God Speaks
Moses Proclaims God’s Requirements to the People and Reveals His Heart of Intercession on Their Behalf
Verse of the Day: “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to Him, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all you heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NIV 2011)
Read or listen on BibleGateway.com
Watch TBR Day 073
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding each chapter of Deuteronomy 8-10:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Deuteromony 8
1. Because the LORD God wants people to enjoy life and to prosper, He promised the Israelites a land that was richly supplied with resources and instructions as to how to live and worship Him there.
2. If people want to be happy, they must be careful to obey Him and be grateful to the LORD God for all He has done for them.
Deuteronomy 9
1. God chooses people [Jews or non-Jews] “to demonstrate that [the Jews’] future influence in world history would be a result of God [YHWH] and the Torah [His instructions in the Bible, especially the books of Moses], not of any inherent virtues or any cultural or numerical superiority.”* God chooses people by His grace!
2. People are chosen not because they are good, but because God [YHWH] is giving them the opportunity to let Him make them good as they relate to Him and follow His instructions.
*The Rational Bible: Deuteronomy: God, Blessings, and Curses by Dennis Prager, Regnery Publishing, 2022, p. 166.
Deuteronomy 10
1. God is 1) God of gods and Lord of lords; 2) the great, mighty, and awesome God; 3) the Judge who shows no partiality, cannot be bribed, and ensures that all receive justice; 4) the God who loves the stranger or outsider; 5) the only one who is worthy of praise and worship; 6) the one who performs miracles, and 7) the one who frees people from slavery [or tyranny and oppression] and multiplies them.
2. God is calling people 1) to fear the LORD; 2) to live in a way that pleases Him; 3) to love Him; 4) to serve Him with all [their] heart and soul; 5) to obey His commands and decrees for [their] own good.
*Although not directly quoted here, this blogger was greatly influenced and encouraged by the concepts presented in The Rational Bible: Deuteronomy: God, Blessings, and Curses by Dennis Prager, Regnery Publishing, 2022, pp. 179-194.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Deuteronomy 8-10?
Thank You, gracious Father God, that You are a good parent who disciplines His children. You don’t just shower people with things, but You allow circumstances, good and bad, in our lives to prove our character and to strengthen our trust in You. Your treatment of the Israelites is a perfect example of Your parenting style. You freed them from slavery in Egypt (like adopting them), protected them from recapture by Pharoah and his army, laid out Your rules to live by, tested their obedience, gave them a “time out” when they refused to obey, made sure that they had food, clothing and clear direction, enabled them to secure a well-supplied new home, and warned them against becoming disobedient, ungrateful, and arrogant. LORD, You have done many of these same things for me and my nation. Please forgive our rebellion, ingratitude, arrogance, and following other gods. We have even set ourselves, our desires, and our ideologies up as gods. Our only hope is to turn back to You and receive the forgiveness that Jesus Christ made available to us through His suffering, death, and resurrection. May He be glorified forever..
Dear Father God, please help me to listen carefully to Your instructions with a view of carrying them out in my daily life. Please go ahead of me like a devouring fire to destroy anything that would try to keep Your will from being accomplished. When I succeed, don’t let me get a big head, thinking I did it in my own strength or ingenuity. Please help me and Your other servants to overcome wickedness with good. You are the ultimate source of that good because You are good. We, as individuals and as a culture, have broken every one of Your commands, and You have every right to destroy us. Please don’t do so, not because of our goodness but because of Your goodness, grace, and reputation. We (human beings as a whole) have always been rebellious, refusing to trust and obey You. Our only hope is for us to claim the forgiveness made available to us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Please forgive us on that basis and send Holy Spirit to help us live by Your great strength and powerful arm. May we bring You glory instead of shame.
I declare, LORD God, that You are the God of gods and Lord of lords. You are the only great, mighty, and awesome God. You are the Judge who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed, but You ensure that all beings receive justice, whether now or in eternity. Your love embraces even the stranger, outsider, or outcast. You are worthy of all praise and worship. Only You can perform true miracles. You free people from slavery or tyranny and oppression. You grant prosperity to households and nations who follow in Your ways. May we be profoundly grateful for all that You are and all that You do even when we don’t experience it personally. Down to the present day, LORD God, You are calling people to fear the LORD, to live in a way that pleases You, to love You and other people, to serve You and other people wholeheartedly, and to cheerfully obey Your commands and decrees for our own good. May we continue to give You all the glory. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Deuteronomy 8-10?
- I will take time to thank God for the ways He has led and provided for me throughout my life.
- I will be careful that I don’t become arrogant and too self-reliant, especially when things are going well for me.
- I will apologize to the LORD God (in the presence of others when appropriate) for my rebellion and acknowledge my need of forgiveness and salvation.
- I will receive the pardon for sin that Jesus’ death on the cross made possible.
- On awakening each morning, I will ask the LORD how He wants me to obey and serve Him that day. I will do my best to please Him and spread His love to others.
- I will let the holy fear of the LORD keep me from disobeying Him whenever I am tempted.
Share
I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.