Deuteronomy 5-6
This is another treat today. As I read each
paragraph, everything rings so true and seems to apply to me walking in this
dying world. These people were not saved by obeying the law, but they were
saved, like Abraham, in the promise of God to Abraham. With faith in that
promise, their eyes would have been opened and their hearts aflame with the
love of God. As you and I read this with our faith in Christ, our hearts
automatically connect to the grace of God and the wonder of His love for us. It
is interesting to me that in the story of the rich man and Lazarus,
Abraham tells the rich man about sending
Lazarus from the dead to his brothers, If
they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if
someone should rise from the dead. (Luke 16:31) If a person was not moved
to God, in love and gratefulness, by what we read today, neither would a
miracle have convinced them.
Deuteronomy 5
As you read all of this find some words to
mark. We already mentioned, the Lord your
God. If nothing else stands out or captures your interest, look for the
word possess.
Vs. 1-5 This generation might have thought
that the covenant back 40 years ago at Mt. Sinai was with their fathers, but
God doesn't make covenants with dead people. Many of these people were children
back then, but more importantly they are the ones who are alive now and who
have been educated, nurtured and preserved by God to enjoy the promise to
Abraham. Moses reminds the people of the miraculous awe of that day. For those
who had been there, I'll bet they still remembered it vividly and visually.
As a disciple, what do you remember about the
time and events shortly before you came to Christ?
Vs. 6-15 The first four of the Ten
Commandments have to do with the relationship with God. Notice that this
section begins (v. 6) and ends (v. 15) with their deliverance from Egypt and
God as their Savior. All of the motivation for loving and obeying God was built
on His love for them. How could they have another god? How could they make an
image, since God only revealed Himself in power and with His voice? How could
they use His name in a worthless manner? How could they resist taking a day of
rest to remember His love and deliverance and to remember that He sustained and
provided for them?
As disciples, the importance of our honest,
heartfelt gratitude for our salvation cannot be overstated. In Luke 7:47 Jesus
said, "He who is forgiven little, loves little."That is totally based
on our perception of our need and the value of what Jesus did for us. Our
understanding of this will determine how much we love Jesus back and how we
labor in the harvest.
Vs. 16-21 All of these commandments are
related to our neighbor, but without the relationship to God, they are just
humanitarian. Notice that the love of God flows into the honor of their
parents, which in turn has a connection to how long the people would remain in
the land.
V. 21 The opposite of this was abiding in God
and contentment with His care and provision. That is the same for us today.
Vs. 22-27 These words and this event were
permanently "burned" into their minds. The event showed the glory and
power of God without presenting an image of Him. This was like nothing that had
ever happened on earth. It happened to them as the children of Abraham. It
wasn't just a scary event. It was an amazing privilege.
Again, think back on the privilege of what
happened to you around the time you trusted Christ as Savior.
Vs. 28-31 The effect of that event was
expressed by God in v. 29. Amazingly, that entire event didn't help the fathers
of these people, but it did help these people. This generation standing here
was probably the godliest generation of Israel. Moses' ministry at that time
and during the 40 years was to teach the people.
Vs. 32-33 Now Moses will teach the people one
final time. He urges them to be careful to obey. God wanted Israel to possess
the land and not lose it. Everything said here was out of love for their
blessing and success.
What a great chapter. When I read v. 33, it
makes me think that in God's work to redeem mankind, nothing has changed. In
our lives following Christ, God still wants us to be blessed and bearing fruit
for Him. Look again at yesterday's reading in Luke 6:46. We hear and follow,
even today, because we are captivated by His love and salvation.
Deuteronomy 6
This chapter is full of good stuff. Take your
time and look for repetition and recurring themes. As a disciple, write down
every principle you think is important for you, your church, or that
"other guy."
Vs. 1-3 Look at the purposes for what Moses
is about to say to them. Notice the importance of teaching their children.
Notice the importance of hearing God and being careful.
Vs. 4-9 Verses 4-6 are called the Shema of
Israel. Shema means to hear. Notice the importance of love. This love is based
on their gratitude for their own salvation. That is just like us.
V. 6 This is to bear weight upon their hearts
because of God's work for them and the importance of these words.
V. 7 Always, everywhere and forever, parents
were supposed to be talking to their children about God.
Vs. 8-9 This is symbolic, not literal. God's
Word was to control all their actions (the hand) and everything they thought
(the forehead). God's Word was also to control their private lives (the house)
and their public lives (the gates). God never meant that they were to fulfill
this command literally by tying verse boxes to their hands and foreheads as you
see orthodox Jews doing with phylacteries.
Vs. 10-15 God was going to give them the land
as a gift because of the promise. They didn't earn it or deserve it. Faith in
the promise to Abraham would save them.
Vs. 12-13 Here again is the importance of
remembering their salvation.
Vs. 14-15 How could they serve other gods?
But they will and God will punish them.
Vs. 16-19 Jesus quotes this in His
confrontation with Satan in the wilderness. Here, to test God was to not obey
and to treat the commandments as sort of binding. They were to follow God and
thrust the people out of the land. Instead, the next generation will begin
making treaties with the people.
Vs. 20-25 Telling the story of their
deliverance and salvation was to have guided their teaching of their children.
This wouldn't have been academic if each person were genuinely in love with God
and grateful for their salvation. This was all to be driven by love. Because of
this love, obeying the commands of a loving God would have been easier to understand and to follow. The failure to come was first in the hearts of the
parents, and then the parents got so involved with living that they forgot to
share the message, with a heart of love, with their children.
Notice that this chapter almost ends the same
as the last chapter.
As you read chapter 6, maybe you feel, as I
do, that this is as true for us as it was for the people of Israel. A failure
to love God for our salvation and a failure to communicate this to our children
makes everything we do today a short-term gain, or not a gain at all. The basic
core of making disciples begins at home. And as Jesus said, a disciple is not
above his teacher. If the parents are fully in love and grateful and devoted to
following Christ in the harvest, so will the little disciples be. Tragically,
both in Israel then and in the church today, this is not the case.
Luke 7:11-35
Vs. 11-17 This event is only in Luke. There
are a couple things that I get from this story. First, Jesus was led by the
Spirit just like we are. Jesus didn't know He would find this going on, but as
He saw it, moved with compassion, He knew what the Father wanted Him to do.
I wonder when the guy sat up alive if he just
continued where he had left off and said, "And like I was saying,…"
This event apparently was one of the things
that caused John the Baptist to doubt. Jesus was leading the life of the
Messiah who was freeing captives of sin, not captives of government. John had
been sitting in prison under a tyrant a long time and was losing perspective.
Vs. 18-23 Matthew also has this encounter.
Jesus' answer to John was to focus on how Jesus fulfilled all the Scripture
concerning the Messiah, rather than concentrating on his own circumstances. The
works that the Father had given Jesus to do confirmed that Jesus was sent from
the Father. John the Baptist would have understood the Scripture and the origin
of the signs.
Vs. 24-28 Jesus was trying to get the crowd
to think about their fascination with John. They went into the wilderness because his message was authoritative, not
political. They went because his lifestyle was hard and illustrated the urgency
of the times and his message. He wasn't just a prophet, but he fulfilled
Scripture as the forerunner of the Messiah. John was the conclusion of the law
and the prophets. He was the greatest man born of that entire period. Think of
the people who lived then, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Job, etc.
Although John's ministry was short, his task and privilege made him the
greatest of that entire era on earth.
But as the new covenant is infinitely better
than the old covenant, the followers of Christ have an even greater privilege.
Vs. 29-30 Apparently, as Jesus expressed
this, there was an emotional response, sort of a stirring of heart at the truth
Jesus just revealed. The people and tax collectors were awed that they had
actually participated in a big event by submitting to John's baptism. The
Pharisees and scribes (lawyers) just hardened their hearts.
Vs. 31-32 Jesus is actually rebuking that
entire generation of people for the childish way they treated this great,
historical, redemptive event. They had wanted John and Jesus to conform to them
and criticized both.
Vs. 33-35 Though John and Jesus were
opposites in appearance and habit, they both confirmed the wisdom and deeds of
God.
Not a big point, but in Matthew it says John
came neither eating nor drinking. Here, maybe for the sake of accuracy and
because of legalistic Jewish Christians who followed Paul
"correcting" his teaching and who taught the Gentiles abstinence,
Luke says that John ate no bread and drank no wine. It is clear in this context
that Jesus drank wine. Jesus was the opposite of John in these details. He not
only ate rich food, but He also drank wine. The word for drunkard is "wine
drinker." This would have been a rebuttal to legalistic teachers telling
the Gentiles that they needed more abstinence in their faith. Paul warned
Timothy about such teachers, who forbid
marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with
thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. (1 Tim. 4:3)
Psalm 68:19-35
I suppose it is hard for us to embrace the
sense of God's victory over oppression unless we are oppressed. It is hard to
rejoice in His victory over enemies unless we have lost family and friends to
these enemies. In the Western world we are insulated, for the most part, and so
we read this from David as primal raving from a primitive, uncultured age. The
same God who tells us to love our enemies inspired this in David.
Vs. 19-20 Just like in Deuteronomy, God is a
God of salvation. That is the basis of our love, our obedience and our
sacrifice for Him.
Vs. 21-23 God will bring justice, vengeance
and vindication. This almost has a sense of the final battle at the end of the
Tribulation.
Vs. 24-27 The procession of God's people
coming from the south (Ben and Judah) and from the north (Zeb and Naphtali) are
coming to God in the joy of victory.
Vs. 28-31 The nations (in the Millennium)
will come before God in submission.
Vs. 32-35 Every knee will bow and God will
receive the praise of all nations and all men.
In light of the unrest in the Middle East in
recent years, it is interesting to read here, and elsewhere, that Egypt will
come to God and will know Christ.
Proverbs 11:29-31
Good words for the wise of heart. Think of these verses in terms of what we just
read in Deuteronomy. Those who loved God for their salvation would make this
the atmosphere of their homes and families, and that in turn would save and
preserve the nation.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year
Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't
work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/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 complete description of this model
of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
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.
Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month
of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download
these to use on your computer or to print.
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