Week 63, Day 3: Moses’ song
Today’s Reading: Deut 32:1-52
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Moses begins his song by speaking to the heavens and the earth. What an appropriate way to begin a song that is to serve as a testimony to Israel, a warning for them to be faithful. He procliams the name of the Lord and ascribes greatness to God (vs 2). Certainly the creation stands as a testimony to these things. Moses’ song is very much a warning to Israel about being a perverse and crooked generation that would forsake God and scorn the Rock of their salvation (vs. 15). After the song is given Moses tells them to take all these words to heart. He says these are not idle words and indeed their life is at stake (46-47). Moses says in the song that Israel should have understood and discerned the future (29-31). The deliverance of the land into their hand showed them the power of God both for good towards them and for destruction on the ungodly. Even their enemies could recognize that Jehovah was all powerful and unique. And yet Israel would still turn to embrace these idols. But Moses’ song was out there for them to be able to reflect on and to call for those who were wise to heed.
Question: What terms did Moses use in the song to refer to the children of Israel?
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Week 63, Day 2: Near to death
Today’s Reading: Deut 31:1-30
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
At 120 years old, it is now time for Moses to die. It is time for him to die because it is time for Israel to cross over into the promised land. I think that the things menioned in this chapter give a lot of reason for being sorrowful. Moses is about to die but is not able to enter into the promised land as a result of his sin. Also Moses knows that Israel will rebel against God and thus bring upon themselves the curses. Moses does not know how soon this will happen. I see this as a sad time. The prospect is that Israel will continue to be rebellious towards God. Moses does all that he can to help warn them and remind them of the need to be faithful. We will read in the next chapter the song that Moses taught the sons of Israel to remind them to be faithful.
Question: Why do you think the the warnings are given in the form of a song?
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Week 63, Day 1: Your choice
Today’s Reading: Deut 30:1-20
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Moses has stressed over and over the dangers of being unfaithful. He tells them that they cannot say that the commands are too high or out of reach for them. The commands are right there for them to hear and obey (11-14). God had given them everything they needed to be able to choose to be faithful. God laid the commands before them and has taken much time to explain the consequences of not being true to Him. And considering the great blessings that He offered them who would not choose the good? But we know what Israel chose. How very sad when God’s children forget or just out right rebel against Him. What causes people to depart from God can be for so many reasons. But let us never blame someone else. It is just as much our choice today as it was for them. The gospel is readily available at our fingertips. We have the encouragement of accounts of other men of faith. Let us choose to be true and faithful to our Lord, our creator. The One who has always be faithful and good to us.
Question: How is it that someone today can become shortsighted or forget their purification from sins ( 2 Peter 1:9-11)?
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Week 62, Day 5: What they will say!
Today’s Reading: Deut 29:1-29
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Moses mentions to Israel that if they unfaithful then all the land will be brimstone and salt, a burning waste (23). Those who pass by will see this and ask why the Lord had done this. Their destruction would serve as a testimony for all those around them and who pass by. I have heard some people contemplate what the land of Israel was like and how much different it is even today. I have never thought of present day Israel as a lush land that was so bountiful. And yet it was at one time so desirable. The land had all that someone could want and was very productive. But the land was changed as a result of the unfaithfulness of God’s people. Whenever you see pictures of Israel today remember this point. Although we do not have physical promises like they did, we know that following the Lord brings about a better life then the paths of rebellion and sin. Following after sin ruins mens lives. It leaves man desolate, crushed, despairing, and with his life spent wasted on vain things. But to pursue God and keeping His word can bring us great joy and peace. Notice I do not stress that it will bring wealth or prosperity. We are not gauranteed such today. But certainly, serving God blesses our lives with so many more things than what sin could ever offer us. Let the contrast between what kind of land Israel was given and what came about to the land as a result of their unfaithfulness serve as a vivde lesson for us to learn. Draw near to God and you will have your plans established. Seek to please the flesh and turn away from God and it result in pain and sorrow – everytime.
Question: What does it mean in verse 29 that the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever?
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Week 62, Day 4: They Will Overtake You
Today’s Reading: Deut 28:1-68
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
After speaking of some of the curses that would come upon Israel for acting wickedly, Moses tells them of the blessings that will “overtake” them if they obey the Lord God (vs. 2). What Moses describes is that God would bless them in every facet of their lives. The blessings would pour out in every way in their life. Because they were faithful to God and kept the covenant with Him, He would bless them beyond what a person could imagine. In EVERY way possible.
But in like manner, if they disobeyed God and rebelled against His commands, the curses would “overtake” them (vs. 15). I thought it interesting that the amount of time Moses spends speaking of the curses was three times as much as the time spent on the blessings. This could be to emphasize how much they needed to avoid being unfaithful to God. He gives grusome details of what would come upon them for violating God’s commands. Moses graphicly describes for them how horrible things would be until they were driven and destroyed from the promised land. Another aspect to why he spent so much more time on the bad over the good is that we tend to take the good for granted. How good can you say good will be? Things would be great, really great for them if they kept God’s commands. But the pain and sorrow that would come from the curses could be more “vivid” for them to understand. Pain and sorrow beyond imagination would come. Moses gives them a “snapshot” of what would happen – and they still went astray. There are probably a lot of parrallels that could be drawn between the consequences of their unfaithfulness and the results that will come to those today who disregard God’s commands, but I will leave that for you to think more about.
Question: What do you think it means when Moses says in verse 37 that they would become a horrow, a proverb, and a taunt among all the people where the Lord drives you?
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Week 62, Day 3: The Warning
Today’s Reading: Deut 27:1-26
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Israel is warned to make sure to keep all the commands of God. We are told that Moses and the elders charged Israel to do this. We will see later that as long as Joshua and these elders lived, Israel remained true to God. But after these leaders died Israel began to be unfaithful.
We have a listing here of a series of things the Levites were to proclaim a man cursed for doing and the people would all reply “Amen”. Amen meaning let it be so or I agree. The people affirmed that they agreed with all of these things. As is often the case, sin is a progression. Israel did not start out overnight doing these kind of things but rather it crept in. We need to see from such things that sin starts out with “small” things. It always progresses to include more sin unless it is checked. Let us be sure to make sure that we are strengthening our dedication to keeping God’s commands and honoring Him in our lives.
Question: What would it say about a people who did the kind of things mentioned by the Levites (cursed is the man who…)?
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Week 62, Day 2: When you enter the land
Today’s Reading: Deut 26:1-19
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Moses tells Israel that when they enter the land they are to bring the firstfruits of the land as an offering to God. God had taken a few people, raised them up to be a numerous people. God delivered them from the hardships in Egypt to deliver to them a land flowing with milk and honey. This sacrifice of the first produce of the land was to be an expression of their thankfulness to God. He had done these things for them and deserved their worship.
At the end of this chapter Moses stresses how God has declared them to be His people, a treasured possession. He has set them high above all nations, to receive praise, fame and honor. They are to be a consecrated people to the Lord and keep all His commands. They had such a potential as a nation. God provided all for them, it would be up to them whether they would keep God’s commands and honor God’s words.
Question: What is the importance in the concept of giving of the firstfruits to God? Why is it important when we are deciding how much to give to the contribution that we give from the “firstfruits”?
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Week 62, Day 1: A brothers wife
Today’s Reading: Deut 25:1-19
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Another command given under the law of Moses that emphasizes the difference in what God expects from us today is regarding when a brother died. When this takes place the dead man’s brother was supposed to take his wife and raise up a child to his brother. The child was supposed to be named after the dead brother so that his name would not be blotted out from Israel. I think that this command is interesting and emphasizes the importance a person’s lineage would of had to an Israelite. But the command contains a provision for what was to happen if the brother refuses to go into his dead brother’s wife. We also see in Israel’s history the story of Judah and Tamar. Judah’s son died and his other son did not want to raise up children who would not be his so he wasted his seed on the ground to avoid giving offspring to his brother. God took his life because of his action. The Lord expected the Israelites to honor this command. It was one thing for them to refuse to go to the dead brother’s wife but in Tamar’s case we see an occasion where the brother went in to her but then acted in a way to avoid producing children. It is a shame when men act in a way contrary to God’s commands. In Onan’s case it cost him his life. In Deut 25 the man was to be publicly shamed. Again, this command stands in sharp contrast to what we are commanded of today. It underscores the way that the Israel we are part of today is a spiritual household. We do not have any similar commands for not allowing someone’s name to be blotted out today because the nation itself has changed from the physical to be a spiritual people. Very interesting to see these contrasts.
Question: Why do you think someone in the OT time not want to raise up children to his dead brother?
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Week 61, Day 5: Concerning Divorce
Today’s Reading: Deut 24:1-22
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
We have had a long listing of various laws given to Israel over the last few chapters. Chapter 24 begins by speaking about an abomination before the Lord. The abomination would be for a man to divorce his wife because he found some unseemly thing in her and then later he takes her back to be his wife after she has been married to another man. Moses gives two possibly reasons for why she did not remain married to the second husband. The first possiblity is that he divorced her because he “turns against her” and the other reason mentioned is if the man died. Whatever the cause for the second marriage ending, we are told that it is an abomination before God for the first husband to take the woman as his wife again. These kind of passages are intriguing because they beg the question, why? Why would this be an abomination. We are not told and thus are left to simply accept that the mind of God was revealed to Israel regarding what actions were not acceptable behavior.
The other thing to note from this passage is how different are the terms for getting a divorce. Here, the wife finds no favor in the man’s eyes, he finds something that displeases him about her. So he just sends her off with a certificate of divorce. Under the law of Moses divorce was very easy for a man to do and could be based on very little other than she displeases him. We are told by Jesus that from the beginning of time this was not how God designed for things to be done, but that God permitted such actions for a period of time (Matt 19:3-12). God always intended marriage to be for life (“What therefore God has joined together let no man separate”) and the only time divorce & remarriage would not result in committing adultery was if the man divorces his wife because of her fornication.
Question: Why do so many people today prefer or want to act like divorce should be as easy as under the law of Moses (pay close attention to why Jesus said Moses permitted them to divorce their wives in Matt 19:8)?
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Week 61, Day 4: Your camp must be holy
Today’s Reading: Deut 23:1-25
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
This chapter mentions an instruction that seems a little strange at first. The instruction is for an Israelite to carry a spade with them when they go to use the bathroom. Thus they were instructed to cover up the excrement. The reason given for the command is that God walks in their midst and they must be holy (12-14). Because of who they were, children of God, and because of the relationship that they had with God it demanded certain conduct from them, even down to such details as these. The people of Israel were to conduct themselves in a proper manner and maintain their camp in a holy manner.
Question: What other actions or practices can you think of that Israel was to keep in order to be holy?
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