A couple of days ago in Deut. 8:3 we read why God gave Israel the manna. This is also the portion of Scripture Jesus used in His confrontation with Satan.
It snowed yesterday and never really went below freezing all night. This morning there was snow on the grass, but it wasn't a solid blanket, but patchy little puffs all over everything. I wonder if that's what the manna looked like. As I thought about it and what God was teaching Israel, I was thinking how much I need all those lessons today in my life. Here's some of what struck me.
God can still do that and can meet all of my needs instantly if He chooses to. I'm secure.
The people weren't allowed to save up the manna and store it up for security. They had to be secure in God, every day.
They couldn't work the fields or make gardens because of moving. Their lives were focused each day on waiting on the Lord, learning of Him, waiting each day for His provision. It must have been that during those years, during the day, the Levites gathered people in different tribes and taught them the law.
God fed them like this, showing His power and showing that their security was in Him. They were to learn that man doesn't live by bread alone, nor by savings, nor by work, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. All of this teaching about God's power and our security being in God alone seems to be what God was teaching David also, when David was living in caves and while he was in exile, running from Saul.
How does God teach that same thing in our lives today without taking us through similar experiences? It makes me appreciate my present situation and makes the day seem like something God has designed rather than a random mess. God is truly amazing and His Word is strength and health to the heart.
Just as a reminder, remember that in what I'm writing, my purpose is to encourage your discovery and not make all the discoveries. I'm hoping these posts will develop into a tool to help people read through the Bible every year and help them begin digging for themselves. The discussions in groups of 3-4 people should be fueled by what everyone is reading together, but also by how the Spirit is working with each person individually. You could call this group mentoring, but I think it is disciples making disciples, sharpening one another with the focus of each following Christ in the harvest, together, individually, every day.
One correction: Yesterday I said that Psalm 69:22-23 was quoted in Romans 9, but not so. It is in Romans 11:9. I knew there was a "9" in there somewhere.
Deuteronomy 11-12
Deut. 11
It seems to me that this chapter concludes the introduction of the sermon. Moses restates 6:1-9 in verses 18-21.
Notice how often it talks about loving the Lord, taking care / being careful, obeying, possessing the land. Find something that interests you and follow it though, highlighting or underlining it. Don't worry about underlining everything. Make a note at the beginning of your Bible or in the margin where Deuteronomy begins, to follow a different word through the book for next year.
There are great words here that should strengthen your heart as a disciple.
One thought about the blessings and curses as they apply to us as disciples. Even the best of us fall, and sometimes we get really down on ourselves. Sin and discouragement has an incredibly acidic effect on our hearts and minds. Not only that, Satan is the accuser, standing before God telling Him we deserve judgment. Satan shares this with us too. In fact, Satan, like Balaam, lures us into sin so that God will have to punish us, knowing that God would never punish us if we didn't bring the punishment on ourselves.
So, how do you know if it is God humbling or teaching or chastening you, or if it is Satan and your own fallen nature tearing you apart? Satan and self always tell you there is no more grace for you and that you are a failure. God never does that. This is why reading your Bible through is so important. Did Jacob deserve grace? Does Israel deserve grace? Wait until we get to Judges. Will David, the murderer, or Solomon the idolater who sacrificed his children, or Manasseh, who did worse than all of them and brought irrevocable judgment on his people, deserve grace? But they all received it. After repentance, even after falling into sin for the millionth time, God looks on us as a Father, encouraging our next step in obedience with His grace. And He will use us, just as God used all of those men after their repentance. Satan and self will destroy you and make you unfit to be used by the Lord. God will restore you. There may be consequences that you'll have to deal with, but you couldn't be loved more and you will never be shunned by Christ. Look at Paul, the murderer, who remembered what he did right up to the end of his work in the harvest. Paul was an example of how Jesus will lift the fallen and bless them for His glory, just like us. 1 Timothy 1:16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
If you had a child who had done everything wrong and made every mistake, as a parent, would you condemn them to failure and self hate, or encourage them to health and obedience? And if they obeyed, would you rub their noses in their past failures or lead them on to restoration and success? This is what the Pharisees couldn't stand about Jesus, blessing a woman who had been a terrible sinner, or asking a tax collector to be His disciple.
Deut. 12
Here comes the body of the sermon.
It seems to me that the big point here is that they should only worship in sacrifice at the Tabernacle. It's sort of like the tree in the garden. They can do all sorts of other things, but that one thing needed to happen in God's presence in the place He designated.
Notice the repetition regarding the blood of life. This was a big deal for God, mentioned as far back as Noah.
V.8 This is the refrain at the end of the book of Judges.
V. 9 This is the "rest" from Hebrews
V.10 Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, quotes this.
V.12 God wanted them to rejoice and be successful.
V.20 This verse links Jabez (1Chr. 4:10) to this time of the conquest of the land.
V.31 The sacrifice of their children.
There is so much here. Don't mind me, I think Deuteronomy is incredible.
Luke 8:22-39
Luke 8:22-25
Do you ever think about being totally awed by God to the place of fear? Me neither. We need the Lord to restore this to our hearts and I think the place we find it is in the harvest, not special meetings at church. He shows His power where His passion is, in reaching the lost and dying.
Luke 8:26-39
Matthew has two men here. It is the same event and both Matthew and Luke are accurate, but Mark and Luke only quote the spokesman of the demonic duo.
Vs. 38-39 are all the Lord asks us to do on earth. So what has the Lord done for you?
I've probably referred to this video before, but the echo of those words, "what the Lord has done for you," always remind me of this song, "What the Lord has done in me" by Hillsong. I like Hillsong doing this live. There are other good videos of this song on YouTube if you don't like this one. The guy with the acoustic guitar, right of center, is Reuben Morgan, the guy who wrote it. And by the way, the song doesn't teach salvation via baptism. It's a biblical image of cleansing and regeneration and resurrection through baptism with Christ in Romans 6.
And since we're talking about proclaiming what the Lord has done for us and in us, here is another Reuben Morgan song, "You Said." I hope it revs you up the way it does me. We sang both of these in Germany and the youth loved them, and got revved up and kept bringing their unsaved friends.
Psalm 70
Once again, those who seek the Lord like this are driven to their knees by need so that, after waiting for His deliverance and crying out in desperation, they see and are awed by the salvation of the Lord. Then they declare to all men, from their hearts, that God is great.
This is how God did it to Israel, to the disciples in the boat, and the possessed man. Why should I expect anything different if the Lord loves me and wants to use me as His disciple?
Proverbs 12:4
Seriously, I never go a day without realizing how blessed I've been for the past 33 years. I have only known the first part of that Proverb. That is pure grace.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
No comments:
Post a Comment