Moses begins to expound on the commands that Israel needed to observe and obey as they prepared to enter their new homeland. Chapter 12 describes the need to worship and offer sacrifices and offerings to Adonai in only the one place that He would choose. The temptation would be to use the places that the nations had used to worship their idols. Adonai commanded that every place of idolatry had to be exterminated.
Chapter 13 focuses on the vital need to stand firm against idolatry - whether a false prophet, a loved one, or a whole city turned to a false god - Israel was commanded to take action and destroy completely anyone who would try to entice them into idolatry.
Think of the severity of this statement:
Verse 6-9 "If your brother the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or your wife whom you love, or your friend who means as much to you as yourself, secretly tries to entice you to go and serve other gods, ... you are not to consent, and you are not to listen to him; and you must not pity him or spare him; and you many not conceal him. Rather, you must kill him!"
Compare this to Luke 14:26, Jesus said, " 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."
Deut. 13:3 says that the temptation, the enticement to turn to idolatry is a test - "For Adonai your God is testing you, in order to find out whether you really do love Adonai your God with all your heart and being. You are to follow Adonai your God, fear him, obey his [commandments], listen to what he says, serve Him and cling to Him." Jesus, in Luke 14 is saying the same thing - "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." Our God demands our full surrender.. "So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his possessions."
Count the cost, Jesus tells us. Choose life. But, know that it means complete surrender of everything else. Also know that He is worth it all. He can be trusted with all we give to Him.. all that we love.. including our families.
Father, You are holy and righteous and good. We bow before You and will have no other gods before us. We choose to follow Jesus, to lay down our lives and to take up our crosses and follow You. May we stand in Your strength, walk in Your Spirit and be faithful servants of our glorious Lord. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment