Deuteronomy – Page 10

Deuteronomy 9:7-29 – What We Can Learn from the Golden Calf

Did you find yourself wondering what in the world possessed those people into making a golden calf in the first place? Were they that impatient in waiting for Moses? Or maybe Satan was that crafty in arousing doubt, eliciting power, or bringing comfort? You know, people will do pretty much anything to avoid pain and receive pleasure.

God knew what they were doing. He was raging. They had been rebellious from day one. Like bratty children almost, they never seemed to be satisfied. As they are preparing to enter the land God promised, Moses wanted the people to remember God’s anger. Moses wanted the people to remember how close they were to being destroyed. Moses wanted to remind them how angry he himself had been, and to picture the tablets from God being smashed to smithereens. Moses couldn’t comprehend how quickly they had turned on God. They knew how God wanted them to live, but they ignored that and did their own thing.

Deuteronomy 9:1-6 – God’s Grace

Read Deuteronomy 9:1-6

Grace is that undeserved favor we receive from God. It’s all sufficient, and it’s all a gift. Moses wanted the people to understand that God wasn’t doing all of this for them because they were righteous. We read over and over again the Bible accounts that show the stubbornness and disobedience of God’s chosen people. He didn’t choose them because they were the best students in the class.

It would be easy to become over-confident and think we are better than we are, too. When we have success in our life, it would be all too easy to take the credit. We do need to realize who is in charge, who has made a way for us, who has gifted us with the skills and abilities we use to reach our level of success.

Deuteronomy 8:1-20 – Don’t Forget God

Read Deuteronomy 8:1-20

There are a couple great nuggets for us in today’s reading. But the bottom line is we don’t want to forget God, ever. I can’t say that I’ve ever “forgotten” him, but there are periods in my life when I wasn’t connected and focusing on him like I am today. There were times that I felt like he had forgotten me.

Perhaps we can see what happens when we stop relying on God. Remember the manna? The people were hungry. They were humbled by a circumstance. Who came through for them? God. He will be there for us, too. Do you feel like you are a state of being humbled by some circumstance? Are you letting it cripple you? Or do you see how God is your answer? Let him use this as a teachable moment to help you grow.

Deuteronomy 7:1-26 – God’s Integrity

Read Deuteronomy 7:1-26

There’s a bit of repetition in today’s reading, but Moses is clear in his instruction to the people. We must always keep in mind that Moses’ words are a message from God. The two things that strike me here are that God will clear away those evil people, and that the Israelites are to totally destroy them and not intermarry with them.

Why is God doing this for these people? He loves them, and he is being true to his word. His promise goes all the way back to Abraham, and the love story continues with these wilderness roamers. Do they realize how privileged they are to be set apart by God? The rest of these peoples, those stronger in the land, are soon to be destroyed. God created them, too, but his love and his word are what matter. That’s what integrity looks like.

Deuteronomy 6:14-25 – God’s Word is True

Read Deuteronomy 6:14-25

It is helpful for us to remember that when God makes a promise, he keeps it. His word is most definitely true. Moses reminds the people of that yet again. It is also helpful for us to remember that these words are spoken as part of the Old Covenant God made with his people. There was such a focus on being obedient. The people we were rewarded for their obedience and cursed when they disobeyed. There was a focus on earning and deserving. That’s not the same way things work now.

Jesus came and brought with him the New Covenant. He took on flesh, and he was our sacrificial lamb. We are cleansed and our righteousness is in Jesus. Now the focus is on believing and receiving. Our blessing comes from having faith in Jesus. Jesus bore our sins and failings in obedience on the cross. Our response and desire to please God and do his will comes from our gratitude to our Savior.