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Deuteronomy 34 Moses Remembered for Who God Made Him

4/11/2016

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But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day. Deuteronomy 4:20
But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day. Deuteronomy 4:20
Deuteronomy 34
Today we read the final chapter of Deuteronomy, a chapter not written by Moses but probably by Joshua or Ezra to complete the writing and honor the man who had led Israel from Egypt through the wilderness. It is a chapter written with love and esteem, a chapter which remembers Moses for the man The Lord made him to be.
How do you hope to be remembered after your death? What would be the greatest memorial to you? Do you hope for a statue that declares your great courage during the battles of life? Do you want a funeral where people stand and your grave side, cry and talk about the good deeds you did? What are the deeds and character they will remember about you?
Who are you? Are you the person your parents hoped you would be? Are you the person the prince of the world hoped you would be? Are you the person God called you to be? Moses birth mother parents gave up their son as an infant to save his life. They were probably not exactly thrilled that he was raised in Pharaoh’s home as a royal son but he was alive and thriving. His adoptive mother probably wanted a royal life for him. She likely imagined him serving as the leader of Pharaoh’s army or doing some great work in his administration. Satan wanted him ashamed, living in banishment over the guilt of murder that he never would have been punished for. He wanted him disqualified from the life God had called him for. But God called Moses to be His friend, His prophet, and the leader of who would set His people free. Every circumstance his parents created to make Moses into who they hoped and every circumstance Satan put forward to turn him in the man he wanted, God used to make Moses into the man of God we remember him to be.
Verses 1-4 read,
Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.”
Moses was at the end of his life and he spent the last hours with God alone. God showed him what He had accomplished and what His people would inherit. The Lord gave Moses a peace, letting him know he had done his job and done it well. In a way, He said, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” But now it was time for Moses to enter true rest. Verses 5-9 read,
So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, 6 and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. 8 And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.
And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.
God spared Moses from becoming an idol. He was truly a man of God and God knew well enough that had Israel known where he was buried, they would have built an altar and worshipped him eventually. Moses didn’t have a grave, a statue, or a memorial stone. God Himself buried the man and no one knew where he was buried. It is not the physical monument that indicates the life a person lived. His legacy is in his life, character, deeds, and the people he mentored. Israel was able to mourn for the Moses but when the time for mourning was over, it was time to enter The Promised Land. Moses had not left them without a leader. God had appointed Joshua to take his place.
Though Moses did not have a gravestone, He was remembered. He was not remembered for killing a slave, for being slow of speech, or having a temper. He was remembered for being who The Lord had called him to be. Verses 10-12 read,
 And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
Moses knew God more intimately than any man before him and better than any prophet since. The people remembered him as strong virile man even at 120 years old. They remembered him for the miracles God worked through him, for the parting of the Red Sea, bringing water from a rock, and leading them through the wilderness. They remembered him for his wisdom, judgements, andhis relationship with The Lord.
Moses parents wanted him to live and so did God. Maybe his mother didn’t want him to be among her own oppressors but she was probably glad he was alive at all. His adoptive mother wanted him to be a prince. Satan wanted him to be anything or anyone other than Israel’s deliverer. But God made Moses a prophet unlike any other in history, His friend, and the leader of a nation.
Who has God called you to be? Did you know He has called you to be His friend and His son or daughter? Are you a prophet? A teacher? A miracle worker? A healer? An evangelist? A shepherd? Whoever God has called you to be, you can be. The Father called you. Ephesians 1:3-6 reads,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Jesus Christ saved you. Ephesians 1:7-11 reads,
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
The Holy Spirit indwells you, manifests in you, and transforms you. Titus 3:4-7 says,
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
And 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 reads,
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
God has made the way for you to be who He created you to be. Whatever people have done to make you who they want you to be, God can use for your good and His glory. Whatever Satan, the accuser of the brethren has used to quell you, God will use for your good and His glory. Romans 8:27-30 reads,
 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Are you who God has called you to be, who He predestined you to be or are you who the prince of the world wants you to be? Are you a prince in Egypt or are you a King in the Promised Land? You were called to be distinctive, the amazing beloved child of God. 1 Peter 2:9-10 reads,
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Proclaim the excellencies of The Lord, your Father, Savior, and Comfort; be the chosen and royal son of God that you are meant to be. What will they say about you after your death? Will they say, “She was a good accountant” or whatever job title you held? Or will they say, “She was the glory of God, a teacher (prophet, healer, evangelist…) like no other, a good and faithful servant of her Father in Heaven.”
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Deuteronomy 33 Part Six Verses 24-29 Called to be Happy

4/10/2016

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Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
Deuteronomy 33:24 29
Today we will finish reading the blessings of Moses with the blessing of Asher and his final words to Israel. Moses’ prophetic words have taught us so much about our identity in Christ. Today is no different. We have learned how blessed with are, but today we will learn that we are deeply blessed, that we have so much reason to be happy that it is a wonder we don’t go through life dancing and singing. Verse 24 reads,
And of Asher he said,
“Most blessed of sons be Asher;
    let him be the favorite of his brothers,
    and let him dip his foot in oil.”

Most blessed of sons be Asher, he is the happiest of Jacob’s sons and that trait passed on to his descendants. That happiness, that joy made him a favorite of his brothers. Joseph was Jacob’s favorite, but Asher was the favorite of his brothers. He was well loved by people because of his disposition. Even his name means happy. Leah, his mother’s maid was so overjoyed at his birth that she named him for it.
People are attracted to happy people, to joyful people who wear their blessings naturally, not flaunted but enjoyed. Joyfulness praises the Lord throughout the day through the acknowledgment that there is something to be happy about. Some people, myself included don’t tend toward a natural state of joy but joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The believer should have a supernatural joy about her.
I confess when my flesh is overcoming my spirit (when I am letting my natural tendencies toward sin and selfishness overtake the supernatural tendencies of the Spirit to express Jesus Christ’s nature instead of my own) I am disposed to be visibly and outwardly melancholy. When I am under attack, I wear my suffering like a badge, whatever illness, depression, and wounds I have are obvious to the world. I may as well paint them on a banner and parade them. But that is not what my Lord means for me nor for you. He tells us to be blessed, to be happy. He tells us to show our praise and joy to the world. He did after all come to give us gladness and praise instead of mourning and weakness. Isaiah 61:2-3 reads,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

People showed their joy by dressing appropriately, by anointing their heads with oil, wearing clothes without holes and generally taking the time to care about their appearance. If one were in mourning he would tear his clothes, wear ashes on his head and until he was done mourning he wouldn’t bother with caring about how he looked. Asher’s joy meant not only did he anoint his head with oil, he dipped his feet in oil as well. Even his feet, lowly dirty things that they are, are anointed with oil because he is so happy. His life is a life of joy and it shows.
 The Bible tells us of two different occasions Jesus’ feet were anointed with oil, once by Lazarus’ sister Mary (John 12:1-8) and once by a sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50). Both were prophetic expressions of deep gratitude symbolizing Jesus as the Bridegroom of the church who would lay down His life for His bride. Jesus looked at His crucifixion as joyful, even though He fully knew how horrible it would be. He endured knowing it would happen, He persevered through His tortuous death because He kept in mind the hope of the Resurrection, the conquering of sin, and the joy of our eternal life (Hebrews 12:1-2). We will suffer too. Yet we are called to endure it, we are even called to consider it all joy (James 1:2-4). We can do that because we know it has a purpose and we know that we have hope.
How will anyone else ever know the joy we have, if we don’t live joyfully? If we whine and moan through life, no one will ever question our difference because who would want to moan and whine through life? Isn’t that what too many people do already? Peter told us to always have an answer ready to defend our hope (1 Peter 3:15). That means we should be living life in a hopeful manner, with apparent joy regardless of the circumstances of life.
Deep joy like that gives us strength. If we build our happiness on the Truth of God, the basis for our joy cannot be shaken, we cannot be shaken because we know God cannot be shaken. Verse 25 reads,
“Your bars shall be iron and bronze,
    and as your days, so shall your strength be.”

We mourn when we realize we are sinners in need of repentance. We become broken hearted at the recollection of our sin, but God forgives! Jesus is our Salvation! What a wonderful reason to rejoice. He has called us to be glad, to celebrate the grace not wallow in the sin. When the people of Israel had gathered and heard the reading of the scripture they realized their sin and they mourned, but Ezra spoke to them and said,
“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep. Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:9-10).
Our joy is praise to God. Our exultation (expressed joy and celebration) is an ongoing prayer and song of thanksgiving to the Lord. Psalm 28:6-9 says it this way,
 Blessed be the Lord!
    For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
    and with my song I give thanks to him.

8 The Lord is the strength of his people;
    he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
    Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Why do we have joy in the Lord? Because of who He is and what He has done and is doing for us. Verses 26-28 read,
“There is none like God, O Jeshurun,
    who rides through the heavens to your help,
    through the skies in his majesty.
27 The eternal God is your dwelling place,
    and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy before you
    and said, ‘Destroy.’
28 So Israel lived in safety,
    Jacob lived alone,
in a land of grain and wine,
    whose heavens drop down dew.”

Jeshurun is another name for Israel, a term of affection for them. There is none like The LORD God. He rescues us. He will ride His white horse as King of kings through the clouds for our salvation. Revelation 19:11-16 reads,
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
We can rejoice because as Great and Mighty as He is, The Lord is our dwelling place. We rest in Him. He is never-ending power, ceaseless strength, and unending protection. He holds us in His arms and He defeats the enemy with those same arms. God is good and we can celebrate. God is great and we can be happy. Verse 29 reads,
“Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you,
    a people saved by the Lord,
the shield of your help,
    and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
    and you shall tread upon their backs.”

We are unique, no people are like us because no god is like God. We are called to live in joy, shining with happiness and glorifying the Lord. How will people ever want to know who He is if they do not see our distinctive joy celebrate Him? We don’t have to go through life in ashes of mourning, anxiety, or fear. We have Jesus Christ. We exemplify Him through joy. We are blessed, happy because He is The LORD our God.
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Deuteronomy 33 Part Five Verses 18-23 Enlarging God’s Territory by the Gifts of the Spirit

4/9/2016

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Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. 1 Chronicles 4:10
Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. 1 Chronicles 4:10
​Deuteronomy 33:18-23
Today’s we read Moses’ blessings of Zebulun, Issachar, Gad, Dan, and Naphtali. Each of these prophetic blessings is for believers as well. You have been gifted, not for you own good but the good of the Kingdom of Heaven, the Body of Christ, and the Glory of God (1 Corinthians 12:7, Isaiah 43:7).
Verses 18-19 read,
And of Zebulun he said,
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
    and Issachar, in your tents.
19 They shall call peoples to their mountain;
    there they offer right sacrifices;
for they draw from the abundance of the seas
    and the hidden treasures of the sand.”

The two tribes seem to share a blessing but in different ways. Zebulun rejoices in going out of their tents and Issachar in their tents. Zebulun’s land was near the sea and they did great business making themselves renowned among the Phoenicians. They were gifted money makers. Issachar’s blessing from Jacob had been as servants of all. They enjoyed the Promised Land by working hard in it (Genesis 49:14-15). Because their land was near Zebulun’s land they likely often worked for and with them.
Going out of one’s tent implies enlarging your territory in anticipation of blessings like children. But staying in one’s tent implies studying or learning and being content. Issachar were considered to be men of understanding of the times (1 Chronicles 12:32). They studied the Scriptures and they applied them to what was happening. Both of these seemingly opposite acts were acts of rejoicing that called people to worship God in a right way, that drew abundance from the seas and hidden treasures from the sand.
The abundance of the sea comes in a few forms. The first and most obvious for these two tribes was in plentiful provision. They made the land a haven for port business and trading. But doing this also means that The Lord’s fame went out to people who dealt with Zebulun and Issachar. The truth learned in the tent studying God’s Word was enacted and shared with the people they did business with. Those people saw how they were treated and they told others. Zebulun and Issachar were fishers of men as much as they were traders of goods.
What are the treasures of the sand? In addition to being the profits of business, the treasures of the sand is the deeper knowledge and relationship with God we get from studying His Word and living it out. Proverbs 25:2 always reminds me of the joy of reading God’s Word, of digging into the scriptures and finding the gems of Jesus Christ revealed through the Holy Spirit. It reads,
It is the glory of God to conceal things,
    but the glory of kings is to search things out.

Jesus compared The Kingdom of Heaven to hidden treasure in Matthew 13:44-46
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
 
The gifts of being able to make money and the gift of service go hand in hand with one another in this blessing. Both bring people to the Lord to worship Him properly, both find the treasure and abundance of Jesus Christ in acting on His Word. Not every believer has these specific gifts as a primary gift but every believer has the ability to manifest the Holy Spirit in each of His giftings as He sees need.
There are other ways of enlarging one’s territory. War enlarges territory and it takes great leadership to fight and win great wars.
Verses 20-21 read,
And of Gad he said,
“Blessed be he who enlarges Gad!
    Gad crouches like a lion;
    he tears off arm and scalp.
21 He chose the best of the land for himself,
    for there a commander's portion was reserved;
and he came with the heads of the people,
    with Israel he executed the justice of the Lord,
    and his judgments for Israel.”

 
Justice requires a fight, victory requires a war. Gad were leaders and warriors, commanders who fought with ferocity. Leaders are not afraid to lead. They are not afraid to step up and do what must be done, not for their own good but for the sake of justice, for the good of the people they are leading. If no one was courageous enough to step up and command the army, what would the soldiers do but mill about and fight aimlessly?
Not all are leaders, yet we are all called to lead. As followers of Christ even those of us who are not gifted leaders are called to say, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” We often have to step into leadership or mentoring roles with people of the world because they are blinded to the truth we clearly see. They don’t even know they are slaves to the prince of the world. We fight to make them free sons of the King of kings. We fight to give them the abundant life Jesus called them to enjoy.
Not everyone is a leader, most of us are not. But just because we don’t command the army, doesn’t mean we don’t fight. Some people are truly gifted at warfare. Verse 22 reads,
And of Dan he said,
“Dan is a lion's cub
    that leaps from Bashan.”

It is interesting to compare Jacob’s blessing for Dan to this one from Moses. Jacob said,
“Dan shall judge his people
    as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
    a viper by the path,
that bites the horse's heels.
    so that his rider falls backward.
(Genesis 49:16-17).
Dan was gifted at warfare. They did not appear all that menacing, a lion cub doesn’t scare anyone. But they surprised the enemy, they came out of nowhere and defeated their adversaries. Dan like Gad served justice through the fight.
Sometimes land does not need to be enlarged because the land itself is so fertile, abundance seems to spring from it. It is as if the land enlarges itself. A fertile vineyard grows and the vinedresser then acquires the surrounding area for his vineyards.  Verse 23 reads,
And of Naphtali he said,
“O Naphtali, sated with favor,
    and full of the blessing of the Lord,
    possess the lake and the south.”

Naphtali’s land was distinguished for its fruitfulness. Because of its placement the weather, the dirt, and the water combined to make a tropical area of rich vegetation. Naphtali was content with the blessings, they enjoyed the blessings of fruitfulness. That doesn’t mean they sat back on their laurels and hoped the land produced fruit, they enjoyed the favor and worked the land. They took care of it and enjoyed the productivity and prosperity, the ‘fruit of their labor.’
Farmers who do not enjoy being farmers don’t learn about their jobs, don’t invest in the farm, and don’t work hard to produce quality products. They may as well be migrant workers who go from place to place merely picking the fruit for someone else. Farmers who love what they do care about the farm and invest in the land. They take ownership of the farm, they understand the crops they plant, the fertilizers they use, and the tools they employ. The end product is higher quality and the farm keeps producing.
Jesus often described the Kingdom of Heaven in farming terms. A good farmer wouldn’t waste sowing seeds in land that wasn’t prepared to receive it. A good farmer understands he must first make the land good and then sow the seed or he may as well just toss the seeds to the birds.
Naphtali also had possession of a great deal of water in their land. They could have sowed all the seeds they wanted but without the abundant water of their land, the seeds would not have sprouted. We can sow seeds like crazy but without the Living Water of Jesus Christ the sun will scorch the seeds and they’ll die. Naphtali’s water was so ample it seemed limitless. The Living Water is limitless. Jesus is described as The River of Life in New Jerusalem. Revelation 22:1-5 read,
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
The Lord flows out of each Spirit-filled believer as rivers of Living Water. John 7:37-39 promises this.
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Christ Follower, you are gifted by the Holy Spirit to enlarge the Kingdom of Heaven, to call people to God, to fight the enemy, and be fruitful. Does your life show this happening? Are you living out the Word of God as a treasure hunter, trader, servant, warrior, and sower? You have what you need to enlarge the Kingdom of Heaven, be the person you were created and called to be for Christ.
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Deuteronomy 33:13-17 Like Joseph You are a Favored Prince

4/8/2016

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A firstborn bull--he has majesty,     and his horns are the horns of a wild ox; with them he shall gore the peoples,     all of them, to the ends of the earth; they are the ten thousands of Ephraim,     and they are the thousands of Manasseh. Deuteronomy 33:17
A firstborn bull—he has majesty, and his horns are the horns of a wild ox; with them he shall gore the peoples, all of them, to the ends of the earth; they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. Deuteronomy 33:17
Deuteronomy 33 Part 4 Verses 13-17
Today is Moses’ blessing to the tribe of Joseph. I have always found it interesting that of Israel’s sons Joseph was the one who was a type of Christ, who was ‘sacrificed’, became royalty, saved his family and Egypt, and allowed his family to grow into a nation. But Jesus didn’t come from Joseph, He came from Judah. But Joseph was special none the less. The blessing for his tribe is the longest of to Israel’s tribes and it is full.
Each of the blessings to a tribe denote a noted characteristic of the tribe, a characteristic of the Believer. For instance, Dan was weak in number but thrived, Judah’s prayers were their strength, Levi was priestly, and Benjamin deeply loved. The trait that comes through most evidently about Joseph is nobility, nobility so great that it was obvious before he ever became royalty.  Joseph was favored, he was favored by his father and when he was sold into slavery he was favored in Potiphar’s house, and eventually in Pharaoh’s house. Verses 13-16 read,
And of Joseph he said,
“Blessed by the Lord be his land,
    with the choicest gifts of heaven above,
    and of the deep that crouches beneath,
14 with the choicest fruits of the sun
    and the rich yield of the months,
15 with the finest produce of the ancient mountains
    and the abundance of the everlasting hills,
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
    and the favor of him who dwells in the bush.
May these rest on the head of Joseph,
    on the pate of him who is prince among his brothers.”

You and I are blessed that way. The Lord favors us, not because we earned it, not because we do anything special, but simply because of who we are. Joseph was favored simply because he was Rachel’s son. His father doted on him, got him special gifts, and noticed everything he did. Although he was merely the twelfth child and eleventh son of a man, he was treated with favor as if he were royalty. He was treated as the chosen son of God’s chosen man.
Believer you are that favored too! God enjoys blessing us! He knows what we need and what we want. In Matthew 7:7-11 Jesus describes it like this,
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
You are favored, chosen, esteemed, supported, and approved of by God. You are privileged under Him because you are favored. The choicest gifts of Heaven are yours, the best fruit, finest produce, the abundance of the earth is all yours because you are favored by He who dwells in the bush, The LORD.
God not only supplies your every need and doesn’t let you go hungry, He has a feast for you. The fruit of the Spirit is yours. Wisdom is yours for the asking. Abundant life is yours. Jesus didn’t come so you could live like the world, He came so you could have life and have it abundantly. In John 10:9-10 Jesus said,
 “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
When the Lord called Moses, he did so spectacularly and intimately. He appeared in a bush as fire. He was compassionate. He told Moses who He is, and described the job He had chosen Moses for. He called Him to lead the people out of slavery and to the Promise Land (Exodus 3). Moses had been raised as a prince but was really the brother of the slaves. It took his understanding of being favored royalty to make him understand the necessity of leading God’s people to salvation from slavery.
You are a prince among the world. You stand out because of the nobility you received from God. He made you to be special, royal. He has put crowns on your head meant to be worn as praise, righteousness, perseverance, glory, and life (1 Corinthians 9:24-25, 1 Thessalonians 2:19, James 1:12, 2 Timothy 4:8, 1 Peter 5:1-4). One day we won’t need to wear those crowns anymore and we will gladly throw them at the feet of Jesus like the Elders in Heaven (Revelation 4:10-11). But today we still wear them. We walk as royalty among the people glorifying our King. It is not an empty title, a royalty without a kingdom. You have been given the Kingdom of Heaven. One day you will judge the nations with Jesus your King (1 Corinthians 6:2, Matthew 19:28).
Royalty comes with responsibility, power, and authority. Verse 17 reads,
“A firstborn bull—he has majesty,
    and his horns are the horns of a wild ox;
with them he shall gore the peoples,
    all of them, to the ends of the earth;
they are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
    and they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

The horn of the animal represented his power as his means of defense, his glory as his means of ornamentation. Horns are the shofars or the trumpets which call people to salvation. They are the representation of God’s mercy on the altar (Exodus 27:2, 1 Kings 1:50). As princes of this world we don’t parade our royalty like spoiled trust fund babies, we wield its power in battle against the prince of the world who comes to still, kill, and destroy. We gore the peoples, not to bring them to death but to bring them to Life. We fight with Jesus against Satan to free his slaves from the chains that hold them.
Believer, you are royalty! You are a child of the King of kings, The LORD God! The blessings for you are innumerable. You are not meant to live a life of scarcity but a life of abundance in provision, gifts, and power. You have been given crowns. You are the prince not the pauper. 
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Deuteronomy 33 Part Three Verse 12 Benjamin’s Blessing

4/7/2016

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For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
​Deuteronomy 33 Part Three Verse 12
Today we continue to read Moses’ blessings to the tribes of Israel with his blessing to Benjamin. Benjamin was Jacob’s youngest son, the second son of Jacob’s favorite wife and one true love, Rachel, who died giving birth to him. When he thought his favorite son Joseph, her eldest had died, Benjamin became all he had left of her. His older brothers understood this and though they had betrayed Joseph they went out of their way to protect Benjamin. In fact, it was the brothers’ love for Benjamin that persuaded Joseph to realize they had changed.
Verse 12 reads,
Of Benjamin he said,
“The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety.
The High God surrounds him all day long,
    and dwells between his shoulders.”

Beloved means deeply loved, adored and treasured. Do you ever consider just how much God loves you? Think about the person you love the most in the world, your spouse, your child, your parent, or whoever it might be. How does your heart feel when you consider them? How do you feel thinking about blessings for them such as your child being successful and happy? Perhaps your most beloved person has passed away, is sick, or suffering somehow, how does that make you feel? Now consider this, God loves you so much, He gave you His only begotten Son (John3:16). He loves you so much, He was willing to step out of Heaven and live for you, suffer for you, and conquer for you. Our love is imperfect so it can’t measure God’s awesome perfect love. God’s love for us, for you is more than we can imagine. Romans 8:31-39 reads,
 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We, the cherished of the LORD dwell in safety. Nothing can come against us if God is for us! Nothing can separate us from His Love! Look at everything Jesus has done for you and is doing for you. Nothing, not your mistakes, sins, or suffering, wealth, lack, or battles can tear you away from God’s love. God is with you throughout every circumstance. He surrounds you, He indwelled you, He united with you and nothing can make Him leave you. We’re not talking about some great guy, your boss, the leader of a country, or a mythical figure. We are talking about The LORD God, Yahweh, The Most High God, Creator of the Universe and all that it holds, The God of Angel Armies. That is a big deal!
No matter what you go through, it cannot ‘unsave’ you. Regardless of what you do, it cannot make God leave you or withdraw His shield from you. Nothing can take you out of His mighty hand. Nothing. He won’t stop you from leaving Him, but He will never leave you or renounce you.  In John 10:28-30 Jesus said it like this,
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Not only does God surround His beloved children, but He dwells between our shoulders. What that means is He resides there. What is it to be between our shoulders? Between our shoulders is our heart, spiritually the seat of our spirit. Between our shoulders is our spine, our backbone, the symbol of strength and uprightness. God dwells there, He chooses to inhabit us and He gives us new hearts, upright character, and strength.
It is no wonder we dwell in safety, because the LORD dwells in us. The word for dwell in this verse is shakan and it means to settle down, establish, to stay permanently. When I read this Deuteronomy 33:12 I get the picture of Psalm 23, my Lord my Shepherd taking complete and utter care of me so that I have nothing to fear and nothing to worry about regardless of where I am and what is happening.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Believer, you are deeply loved by the LORD God Almighty, the Most High, nothing can change that, nothing can take Him away from you or you away from Him. He chooses to establish Himself in you and cause you to stand upright. You are His beloved.
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Deuteronomy 33 Part Two: The Priests’ Blessing

4/6/2016

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The Lord has sworn     and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever     after the order of Melchizedek.” Psalm 110:4
The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Psalm 110:4
Deuteronomy 33 Verses 8-11
Today we continue reading Moses’ prophetic blessings to the tribes of Israel with the blessing to Levi. Verses 8 reads,
And of Levi he said,
“Give to Levi your Thummim,
    and your Urim to your godly one,
whom you tested at Massah,
    with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;

 The Urim and Thummin are mentioned in Exodus 28:30 to describe the garments Aaron as the high priest of Israel would wear.
And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.
But who is the godly one? Moses referred to the high priest, the one who would enter into the Holy of holies each year on behalf of Israel, but it also refers to Jesus, our high priest. Israel tested God with them at Massah and Meribah when they questioned if He was among them and Moses proved His presence and provision by having water spring from a rock (Exodus 17:1-7).
We are the priests and prophets now. The Lord has given us His Thummin as He gave it to Levi. The Thummin protected the high priest. It was placed over his heart and told Him the will of God as he entered into The Lord’s Presence. He has given us His Urim as He gave it to Aaron, Eleazar, and Jesus Christ. The Urim had a specific job described in Numbers 27:18-23
So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. 19 Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. 20 You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.”22 And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, 23 and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the Lord directed through Moses.
The Thummim and Urim showed Israel God’s will. It is described in Jewish Literature as a stone or stick which was black on one side and white on the other Thummim on one side and Urim on the other. The priest would inquire of the Lord and toss the Urim like dice, casting lots and revealing the Lord’s answer (1 Samuel 14:40-42). Priests were not all prophets and without the Spirit, this was how God’s will was revealed. The Apostles cast lots to determine who would replace Judas before they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1:26).
Believers have the Thummim and the Urim, the access to know God’s will because we have The Lord actually living within us! We do not have to question His presence, He is Emmanuel God with us.
Verse 9 reads,
who said of his father and mother,
    ‘I regard them not’;
he disowned his brothers
    and ignored his children.
For they observed your word
    and kept your covenant.

In the wilderness, the tribe of Israel sided with Moses and God over Israel when Israel worshipped the golden calf. They carried out God’s command and killed their fellow Israelites in love of The Lord (Exodus 32:25-29). Following Jesus can’t be done with half a heart. He requires our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Matthew 10:34-39 Jesus said,
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Levi proved they were worthy, they loved God more than they loved their relatives. They cared about the covenant they had made with the Lord and understood that loving God so fervently, even to the point of defending His Word with the sword was how Israel would be saved.
Following Jesus requires our entire being. We can’t be spilt. We are no longer part of the world concerned with worldly matters. We seek the Kingdom of God and trust God to be our provision (Matthew 6:33). We are not part of that world anymore. That is what Jesus meant when he answered people with excuses for not following him in Matthew 8:18-22.
Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
The Word of God is revealed to us, it is inscribed on our hearts and lived out in our lives. We are a royal priesthood and part of our service to God involves spreading the word, teaching it to people and thereby worshipping the Lord. Verse 10 reads,
They shall teach Jacob your rules
    and Israel your law;
they shall put incense before you
    and whole burnt offerings on your altar.

Verse 10 is a concise summary of the priestly duties to teach the law, to worship and minister to the Lord through maintaining the incense, showbread and lamps, and to offer the sacrifices for forgiveness of sin. The aroma of the incense and the burnt offerings was pleasing to God. Incense represents the prayers of the people rising to God. The duties have not really changed except that now we do not make burnt offerings; we worship in Spirit and truth, we pray and offer our sacrifices of praise. Every believer can and should teach God’s word because every one of has been made part of the priesthood (Hebrews 5:12). Hebrews 13:12-16 describes our priestly responsibility of sacrifice this way,
 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Our works do not save us. They cannot earn us salvation. But our works do glorify the Lord, reveal Jesus to the world, and bring the good news of Christ to the lost. Jesus defeated the enemy forever when He rose from the dead and each time we share that, each time we love someone as Jesus loved us, and each time He is glorified it is a defeat for the devil and he loses another slave. Verse 11 says it this way,
Bless, O Lord, his substance,
    and accept the work of his hands;
crush the loins of his adversaries,
    of those who hate him, that they rise not again.

 
Believer, you are a priest, this blessing is for you! You live in God’s presence because He lives in you. He shares His will with you. He shares His word with you. He has made righteous. You are free to love Him zealously with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. The devil your adversary is defeated.
 
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Deuteronomy 33 Part One: Jesus is The Warrior King Fighting for Us

4/5/2016

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The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. Exodus 14:14
​Deuteronomy 33 Part One Verses 1-7
There was a tradition for a father to bless his sons before he died. That tradition went back further than Jacob to his sons and probably further back than Abraham to his sons. Now before Moses died he continued the tradition, but he blessed each tribe of Israel, his spiritual children. As with the other patriarchal blessings in Scripture, they were prophetic and meant for good. And also like other prophecy in Scripture there are multiple layers and we can see Jesus, our Lord and Savior revealed in each one. Verses 1-5 read,
This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death. 2 He said,
“The Lord came from Sinai
    and dawned from Seir upon us;
    he shone forth from Mount Paran;
he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,
    with flaming fire at his right hand.
3 Yes, he loved his people,
    all his holy ones were in his hand;
so they followed in your steps,
    receiving direction from you,
4 when Moses commanded us a law,
    as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 Thus the Lord became king in Jeshurun,
    when the heads of the people were gathered,
    all the tribes of Israel together.”

The Lord chose Israel to be His people and receive His Law. He chose us to receive His Word, Jesus Christ. He chose to indwell us and write His Word onto our hearts. His glory and presence is so magnificent and bright that when He came to Sinai His light shone on Mt Seir as well. God’s Law, His Word is like fire. It purifies, melts hearts, and divides bone and marrow. His Word is Righteous, His Law is Justice.
Moses’ blessing echoed Enoch’s prophecy. Jude verses 14-16 talked about false teachers. It reads,
It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
Who are the ten thousands of holy ones? Believer, they are us, gathered with Jesus Christ on the Day of the Lord executing justice to the nations. As God was King of Israel, He is our King too. But we don’t reject Him for earthly kings. Jesus is our Christ, our King of kings. His fiery Word is written on our hearts and executed by our lives. His presence rests in us and shines out for the world to see. He is obvious in us. The Edomites and Ishmaelites could see The Lord’s glory on Sinai; the world can see His glory in us.
Verse 6 reads,
“Let Reuben live, and not die,
    but let his men be few.”

This short blessing for the descendants of Jacob’s eldest son says they will endure. Although they were on the outskirts of The Promised Land, faced many battles and hardship, they would endure. They wouldn’t endure because of their strength but because of God’s power. We do not persevere because of our might but The Lord’s. It is He who strengthens us and it is He who is glorified in the victory when we are weak.
Believer, I know you’ve struggled. I know you’ve been blessed. I know you have suffered through trials and I know you have overcome and conquered. How do I know? Because The Lord saved you, He resides in you and He is glorified through every circumstance of your life when you abide in Him and let Him be The Lord. Paul described it this way in his letter to the Philippians,
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:12-13).
Verse 7 is Judah’s blessing.
And this he said of Judah:
“Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah,
    and bring him in to his people.
With your hands contend for him,
    and be a help against his adversaries.”

God hears you when you pray. Your prayers are not mere venting or whining opportunities. They are a conversation with The Lord your God. Prayers unite the church and call God to fight for us. Your prayers have great effect and impact! James 5:13-16 read,
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working
Prayer is the first line of defense in the war with the enemy. During a recent battle, I was praying constantly. God spoke to me and to several other people for me. The word I received was always the same. God said, “I will fight for you, you only have to be silent. I am defending you. I am God; I am your Justice.” God does fight for you. Your prayers are powerful because they let you let God be God for you.
Prayer also allows you to act, to obey and fight for the lost, the weak, and those in need. Judah was not only blessed to be a praying people but a people who fought for others against the enemy. Jesus was born out of Judah. He prayed for us (John 17:20-26). He laid down His life for us. He resurrected for us. And He fights for us. If we are glorifying Him, if He lives in us, we ought to be doing the same, praying for and fighting for people, even loving them to the point of laying down our lives if it comes to it. 1 John 3:16-18 reads,
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
There is so much to glean from these blessings that it would be a shame to gloss over each section and take it in all one sitting. So we will continue the chapter tomorrow.
Believer, The Lord fights for you. He conquers your adversary. He saves. His Word is in you, inscribed on your heart, purifying your soul, renewing your mind, and living out in your hands. Let Him shine into the world. Show the world who Jesus your Warrior King is.
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Deuteronomy 32 The Song of Moses

4/4/2016

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he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law.  For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 32: 46-47
he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 32: 46-47
Deuteronomy 32
God wants us to succeed. He wants us to do well. He knows we are prone to sin, to take the easy way or the flesh gratifying way. But He gives us the tools to make the right choices. Ancient Israel did not have the Holy Spirit indwelled in each person. God put His Spirit on a few and the rest were meant to trust Him and follow Him via these leaders and prophets. But they were given the Law, the priests, and the prophets. They were given the feasts and they were given prayers and songs.
In yesterday’s devotional The Lord had told Moses to write the song He would give him and teach it to Israel so that they would sing it through the generations and remember what He had done for them and not turn to idolatry as they were inclined to do (Deuteronomy 31:19-22). Chapter 32 is the song.
Deuteronomy 31:30 reads,
Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they were finished, in the ears of all the assembly of Israel:
Verses 1-3 read,
“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak,
    and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
2 May my teaching drop as the rain,
    my speech distill as the dew,
like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
    and like showers upon the herb.
3 For I will proclaim the name of the Lord;
    ascribe greatness to our God!”

 
When the song was sung both The Lord and the people were called to hear it. God was the audience to the obedience of the singer and the listeners. Israel was to listen and learn from the words, the words written by The Lord Himself to proclaim His greatness, to reveal His character to people so that they might avoid sin and thus avoid the consequences their sin would bring.
How often do you think, “If only I had listened…?” Would your teenaged self have skipped a huge amount of turmoil if you had heeded your parents’ warnings? Would you have avoided much of your suffering had you heeded the words of God? How much sin do we commit when we choose to ignore the counsel of The Holy Spirit and the wisdom of the Word of God?
Verses 4-6 remind us of God’s perfect justice.
“The Rock, his work is perfect,
    for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
    just and upright is he.
5 They have dealt corruptly with him;
    they are no longer his children because they are blemished;
    they are a crooked and twisted generation.
6 Do you thus repay the Lord,
    you foolish and senseless people?
Is not he your father, who created you,
    who made you and established you?”

God is perfect Justice and He made the way for Israel to be forgiven of sin and be counted as righteous. But they perverted worship, they perverted the sacrifices, and they sinned. It came to the point that God could no longer consider Israel separate and holy because although they venerated themselves as His chosen nation, they were worshipping idols and laws above the One True God. They forgot God in their religion. This song was to remind them God created them, He called Himself their Father. They could repent and turn to Him or they could suffer for their sin. It reminds believers too, not to leave the Lord out of religion.
. God can make a holy nation and Chosen people from anyone or anything. It was His choice to make Israel His own. It was His choice to make you and me His own.
The Lord commanded Israel to remember what their ancestors, the first singers and hearers of this song had gone through and what He had done for them. He chose them. He called them. He gave them their identity as His own. Verses 7-14 read,
“Remember the days of old;
    consider the years of many generations;
ask your father, and he will show you,
    your elders, and they will tell you.
8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
    when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
    according to the number of the sons of God.
9 But the Lord's portion is his people,
    Jacob his allotted heritage.

10 “He found him in a desert land,
    and in the howling waste of the wilderness;
he encircled him, he cared for him,
    he kept him as the apple of his eye.
11 Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
    that flutters over its young,
spreading out its wings, catching them,
    bearing them on its pinions,
12 the Lord alone guided him,
    no foreign god was with him.
13 He made him ride on the high places of the land,
    and he ate the produce of the field,
and he suckled him with honey out of the rock,
    and oil out of the flinty rock.
14 Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock,
    with fat of lambs,
rams of Bashan and goats,
    with the very finest of the wheat--
    and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape.”

God’s provision is rarely just the bare necessities; it is full and complete. The Promised Land flowed with milk and honey, it didn’t trickle. God pours out provision and blessings. He is the One Who Overcomes our obstacles, He is the One Who Gives, and He is the One Who Lavishes. We are the ones who look at our success and prosperity and forget that it could only have come from The Lord. Enough success and we somehow forget God and take credit for it ourselves.
Those people who write books about how to get rich and stay rich, how to succeed in business, or how to make friends and influence people, they think they are the ones responsible for their success and so they think they can make money by sharing their wisdom and skills. The secret to success is not learning how Mr. Moneybags got rich; it is in remembering who The Lord God is. When we forget to give God the credit, the glory for us and who we have become, we get lazy. We forget God. We turn to idols like money, ourselves, and other religions. That happened to Israel time and again. It happens to so many of us repeatedly. We forget where our strength comes from and think we can do anything without The Lord because we are strong, have great resources, wisdom, or whatever. Verses 15-18 say it this way,
“But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked;
    you grew fat, stout, and sleek;
then he forsook God who made him
    and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.
16 They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods;
    with abominations they provoked him to anger.
17 They sacrificed to demons that were no gods,
    to gods they had never known,
to new gods that had come recently,
    whom your fathers had never dreaded.
18 You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you,
    and you forgot the God who gave you birth.”

 
Jeshurun is another name for Israel. It means upright, just and straight. Success made Jeshurun grow from upright, just, and straight to fat, stout, and sleek. That may have looked attractive as her wealth showed, but it made her forsake God; it caused her to scoff at the idea that The Lord was her Salvation and Creator.
Believer, whatever success you enjoy, wealth, wisdom, or spiritual gifts, be careful to remember it is not you, but God. You could never be good enough to be saved. Jesus saved you. You are not the source of the prophesies, good works, wisdom, healing, or evangelism that you perform. The Holy Spirit manifests Himself in you. You couldn’t even have chosen Christ without the Father having called you. Without God, all those things that make you so great are just a harsh and meaningless noise (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
When we choose to turn to ourselves instead of The Lord, He lets us. He will hide His face from us and let us struggle without Him. He wants us to learn to depend on Him, to come back and be the sons and daughters He made us to be. Verses 19-25 read,
“The Lord saw it and spurned them,
    because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters.
20 And he said, ‘I will hide my face from them;
    I will see what their end will be,
for they are a perverse generation,
    children in whom is no faithfulness.
21 They have made me jealous with what is no god;
    they have provoked me to anger with their idols.
So I will make them jealous with those who are no people;
    I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
22 For a fire is kindled by my anger,
    and it burns to the depths of Sheol,
devours the earth and its increase,
    and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.

23 “‘And I will heap disasters upon them;
    I will spend my arrows on them;
24 they shall be wasted with hunger,
    and devoured by plague
    and poisonous pestilence;
I will send the teeth of beasts against them,
    with the venom of things that crawl in the dust.
25 Outdoors the sword shall bereave,
    and indoors terror,
for young man and woman alike,
    the nursing child with the man of gray hairs.”

If prosperity and success make someone fall away from the Lord, then suffering often brings them back to Him. I know many people who only pray when they are at the end of their rope. When they have nothing left to do but cry out to God, that is the only time they talk to Him. Their prayers are one-sided dirges and monologues of grief. But sometimes their desperation begins a relationship and dependence on The Lord. And too often that relationship lasts for only the duration of the suffering. Do you depend on God through good times and bad, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health? Or do you only talk to Him when He is all you have left to turn to?
God can make a whole new nation for Himself, He can take the stones and trees and turn them to a worshipping people. But doing that would mean losing the chance that the sinner will repent. It would mean letting the people he used to exact justice think they were righteous gods. He will never leave us or forsake us, even when we have forsaken Him. Verses 26-27 read,
“I would have said, “I will cut them to pieces;
    I will wipe them from human memory,”
27 had I not feared provocation by the enemy,
    lest their adversaries should misunderstand,
lest they should say, “Our hand is triumphant,
    it was not the Lord who did all this.”’

God loves Israel. God loves ISIS. He loves you and He loves your enemies. He wants the best for you. He wants salvation for each and every person. So often the discipline He uses to bring you back into walking rightly with Him is also being used to call the lost He used to work the discipline. He understands that they don’t have His Holy Spirit and they need to see Him work in you and bless you with his mercy and grace. Maybe they will want that mercy and grace too, and they will call upon His name. Verses 28-33 read,
“For they are a nation void of counsel,
    and there is no understanding in them.
29 If they were wise, they would understand this;
    they would discern their latter end!
30 How could one have chased a thousand,
    and two have put ten thousand to flight,
unless their Rock had sold them,
    and the Lord had given them up?
31 For their rock is not as our Rock;
    our enemies are by themselves.
32 For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom
    and from the fields of Gomorrah;
their grapes are grapes of poison;
    their clusters are bitter;
33 their wine is the poison of serpents
    and the cruel venom of asps”

 
He has given each person the chance to repent. He gave you that opportunity and He gave the lousy neighbor, the one who cut down the tree on your property and whose dog pees in your roses the opportunity. He gives the punished and the punisher the chance to repent and be saved. When someone refuses that gift, God will give them what they deserve. It’s not up to you or me to take revenge. Every person will pay the price, either with her own blood or the blood of Jesus. God’s vengeance is fierce and it will not be pretty or light. It will not be a simple elevator trip to Hell. Hell is not like a biker bar where people will hang out with sinners forever. It will be more horrific than we can imagine. Verses 34-38 read,
“‘Is not this laid up in store with me,
    sealed up in my treasuries?
35 Vengeance is mine, and recompense,
    for the time when their foot shall slip;
for the day of their calamity is at hand,
    and their doom comes swiftly.’
36 For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants,
when he sees that their power is gone
    and there is none remaining, bond or free.
37 Then he will say, ‘Where are their gods,
    the rock in which they took refuge,
38 who ate the fat of their sacrifices
    and drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise up and help you;
    let them be your protection!”

 
You can’t save yourself. Buddha, Mohammed, Baal, Satan, Money, or a bright smile cannot save you. Only the Lord God, Jesus Christ can save. One day every person will realize that Jesus Christ is Lord. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow (Philippians 2:10). Will it be in triumphant worship or in dreadful realization that your god is powerless and bogus? Verse 39-43 read,
“‘See now that I, even I, am he,
    and there is no god beside me;
I kill and I make alive;
    I wound and I heal;
    and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
40 For I lift up my hand to heaven
    and swear, As I live forever,
41 if I sharpen my flashing sword
    and my hand takes hold on judgment,
I will take vengeance on my adversaries
    and will repay those who hate me.
42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood,
    and my sword shall devour flesh--
with the blood of the slain and the captives,
    from the long-haired heads of the enemy.’

43 “Rejoice with him, O heavens;[
    bow down to him, all gods,
for he avenges the blood of his children
    and takes vengeance on his adversaries.
He repays those who hate him
    and cleanses his people's land.”

God is awesome! He is The LORD! Do you know it? Do you need to be reminded? Let His Word shape you before suffering and discipline must teach you. Know who God is now, before The Day of the Lord demonstrates it for you. God’s Word is a gift to us. Believers are indwelled with The Holy Spirit, so that we can understand it, write it on our hearts and live it out for the world. Do not forget who God is or who you are in Him. Verses 44-47 read,
Moses came and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun. 45 And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. 47 For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”
 
After Moses taught Israel the song and exhorted them to live by God’s Word, he was reminded that he would not be with them. Moses had to pay the price for his disobedience and trust God to be God for Israel. Verses 48-52,
That very day the Lord spoke to Moses, 49 “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. 50 And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, 51 because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel. 52 For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel.”
​
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Deuteronomy 22:1-12 All the Laws of God are Fulfilled by Love

3/23/2016

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And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
a drawing of a home in ancient Israel with parapets on the roofa drawing of a home in ancient Israel with parapets on the roof
 Deuteronomy 22:1-12
God cares about how you treat your fellow man. How you treat others reflects your attitude toward God. Jesus said that loving your neighbor the way you love yourself was like the great commandment to love the Lord with your entire being (Matthew 22:37-40). Many laws that Moses gave to Israel were about how loving others played out in behavior. Verses 1-4 read,
You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother. 2 And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him. 3 And you shall do the same with his donkey or with his garment, or with any lost thing of your brother's, which he loses and you find; you may not ignore it. 4 You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.
Have you ever lost something? Maybe your donkey didn’t wander off through a broken fence, but you left your wallet or your cell phone somewhere or you can’t find that ring that is so precious to you. I know when that happens to me, I pray that the person who found it was an honest person. I retrace my steps and search for it. The relief I feel when I find it is wonderful. The disappointment at losing it and not finding it can be big too.
When you are the one who finds it, what do you do? I’ll tell you that for me, the temptation to keep what I find is pretty difficult to overcome sometimes. I found a purse once on the side of the road. I was a home care nurse at the time. I was broke. I was hungry. The purse had an I.D. two credit cards, and some money. I looked up the phone number for the name on the driver’s license and left a message. I carried that purse with me all day as I went from home to home doing my job. On my way home that evening I got a call from the owner of the purse, she came to my home and was so relieved and grateful to get her purse back intact, that she was in tears.
I left the message right away so that I would not have to deal with the temptation through the day, I resisted the devil and fled the temptation. If I had not called, I would have had to deal with the thought of spending the money on lunch for myself on a day, I had no money for food. If I had done that, I would not have the same consideration for my neighbor as I had for myself. I would have shown that Jesus was not the Lord of my life, I was. I would not have had the opportunity to love my neighbor and reflect the image of Christ to her.
Loving your neighbor as yourself, means giving the respect you hope will be shown to you. It means loving the way God loves them, seeing them through His eyes. Don’t you hope people will look at you with mercy and love instead of judgement and selfishness? That respect can be shown in others ways too. Verse 5 reads,
A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.
The Lord made you the gender you are. He made you as a wonderful gift, a blessing to people around you for a purpose. To wear the clothes or take on the attributes of someone else is an abomination to the Lord. It shows Him you have no regard or love for Him or yourself. It causes others to be tempted into sin. I’m not saying every little girl has to play with dolls and can’t enjoy playing with cars or vice-versa. I’m saying that there are some roles specific to gender and we are not supposed to take the roles of the other. Wives submit to the husband to reflect the churches submission to Christ. Husbands love the wives to reflect Christ’s love for the church. When these roles are reversed, or not lived up to, the marriage is perverted, it looks like the world’s marriages. Men beat their wives. Wives nag and henpeck husbands. Children rebel. Marriages break. Christian marriages, where the husbands and wives agree with the roles God gave them are a beautiful reflection of Christ and the church, a partnership where submission is easy and love flourishes.
Women have a special role, only they can fill, just as men have a special role only they can fill. Only a man can fertilize an egg. Only a woman can carry the baby, give birth, and feed her child. So there are laws about hunting animals and motherhood as well. Verses 6-7 read
If you come across a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. 7 You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long.
Killing the mother or taking the mother means that she and her young die. It depletes the population and could result in food shortages in the future. God knows what is best. It may not affect things now, but it will affect the future. He cares about our future. He provides for us now and He supplies for us then.
Verse 8 is an interesting law, that at first I could not understand.
When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it.


A parapet is an extension of the wall that protects the roof and allows people to use the roof as a terrace or a place for defense.




Why would the Lord command the homes to have these? They have several purposes. They allow for defending the home from invaders. But here the reason The Lord commanded it was for safety. In Israel at this time the roofs of homes were used as another part of the home. Guests slept on the roof. People slept there in the summer. The way we use our patios or porches, Israel used their roofs. It was a protection against allowing people to be hurt. It was home insurance, a pool gate, or some other design to keep people from getting hurt and creating discord. It showed respect and concern for others.
It also reflects God’s concern for us in the hedges He puts in place for our protection. Job 1:10 describes the protection God gave to Job from Satan. Satan is aware of these protections and will not breach them, unless God removes them. Job 1:8-10 reads,
And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
 
The Lord is our Hedge. Psalm 34:7-8 describes Him in this way.
The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

 
The Lord has also given us laws about farming. I could do an entire study on this passage, and I might. I will try and keep it brief in this one. Verses 9-11 read,
“You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield be forfeited, the crop that you have sown and the yield of the vineyard. 10 You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. 11 You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together.
​

Mixing crops is often done today, but it requires specialized techniques to endure the entire crop succeeds. God commanded not to mix crops, livestock, and even materials. Why? Because the farmers had to live and work together if one had wheat and another oats. They were united as neighbors. Oxen have a different diet than donkeys, they require different care. Wool is not made the same way linen is.
But another reason is the spiritual truths these laws teach us. You either sow fruit of righteousness or fruit of disobedience. Imagine the outsider looking at your life. He sees you on one hand going to church every Sunday, being a pious church member, and wearing your saintly church clothes. You look like a Stepford. But he also sees you drunk at the club every Saturday, yelling obscenities and cursing the people around you. He sees your clothes meant to entice people to sin. You look like a whore. Whatever fruit you could have reaped by the Sunday you is lost to the Saturday you. The Sunday you is not real. You can’t produce different fruits from the same tree. You can’t plant different seeds and expect the same crop to grow. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 7:15-20,
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
 
Verse 12 reads,
You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.
How do these tassels remind us to love our neighbors as ourselves? They reminded the Israelites of their covenant with God to keep His commandments and be holy (Numbers 15:37-41). They were an outward symbol to others that they were God’s chosen. It was this fringe on Jesus’ clothing that the bleeding woman touched and was healed (Luke 8:42-48). We wear our obedience to God, we wear our love for one another so that people will see the light of Jesus and know we are His and He is Lord (Matthew 5:13-16). Jesus said it this way in John 13:34-35,
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
 
Believer, every law god gave to Moses has its purpose in revealing Him. It is fulfilled in loving the Lord and loving others. God is revealed to the world in your love. No we don’t build parapets on our roofs today or wear tassels on our cloaks. But we do care about the welfare of others and love them the way Jesus loves us.

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Deuteronomy 13 God does not Coexist with False Gods nor Tolerate Idolatry

3/6/2016

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And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
​Deuteronomy 13
What do you imagine is the worst, the most vile act a person can commit against the Lord? What sin does He hate more than any other sin? Is it murder? Or perhaps witchcraft? What about pride? No, although those sins are on His “list,” He detests idolatry. Idolatry is at the core of nearly any sin you could think of. To take someone’s life is to make yourself god. Practicing witchcraft or any other religion is idolatry. Pride makes you refuse to submit to the Lord or to anyone else and you usurp The Lordship of Christ to make yourself regent. Idolatry is what the Lord hates more than any other thing. What is the great commandment? When Jesus was asked, He answered,
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40).
What are the first five of the Ten Commandments?
“‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“‘You shall have no other gods before me.
 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image…
 “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…
“‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” (Deuteronomy 5:6-15).
All these commandments are about loving the Lord with your whole being and against idolatry. The second five are about loving other people with the same consideration you want for yourself. I believe there is only one thing, the Lord hates more than idolatry, and that is leading others to commit that sin of sins. Verses 1-5 read,
“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. 5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.”
False prophets can be sly. They make their words sound good, similar to God’s Word but not quite. If someone doesn’t know The Lord well enough to recognize His voice they can be carried off by false prophecies and visions that came from the prince of the power of the air and not from The Lord. True prophecy from the Lord leads to the Lord, not away from Him. Moses warned the people to cling to The Lord and His commandments to obey God’s voice. He said that the false prophet had to be put to death.
In today’s world, we can’t put false prophets to death. But we can expel them from our midst and as the body of Christ we can stand together against their idolatrous deceptive words. We are not to even engage with false prophets, false teachers, or people proclaiming anything other than the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. 2 John 1:9-11 reads,
“Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”
Whatever we do, we do not let them affect us or influence others. Even people we love dearly can be swayed to follow strange practices, religions, and other idolatry. Verses 6-11 say,
“If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, 8 you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. 9 But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. 10 You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 11 And all Israel shall hear and fear and never again do any such wickedness as this among you.”
Not only does Moses say the enticer is to be put to death, but that you ought to be who brings his crime to light and that you should throw the first stone! If you keep his sin quiet, if you try and empathize with him, you will let him think you agree and you will give him the chance to persuade you and others to idolatry. Who do you love more, yourself, your friend, or The Lord your God? Of course we don’t stone people today and we can’t kill someone for trying to get us to check out Mormonism or Buddhism, but we can make the church aware, cut off contact with them, and refuse to let them beguile anyone else into false religions.
People try and say that love means tolerance. They try and say Jesus would be gentle against false religions and people keeping anyone away from truth. That is a lie. True love does not let people walk to their deaths without a warning. True Love does not say, “Peace, to each his own.” Jesus, the epitome of genuine love, called the Pharisees vipers and hypocrites (Matthew 12:34, Matthew 15:7). He turned over the tables of the merchants who turned the Temple into a den of thieves (Matthew 21:12-13).  In Matthew 10:34-39 Jesus said,
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
The people telling you Jesus would put a ‘COEXIST’ sticker on His bumper, do not know Him, they know themselves as lord and give the True Lord their own idealized character. They say, “My god would never call a church leader a lying snake!” Well, guess what, the One True God did and does!”
Idolatry starts with one person whispering to another and before long it spreads to the church and then the city. Do you imagine that the city of Sodom just happened to be evil? No, it became evil because no one would stand up for The Lord, for good, or for the Truth. Verses 12-18 read,
“If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to dwell there, 13 that certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, 14 then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you, 15 you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. 16 You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall not be built again.17 None of the devoted things shall stick to your hand, that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you, as he swore to your fathers, 18 if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping all his commandments that I am commanding you today, and doing what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.”
We do not just assume rumors are true, we do our due diligence and find out if it’s true. If it is, then we take action. Once again, today we can’t take our church and sack a city for God, but we can bring them the Gospel of Peace and then if they refuse to hear it, have nothing to do with them. We do not even let the dust from thier streets sully our shoes. Jesus explained it this way in Matthew 10:11-15,
“And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.”
Idolatry is a devious evil. Tolerating it is dangerous. Though you may be discerning enough to recognize false prophets, lying friends, or idolatrous cities and religions others might not be. That trip to the psychic, especially the one with the ichthus (fish symbol) is treacherous and can easily lead to death. Do not go along for the ride and do not let anyone else go along without a warning. Is it really love to let people blindly walk away from the Lord toward their own destruction?
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    Donna Campbell

    As I read the Bible every day, I take what God teaches me, what He says, and write it out. I then share that with you. It gives me a deeper understanding of the Word and I hope that it will encourage you as it does me, to put your love and faith into action.

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