MARCH
29
In Deuteronomy
8:3 we read why God gave Israel the manna. This is also the portion of
Scripture Jesus used in His confrontation with Satan. I remember a time last
year when 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 could still
do today what He did for Israel then, and He could meet all of my needs
instantly if He chose to. So, I'm really very secure, whether I feel secure or
not. In the wilderness, the people weren't allowed to gather 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 they never knew when they
would be moving. Their lives were focused each day on the mercy of the Lord,
learning of Him, waiting each day for His provision. God intentionally fed them
like this, little by little, 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.
Being secure in God's daily care and eternal power seems to be what God was
also teaching David as he was living in caves and running from Saul.
How does God
teach that same thing to us 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. Life might not look
"normal," but I am totally secure and taken care of by God's daily
provision. Our Lord is an amazing teacher, and His Word is strength and health
to the heart.
Deuteronomy 11-12
Deuteronomy 11
It seems to me
that this chapter concludes the introduction of the sermon. Moses restates
6:1-9 in vs. 18-21.
Vs. 1-7 Notice
how often it talks about loving the Lord. The people were not slaves; they were
saved. Their salvation should have made them grateful. They were to follow and
obey out of that love for God. Moses tells them to consider what they saw. This
was God's teaching and discipline. They were now to pass this on to their
children who didn't see what God had done. They had seen how God used His power
to free them from Egypt and destroy Pharaoh's army. God also disciplined a
family of the Reubenites. Both events showed God's great power. One instance
was deliverance and the other punishment. They needed to lay this to heart, as
do we. They also needed to pass these things on to the next generation. In a
sense, they were to make disciples.
Vs. 8-12 These
instructions are being given out of love so the people will be strong, and not
only win the land, but hold on to it. Notice again in v. 9 that the promise to
Abraham is mentioned. The fact that God's eyes were on this land was a good
thing, if they obeyed. If they obeyed, God would water the land and they
wouldn't have to irrigate it like they had to in Egypt. That would be a good
thing if they obeyed.
Vs. 13-17 This
seems like it should have been an easy thing to have loved the Lord. Loving the
Lord was in contrast to worshiping other gods. That would have been a
"no-brainer" except that the worship in Canaan was very sexually
oriented. And too, even for us, worshiping other things is easier than we
think. I was reading Ephesians 5 this morning where Paul says that a person who
is covetous is really an idolater. Even the Corinthian church had fallen into
idolatry. We can all understand the cause/effect relationship here. Why would
God bless the people if they were worshiping something else? The real question
is, "How could they worship anything else when God was so big and
real?" But now they had visual help. They had the manna each morning and
the pillar of fire and pillar of cloud. Once they were in the land, they would
have the feasts and the worship at the tabernacle. They would have to follow
God by faith in the promise to Abraham and by obeying the law.
Vs. 18-25 There
is a lot of restatement here, but it is very passionate, both from Moses and
from God. God really, really, really wanted to bless them. Notice that when He
tells them to lay up these words in
their hearts, Moses also tells them how to do this in vs. 18-20.
V. 22 Notice
again the restatement of loving the Lord and the promises that follow. It is
obvious that we are nearing the end of a very important and passionate
argument.
Vs. 26-32 In
the context of the Mosaic covenant, there would be these blessings and curses.
We'll read about this event later in Deuteronomy and we'll see it done in
Joshua. It will be a testimony to the people. Actually, the people will testify
to their need to obey and what will happen if they don't obey. The words will
come out of their own mouths. This generation will obey, but apparently not in
teaching their children.
V. 30 As Israel
is receiving this command, Moses reminds them that in order for them to get to
these two peaks, God will already have brought them into the land.
Though we are
not under the blessing and curses, as disciples, there is something for us to
learn here too. Even the best of us fall, and sometimes we have a hard time
recovering. Sin and discouragement have 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, 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, deserve grace? Or will 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. But I
received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might
display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him
for eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:16)
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.
Deuteronomy 12
V. 1 This seems
to be a key verse. So, after loving God, what did He want them to do?
Vs. 2-7 This
would be very hard for Israel. First, they had to destroy all of the idols and
places of worship. Some of the idols would be made out of precious metals. Some
of these places might look nice, like a place where you'd want to come and
meditate. But second, they themselves could only worship and offer sacrifices
at the tabernacle. This was one way God wanted them to love Him. They were to
come to only Him and then to come to Him only where it was appointed. The
people in Canaan worshiped their gods on every hill and under trees. It is
interesting that later when we read about the kings who followed God, many of
them still allowed the people to sacrifice and worship in the hills and not in
Jerusalem. No one had the guts to say "No."
Vs. 8-14 This
is sort of like the tree in the garden. They could do all sorts of other
things, but worship and sacrifice needed to happen in God's presence in the
place He designated. Notice in vs. 7 and 12, there was to be rejoicing in God's
presence as they celebrated their sacrifices.
V. 8 This is
the refrain at the end of the book of Judges.
V. 9 This is
the "rest" talked about in the book of Hebrews.
V. 10
Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, quotes this.
Isn't it
interesting that the phrases from Deuteronomy were used so extensively in the
rest of the Bible and people actually knew these verses? Now you do too.
Vs. 15-19 Up
until now, if any domestic animal was killed to be eaten, it had to be brought
to the tabernacle. That wasn't far away since they all camped around the
tabernacle. Once they were in the land, the tabernacle would be too far away.
Now they could kill the animal at the house, but there was one act of paganism
they were not to take part in, and that was the drinking of the blood or eating
the bloody, undrained meat. God had been getting the people away from this
during the wilderness wandering. Now they would just have to obey.
The offerings,
on the other hand, had to be made at the tabernacle. Along with the offerings,
they were to share with those who served at the tabernacle. They could always
have feasts at home, but their worship was to be a celebration before the Lord
at the tabernacle.
Vs. 20-28
Notice the repetition regarding the blood of life. This was a big deal for God,
mentioned as far back as Noah. The repetition was important here. God was
allowing them to slaughter their cattle for food, but with His guidelines.
V. 20 This
verse links Jabez (1 Chron. 4:10) to this time of the conquest of the land.
Vs. 26-28 But
here we are talking again about the sacrifices and worship. Notice that v. 28
brings them back to being careful to do what God is saying. They needed to obey
for the sake of their children.
Vs. 29-32 This
brings the chapter full circle. Again, these instructions seem like a
no-brainer. Why would you want to understand why a pagan people offered their
children in sacrifice? How could you be enticed to do that? And yet Solomon
will.
I think
Deuteronomy is incredible. And what is really interesting is that most of what
God is saying to the people is exactly what we need to hear and apply to our
hearts. We are not better than these people, and even with the Spirit, we are
not above falling into the same traps. The Corinthians did. Maybe there are
some innocent looking things in our culture that we don't need to become a part
of. After all, we are here on mission, following Christ. As disciples in the
harvest, we need to be careful how we walk, making the most of our time;
because the days, as Paul said, are evil.
Luke 8:22-39
Vs. 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 sense of awe to our hearts, and I
think the place we find it is in the harvest, not special meetings at church or
boat trips on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus shows His power where His passion is,
in reaching the lost and dying, and making disciples, who make disciples.
Vs. 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.
V. 29
Apparently Jesus had commanded a spirit to come out and it did. Jesus saw then
that the problem was deeper. A Roman legion would have been 6000, but that
isn't to say there were 6000 demons in him. It is interesting that we are told
in Mark 5:13 that the herd of pigs was about 2000.
V. 35 Luke
tells us that the man was sitting at Jesus' feet when the crowds came.
Vs. 38-39 This
is really all the Lord asks us to do on earth. So what has the Lord done for
you?
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 taught Israel, how He taught David,
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?
V. 1 This is
the cry for help. This morning I was reading in Luke 18:7-8, where Jesus said, “And will not God give justice to his elect,
who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will
give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he
find faith on earth?”
Faith cries out
and keeps crying.
Vs. 2-3 This is
the usual gang of those who were lying against David and seeking to kill him.
Vs. 4-5 Verse 4
happens because of a heart like in v. 5. David was humbled before God and
didn't seek help anywhere else. He learned this through suffering and God
vindicated His servant. Amen.
Proverbs 12:4
Seriously, I
never go a day without realizing how blessed I've been since I gave my life to
Christ. I have only known the first part of that Proverb, and that is pure
grace.
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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