2 Chronicles 2 -- The Decision To Build

This was a more technical chapter, reporting Solomon’s communication with King Hiram from Tyre requesting assistance in supplying building materials and a gifted contractor for the building of the Temple and eventually his own palace.  I noticed a lot of I’s in his letter:  “I will build … I will give … but he also rightly acknowledged God:  “Our God is greater than all gods.  But no one can really build a house for our God.  Not even the highest of heavens can hold Him.”

Hiram seemed to have a good grasp of how God fit in with all of this, despite the fact that he wasn’t an Israelite.  He was perhaps influenced by his friendship with Solomon’s father, David:  “Solomon, because the Lord loves His people, He chose you to be their king.  Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth!  He has given King David a wise son, one with wisdom and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself.”

Solomon counted the foreigners in Israel – likely the descendants of the defeated Canaanites and possibly the foreigners who’d traveled with the Israelites from Egypt – who would be used as slave labor to build the two buildings.  God had decreed that the Israelites were not to be counted, but not the foreigners.  His father David had erred in counting the people.

Solomon made a large commitment of grain, oil, and wine to trade for the lumber Hiram would supply.  What is surprising is the actual size of the building itself versus the number of years it took to build it and the staggering cost of the materials.

Father, I too seek wisdom and discernment from You.  Help me to be wise in the use of Your resources and enable me to help others with them rather than focusing on myself.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

2 Chronicles 1 -- Really ??

I noticed the sidebar in my Bible this morning as I began this book.  Strangely, my commentary lumped 2 Chronicles in with 2 Kings and had nothing to say.  That sidebar asked the questions:  “Ever have trouble determining God’s will for your future? …. How in the world do we know what God wants? … To know God’s will, we must totally surrender to God’s will.  Our tendency is to make God’s decision for him … Don’t go to God with options and expect Him to choose one of your preferences.  Go to Him with empty hands – no hidden agendas, no crossed fingers, nothing behind your back.  Go to Him with a willingness to do whatever He says.  If you surrender your will, then He will ‘equip you with everything good for doing His will.’”

That’s at least how Solomon started.  After sacrificing a king-sized 1,000 burnt offerings, he went to bed.  And in His sleep God appeared to him and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”  Most of the world, given such an opportunity, would ask for exactly what God said Solomon didn’t ask for in verse 11 – the riches of this world.  To his credit, Solomon asked for the wisdom and knowledge to lead his people.  And because he did, God granted that and promised to make him the richest and most honored king who would ever live.

But the next paragraph, while seeming to simply confirm that God was keeping that promise, was quietly revealing how massive riches can sway even the noblest hearts.  “Solomon had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses … They imported horses and chariots from Egypt … Then they sold the horses and chariots to all the kings of the Hittites and the Arameans.”

How strange that God had said not trust in horses and chariots, but instead to trust in Him alone.  He’d also commanded the nation not to go to Egypt and not to depend on them for defense.  And Solomon, in the interest of commerce, began arming the very nations who would come to attack his own nation in the future!

Father, help me to see from Your perspective, not my own.  Help me not to go against Your commands, believing that I have heard from You.  Help me not to rely upon my own wisdom.  Show me the way, Father.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 13 -- Not Just Throwing In All Of The Miscellaneous Stuff

My commentary said that what appears to be miscellaneous items brought up by this writer as he ends the chapter are actually “evidences of faith that should appear in our lives if we are really walking by faith and not by sight.”

“Keep on living each other as brothers and sisters.  Remember to welcome strangers.  Remember those in prison and those who are suffering as if YOU were suffering WITH them.”  We are also to keep our lives free from sexual sin and from the love of money.  We’re not to let strange teachings lead us down the wrong path.  We’re to offer God our sacrifice of praise, and we’re to remember to do good to others and share with them what God has given us.  It’s easy to see how doing these things would be evidences of our faith.  They would build up spiritual fellowship.

The writer also includes a section on submitting to spiritual leadership.  My commentary said, “Each Christian has three responsibilities toward the spiritual leaders in his local church:  Remember them (7-9), greet them, (24), and obey them (17).  As to remembering them, it seems to suggest he is talking about leaders who have died, and we are to remember what they taught us and imitate their faith.  He also mentioned a member saying to him after he announced a move to another church, “I don’t know what I’ll do without you.  I depend on you so much for my spiritual help!”  and his shocking reply, “Then the sooner I leave, the sooner you can start depending on the Lord.  Never build your life on any servant of God.  Build your life on Jesus Christ.  He never changes.”

In regard to greeting spiritual leaders, my commentary primarily mentioned that every church member should always strive to be on speaking terms with the leaders in his church, and it is to the detriment of those who do not.

In regard to obeying, my commentary said, “When a servant of God is in the will of God, teaching the Word of God, the people of God should submit and obey.  This does not mean that pastors should be dictators.  ‘Neither be lords over God’s heritage (1 Peter 5:3)’ … However, when a shepherd is faithful to watch for souls, it is important that the sheep obey him.”

Father, help us all to understand how You want us to live and work within this living organism called Your church.  Help us to remember that it is Yours and not ours.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 12 -- The Discipline Of Training Readies Us For The Game

“We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back …You are struggling against sin … You have forgotten the encouraging words that call you His children … God disciplines us to help us, so we can become holy as He is.  We do not enjoy being disciplined.  It is painful, but later, after we have learned from it, we have peace … You have become weak, so make yourselves strong again … try to live free from sin … You have come to God … You have come to Jesus … So be careful and do not refuse to listen when God speaks.”

It can be incredibly discouraging for a Christian to so want to please God and yet find himself falling into sin.  Satan loves to try to bring us down and tear us away from God.  And here the writer uses athletic references that remind me that we, as God’s children, are on offense, not defense.  Satan is trying to keep us from completing the pass or making the first down.  But we aren’t on the field alone.  And we aren’t behind on the scoreboard.  Yes, there are times when it feels like we are facing fourth and long, particularly when we have allowed sin to gain a big foothold in our lives.  But God is the quarterback and the coach, and the referee.  He has watched us train and He knows what He has made us capable of doing.  The disciplines He’s instilled in us were for just such a time as this.  And with each success, He builds us up to handle even more the next time.  We aren’t just in the weight room.  We are in the game and He has plans for us that include great victories that will make the difficulties of the training fade away in comparison to the glory He will share with us. 

Father, don’t let me break training.  Keep watching and disciplining me.  Ready me for what You know is ahead, so that I will be fully equipped for glorifying You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 11 -- Walking Through My Own Hebrews 11 This Morning

“Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it … Without faith, no one can please God.”

As I read this chapter, images from my trip to Russia in 2001 began to form in my mind.  I was directed specifically to that long four-hour bus ride back from Svir Story to St. Petersburg.  God had firmly placed on my heart just before that long ride began the absolute knowledge that I would adopt a son from somewhere over there.  So powerful was that assurance that I felt I was being driven away from my son.  But in order to find him, I had to leave where I’d heard from God and put my faith into action.  I remembered the reactions of others upon my return – that I was crazy… that I needed to return to reality.  I remembered the refusal of the very people who’d put together that trip to help me.  But that was God directing me to where my son waited.  I remember the numerous roadblocks and delays that occurred.  But those only insured that I would arrive to find my son when my son was finally available.  And I remember the electricity in the room when I finally saw his photo and knew it was him!  How others were moved by that moment as well!

Having experienced all of that, my faith was of a completely different nature when I went to find my second son, and the reactions of the people there were also entirely different.  I had God’s confidence and didn’t fear what might happen because I’d experienced His power before in such a mighty way, and I watched and smiled as God effortlessly moved everyone out of the way and accomplished in just 18 days what the world said would take 4-6 weeks!

It is all about faith.  Without it, how can anyone live?  With it, how can we not expect God to do everything He desires in His own time and in His own way, blessing us as He chooses?

