Deuteronomy 28 -- Reasons To Obey

God had promised blessings if Israel obeyed His commands fully, and curses if they didn’t.  Yet we know that the sinful heart of man would make total obedience by everyone all but impossible.  There is a warning in my commentary that these blessings are not promised to the church today – only to Israel in that day:  “Israel was still in its spiritual infancy, and one way to teach children is by means of rewards and punishments.  These material blessings were God’s way of reminding His children that obedience brings blessing but disobedience brings chastening … It wasn’t long, though, before they saw that wicked people were also getting blessed, so there was something more to faith than just being rewarded.”

I read some key passages that were very important:  “You must completely obey the Lord your God … carefully follow His commands … The Lord will make you His holy people, as He promised.  But you must obey His commands and do what He wants you to do…”

Failure to do so resulted in curses:  “The Lord will send you … confusions … You will have … itches that can’t be cured …and a confused mind … You had plenty of everything, but you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a pure heart … You must respect the glorious and wonderful name of the Lord your God … If you don’t obey completely … the Lord will make Your mind worried … and your soul sad … You will not be sure that you will live.”

We as the church today are God’s chosen people.  The greater the privilege, the greater the responsibility.  If we do fail to glorify Him and obey His Word, we have to expect His chastening.

Father, please help me to completely obey You and to completely follow Your commands.  I know that I am a sinner and that I will fail, but I know I must try.  Please don’t let innocent people be hurt by my sins.  Lead me to repentance.  Help me to turn my face to you and not my back.  It truly does not pay to rebel against You and try to have my own way.  Drive that home, Father!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 27 -- Agreeing And Obeying

Moses directed the people and their leaders to publicly announce and agree to blessings and curses based on their actions once they entered the Promised Land.  My commentary said, “They weren’t predicting what would happen if the people disobeyed God.  They were calling upon the Lord to send these curses on His people if they turned away from Him.  And when the people said ‘Amen’ after each statement, they were telling God that they were willing to be chastened if they disobeyed Him.  Their ‘Amen’ wasn’t just their agreement with the words spoken; it was their acceptance of the terms of the covenant.”

Perhaps the telling verse was verse 26:  “Anyone will be cursed who does not agree with the words of these teachings and does not obey them.”  I was reading a book this last weekend that mentioned how the first question in the Bible is, “Did God really say ….?”  That’s exactly where this curse applies!

Father, please help me not to doubt that You mean exactly what You say in Your Word.  Don’t let me try to put it into any historical context.  Instead, firmly show me that Your “no” means “no” for all time, and by agreeing with You on that and obeying, I am also agreeing to the promised blessings You have for me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 26 -- Three Solemn Confessions

Moses shared with them three solemn confessions to be believed and announced once they'd entered and taken the Promised Land.  The first was a confession of God's goodness, and it would be spoken by each man after he'd harvested his first crop in the Promised Land.  He'd be thanking God for His goodness to him, and also he'd be declaring that he'd now claimed his inheritance in the land.

My commentary likened it to a verse in Deuteronomy 6:  "He brought us OUT ... that He might bring us IN..."  Today God can bring us out of sin and into His presence through Christ.

In giving a tenth of the firstfruits of his harvest, my commentary said, "the worshipper was actually giving the ENTIRE harvest to the Lord.  Stewardship doesn't mean that we give God a PART and then use the rest as we please.  True stewardship means that we give God what belongs to Him as an acknowledgment that all that we have is His.  We then use all that is left WISELY for His glory.  To bring the Lord 10% and then wast the 90% that remains is not stewardship.  It's foolishness."

The second confession was to be used every third year, when an extra 10% tithe was offered for use in feeding the Levites, strangers, orphans, and widows for the next three years.  It was a confession of honesty and generosity.

The third confession was one of obedience.  "The constant danger was that the people not RECEIVE God's Word into their hearts but only HEAR it with their ears and then forget it ... A mere casual acquaintance with the Word isn't sufficient.  If God's Word is to nurture us and change us so that God can bless us, we must devote ourselves to it, heart and soul ... God is faithful to us, but how much we miss when we're not faithful to Him!"

Father, thanks for these solemn reminders.  It's good to look back and see Your faithfulness to us and to know that we can trust You to provide.  Help me to hear Your Word and take it deep into my heart.  Help me to be obedient and faithful to You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 23-25 Hopefully Our Legislators Won't Get Any Ideas

I was complaining yesterday about the myriad of new regulations affecting banks, but some of these laws make those regulations pale in comparison! 

“No man who has had part of his sex organs cut off may come into the meeting to worship the Lord.” 

(I wonder who had the duty of checking?)

There were some good things in these chapters, though.  In times of war, all soldiers would be encouraged to hear, “The Lord your God moves around through your camp to protect you and to defeat your enemies for you, so the camp must be holy.”

“A man who has just married must not be sent to war or be given any other duty.  He should be free to stay home for a year to make his new wife HAPPY.”  Wow!

“Parents must not be put to death if their children do wrong, and children must not be put to death if their parents do wrong.  Each person must die for his own sin.”  I imagine many parents of teenagers were thrilled to see this one!

In court, if a person was found guilty of a crime that required a beating as punishment, “The judge will make that person lie down and be beaten in front of him … But don’t hit a person more than 40 times …”  Imagine what such swift justice might do to our judicial system’s dockets!

There’s a telling phrase about the Amalekites, who God had ordered to be eradicated.  Their real sin was this:  “They were not afraid of God.”  Healthy fear of the One who created us and controls our lives is a good thing.

Father, help us to have wisdom in making new laws.  Keep us from making so many that the people feel like that ox muzzled while treading grain.  Remind our legislators that they too will have to abide by them (and don’t let them make any laws and exclude themselves from them).

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 22 -- Hmmmmm

I noticed two phrases repeated often in this chapter.  The first was, “Don’t just ignore it,” and the situations it applied to included helping others in times of trouble.  We’d probably think of these as sins of omission – failing to do what we should have done.

The other repeated phrase was, “You must get rid of the evil among you,” and the situations listed included people lying to others, having sex before marriage, committing adultery, and rape.  One amazing situation mentioned was a man raping an unengaged girl.  He had to pay her father a bride-price and marry the girl, and he could never divorce her.  This would seem to lock the girl into a lifetime of reliving the rape with her attacker.  My commentary even said, “We wonder how successful marriages will be that begin with lust and are held together only by law.”  Yes, the girl at least had a husband to provide for her physical needs rather than being left destitute and unmarriable because of the rape, but ……

Father, help me to not just ignore my neighbor – whoever they may be – when they are in need of my help.  Help me to get rid of any evil in my own life.  And help me to understand the separateness that You desire to keep me from being corrupted by the world and to serve as a testimony to Your holiness.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 20-21 Hitting Home

God was giving specific instructions for the Israelites for a specific time for the nation.  They were entering the Promised Land, but once the land was taken, God would lead them to expand its borders.  The rules were different for cities in the Promised Land and cities outside the land that they would one day attack.  Inside the Promised Land, God had ordered the complete destruction of those people currently living there, for they had refused His repeated efforts to get them to repent and obey.

Also, the attacking Israelite army granted one-year deferments for potential soldiers who had special issues at home.  My commentary said God’s care for the family even above service in the army was at the heart of these exceptions.

Murder and sexual immorality defiles a land, and God even instituted procedures from removing this defilement when an innocent person was found murdered and no suspects could be found.  It was that important to remove the defilement!

Israelite men could not take Canaanite women as wives, especially as spoils of war, but God did issue instructions for men who would later fight battles outside of the Promised Land and take wives for themselves.  God was thinking that far ahead.

God also emphasized the importance of the first-born in inheritance law, regardless of whether the father loved another son more.

Perhaps the most compelling section for me was regarding sons who refused to obey.  They were so stubborn that they dishonored their parents and were constantly inebriated.  God directed parents to let the legal system take over and handle what they weren’t able to handle.  That is sound advice when the family system is unable to handle the willfulness of such a son.  It also leaves the parents free to be like the father of the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable – waiting and watching for his return once he realizes his own sin, offering grace, forgiveness, and love when none should be expected.  For that is what God has done for us.

Father, help me to be like You in this instance.  Despite how I feel about how I’ve been treated, help me to love and forgive and restore, just as You have done with me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 18-19 Boiling It All Down

In the middle of these laws for the Israelites, my commentary fleshed out several nuggets of divine wisdom.  Chapter 18 spoke of witchcraft and satanic worship, and I read, “If you want to worship Satan, you have to pay the price he demands.  He will give you what you want if you give him what he wants.”  But verse 13 says, “You must be blameless before the Lord your God.”  My commentary explained, “Blameless implies, not sinless perfection, but a heart totally devoted to the Lord.  It speaks of integrity and an undivided heart … It’s a serious thing to hear God’s Word and not respect it or obey it, for it is the Word of the living God, the God of truth.”

Chapter 19 tells us, “Laws can never change the human heart.  Only the grace of God can do that.”  There was a difference between intentional murder and accidentally causing the death of another, and God established cities of refuge to protect manslayers from avenging family members.  God was concerned for those who accidentally caused deaths.

One final nugget I found dealt with God’s direction to Israel to establish additional cities of refuge as their territory was enlarged by conquests.  “If we don’t obey God’s will and claim God’s promises, we can never receive all that God wants us to have.”  Israel failed to do that, and as a result it has never fully occupied all the land God had promised.  Think of the blessings we might be missing, simply because we fail to obey him and claim His promises!

Father, help me to be blameless before You, with a heart totally devoted to You.  Help me not to give Satan a foothold in my life.  Help me to obey Your will for my life and to claim the promises You’ve given me.  Don’t let me miss out on Your blessings!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 17 -- Government

It’s amazing that before the people even entered the Promised Land God had already told them they’d desire a king instead of trusting Him to be their king, and even knowing this, they did it anyway!

This chapter explained the kind of government God wanted the Israelites to organize in the Promised Land.  In Romans 13:1, we read, “The powers that be are ordained of God.”  My commentary said, “This doesn’t mean that God is to blame for the appointment or election of each individual public official or the decisions they make once they’re in office.  It means that the authority for government comes from God and that those who serve in public offices are ministers of the Lord and accountable to Him.”

The judges were to be men with godly character, devotion to God, and possess the wisdom of God.

Regarding leaders selected by the people, my commentary gave a very appropriate warning:  “God’s greatest judgment is to give His people what they want and let them suffer for it.”

When a king was selected, God had instructions for him:  “He was to write out his own copy of the law … read it regularly, and take it to heart … it would reveal to him the character of God and encourage him to fear Him and love Him more.  The king’s submission to God and His law would keep him from getting proud and abusing the authority the Lord had given him.  For him to think that he was better than his brethren and privileged to live above God’s law would indicate that he wasn’t fit to lead the nation.”  Wow!  Enough said.

Father, help me to pray for our leaders and to intercede for them with You.  Guide their hearts to follow You and seek Your wisdom as they rule.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 16 -- Passover & Other Reminders

Moses gave the people specific instructions about three important feasts:  Passover, Weeks, and Shelters.  My commentary added helpful words of understanding:  “At the first Passover in Egypt, God killed all the firstborn in the land, both humans and animals, except those Jews who were in their houses and protected by the blood on the doorposts.  From that time on, God claimed for Himself all the firstborn sons and animals in Israel and they all had to be redeemed with a sacrifice.  If the animal wasn’t redeemed, it had to be killed … It wasn’t the life of the Passover lamb that saved Israel from bondage but the death of the lamb and the application of the blood by faith.”

Two additional quotes really caught my eye:

“Anyone who professes to belong to Christ who doesn’t seek to conquer sin and become more Christ-like in daily conduct is making a false profession.”

“If God were to take the Holy Spirit out of this world, much of what the church is doing would go right on, and nobody would know the difference.  What an indictment that our churches depend on everything except the power of the Holy Spirit!”

Father, thank You for taking hold yesterday when I no longer could.  Please hold me up today in Your strength and not my own.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 15 -- Unfulfilled

The word that came to mind as I read this was “unfulfilled”.  My commentary said many people today think it takes a great act of faith just to tithe 10% of their income!  And here God says, “Don’t plant crops every seven years to let the land rest and I’ll take care of you.”  Furthermore, the Year of Jubilee fell right after a Sabbath Year, requiring the Jewish people to have great faith that God would provide for two years plus the planting season of the third year.  Unfortunately, there’s no record in the Bible that they ever fulfilled this faith requirement.  No Year of Jubilee appears to have been observed.

Also, every seven years they were to cancel the debts (or possibly just the debt payments for that year – scholars don’t agree), which would be huge for those who lend.  But (wheels are turning now), God also warned them not to hedge in their lending as those Sabbath years neared, trying to game the system to cut their losses.  God said, “Give freely to the poor person, and do not wish that you didn’t have to give … Beware of evil thoughts.”  He knows our thoughts and knows how selfish and untrusting we can be and He wants to develop our faith.

Also, Jewish indentured servants were to be set free after working for six years to pay off debts.  God commanded the person they were serving to send them away with animals, grain, and wine to give them a new start, because that’s what God did through the Egyptians as the Israelites left Egypt.

“The Sabbath Year was a test of faith, but it was also a test of love … [Loaning money as the Sabbath Year neared] wasn’t a business proposition; it was a ministry to a brother.  If the wealthier Israelite closed his heart and his hand to the needy man, he would hurt his brother and grieve the Lord who had given him all the wealth he had.  Therefore, he was to open both his heart AND his hand to help his brother, and the Lord would see to it that he was compensated for his generosity,” my commentary explained.

Father, help me to see the needs You place before me.  Remind me to keep my heart and my hands open, knowing that You will compensate me.  After all, it’s Yours to give, not mine.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 13-14 Others May -- You Cannot

God had said that a true test of a prophet was whether his message came true.  But here, God also adds that a true prophet would never lead anyone to worship gods other than God.  Likewise, even if those closest to us try to get us to worship anything other than God, we must not give in.  We read, “The Lord your God is testing you, to find out if you love Him with your whole being.  Serve only the Lord your God.  Respect him, keep His commands, and obey him.  Serve Him and be loyal to Him.”

Moses continued, “You are the children of the Lord your God … You are holy people, who belong to the Lord your God.  He has chosen you from all the people on earth to be His very own.”

Wow!  And in Christ, Moses’ words apply to us today, since we’ve been adopted by God.

My commentary adds:  “There are some things that the people of the world can do that Christians can’t do and should not even want to do, because Christians belong to the Lord and want to obey Him.  As the familiar adage says, ‘Others may – you cannot.’  God has every right to tell us what we can put within us.”

Father, thank You for breaking through my stubborn independence and showing me years ago that You do have the absolute right to tell me something is forbidden for me even if the rest of the world can do it.  That’s because You are my God.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 12 -- A Diet Of The Mind

God had told Moses to instruct the people about how He was to be worshipped – what they were and were not supposed to do, “reviewing the past and helping the new generation appreciate all that God had done for them … Moses was helping his people develop hearts of love for the Lord, because if they loved him, they would obey Him,” my commentary said.

Primarily, they had to remove and destroy the idolatrous worship symbols of the inhabitants they would drive out of the land.  “Whenever we disobey the Lord and cherish that which He wants us to destroy, we provide Satan with a foothold in our lives … God rejected the Canaanite religions and wanted all evidence of their pagan practices removed from the land.  The land belonged to the Lord, and He had every right to purge it,” my commentary said.

In my life, I have the same instructions from God – to remove and destroy that which He wants destroyed.  If I jealously hold on to anything not of Him, for myself, I’m providing Satan with a foothold in my own life!

A big threat to our lives is contamination caused by human curiosity.  “There are some areas of human knowledge that are dangerous to investigate, for God wants His people to be ‘wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil.’  We don’t have to experience sin to learn how deadly it is,” my commentary added.

Satan uses our natural human curiosity to tempt us into areas God would not have us go.  I have to place boundaries on my own thoughts – “a diet of the mind” – to keep me from treading on dangerous ground that can draw me away from God.

Father, one thing I really need from You is alarms going off in my head and my heart anything I am mentally entering territory that tempts me to sin.  Let Your Holy Spirit speak loudly when I find myself going there, and if I’m tempted to ignore the warnings, shake me up!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 10-11 WHY We Should Obey

Moses told them why they should obey – because of God’s commandments, His character, His care, His covenant promises, and His chastening.

There was a sequence mentioned about God’s commandments (and our keeping of them):  fear, walk, love, serve, and keep; and my commentary said this implies progress and balance.  There was a really important motivation for obedience given as well – “for your OWN good.”  We can all be self-centered, but God’s love for us individually shows just how much He cares for us and we should want him to care for us!

“God blesses us when we obey and chastens us when we disobey.  As we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, we overcome the appetites of the flesh and God’s righteousness is fulfilled in us.”  Why should we ever want to hear the curses God has promised if instead we can hear the blessings?

Father, I particularly took note of that sequence showing our relationship with You maturing – fear, walk, love, serve, and keep.  Please help me to stay near the right end of it, Father.  I want my relationship with You to be deep.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 9 -- Not Exactly What You'd Want To Hear From God

The nation was probably rightly embarrassed to hear what God was saying to them through Moses in this chapter:

“You are going in to take the land, not because you are good and honest, but because these nation are evil … It is not because you are good; you are a stubborn people … You would not obey the Lord from the day you left Egypt until you arrived here … The Lord said to me, ‘I have watched these people and they are very stubborn!  Get away so I may destroy them.’ … You have refused to obey the Lord as long as I have known you.”

Not exactly the glowing commendation anyone would hope to receive from God!

They had to be reminded that the land was a gift from God, not a reward for their righteousness.  Pride was still a big danger.  “When we forget the grace of God, we become proud and start thinking we deserve all that God has done for us, and then God has to remind us of His goodness and our sinfulness, and that reminder might be very painful,” my commentary said.

Moses had spent 40 days on Sinai fasting and learning how to lead the people in worship, only to find them worshiping the golden calf!  Then he’d  spent another 40 days there, fasting and “interceding for the people that complained, resisted his leadership, and rebelled against the Lord.  But leaders are tested just as followers are tested, and Moses passed the test.  He showed that his great concern wasn’t his own fame or position, but the glory of God and the good of the people.”

Some other things popped out as I read my commentary: 

“It’s a sin to complain (Phil 2:14-15; 1 Cor 10;10).

“Sometimes God’s greatest judgment is to let us have our own way (Romans 1:22-28).

“Unbelief is a sin of the will; it’s tempting the Lord and saying, ‘I will not trust the Lord and do what He commands me to do.’”

“God is always faithful to His promises; when we don’t allow Him to rule, He will overrule and still accomplish His purposes.  However, we will miss the blessings that He planned for us.”

Father, help me to trust You and not to complain about anything You are doing in my life.  Show me clearly what You desire, and help me to trust and follow, knowing that You have blessings planned for my obedience.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 8 -- A Warning For Them AND Us

Moses said that those 40 years in the wilderness were used by God to take away the pride that might cause Israel to stray from Him.  They had no idea what was really in their hearts and what was therefore capable of destroying their relationship with Him, but God did.

He took away their pride by letting them get hungry, showing them that, in the wilderness, they couldn’t even take care of their basic needs.  Then He not only fed them all with manna, but used it to show them how important it is that we all look to Him daily not just from bread, but for spiritual food to maintain our relationship with Him.

Respecting God bore repeating, and He warned them that once they inhabited the land and began to enjoy having not just the necessities of life, but everything they needed, they’d begin to believe it was their own power and strength that had provided it.  God even put a reminder in here for us today:  “It is He who gives you the power to become rich.”  Without our health, opportunities He presents, and even our circumstances He controls, we’d be unable to prosper in our own power.

As we acquire possessions, He warns us that we will be tempted to forget Him, and that is the sign of an ungrateful heart, and we are told to thank God in all circumstances.

Father, yesterday was a very tough day, working with my son's ungrateful heart.  I need You to be God over him and over the process to come.  Please give me my son back.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 7 -- Wow, Such Perfect Timing Today, God, As Always!

Father, this is absolutely in Your timing.  Incredible how You arranged my readings over all these years to land on this chapter right when I needed it to help someone!

I remember almost recoiling when I read the commands to completely destroy whole people groups and their belongings when I first started reading the Bible, but I eventually came to understand over the years that there are times when we must completely rid ourselves of whatever stands between us and God, and that really popped out today.  If you substitute any particular besetting sin for “the people of Canaan” here, and read back through the story, what a battle plan from God we receive to help conquer that sin!  Then once we’ve experienced such a victory and know how important it is to give no quarter and absolutely eliminate anything to do with that sin from our lives, it certainly puts us in a better frame of mind to understand God’s directions here to His people.

Father, please guide me to use this wonderful example to help the one You’ve placed before me.  Open their heart and mind to see this truth as clearly as You’ve shown me.  Remove Satan’s blinders to allow them to understand what has occurred in their life and what You want to do about it!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 6 -- A Wealth Of Stuff!

A short chapter, but an incredible wealth of information!  What jumped out first was something God had brought up in Sunday School yesterday and something I’d said to my younger son during a trying time yesterday – love and respect.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart … Respect the Lord your God.”  My commentary was rich in explanations, and said the key theme of this chapter and the next is motivation for obedience.

The first, Love For The Lord, was a given based upon God’s covenant with their fathers which gave them “ownership of the Promised Land, but it was their own obedience to the Lord that guaranteed their possession and enjoyment of the land …  Believers today need to be reminded that all our blessings come to us because of God’s eternal covenant with His Son and the new covenant which Jesus made through His sacrificial death on the cross.  We aren’t blessed because of what we are in ourselves, but because of what we are in Christ.”

The commandment to love God was also discussed:  “Is it possible to command somebody to love? … In the life of the believer, love is an act of the will; we choose to relate to God and to other persons in a loving way no matter how we feel … love leads to ACTION … To love God and worship and serve Him is the highest PRIVILEGE we can have, so when the Lord commands us to love, He is inviting us to that which is the best.  But our love for God must involve the totality of the inner person … If the inner person is completely yielded to the Lord and open to His Word as ministered by His Spirit, then the feelings will follow.”

Communication with the Lord:  “When we hear the Word of God and receive it into our hearts, then the Holy Spirit can use the truth to transform us from within … God writes the Word upon our hearts … to allow the Word to guide our minds and hands as we work throughout the day … The emphasis of this command was obedience to God’s Word in all that we think or do.”

Besides love for the Lord, gratitude to the Lord was a second motivation for obedience mentioned here.  Ingratitude showed up when the older generation tested God at Massah.  “We tempt the Lord when we openly and unbelievingly question His ability or defy His authority by what we say or do … The Lord deliberately led them through difficulties so He could teach them to trust Him… The Lord tests our faith, not just in the great crises of life, but even more in the small unexpected events, such as a travel delay, an irritating interruption, a sudden sickness, or a lost wallet.  The way we respond in these situations will indicate what’s in our hearts, because what life does to us depends on what life finds in us.  If we love and trust the Lord, we’ll leave the matter with him and do what He tells us, but if we question the Lord and rebel because we’re not getting our own way, then we’re in danger of tempting Him.  One of the best protections against tempting the Lord is a grateful heart.  If we’re in the habit of thanking the Lord in everything, including the painful experiences of life, then the Holy Spirit will fill our hearts with love and praise instead of Satan filling us with bitter venom.”

It concluded:  “When our children are ignorant of the past, they will have no hope for the future.  An attitude of gratitude is a wonderful weapon against unbelief, disobedience, a hard heart, and a bitter spirit.”

Father, thanks for Your incredible timing on this today.  Sink it deep into my heart and transform me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 5 -- More Than Just The Ten Commandments Repeated

This chapter is more than just Moses repeating the Ten Commandments for the people.  God pointed out some important stuff in our relationships with Him as I read this morning:

Moses reminded them, “I stood between you and the Lord in order to tell you what the Lord said; you were afraid of the fire (that surrounded the top of the mountain in God’s presence) so you would not go up on the mountain.”  God had been speaking out loud to them.  They were hearing his audible voice.  Yet they were so overcome by the physical manifestations of His presence that they were afraid to draw near to Him!

God revealed how sin didn’t just affect the one sinning and any victim.  It produces generational effects in families!  But He also revealed that obedience to Him and love for Him produces blessings for a thousand generations!  It’s not just about us!

God wants us to be satisfied with Him and not let our desires mature and control us.  “Covetousness is the sinful desire in the heart for anything that rightfully we shouldn’t have,” by commentary said.

My sidebar also described how sin is our worst nightmare:  “Satan numbs our awareness and short-circuits our self-control.  We know what we are doing and yet can’t believe that we are doing it.  In the fog of weakness we want to stop but haven’t the will to do so.  We want to turn around, but our feet won’t move.  We want to run and, pitifully, we want to stay.”

That’s all the law can do for us – make us feel miserable when we fail.  But this is where Romans 8 steps in:  “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Father, this was a good morning!  I felt more connected to You than I have in awhile.  Please continue to guide my thoughts and my studies.  I want those thousand generations of blessings for my descendants.  But more than anything, I want You ruling my heart.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 4 -- God Reveals So Much About Himself Here

I don’t remember exactly where the notes came from in my Bible in this chapter, but I loved seeing them again:

“The Lord our God comes near when we pray to Him (an approaching God)…

He made you His very own people, as you are now (an adopting God) …

The Lord your God is a jealous God …

Don’t do what the Lord your God says is evil, because that will make Him angry (a just God)…

You can look for the Lord your God and you will find Him if you look for Him with your whole being (a discoverable God) …

The Lord your God is a merciful God.  He will not leave you or destroy you …

He spoke to you from heaven to teach you (a teaching God) …

Because the Lord loved your ancestors, He chose you, their descendants, and He brought you out of Egypt (a loving God)…

The Lord did this so He could bring You into the land and give it to you as your own (a rewarding God).”

What should our response be?  “Obey His laws and commands … so that things will go well with you and your children.”

Father God, thank You for continuing to reveal Yourself to me.  There is nothing special about me that You even should, but You choose to do so, and it’s hard to imagine why You’d love me enough to do so!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 3 -- The Transition Begins

The Israelites had not been a warring people.  Jacob and his small family had travelled to Egypt almost 500 years earlier, and the nation had grown, been enslaved, and then rescued by God.  For the previous 38 years, they’d been nomads in the desert.  Now God had to get them into battle mode to remove the prior inhabitants of the land who’d greatly displeased God with their indescribably wicked lifestyles.  The first to go were the Amorites, who lived just outside the Promised Land on its eastern border.  “All that the army had to do was obey God’s orders, trust His promises, and courageously confront the enemy,” my commentary said.

Two and a half tribes desired this land, and God told Moses they could have it, but their men had to agree to lead the rest of the Israelites into Canaan until the whole land was taken.

Moses so wanted to see the Promised Land, but God wasn’t going to permit him to enter because of his impetuous sin.  He still encouraged the nation by saying, “O Sovereign Lord, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand.”  He didn’t want to miss what God was about to do!  My commentary did say that centuries later Moses stood in the Holy Land in glory on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus and Elijah!

Moses kept reminding the Israelites that they were privileged and God’s people, out of all the nations on earth.  My commentary added, “It’s when we forget our high calling that we descend into low living.” 

Help me to constantly keep in mind that You have bought me with a price, Father, and that I am Yours.  Keep me away from low living and lead me to Your high calling.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 2 -- Who We Avoid

Moses skipped over all of the details of the 38 years the Israelites wandered through the desert.  “During those years, Israel was out of God’s covenant favor, and there’s no record that they observed the Passover or even circumcised their sons,” my commentary said.  Yet God was still leading them onward, blessing them despite themselves, and preparing them for the conquest of the Promised Land.

It’s interesting hearing God’s orders regarding the people of Moab and Ammon – both relatives of the Israelites.  God specifically forbade any actions against them as the Israelites travelled through their land, and even told the Israelites to pay for the food and water they consumed in the process!

“Neither the Moabites nor the Ammonites deserved this kindness, but the Lord sometimes blesses people because of their relationship to other people,” my commentary noted.

When they came to the land of the Amorites, though, the instructions were different.  “I am giving you the power to defeat Sihon the Amorite, and I am giving you his land … the Lord your God had made him stubborn.  The Lord wanted you to defeat Sihon, and now this has happened,” Moses wrote.

All of the Amorites were destroyed.  They had worked against God and His patience had run out.

Father, I pray that You will be clear in showing me those I should avoid, and those You direct me to encounter.  Help me to see them as You see them, and to know the effect they will have on me if I engage them.  I do not want to give sin an opportunity to grow in my life from any relationships which You do not approve.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 1 -- Doubt vs. Unbelief

Moses began retelling the history of the Exodus to those who’d been children, or not even been born, when the events first took place.  It was important that they understand why they hadn’t already been living in the land for 38 years.  Moses pointed to their original request to send spies to reconnoiter the land.  God knew what was there, but they didn’t trust him and had to see it for themselves.  They should have know that “the will of God would not lead them where the grace and power of God could not keep them.”

Moses asked God about the proposed spy mission.  God knew how weak they felt, so He granted their request, “accommodating Himself to their condition,” my commentary said.  “However, doing God’s permissive will isn’t quite the same as obeying  His Good, acceptable, and perfect will.  When God lets us have our own way, it’s a concession on His part that should make us walk in fear and humility … Because there’s always the danger that we’ll become proud and self-confident and start telling God what to do!  Dong God’s express will is the safest course because God never makes a mistake.  Sometimes our desires and God’s concessions combine to produce painful disciplines,” my commentary added.

“There’s a difference between unbelief and doubt.  Unbelief is a matter of the will.  It causes people to rebel against God and say, ‘No matter what the Lord says or does, I will not believe and obey!”  Doubt, however, is a matter of the heart and the emotions; it’s what people experience when they waver between fear and faith.  The doubter says, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’  God seeks to encourage doubters and help them believe, but all He can do with rebels is bring judgment.”

Father, I don’t want to rebel against You and Your will.  And I know at times I will have doubts.  Thanks for showing me the difference.  Please remind me that anytime You accommodate me because of my doubts, I’m settling  for less than Your best.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford