I few weeks ago I mentioned that I have felt a huge call to study the Word and really dig in. I also informed you that you are now serving as my accountability, and I'm finally ready to share with you what I've learned from Deuteronomy. I know that "Deut" (Do you mind if I call you Deut for short? Great.) is an obscure book to randomly start with, but I suppose to should preface this with the fact that I started studying Genesis with my precious Boothmakers (aka ladies bible study) last August. We progressed through the Pentateuch and were wrapping up Numbers when I left Tennessee almost three months ago. Yes, that means it's taken me roughly three months to get through Deut on my own. But hey, it took us Boothmakers over a year to get through the first four books, so maybe I'm right on track? Either way, here we go...
A fair part of Deut is Moses' recap the last 40 years (aka what seems like aimless wandering) from his perspective. Some of it turns out to be quite humorous, like when God and Moses are referring to "your people", "no, they're your people" (9:12) when recounting all of the crazy misadventures they had endured. Deuteronomy was written at the conclusion of the wanderings, not long before Moses' death, and in preparation of entering the Promised Land.
God had been talking to the nation of Israel about this Promised Land for centuries...all the way back to Abraham, before there even was a nation of Israel. Now, after centuries of hearing about this land, the time had finally come to take it. One thing I've learned from reading so far is that we humans are not much different, whether we live in the 21st century or a thousand years before Christ...we're all pretty much the same. That being said, repetition is key! Moses goes on and on for 34 chapters and basically repeats himself about 15 times. Being the "simple" person that I am, if somebody repeats himself 15 times, I'm guessing he means business, so let's see what he was going on and on about...shall we?
Confidence to be Obedient
"The land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them." (1:8)
Moses references the Abrahamic covenant at least 24 times...perhaps to remind them that taking the Promised Land was not some hair-brained idea that somebody cooked up. This had been God's promise for generations and He WOULD make good on it. (7:9)
"The Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf." (1:30)
Moses notes this 7 times...It is His battle to fight, not mine...regardless of how big the people look or how strong the walls appear. I just have to sit back, let Him plan it out, and move when He says move.
"For the Lord your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing." (2:7)
Moses also reminds them that their clothing and shoes did not wear out, even after 40 years of hiking (8:4 & 29:5) and they were continually provided with food throughout the years (8:16). At no point over the last 40 years did God leave the Israelites or fail to provide what they needed. Now, He may not have provided their needs in the extravagant way they were accustomed to in Egypt, but their needs were met none the less.
Moses knew that entering the Promised Land and kicking out the seven nations currently living there would be no little task and that the whiny Israelites would easily become afraid. He knew they would need this boost of confidence as they were charged with leaving a monumental footprint on their nation's history.
So what's the promise we're after anyway?
In addition to the land itself, "that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess" (5:33b) and "The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow." (28:12)
Ok, sounds good...How do we get it?
First, you must "possess the land"! (1:8) I'm not sure how much more clearer Moses could have been on this one. In 34 chapters, Moses tells the nation of Israel to "possess the land" at least 33 times! Obviously, the first step in this is to drive out the existing nations and move in, but there's more to it than that..."possess" or yarash in Hebrew means to occupy, be driving out previous tenants and possessing in their place, by implication to seize, to rob, to inherit, also to expel, to impoverish, to ruin-cast out, consume, destroy, disinherit, depossess, drive out, enjoy. God did not intend for the Israelites to simply gain political control of the land and live side by side with the Canaanites...He wanted them out! Gone! And all their messed up idol worship and perversions with them. Perhaps this is one of the reasons they hung out in isolation in the wilderness for so long. Knowing they were coming from an idolatrous nation and heading into another, God needed time to clear their heads of all the nonsense and focus them on Him and His higher ways. This "possess" is not passive and it's not easy. It's active and it goes on the offensive to take back what Satan has stolen and perverted. It's high time we get off our tushes and out of our safe church buildings and start taking back what belongs to our Lord! This includes our neighborhoods, our schools, our TV shows and holidays...including Halloween. I don't know about you, but I refuse to let Satan have even one day a year to parade His nonsense around. I will not hide away in my house, I will not let him steal October 31 any more and I will not let him diminish our celebration of the fall season!
Second, you must remember where God has brought you from and what distractions are waiting for you ahead. Moses tells the Israelites to "remember" or "be careful" at least 16 times. He wanted them to establish a habit of remembering the mess God brought them from, in this case oppressive slavery in Egypt. In my case, ho-hum legalistic, box-checking religion, void of His supernatural presence. He also constantly reminds them that in the coming years they will be faced with seemingly appealing idol worship by the foreigners, but to remember the things God taught them in the wilderness. His ways are higher and better than any other option.
Next, you must "purge evil" (13:5)...no exceptions. In the last 9 chapters, Moses tells them to "purge evil from their midst" 9 times! Again, if he's going to repeat himself that many times, he must be serious. "Purge" or ba'ar means to kindle, that is consume by fire or by eating. This is also active, on the offense, and exhaustive. We must choose to do away with evil, all evil, if we want God's best. Even a little dabble can cause us to miss some of the blessings God has for us. A few years ago I heard a mom tell me about a family rule they have...they can watch a TV show or movie until the third cuss word, then they have to turn it off. To the American culture, this seems nice and conservative, but my question is why the third word? Isn't this compromising? If God clearly tells us to think on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, and lovely (Phil 4:8), how do using His name inappropriately, demeaning others with offensive names or simply being crude fit into this commandment? I think accepting three curse words, or supporting the idea of sex before marriage or alcohol abuse (all themes that are common place in today's entertainment world) qualify as compromises and dabbling with evil. "God, let me dabble, just a little, with what You've told me to stay away from, and You can hold back some of Your blessings...deal?" NO WAY! I do not want to sacrifice anything He has for me, and certainly not for the sake of exposing myself to a few little curse words!
Next, obeying the Lord's commandments is not for the purpose of feeding the big God's ego, but it's because He wants what is best for us. "Now Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statues which I am commanding you today for your good." (10:12-13) Moses tells the congregation to obey the Lord's commandments at least 21 times (I'm sure I missed some). Our sophisticated society has revealed the science behind why God gave some of His commands. For example, they were not to eat or handle a dead pig (14:8). While this may seem silly and trivial, we now know that pork spoils easily and He simply did not want them getting sick...it's that easy! The reasonings behind some of God's commandments are obvious, some are not and some Satan twists to try to make them look silly. For example, God repeatedly tells us to keep sex inside marriage, our culture says it's not only 'ok' but 'normal' to use it as you please, especially if the two "love each other." God's reasoning is to prevent a long list of unnecessary issues: STDs, unexpected pregnancies, drama, shame, guilt, a loss of confidence and sense of worth, relational issues with your future spouse, and the list goes on. For those that choose to obey this command, the blessings abound: unity in your marriage, no fear of disease or pregnancy, and an opportunity to experience pure intimacy in the way God designed...there is no substitute for His original intention.
Remind me again, why so much effort?
The promises and blessings waiting for those who whole-heartedly seek Him are endless. God promised them prosperity in this new land, with their crops, their livestock, their children, and their enemies. Some additional, even more exciting blessings include God's presence, aid, and love for this generation and those to come. The greatest blessing of all is having the most awesome, powerful and jealous being in all creation, the Uncreated One, pouring His love, guidance, and favor on us. That's enough for me! (4:7, 24, 29, 35, 39, 5:33, 7:9, 21, 10:17, 11:8-17, 12:28, 28:1-2, 33:29)
As "hard" as it may seem to live up to the lofty expectations of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, it's doable for those willing to pour out the effort, "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach." (30:11) The question is, how badly do I want God and His blessings?
Don't get me wrong...I'm no "saint", and I've certainly got my record, but I refuse to let Satan continue to point fingers at my past mistakes and keep me in fear from stepping out, being obedient and receiving the blessings next time. Won't you? Go ahead and tell Satan where he can put that finger! All that past mess is covered in the blood and now is the time to start fresh...it's never too late!
The death of Moses
When we first started studying Exodus, I have to admit that I called Moses a "weenie." In the beginning when God first asked him to do some pretty big things, he came up with one sorry excuse after another. Frankly, I got a little annoyed with him. But now, at the very end of his life, once he decided to be obedient and trust God with the commands he was given, Moses was hailed as the greatest prophet that ever lived. To think, a murder and fugitive experienced some of the greatest encounters of any human that has walked this planet. He saw God face to face. Not just once or even twice, but so regularly that his life was marked by it. (34:10) The relationship with the most High he was blessed with was so extraordinary and intimate, that God himself buried Moses. It was just the two of them. Even though Moses was a hearty 120 years old, he was still a kicking old timer! He didn't die of natural causes, but because of his dabble in disobedience (Num 20). After an unbelievable 40 year journey and before bringing him home, God took Moses to Mount Nebo and gave him a tour of the Promised Land, by the artist himself. I can't imagine what an amazing reward and intimate moment this must have been. May it be said of me at the end of my days that I knew the Lord face to face. Now that's worth fighting for.
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