Father God, thank You for taking me back through my own walk of faith this morning – my own Hebrews 11.  Thank You for taking this sinner through my own incredible journey and blessing me with the two people I love most in this world.  You are such an incredible God, and I cannot ever imagine life without You!  Thank You for my sons!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 10 -- Three Benefits of Jesus' Sacrifice

“The writer presented three benefits that explain why the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is superior to the old covenant sacrifice,” my commentary said.

First, it TAKES AWAY sin.  Under the old system, the same sacrifices were made over and over.  They covered sin, but never removed it, and they could never remove the guilt from the person’s heart.  The sacrifices only reminded people of their sin.  “No amount of sacrifices could substitute for obedience,” my commentary added.

Also, Christ’s sacrifice need to be repeated.  “When a sinner trusts Christ, his sins are all forgiven, the guilt is gone, and the matter is completely settled forever.”

Christ’s sacrifice opens the way to God.  “On the basis of these assurances – that we have boldness to enter because we have a living High Priest – we have an open invitation to enter the presence of God.  The old covenant high priest visited the Holy of Holies once a year, but we are invited to dwell in the presence of God every moment of every day … We must prepare ourselves spiritually to fellowship with God … The New Testament church must come to God with a pure heart and a clean conscience.  Fellowship with God demands purity.”

The fourth of five exhortations shows up here.  The sequence has been “drifting … doubting …. dull of Word …”  This results in despising the Word – willful sin.

“’If we willfully go on sinning’ … is not dealing with one particular act of sin, but with an attitude that tends to repeated disobedience.  Under the old covenant, there were no sacrifices for deliberate and willful sins … God does not always take the life of a rebellious believer, but He always deals with him.”  And we therefore have to worry about “the sad consequences of forgiven sins.” 

Father, more than anything, I want You to change my heart to understand that there is no substitute for obedience.  I’m grateful for Your forgiveness, but if I would obey and not sin, there would be no need for it.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 9 -- The Superiority Of The New Covenant Sanctuary

There is much here comparing the types or shadows in the Old Testament to the originals in heaven.

About the old covenant sanctuary, my commentary said: 1) it was earthly; 2) it was a “type” of something greater; 3) it was inaccessible to the people; 4) it was temporary; and 5) its ministry was external, not internal.  “All of the ceremonies associated with the tabernacle had to do with ceremonial purity, not moral purity.”

Instead, the superior heavenly sanctuary had these superiorities:  1) It is heavenly; 2) its ministry is effective to deal with sin; 3) its ministry represents fulfillment; and 4) its ministry is final and complete.

“The sacrifices offered and the blood applied to the mercy seat [in the old covenant sanctuary] could never change the heart or the conscience of a worshipper … Their blood could only cover sin until the time when Christ’s blood would take away sin,” my commentary explained.

Father, thank You for changing shadow to substance for us, and for giving us a Great High Priest who offered the sacrifice of the blood of His perfect sinless life for us.  Thank You for accepting that sacrifice to open the way for us into the heavenly sanctuary, making us acceptable in Your sight!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 8 -- The Superiority Of The New Covenant

My commentary showed how this chapter presents three evidences for the superiority of the new covenant between God and people through Christ’s death and resurrection.  “It is ministered by a superior High Priest … in a better place … founded on better promises.”

The promise of God’s grace is the keystone.  “It is one thing to say, “We will!” and quite another thing to do it.  But the new covenant does not depend on man’s faithfulness to God, but on God’s faithful promise to man …The law could not change any human heart.  Only God’s grace can do that … Grace says, ‘The work is done – believe and live.’”

“The law … could never provide the power needed for obedience.  Sinful people need a new heart and a new disposition within … When a sinner trusts Christ, he receives a divine nature within.  This divine nature creates a desire to love and obey God.”

It also promises forgiveness for all.  “There is no forgiveness under the law because the law was not given for that purpose … By the law is knowledge of sin … It is only through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that forgiveness is possible to all who will call on Him.”

Father, thank You for the divine nature You placed within me when I accepted Your Son’s sacrifice for me on the cross and His taking on of my sins.  I could never desire to love and obey You without it, and I could never have forgiveness.  What an incredible gift!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 7 -- Our Superior High Priest

The writer of Hebrews proved to the Jewish Christians why Christ’s High Priesthood was doctrinally and historically superior to the Old Testament priesthood through the line of Aaron.  Then he added another argument – “No matter how devoted and obedient the Aaronic  priests were, they could not always meet the needs of all the people.  ‘For such an high priest became us’ means ‘He was suited to us; He meets our needs completely.’  The emphasis is on His sinlessness,” my commentary said.

Jesus never had to offer sacrifices for His own cleansing, the way the Aaronic priests did.  “We are prone to sin daily, even hourly, and we need to be able to turn to Him for spiritual help.  As our High Priest, Jesus Christ gives us the grace and mercy that we need not to sin.  But if we do sin, He is our Advocate at God’s throne.  If we confess our sins to Him, He forgives us and restores us,” my commentary adds.

Father, that entire Old Testament priesthood seems so antiquated to us now, but Christ’s priesthood is exactly what we need.  Thank You for making provision for our sin through Your Son!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 6 -- Help In Understanding The Difficult

The writer tells the Hebrew Christians back then, and us, “You have laid the foundation.  You know your ABCs.  Now move forward!  Let God carry you along to maturity,” my commentary said.  Remember this as you read what follows, because what followed in this chapter has caused much misunderstanding, and I too felt it.  Many think it might be saying it’s possible to lose our salvation.  After exploring several lines of reasoning, though, my commentary lands on two that fit the text well – the first is that the writer “was describing a hypothetical case to prove his point that a true believer cannot lose his salvation.”

It also discussed another possible interpretation, based on the fact that “crucify” and “put” in 6:6 are present participles in the Greek.  “He said that they could not be brought to repentance while they were treating Jesus Christ in a shameful way.  Once they stop disgracing Jesus Christ in this way, they can be brought to repentance and renew their fellowship with God.”

Spiritual progress in the Christian’s life results in fruitfulness – “Christian character and conduct produced by the Spirit as we mature in Christ,” according to my commentary.  But this also demands diligent effort on our part.  We can’t be lazy believers, it says.

It ended the chapter by discussing God’s promise of assurance of salvation in many different verses of the Bible, backed up by God’s oath – “Two immutable things.”  And our anchor is Jesus Christ our hope.  “We’re anchored upward – to heaven – not downward.  We are anchored, not to stand still, but to move ahead.  Our anchor is sure – it cannot break – and steadfast – it cannot slip…  If we start to drift from the Word, then we will also start to doubt the Word.  Before long we will get dull toward the Word and become lazy believers.  The best way to keep from drifting is – to lay hold of the anchor.”

Father, thank You for these explanations.  Thank You for anchoring me heavenward.  Pull me along, helping me make spiritual progress.  Don’t let me start to drift and doubt and get dull toward Your Word.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 5 -- More About Jesus' Superiority Over Moses and Warnings About Not Making Progress Spiritually

This short chapter took up pages in my commentary.  It explained how the writer continued to show the Jewish Christians that Jesus’ title, ordination, sympathy, and sacrifice was greater than those offered to them by Moses under the old covenant.

He then told them that as Christians we need to make progress, not simply hold where we are.  He listed several marks of spiritual immaturity:

--  Dullness toward the Word – “These believers started on their backward journey by drifting from the Word, and then doubting the Word.  As a result, they were now dull of hearing; that is, unable to listen to the Word, receive it, and act on it.”

--  Inability to share spiritual truth – “Instead of helping others to grow, these Hebrew Christians were in need of learning again the simple teachings of the Christian life.

--  A baby food diet – “The milk of the Word refers to what Jesus Christ did on earth – His birth, life, teaching, death, burial, and resurrection.  The meat of the Word refers to what He is now doing in heaven.  We begin the Christian life on the basis of His finished work on earth.  We grow in the Christian life on the basis of His unfinished work in Heaven.

--  Unskillful in using the Word – “An immature believer will listen to an preacher on the radio or television and not be able to identify whether or not he is true to the Scriptures.”

My commentary also quoted what a pastor said about most Christians being “betweeners”:  “They are between Egypt and Canaan – out of the place of danger, but not yet into the place of rest and rich inheritance.  They are between Good Friday and Easter Sunday – saved by the blood but not yet enjoying newness of resurrection life.”

Father, help me to keep growing spiritually.  Provide me with discernment and give me a hunger for the meat of growth in holiness so that I can continue to help others to find You and to discover Your will for their lives.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 4 -- Why WE Have It So Much Better

The writer continued to explain to Jewish Christians why the new system was so much better than the old one.  They knew that common people could not approach the mercy seat on the ark in the Holy of Holies where God resided when they needed Him.  Only the High Priest could do that, and only on one day each year.

But with Jesus as our Great High Priest, “as believers in Jesus Christ, we can run to our High Priest at any time, in any circumstance, and find the help that we need … When He was ministering on earth in a human body, He experienced all that we experience, and even more.  After all, a sinless person would feel temptations and trials in a much greater way than you or I could ever feel them.  Christ was tempted, yet He did not sin, and He is able to help us when we are tempted.  If we fail to hold fast to our confession of Him, we are not proving that Jesus Christ has failed.  We are only telling the world that we failed to draw on His grace and mercy when it was freely available to us,” my commentary explained.

“God sees our hearts,” it continued, “but we do not always know what is there.  God uses the Word to enable us to see the sin and unbelief in our own hearts.  The Word exposes our hearts, and then, if we trust God, the Word enables our hearts to obey God and claim His promises … In the Word we see God, and we also see how God sees us.  We see ourselves as we really are.  This experience enables us to be honest with God, to trust His will, and to obey Him.”

Father, thank You for my Great High Priest!  Thank You that I can run to Him at any moment, and that because I trust Him I can receive the grace and mercy I need to survive my temptations without sinning.  And I can know that He’s experienced what I’m experiencing, in even a much greater way, and yet He did not sin.  Please use that to help me not to sin!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 3 -- A New Lesson In Geography

The writer knew it was important to convince his Jewish brethren that Christ was greater than Moses – a pretty tall order.  “Moses was primarily the prophet of the law, while Jesus Christ is the Messenger of God’s grace… Moses was a servant in the house [the people of God] while Jesus Christ is a Son over the house  … the prophet Moses spoke about things to come, but Jesus Christ brought the fulfillment of these things …” my commentary noted.

The second of five exhortations appears here:  “He explained the danger of doubting and disbelieving the Word because of hardness of heart … When a person has an erring heart and a disbelieving heart, the result will also be a hard heart.  This is a heart that is insensitive to the Word and work of God.  So hard was the heart of Israel that the people even wanted to return to Egypt!  Imagine wanting to exchange their freedom under God for slavery in Egypt! … Every believer is tempted to give up his confession of Christ and go back into the world system’s life of compromise and bondage.  This is especially true during times of persecution and suffering.”

Finally, my commentary noted the lessons in the geography of Israel’s experiences.  Egypt was an illustration of a sinner’s bondage in this world.  Canaan (the Promised Land) represents our spiritual inheritance in Christ.  “The wilderness wonderings represent the experiences of believers who will not claim their spiritual inheritance in Christ, who doubt God’s Word and live in restless unbelief.  To be sure, God is with them … but they do not enjoy the fullness of God’s blessing.  They are ‘out of Egypt’, but they are not yet ‘in Canaan’.”

Father, help me to step fully into Your promises and to not let any disbelief prevent me from fully taking in all that You have planned for me.  Help me to be like Joshua and Caleb in my belief.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 2 -- Warnings About Drifting From God's Word

My commentary said there are five admonitions in Hebrews, and this is the first:  a warning not to drift from God’s Word.  It’s “the danger of neglecting our salvation … not rejecting, but neglecting it … We neglect God’s Word, prayer, worship with God’s people, and other opportunities for spiritual growth, and as a result, we start to drift.  The anchor is later used as an illustration of God keeping His promises,  and the anchor does not move; WE do…. Neglect of the Word of God and prayer, publicly and privately, is the cause of most spiritual drifting.”

The writer was explaining to Jews why Jesus is not inferior to angels because of His humanity.  “His humanity enabled Him to regain man’s lost dominion over creation … it enabled Him to bring many sons to glory … it enabled Him to disarm Satan and deliver us from death … and it enables Him to be a sympathetic High Priest to His people.”

My commentary also spoke of the difference between Jesus’ ministry as High Priest and His ministry as our Advocate:  “As our High Priest, our Lord is able to give us grace to keep us from sinning when we are tempted.  If we do sin, then He as our Advocate represents us before the throne of God and forgives us when we sincerely confess our sins to Him.”

Father, thank You for giving me a High Priest who has struggled in every way that I struggle – who knows what I feel and can understand how our flesh so wants what we shouldn’t have.  Thank You that He bolsters my will to obey You.  Yet when I do fail, as my Advocate He speaks to You about me and forgives me when I confess my sin, taking upon Himself the punishment for what I chose to do!  Such grace!  Such love!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 1 -- Amazingly Starts Where I Left Off Yesterday In Deuteronomy 33!

Having just read Deuteronomy 33 yesterday, I was amazed to see that my commentary referenced it regarding this chapter!  In Deuteronomy 33:2, we read that the Lord came to Mt Sinai with thousands of angels.  “Since the theme of Hebrews is the superiority of Christ and His salvation to the law of Moses, the writer would have to deal with the important subject of angels,” my commentary explained.  The Jews saw Jesus as a man, and they were used to reading about angelic spiritual beings.  Since these beings served God and helped deliver the Word, the Jews needed convincing that Jesus the man was superior to angels.

The writer brought out many Old Testament verses to make his case:

“You are My Son.  Today I have become Your Father.”  (Psalm 2:7)  That day was the day of Jesus’ resurrection, my commentary explained.

“Let all the angels worship him.”  (Deut. 32:43)  That makes Him higher than the angels.

“But God said this about His Son, ‘God, Your throne will last forever and ever.’” (Psalm 45:6-7)  “Angels minister before the throne; they do not sit on the throne,” my commentary said.

“God also says, ‘Lord, in the beginning You made the earth, and Your hands made the skies.’”  (Psalm 102:25-27)  Angels were created beings.  They did not create.  Jesus did, my commentary noted.

“And God never said this to an angel:  “Sit by Me at My right side until I put Your enemies under Your control.’”  (Psalm 110:1)  “Jesus is now at the Father’s right hand (the place of honor) … Angels are ministering spirits who serve the Lord seated on the throne … He is sovereign.  Angels are servants,” my commentary explained.

Father, I’m thankful that You settled in my mind and heart long ago that Jesus is Messiah and Your Son.  I have no doubts about His sovereignty and that angels are His servants.  Please help me, though, to grant Him absolute sovereignty over my life and don’t let me hold back anything from His control.  I do not want to deny Him access to any part of me.  If I do, gently pry my fingers away from it and reassure me that You have my absolute best in mind!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 33-34 Great Final Words

Moses wrapped up his farewell address to the people.  Several things really stuck out this morning:

“The Lord’s loved ones will lie down in safety, because He protects them all day long.  The ones He loves rest with Him… The everlasting God is your place of safety, and His arms will hold you up forever.”

In my commentary:

“The better we know the Word of God, the more able we are to express proper worship to Him.”

“God’s sovereign grace and love are never reasons for pride on the part of sinful people.  Rather, they are truths that should humble and make us want to serve Him with all our hearts.”

“Moses didn’t see the law as a burden from God but as a rich inheritance.”

“Israel’s greatest danger wasn’t the armies around them so much as the appetites within them.  Their hearts need to be weaned away from their love of idols and the sins associated with idol worship.”

“God has different ways of training His servants, and each person’s training is tailor-made by the Lord.”

Father, thank You for loving me.  Help me to rest with You.  Be my place of safety and remind me to run to Your arms.  As I read and study Your word, make me better able to worship You.  Never let pride set in because of the grace You give me, but keep me humble because You’ve given me grace.  Remind me that Your Word is not a burden to bear.  Remove the appetites within me that aren’t of You, and wean me away from what You don’t want me to have.  Thank You for tailor-making my training.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 32 -- What Will Happen

Moses gave Israel a song to remember God’s “assurances” of what they were going to do once they entered the Promised Land – how despite His blessings they were going to leave him for idols.  They would break the covenant, not God.  “Everything in creation obeys the Lord except His own people,” my commentary said.  “Moses didn’t call for a storm; he gave his message as a quiet shower trusting that the Word would soften the hard soil and produce fruit in the hearts of the people.  Speaking the truth in love is the best way to proclaim God’s love, my commentary added.

It also quoted A.W. Tozer:  “No religion has ever been greater than its idea of God.”  And, “The first step down for any church is taken when it surrenders its high opinion of God.”

Moses likened God’s interaction with His people during the wilderness journey to the way eagles eventually tear apart their nests to force their young to learn to fly.  “It’s a beautiful picture of the difficult process of maturity that God puts all of us through just as He did the nation of Israel … Every experience was an opportunity for them to grow up, but too often they regressed and acted like babies… In worshiping idols, Israel was not only grieving the Lord but also playing right into the hands of the wicked one … their attitudes and actions prevented him from loving them as He longed to do, so He had to show His love by chastening them.”

Father, please help me and those I love not to do as the Israelites did.  Help us to experience Your love as You want to show it, because of our obedience, rather than experiencing Your love through Your chastening, because of our disobedience.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 31 -- He KNOWS What They Will Do

I’m sure these were bittersweet words.  Moses had to say, “I cannot lead you anymore.  The Lord told me I would not cross the Jordan River.”  Don’t you know the people started thinking, “What will we do without Moses?”

But he reassures them, telling them that God Himself will lead them across.  He would destroy the nations for them, and He had appointed Joshua to lead them.  Moses knew that the uncertainty of this leadership change would worry them.  So he said, “Be strong and brave … Don’t be frightened, because the Lord your God will go with you.  He will not leave you or forget you.”

But they would do that to him.  It was therefore important that they regularly review what Moses had written down.  Every seven years they were commanded to review this book.  Those who’d heard it before would be forgetful of what they’d heard, and the children would need to hear it for the first time.  In particular, the youth were mentioned:  “So that they can listen and learn to respect the Lord your God and carefully obey everything in this law.  Since their children do not know this law, they must hear it.  They must learn to respect the Lord your God for as long as they live…”

God called Moses and Joshua into the Tent of Meeting, and I’m sure Joshua hated the hear these words:  “Moses, you will soon die … these people will not be loyal to Me … they will leave Me … Then I will become very angry at them, and I will leave THEM … and they will be destroyed … I know what they plan to do, even before I take them into the land I promised them.”

God knew that many of them were still carrying idols they’d brought out of Egypt and idols they’d collected along the way!

On the cusp of entering the Promised Land, they were being told how they would wreck it all with their idolatry.

Father, I know that You already know everything that I will choose to do.  I pray that You will hear my prayers and that You will increase my faith and help me to rid myself of anything that is not of You so that I won’t be sealing my future fate by my present actions as these people were.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 30 -- What's So Hard About Making This Decision??

Moses cut right to the chase.  My commentary summed it up:  “We’re created in God’s image and He gave us minds to think with, hearts to feel with, and a will to decide with, and God calls us to make right decisions.”  God has also given us His Word, readily available to us.  Yet Moses starts, “When all these blessings and curses I have described happen to you …”  They aren’t even in the Promised Land yet, but God has already shown Moses the future.  They are going to choose curses and death instead of blessings and life!  After 40 years wandering in the desert with them, you’d think that after having this revealed to him by God, Moses would simply walk away and say, “I give up!”  But God didn’t stop with that particular revelation, and what He said caused Moses to not lose hope:  “Then you and your children will return to the Lord your God, and you will obey Him with your whole being in everything I am commanding you today.  Then the Lord your God will give you back your freedom.  He will feel sorry for you … the Lord your God will prepare you and your descendants to love Him with your whole being so that you will live.”

Moses asks, “What’s so hard about making the correct decision?”  After all, it’s life or death, blessings or curses!  Why would anyone choose death and curses?  Because their hearts are far from God and they don’t trust Him.  Satan has put blinders on them and they’ve bought the lie.  And they just can’t believe that what they’re having to give up is going to be worth whatever they will someday receive because they did.  I understand that.  It comes from the old saying, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”It’s operating not by faith but by sight.  It’s a sin that’s so besetting that we cannot imagine how we could survive without it … much like an addiction, and it has overridden our intellectual processing that would tell us otherwise.  It all harkens back to 29:4 – “To this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands; you don’t really understand what you see with your eyes or hear with your ears.  I led you through the desert for 40 years, and during that time neither your clothes nor sandals wore out.  You ate no bread and drank no wine or beer.  This was so you would understand that I am the Lord your God.”

In our own lives, God is describing how, ever when we were away from Him, He loved us and prepared our minds and hearts, despite ourselves, to be able one day to recognize His fingerprints all over every area of our lives – to know that despite our sinfulness, He loves us and He kept loving us until we came back to Him.

Father, thank You for not giving up on me, despite my sinfulness!  Looking back, it’s hard to believe how far I drifted and that You pursued me anyway!  Such love!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Deuteronomy 29 -- Oh, Now I See!

God directed Moses to reveal something additional about the covenant at Sinai.  My commentary said it wasn’t a new covenant, because Moses didn’t make any blood sacrifice.  He said, “But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands; you don’t really understand what you see with your eyes or hear with your ears.  I led you through the desert for forty years, and during that time neither your clothes nor sandals wore out.  You ate no bread and drank no wine or beer.  This was so you would understand that I am the Lord your God.”

They’d been amazed at the great displays of power God had shown them during the 40 years they’d traveled, but it sounds like they’d completely missed the fact that clothing and shoes hadn’t worn out during their 40-year journey.  As children grew, hand-me-downs didn’t wear out, and adults didn’t grow larger than their clothes, likely because of the diet God was providing!  God was giving them the gift of understanding now so that they could look back and see where He’d been at work.

As they readied to enter and take the land, God warned them again not to make anyone or anything their god, for He is God and He would not prosper them if they let anyone or anything else take His place in their lives.  Even during their time in Egypt and while they were being led through the wilderness by a pillar of fire and clouds, some were carrying Egyptian idols and practicing idolatry!  And now God warns, “These are the kind of people who hear these curses but bless themselves, thinking, ‘We will be safe even though we continue doing what we want to do.’  Those people may destroy all of your land … The Lord will not forgive them … The Lord will destroy any memory of them on the earth … Your children who will come after you … will see the disasters that come to this land … ‘Why has the Lord done this?  Why is He so angry?’ And the answer will be … ‘They went and serve other gods and bowed down to gods they did not even KNOW.”

They’d had no clue about the future ramifications from what they were doing, bowing down to anyone or anything other than God and giving them or it control of their lives.  They’d one day have children and their actions would affect their children!  And their children would look back and see what their parents’ idolatry had cost them.

Father, help each of us to see when we’ve made something an idol in our lives – when we’ve let anything or anyone become more important to us than You.  In Your love, stop us before we do it!  Give us minds that understand.  Remove Satan’s blinders from our eyes.  Enable us to see Your truth.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford