Deuteronomy 31-34 Moses gives 3 more teachings to Israel before his death.  First, he gives counsel. Second, he gives a song and thirdly he gives a blessing.
Chapter 31 gives the counsel.   It is summed up in verse 6 " Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble for them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you. "  Moses reminds the people that it is the Lord Who goes ahead of them.  It is the Lord who is going to give them the land.  The Lord commissions Joshua to take the leadership over from Moses.

Before Moses dies, the Lord tells him that Israel will turn away from Him.  They will turn to idols and they will be evil.  That must have made Moses so sad after all they had been through.  The Lord gives Mose a song and tells him to teach it to the people before he dies.  Chapter 32 records the song.

"... Ascribe greatness to our God!  The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He. "  vs 3-4  comes from this song .
The song glorifies the Lord and warns the people.  It reminds Israel of who they are - they are His people , His portion, His children, and His servants.   It reminds them of Who He is to them - their Rock, their hiding place, their provider, their Maker, and their Judge.   

The Word of the Lord is ..." not an idle word for you; it is your life... " v47.   How true this is! These are the Wonderful words of life.

Finally, Moses gives a blessing to each of the tribes and goes up into the mountain where the Lord shows him the land and then he dies.  We are told that the Lord Himself buries Moses and that no one knows where his grave is located.   The writer of this last part, perhaps Joshua?, writes " Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. " 

Our Father , the Lord our God,  You are our Rock!  You are great and perfect and just.  You know us each face to face, although we have dim eyes.  Thank You for being our redeemer and restorer.  Help us to do what Your Word commands.  Help us to cling to You and to know and obey Your Word.   Help us to never turn away or rebel, but to stay in the circle of Your arms and rest on Your wings.   For You alone are worthy of our worship and obedience.  We ask this in the Name of Your precious Son, Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 30  How wonderful it is to know that God's Word is TRUE... that He keeps His promises and that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!   Listen to these promises:

If we return to the Lord with all our hearts.. then the Lord our God will restore us! ( v2-3)

"If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back."  v4 ( We are never too far from God that He can't bring us back)

"Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live." v6  He does the necessary work in our hearts that we can love Him...

And if you again obey.... " the Lord will again rejoice over you for good."  v9

Our Loving, Awesome, Merciful God sees us in our rebellion and disobedience and desires to restore us, bless us, and bring us home again. And not just us, but our children and grandchildren too. Praise the Lord for His kindness!

Verse 11  " For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it our of reach."  It is not in heaven or beyond the sea, " but the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it. "  As Jesus said,  His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

He sets before us the way of life and blessing. He gives us the help to obey.  He wants us to choose life " by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days.. "  verses19-20

The Lord our God reaches out His Hands to us and calls us to run into His arms.  Like the prodigal son... all we have to do is come to our senses and run home!  It is returning to the One who made us and who loves us.  The One who wants to bless us and multiply us and to give us life.  He wants to rejoice over us!  How great is that!!!

Even if we have not forsaken Him, we can be encouraged to move closer to our Wonderful Father who is the Lord our God. To once again declare that we choose to obey and follow His Word.  That we desire to know Him more and to love Him with all our heart and soul.  And to commit ourselves to obey His Voice and seek His will in all we do and say.

Thank You Father, for You have given to us such great and precious promises.  We declare our love for You and cling to You.  Circumcise our hearts and the hearts of our children and grandchildren to truly love You with all our hearts and souls. May we never forsake You!  We long for the day when we will see You face to face and know You perfectly.  Come Lord Jesus!  Amen.

Deuteronomy 28-29  If you want to get a solid perspective of what it means to be blessed or cursed by the Lord, the Mighty and Only True God,  take a look at these two chapters.   These were meant for Israel, God's chosen nation... but they also apply to every single individual.  If we choose to obey God diligently, He will bless us.   If we choose to turn aside and forsake God, then He will allow the full extent of His wrath on us.  He leaves us to choose. 

28:47-48 sums it up like this, " Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord your God shall send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He destroys you. "

We, like Israel on that day, stand before the Lord, our God. ( 29:10-14) "that you may enter into the covenant with the Lord your God.."   We have to choose.  And if we choose to obey God, entering into a covenant with Him, then we must obey His voice.  Only  then will we be blessed.

Father, our heavenly Abba, we desire to serve You and You alone.  We desire to live according to Your Word and obey Your voice.  We desire to be more than hearers of the Word, but doers.  Help us to walk in spiritual wisdom and understanding so that we may live lives of blessing and not curses.
We give thanks to You for redeeming us and restoring us, for rescuing us from curseful living.  We thank You that You brought us into "blessed" life through Jesus Christ Who taught us that those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are meek, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness... are those who are blessed. ( Matthew 5).  Fill us Holy Spirit.  Open the eyes of our hearts that we might see the glory of God and know the fear of the Lord.  Do all that You desire in us today.  May Your will be done and Your kingdom come.  Amen.

Deuteronomy 27 Several things were supposed to happen when Israel crossed over into their new homeland.  First, they were to set up a stone monument with the words of the Law written on them.  Then, they were to build an altar and offer burnt and peace offerings and "rejoice before the Lord".
After that they were to divide into 2 groups.  Half went of Mount Gerizim and the other half on Mount Ebal.  One group would speak out the curses and the other the blessings.   Chapter 27 deals with the curses that God would pronounce for evil behavior:
Making idols.
Dishonoring parents.
Stealing from a neighbor.
Misleading a blind person
Distorting justice.
Immoral sexual behavior.
Murder or violence .
Accepting a bribe.
Failure to keep the law.

Chapter 28: 15-68 spells out the curses.  To name a few :
"Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country."
Your basket and bowl will be cursed.
Your children will be cursed
Your flocks and herds will be cursed.
Confusion, pestilence, war, drought, enemies, terror, madness, blindness and " bewilderment of heart..."

And the list goes on.....

Father in Heaven, the nations of this world have not kept Your Law.  You have rightly sent  curses on our land for we have failed to honor and fear You.  Revive us again.  Forgive us and save us we pray.
Amen.

Deuteronomy 24  Moses finishes his review of the Law with reminders about doing justice.  Verse 1 tells us what true judgement should be - to justify the righteous and to condemn the wicked.  Verse 16 " For everyone who does these things, everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the Lord your God."

Chapter 25 When Israel  enters the promised land, they are to remember to do all that the Lord has commanded.  Listen to these instructions:
v1 - enter the land; possess it; and live in it;
v3 - say " I declare this day to the Lord my God that I have entered the land.. " 
v5-9 - remember and declare what the Lord has done - He brought "us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm";
 He has given us the promised land;
v10 When presenting the first fruits - "set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God."
v11 - rejoice; 

" You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and all your soul.  You have declared the Lord to be your God and that you would walk in His ways and keep His statutes; His commandments and His ordinances and listen to His voice. And the Lord has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession as He promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments; and that He shall set you high above all the nations which He has made, for praise, fame, and honor, and you shall be a consecrated  people to the Lord your God as He has spoken." verses16b-19

These instructions were meant for a nation set apart for the Lord.  But, I think we can also follow them in our Christian walk:
We need to enter into Life with Christ - take possession - own it; and live in it;   If we call ourselves Christians - Christ followers; then we need to really follow Him.
We need to declare our allegiance and position in Christ - on a regular basis - say, " I have entered into Jesus Christ, I am His possession.  I abide in Christ and He abides in me. "
We need to remember all that Christ has done for us - and declare it - for it is Jesus who brought us out of slavery to sin; It is our Heavenly Father who has delivered us from a dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His Son. ( Colossians 1)
We need to give God our first fruits and set it before Him and WORSHIP !
We can then rejoice!
We must be careful to walk in His ways, listen to His voice, and declare that He is our God. 

Then and only then will we really be a consecrated people before the Lord.

Father,  You are the Lord our God. You have taken us from death into life through Jesus Christ our King.  You have given us Words of Life that we might walk in Truth.  Help us to take possession of the land - of the fullness of life in Christ Jesus.  May we not be satisfied with anything less than You.
As we meditate on these Words, draw us nearer to Your heart.  Open our eyes and our understanding we pray.  In Jesus's Name.

Deuteronomy 22-23  The list of laws and precepts is long and detailed.  We (I )become overwhelmed with them... but we can be encouraged when we remember that Jesus summed them up with just 2:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. 
And love your neighbor as yourself.  

Every law fits in one of these 2 categories.

22: 1-4  Don't neglect helping out your neighbor, even if you don't know him.  If you find something that belongs to him, take it back to him.  If you don't know who it belongs to, hold on to it and take care of it until someone comes looking - then give it back.  If you see their animal in trouble - help.

v 5 - 12  Be careful in what you do - honor the Lord in :
how you dress
how you build your home
how you sow your field
how you work
how you carry yourself

Verses 13-30
Understand what is right and moral and do it.  Don't do what is immoral and wrong in the eyes of the Lord:
 A deep respect for women is conveyed here - don't make false accusations just because you are unhappy with your wife.  Don't harm a woman - it is equivalent to murder ( v26)

23:1-8  Walk carefully in national alliances.   Israel was not allowed to intermingle with the Moabites or Ammonites because of how they treated them.  But surprisingly they were allowed to have Edomites and Egyptians enter the assembly after the 3rd generation.   Edomites, because they were relatives and Egyptians because they were aliens in Egypt.
9-14  Cleanliness in  the camp - a very practical law - with a very spiritual application - God is in the midst of the camp - so keep it clean! 
15-25
Be fair
Be pure
Be kind
Be honest
Keep your promises to God and to others.

So what does this mean to us, since we are no longer under the Law, but under Grace?
We are still meant to love the Lord with all of our being and to love others fully.
We are still called to live in purity and kindness and honesty.
We are still called to be careful in how we live and in our relationships - to honor God in all we do and all we say.
These laws are meant to help us see what is right and what is wrong in God's eyes.  The Spirit of God will lead us in the paths of righteousness and it will not be contrary to God's Word.

We may not need to worry about whether our garment is a mix of wool and linen - but we do need to be careful that we don't allow indecency in the midst of our homes and communities.  For God is with us.  He is PRESENT and He is Holy!  We need to yield to His wishes for us - to live in love and purity and grace.  

Oh Father in heaven, make us aware of the fact that You walk in the midst of our "camp".  You walk in our homes and in our places of business.  You walk in our cities and towns.  You are here and You are holy.  Open our eyes to see things as You do and to tear down and throw out anything that is unworthy of You.  Cleanse us and make us whole and perfect and good.  Thank you Jesus that You have redeemed us and purchased us.  Wash our feet once again, we pray, in Your holy Name. Amen.

Deuteronomy 21 God's Laws are meant to  preserve life and to remove guilt.  He desires justice, as in the case of the unsolved murder in verses 1-9;  yet He doesn't reveal the murderer;  instead He calls upon the people to all seek forgiveness, removing the guilt from the community.  

He desires purity in the home, making provision for  circumstances that He really doesn't want to happen - a foreign wife that is let go; the son of an unloved wife that should be treated fairly;  and a rebellious son who is so evil that he is to be stoned to death.  ( verses 10-21)

He also reveals this, " ... he who is hanged is accursed of God..."  talking about someone who is hanged on a tree.  The apostle Paul tells us in Galatians 3, " Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us - for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree' - in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." verses 13-14.

Father,  You are our God, Mighty in all Your ways and so wise and just and kind.  You took Your own Son and allowed Him to take the curse that we deserve and to redeem us.  Hallelujah!  We are set free from every sin and curse in Christ Jesus.  Let us cling to Him and follow Him and worship Him.  May our hearts find our home in You, Jesus.  Draw us closer that we might know and love You more and more.  For it is in Your Name that we come to the foot of the throne of Grace.  Amen.

Deuteronomy 20 gives the rules for going to war.  Verses 3-4 " ... Do not be fainthearted. do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. "
Any person who is afraid, or who has a need to stay at home, was given an opportunity to stay behind and not enter into the battle.  God is strong enough to fight the battle without them.

We forget that.  We forget that it is God who fights our battles too.  He has conquered the enemy thoroughly.  We do not need to fear or panic or faint... or be depressed.. or give up.  We need to stay strong by going out in faith... or staying home in faith.   God is for us!  He cannot fail.  He will not leave us or forsake us... even if we are afraid.

Father in Heaven,  You are mighty and awesome and full of grace and mercy!  You love us and have called us to be Your sons and daughters.  You will fight for us.  May we not forget.  May be truly believe!  Thank You for the heavenly armor that is ours in Christ Jesus - the belt of truth; the breastplate of righteousness; the helmet of salvation; the shoes of peace, the shield of faith and the sword of Your Spirit.  In Christ we can stand and keep on standing.  Help us to remember that our struggles are not with flesh and blood but with the spiritual forces of wickedness and we can only stand against that with Your help, praying constantly.   Make us strong in the Lord and in the strength of Your might.  In Jesus's Name, amen.

Deuteronomy 19  The Lord required Israel to set up cities "of refuge".   These were towns placed around the nation where someone could go to if he accidentally killed someone - in an  accident of some kind.   Here is what strikes me, verse 10 " so innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and blood guiltiness be on you. "

When innocent blood is shed, God is not honored.  Also, the Law of God requires that the blood of the innocent be " purged"  ( verse13).... " that it may go well with you."

God's righteousness requires perfect justice.  He blesses the nation where that is the goal.  But, in a nation where the innocent die and the guilty go free - things will not go well!  Our nation cares more for its system of laws than it does for true justice.  We have declared abortion "legal", but it is the shedding of innocent blood - detestable in God's eyes.  We allow murderers to go free on technicalities and punish the innocent based on our false values.  No wonder things do not go well for  us!   Israel is not doing such a good job of this either, in fact, there are no nations that have figured this out in all of history.

But, there is coming a day... and a Kingdom.. where perfect righteousness will reign and perfect justice will be done.  And on that day, the tears will be wiped away.. the innocent will proclaim His greatness.. and the evil will be no more!

Father, let Your kingdom come and Your will be done!  For You alone are perfect and righteous.
We look to You for mercy and grace to help us live like You have commanded.  Forgive us our sins, our failures at justice, our shedding of innocent blood.  Lead us away from temptations and deliver us from evil.  For You are our King and we want to worship and honor You with all of our hearts.
Amen

Deuteronomy 18   Three topics are covered in this chapter.  First, a reminder of the fact that the Levites will not receive a portion of land as their inheritance, for they are set apart for the Lord.
 " The Lord is their inheritance."  Second, a stern warning about participating in anything
"detestable"  - any sort of spiritism - divination, sorcery, witchcraft, etc. Then, thirdly - the role of prophet.

Back at the beginning of the exodus, when the people stood at the mountain and heard God's voice and saw the fire and lightning,  they were so terrified that they said, " Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, let me not see the great fire anymore, lest I die."  So, the Lord only spoke to Moses and then he would pass on the Lord's Words.  Moses, then was the first prophet.  God promises here to raise up another, " I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. "   This is a clear definition of what a prophet is supposed to be.

Yet, God makes it clear that there will be some who pretend to hear from Him and will speak "presumptuously", saying things that He has not told him to say.  The test is always - does it come true?

Father, give us ears to hear and hearts to receive only the True Words that come from You.  May we seek Your direction and guidance, spoken by the Word and taught by Your Spirit,  for these are the Words of life.  Truth is found in You alone. Come and fill us once again , Holy Spirit, that we might walk in obedience and trust in the Lord our God.  Amen

Deuteronomy 17  Obedience to God's commands... to His Word... must be complete.  Verse 11, " According to the terms of the law which they teach you, and according to the verdict which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left."  And, again in verses 19-20 " And it ( the Word)  shall be with him ( the king) , and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left;  in order that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom..." 

These first words are spoken in the context of justice - determining the guilt of an evil doer or determine a lawsuit, etc. The second context is that of government - when Israel asks for a king - then that king must be of God's choosing and follow God's Word.   He must not put his faith in an army,  or in his personal prowess, or in wealth.  He must put his faith in the Lord his God and to do so, he must have the Word of God in his mind and heart.

Complete obedience goes hand in hand with complete trust.  Abraham is a prime example of this kind of faith and obedience as he took his precious son to the mountain in order to fulfill God's command.  As David Jeremiah writes, " Abraham laid all these things on that altar. He laid down his questions and confusion, and his emotions.  He laid down his faith and his obedience.  It was a test of priorities, to reveal what finally stood, what Abraham would cling to when all else was stripped violently away."    Abraham would not turn to the right or the left... would we?  Here is the question, " How would you pass such a test?  Would you worship in complete obedience if all else in the world were removed - if your every worldly possession, every beloved relationship, every fond hope and dream were lost to you? What would God ask you to place on the altar of testing in your life?"

Father, Almighty God and King,  we bow before You and acknowledge that You alone are worthy of our worship.  We acknowledge that worship cannot happen without faith and complete obedience.  We must lay down everything before You.  You know how weak and fearful we are.  Help us to place all our trust in You.  To not turn to the left or right.. in any area of our lives; but to follow You and to obey Your Word.  Help us, we pray, in the Name of Jesus, the Righteous One. Amen.

Worship is - "God's idea".  It is a command, not a suggestion.  It is a verb, an activity, not a spectator sport..  It is sacrificial obedience.  The same thing that Abraham was called to....
 "We have a God... calling His child to an act of burning, refining, purifying obedience that will test him to the deepest reaches of his heart."  David Jeremiah writes.  Then he reminds us, " ... we have God who makes that same sacrifice, who puts His one and only begotten Son on the altar and offers Him in sacrifice - and this time the hand of execution is not restrained. So deep is God's love for us, so profound in His desire to bless all generations, that He Himself makes the sacrifice from which He finally stayed Abraham's hand."  
Rev. Jeremiah goes on to say, " God call us forward from the sofa, the pew, and the aloofness by which we keep a safe distance. He calls us, as He did Thomas the doubter, to step forward and feel the wounds in His Hands.  He calls us to confront the mystery of His manifestation. He calls us to take a central and dynamic role in the adventure, the lifelong quest of knowing Him.  It only happens when we take our worship not as a noun, but as a verb and get busy doing it. "

Deuteronomy 16

God commanded the Israelites to come to the " place where the Lord your God chooses" ( Jerusalem) 3 times a year - Passover ( The Feast of Unleavened Bread), The Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.  These feasts were to be observed and celebrated.  The people were to actively remember
"the day when you came out of Egypt".   They were also to remember that they had once been slaves.
They were to celebrate the blessings that God was giving them. And they were to be joyful.   " Every man shall give as he is able according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you. "

Verses 18-22 are a change of subject.   They talk of appointing righteous judges who will do justice.  Justice is not to be distorted by partiality or bribes.  " Justice and only justice you shall pursue, that  you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you. " 

Obedient worship to the Lord will follow the patterns set in Israel -
Worship includes sacrifice.
Worship includes remembering.
Worship includes specific times and places as the Lord chooses.
Worship includes rejoicing in the Lord's blessings.
Worship includes giving according to your means.
Worship includes true justice.

Father in heaven,  Your word tells us that You desire those who worship in "spirit and in truth".  We want to worship You will all of our hearts and all of our souls and all of our minds. We want to worship actively and obediently.  So here we are - presenting ourselves once again, as living and holy sacrifices, acceptable to You, which is our spiritual service of worship.  And we know that we can only be acceptable because of the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for us.   It is His sacrifice on the cross that we remember, that we rejoice about, that we are thankful for.  Praise to You, our God and King.
Be glorified!  You are worthy of all our praise.  Amen

David Jeremiah, on worship - " It's an all-or-nothing commitment - complete dedication.  There's no way for us to be half-crucified with Christ.  There's no way to pick up half the cross and follow Him.  There's no way to be half-refined by the fires of purification."   The first time that the word "worship" is used in the Bible, is when Abraham tells his servants to stay behind while he takes Isaac up on the mountain - to worship.   He was "prepared to give all that he has, all that is precious to him, back to the One who gave it to him."  This is worship.



Deuteronomy 15

The 7th year is set apart as a time of "remission of debts".   The creditor is to release the debtor from what he owes.  The Hebrew servant is to be released from serving.

In a land of promise, where obedience to the commandments of the Lord is carefully observed,  there will be no poor.  ( verse 4)   But, provision is made for the cause of the poor, just in case....
First,  " you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother." ( v.7)
".. but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks." ( v8)
Give generously... " for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings." (v10)
" You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land." ( v11)

Father,  You are the One who has released us from the debt we owe You.  Jesus has paid it all!
How we thank and praise You.  You have not hardened Your heart towards us.  You have not closed Your hand.. but have given generously, mercifully, to a world that is indeed needy and poor.   Thank You.  Make our hearts like Your own, that we would freely give, joyfully, and easily, from all that You have given to us.  We love You and worship You, our Mighty God.  You are worthy of our total commitment and worship, no matter what that might mean.  Give us faith, like Abraham, to obey.
In the Mighty Name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

From David Jeremiah's book - " Could it be that if we finally placed all that we have, all that we aspire, all that we are before God on the altar of worship, that He would return it to us filled with His light and transformed by His glory?"

Deuteronomy 14

Because Israel was set apart as a "holy people to the Lord" their God, their lives were to exhibit holiness - everything they did and everything they ate- was meant to bring glory to God and reveal His Presence.

So they were told not to follow the customs of other nations.  They were given specific instructions on what was clean and unclean for them.  And, they were given many opportunities to show that they feared God, worshiped God, and were thankful to God.

It was in the act of worship, of bringing their tithes before the Lord, that they would find joy!
Verse 23 " And you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the first -born of your herd and your flock, in order that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always."

 Reverent fear of the Lord is learned in the giving of tithes....
Knowing that it is the Lord Who has blessed you.. ( v24)
That it is in the obedient giving of the tithe where real joy is found.  - " .. there you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household." ( v26)
There is a direct connection between fear of the Lord, obedient giving of our tithes, and joy!

Israel was to live this way- in holiness and obedience - and when they did, they would be blessed. Their families would be blessed and even more.. their communities would be blessed.  Verses 28-29  give instructions for the people to leave their tithes in their hometowns ( instead of taking it to Jerusalem) every third year - to provide for the Levites, the alien, the widow, and the orphan in their own backyard.

Father in heaven,  teach us Your truths, that we might live holy, obedient, and blessed lives.  Lives that reflect Your glory and bring You praise.  May we worship You with all of our hearts, souls, bodies, and minds.  Truly worship and rejoice in Your Presence. That we may be transformed and renewed and live a life worthy of You.  Help us today.  Fill us Holy Spirit, keep us filled with Yourself, we ask in the worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.

David Jeremiah writes in his book on true worship - " Joy, it's been said, is the flag you fly from the castle of your heart when the King is in residence there. We need to raise those flags higher ."
Worship is a celebration of the good news - All our sins have been washed away! The Spirit of God has come to dwell in us and will never leave us!  He is transforming us from the inside out to resemble Jesus Christ, our perfect and beautiful Savior! We have the privilege of coming into "the presence and the embrace of God Himself "!  What joy!

Deuteronomy 13

There are 3 "ifs" that are important here;
"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams..... "(v1-2)
" If your brother, your mother's son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entice you......" (v6)
"If you hear in one of your cities.... worthless men have.. seduced the inhabitants..." (v12-13)

If any of these try to entice or seduce you to worship any other god besides the Lord - kill them, destroy them, and do not yield to them!

It does not matter how powerful or wise or exciting the man or woman is,   it doesn't matter how close or dear, or precious a person is,  it does not matter how great the community is - they are not worth following if they are leading us away from the Lord!

Jesus said it this way , " If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. " ( Luke 14:26).    Christ must be the first and only priority.   Deuteronomy puts it this way, " .. for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him."

As a friend and former pastor of mine used to say,  God cannot be just a priority, He must be THE priority in our lives.

Father  in heaven,  You are worthy of all our worship and obedience.  You are worthy of all of our attention and love and sacrifice .  You must be in first place always!  Help us to live in accordance with Your will, loving You with all of our hearts and souls and strength and being.  Let no man, woman, or thing come between us and You.  You alone are our God. Amen.

Deuteronomy 12  When Israel brought their offerings and sacrifices to the place that the Lord would choose in the promised land, it was supposed to be a time to rejoice.  God would bless them with crops and herds and they would bring the first fruits etc. and rejoice before the Lord.   They were to set aside these offerings as "holy" to the Lord and bring them to the place He would choose to offer them there .

Israel was to destroy any idols or places where idolatry was practiced.  They were to be careful not to allow anything to come between them and the Lord.  But, must importantly, they were to "rejoice before the Lord your God in all your undertakings."  ( v18)

The Lord wants us to bring our tithes and offerings with cheerful hearts too!   When we recognize the fact that all we have comes from Him and belongs to Him; that He has blessed us in all of our undertakings - we will be doing right to bring our offerings and rejoice before Him.

Father, teach us this truth once again.  Thank you for giving us all that we have needed.  Thank you for food to eat and clothes to wear; for the roof over our heads, and for so much more than that.  Thank You for our children and grandchildren.  We are blessed by Your Hand and You are worthy of all our praise. Bless the Lord!

Deuteronomy 11  " You shall therefore love the Lord your God, and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments." 

This meaning of love is one of affection and close friendship.
Israel was to remember the Lord's greatness, His mighty hand, and His outstretched arm.. that delivered them from the Egyptians. ( His deliverance )
They were to remember what happened with the rebellious men in the wilderness, when the earth opened up and swallowed them whole. ( His discipline)
They were to trust in the Lord Who would care for the land that He was giving them... blessing them with rain in every season. ( His provision).

They were to be careful to obey, to know the Word, and to teach the Word to their children.
If they did this, everything they needed would be provided and they would be satisfied.

But, if they were not careful to keep abiding in the Word and in the Lord; if they were " deceived and turn away and serve other gods and worship them" ; all would be lost.  Three times in this chapter alone, Moses reminds Israel to "love the Lord your God and serve Him " with all their heart and soul.

To love and serve the Lord with your heart is to serve Him from the inward part of you. 
To love and serve with your  soul is to serve Him with your person, your body.. the outward part of you. 
The Pharisees of Jesus' day served with the outward body, but their hearts were far from God.  We must be careful to cultivate that affection and love for the Lord in our hearts and then live it out in our bodies.  " Therefore, I urge you brethren , to present your bodies, a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God...... and do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."  ( Romans 12:1-2)   The same principle is given to us.  God wants our inner man and our outer man.  He wants all of us - to love and serve Him, because He loves us so.

Father, You are our God and we love You.  We want to please You and walk in Your ways.  Take our lives and let them be... holy and pleasing to You.  Through the name of Jesus Christ the Lord we come.
amen

Deuteronomy 9-10   Moses reminds the people of Israel of the fact that they were not righteous people.  They were not going to receive the promised land because they were good enough, but because of God's goodness.  God was removing the nations from the land because of their wickedness... and He would remove Israel too, if they did not obey.   In fact, they had brought the wrath of God upon themselves already when they made the golden calf; and only because of the intercession by Moses were they not destroyed.

Moses wants Israel to know and worship God and be the people of God.  He prays for them and encourages them.  Deut. 10:12-21 is a sermon, an exhortation, and a plea for the people to serve God.

" And now, Israel, what doe 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 your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statures which I am commanding you today for your good?"  (verses12-13)   Here is the core of life in right relationship with God - to fear Him; follow His paths; love Him and serve Him.  

Because:
 " Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, and the earth and all that is in it. " (v. 14)
"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."
" He is your praise and He is your God who has done these great and awesome things for you...." (v21)

This is the God who chose us to also belong to Him.  To fear Him, love Him, serve Him and walk in His ways.  He possesses everything in heaven and earth;  He is perfect in all His ways; and He chooses to do great and awesome things for us!  He sent His only son to pay for our transgressions.
He makes us holy and perfect through the blood of Jesus Christ.  This is amazing grace.

Thank You Father!  Great, mighty, awesome, and holy are You.  We praise and worship You alone.
Draw us nearer to Yourself every day. We ask in the Name of Jesus, amen.

Deuteronomy 7-8  The blessings of obedience to the Lord's commands are more than worth any sacrifice.  Israel was charged with obeying and not allowing anything to turn their hearts from God.
That included keeping their families from the corruption of the nations around them.
" 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." 
Chosen out of love and out of a promise. " 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."

But to turn from Him and His commands - means judgement,  not to the generations ahead but "to their faces".   It is the person who willfully turns away from God that will be destroyed.

The blessings of God -
" 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." 
He will remove all sickness.
He will remove all dread.
He will provide everything.. as long as there is obedience to His words.  " Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. "
" 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. "  ( 8:18)

Everything that happened from the day they left Egypt until the day they entered the Promised land was for the purpose of preparing Israel to be the nation of the Lord.  They were to remember their humility and dependance on Him. They were to bless Him and obey His commandments.  They would become the greatest of all nations... if they would be faithful.

God our Father, Yahweh, the Lord is Your Name.  You are the same now as You were before the creation of the world and on the day of Your promises to Israel.  You give blessings to those who obey Your Word, to those who love You and do what You desire.  Thank You for being a God who blesses those Who obey, and who helps us even have the desire to obey.  Thank You for being patient and kind; and for redeeming us from the slavery to sin and self. Thank You for choosing to make us a holy people, set apart for Yourself.  Bless us today even as You have promised through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Deuteronomy 6  Moses reminds the people that they need to learn the commandments, teach the commandments, and do the commandments.

They were to listen and be careful ( v3); bind them on their hands and forehead ( v8);  watch themselves ( v12);  and fear ( v13) the Lord and Him only.   If they did this the results would be amazing:
They would be well - sound, beautiful, happy successful, right, glad, kind, skillful.
They would multiply greatly.
They would possess the land.
It would bring good for them and be righteousness to them.

The people were to be diligent to teach the commands to their children and grandchildren.  " and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." (v7)   They were to write the commands on their doorposts and on their gates.
Coming and going - the Word of God would be everywhere, producing an atmosphere steeped in the Presence and Goodness of God.

Imagine a country where every citizen knew the 10 commandments and obeyed them!  Where everyone loved and served God with all their heart and soul and might.  Where every individual feared God and worshiped Him alone.  Where all were careful to "do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord."(v18).   This is God's will!  This was what He would have done for Israel if she would have obeyed.   It is what He would do for us.. if we would keep His commandments.

Father in heaven,  You are worthy of our worship and reverence .  We love Your Word and want to be faithful to do it.  Fill our hearts with Your commandments and righteousness so that we might walk in Your ways and  love You with all our beings.   May we be careful to know Your Word and to do them and to teach them to our children and grandchildren, surrounding them and ourselves with Truth and righteousness.  Come and fill us now, Holy Spirit, that we may be strengthened by Your glorious might.  Produce in us the fruit of righteousness and love.  In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus we ask these things.  Amen.