith.. moral excellence.. knowledge.. self-control.. perseverance.. godliness. brotherly kindness.. and love..."   It is the same calling.. made possible by Christ's sacrifice and the love of the Father.  Let us not forget the Lord!

Father in heaven, how blessed is Your Name in all the earth!  You are our Creator and our Savior for You have made us and then You have redeemed us by the sacrifice of Your Beloved Son.  It is beyond our comprehension.. this great love that You have for us.. for human beings who are so flawed by the the sin that has taken root in our lives.. Thank You for setting us free and bringing us into the Kingdom of the Son. Thank You for granting us such precious promises so that we might live.. with Christ in us and Your Spirit filling us.. such amazing love and grace. Help us to obey Your Words.. help us to love You with all of our being.  Put all of Your words on our hearts today, Lord, so that we might always do what is right and good, to the glory of Your Name and to the honor of our Lord Jesus in whose name we come. Amen. 

 Deuteronomy 5  Moses reminds this new generation of Israelites that God made a covenant with them.. not just with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.. but with all of Israel. The covenant was made at Horeb.. and the whole nation agreed to this great covenant.  So.. listen and observe these commandments.. so that "it may be well with you.."  he tells them again. 

Some of these people had been children during that meeting between God and man at Mt Horeb.  Maybe some had yet to be born.  Their parents and grandparents had seen the fire burning there on the mountain. They had heard the voice of God. They had made the covenant.. but they had failed to listen.. and failed to observe the Lord's Word.  This new generation had a chance to learn from their parents' mistakes and to build a nation in the land God was giving them.  It would be a nation unlike any other... if they listened and obeyed:

The nation of Israel would have the Lord, their God.. and no other gods or idols.  They would worship Him alone according to the Word that He had given them.  They would love Him and keep His commandments. 

This new nation would lift up the name of their God, honoring Him and refusing to take His name in any evil, useless, or deceptive way. 

They would observe the sabbath day. They would honor God by resting and allowing all of their children, servants, and animals to rest.  They would remember that the Lord, their God had rescued them from Egypt and slavery, with His own "mighty hand and by an outstretched arm.. " and they would "observe the sabbath day." 

The nation of Israel would be a nation that practiced respect and honor towards their fathers and mothers. They would not murder. They would not commit adultery. They would not steal or bear false witness. And they would not covet what belonged to their neighbors. 

This new nation of Israel had every opportunity to make this happen. They still do.  "Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!"

Here is the will of God for God's people.  It is the way He wants us  all to walk.. to "not turn aside to the right or to the left.."  It is the way that Jesus came to make possible for us. It is the way of righteousness. 

Father in heaven, help us to live according to Your Word by the power of Your Spirit who lives in us... to strengthen us, to give us life in Christ Jesus, to abide with us forever.  We confess our need for Your salvation.. for Your Mighty Hand and outstretched Arm.. to bring us into Your Holy Presence , complete and without blame through the cleansing blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Have Your way in us today we pray.. in the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ  ,Amen. 

 Deuteronomy 4  Moses spoke to the people of Israel to prepare them for their near future.. they were about to enter the land that had been promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The most important thing that they must do was to "listen" and to "perform" all that God had given them through laws and statutes and judgements.  Keeping God's Word would make them a nation.. a great nation.  "So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people'. "  They were meant to be a nation greater than any other because they had a God greater than any other. 

"Know therefore today, and take it to heart, that the Lord, He is God of heaven above and on the earth below, there is no other." ( v39) 

God had given Israel righteous laws. Laws that would make them a great nation.  God had spoken to them at Mt Horeb.. allowing them to hear His voice and see the fire unlike any other fire.. "Then the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form - only a voice."  

The one thing that God seems to hate most is when people make for themselves idols.. images that they call "god" and worship. Whether it is a graven image.. or the sun, moon, or stars.. God commands His people to never give His glory to any other or anything.. "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." ( v24) 

The commandment that Israel failed at time and time again was this one.  They turned away to false gods. They also failed to obey God's command to teach their children and their grandchildren the Word.  These two failures would lead to exile. But.. God would bring them back to Himself. "But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul." (v29) 

All that God had shown Israel was so that they "might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him."  They had heard His voice.. they had seen His fire.. He had chosen Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and loved them.... "therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power." (v37) 

"So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time." (v40) 

We have not had the privilege of hearing God's voice or of seeing His fire in the heavens.. but we have been given His Word. The lessons from this chapter of Deuteronomy are relevant for us just as they were for Israel.. May we also take it to heart that the Lord is God of heaven above and the earth below and there is no other!  May we know that His word has been given to us so that we might have wisdom and understanding beyond anything the world ( even AI) can ever achieve!  We have been chosen to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and know that when we search for Him we will find Him when we search with all of our hearts and souls. We know that we have been given a command that will not only affect our futures but that of the generations to come.. for when we live by God's Word and teach our children and grandchildren to do the same.. He will guide our steps and bless our land. 

Father in heaven, our Great and Mighty God, there is none like You. We long to hear Your voice and to know Your glory. We are thankful for the Word of life that You have given to us so that we might walk in Your ways and do Your will. Fill our hearts and souls with Your Truth and with Your Spirit so that we might continue to live in the land You have given us and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who need to hear it.  Let the Light of Your countenance shine in us and through us we pray.. in the name of Jesus Christ the King. Amen. 

 Deuteronomy 3 This chapter reviews the way the Lord prevailed against the nations to the east of the Jordan river.  Israel conquered the Amorites, then they took Gilead and Bashan. Here is where the tribes of Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad would establish their homes. This is a massive tract of land where modern day Jordan and Syria are now.  The warriors from those tribes were required to go over the Jordan and help their brothers conquer Canaan, but then they would possess their own homes to the east. 

Moses said to Joshua, "Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done.. "   The people of Israel conquered kingdoms and took fortified cities. They were nomads that had wandered in the desert for 40 years. They could not have done what they did if the Lord had not fought for them.  Moses encouraged Joshua that God would do the same thing for the rest of the people when they crossed the Jordan. "Do not fear them, for the Lord shall do to all the kingdoms into which you are about to cross." 

Moses asked the Lord to allow him to cross over, but the answer was "No".  In fact, Deuteronomy 3:26 adds these words, "Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter."   But, He did allow Moses to climb up to the top of Mount Pisgah and see the Promised land with his own eyes. This would be his final resting place.. 

But before that day, Moses would once again teach the people of Israel the ways of the Lord.  God had just begun to show them His greatness and they would see so much more.. if.. they walked according to His laws and trusted Him with all their hearts. 

This chapter reminds me once again that there is nothing impossible for our God.  We see the desperate needs in our country for unity and wisdom. We see the need for a new outpouring of the Spirit of God in our world. We know that it is vital for God's people to live as the light of the world... as Jesus called for us to be.. Pray for the Word of God to "run rapidly and be glorified" according to His will.. in our land and in the land of Israel.. and yes, even in the land east of the Jordan River. 

Father, Your Name will be exalted in the nations and in all the earth. You have declared it and it will be so.  Help us to stop striving.. to be still... and to know that You are God and all will be accomplished according to Your Word.  Let us be found faithful when our King returns. We want to walk in Your ways and we pray that Your Kingdom will come as Your will is done on earth as it is in heaven.  Praise Your Holy Name!  Fill us afresh Holy Spirit.. fill us, Your children with the fulness of God we pray, in the name of Christ Jesus . Amen.