A Fool No More

 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:7, NIV)

Throughout the book of Proverbs, Solomon wrote about fear. Fear, as Solomon used it, means to be in awe of and to revere. This awe and reverence occur because of who God is—omnipotent, omniscient, holy, omnipresent, faithful, good, majestic, etc. It also refers to God’s wisdom given to people and their obedience to Him based on what God tells them. Once a person becomes aware of God, that person can either reject Him or accept and obey Him.

Two ways exist to acknowledge the fear of the LORD: rejecting and accepting. (LORD is YAHWEH in Hebrew.) If a person rejects the LORD, then chaos and disharmony enter his heart and life and the world around him. When people acknowledge the LORD and fear Him, they accept Him as God and LORD. Order and calm occur. This order and calm shows by all creation working together with peace. Because God created all that exists, God’s knowledge is ultimate. His wisdom is the greatest. Accepting God as LORD means accepting God and His wisdom and knowledge. It also means living in harmony and peace with God within His ultimate plan of peace, calm, order, and harmony.

Fearing the LORD is the “beginning of knowledge,” Solomon wrote. Since God created all that exists to work at its best and in harmony with the rest of creation, seeking God’s wisdom and learning from Him causes us to gain the best knowledge. This knowledge from God, when obeyed, will cause the best outcome. Fear of the LORD—knowing Him and actively listening to Him—is from where we learn best. We humans can learn by seeking knowledge by reading, listening, watching, and doing. In each of these ways, God can teach us when we seek Him and His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

God wants us to seek Him, which we do when we revere Him and recognize He is sovereign. In our seeking, He will teach us as we listen to Him and then live out that new knowledge in our lives. Only God teaches the best lessons by which to live. Living in this way causes us to seek and revere God more, and may lead us to believe in Jesus, His Son. When we trust in Jesus as our Savior, He washes our sins from us, gives us eternal life, and gives us an eternal relationship with God.

Solomon contrasted the person who fears the LORD and receives knowledge and wisdom from Him. He called a fool the person who does not fear God. What fools did Solomon write about? Since he contrasted them with those who revere, learn from and live with wisdom from God, a fool is a person who does not do these things. The fool’s life causes chaos and discord in his life, the lives of people around him, and in his relationship with his Creator—the LORD God.

Solomon taught more about this fool. He said the fool despises wisdom and discipline. He looks down on the wisdom and discipline a wise person gets from God. The fool considers the LORD and His children are insignificant. Because he disconnects himself from God, the source of truth and good, he is amoral. The fool is selfish, disregarding others and harming creation. By doing that, he declares these people have no worth to him; he does not care about them. The fool disconnects himself from God and other people. He cares not for his social or legal standing in the community. The fool chooses not to live by the values and judgments of society, which mirror many of God’s values, ethics, and judgments. This fool possesses self-created wisdom.

Solomon compared the person seeking true wisdom from its source, God, with the person who does not. He called this person a fool. The seeker of God gains true wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He cultivates discipline, benefiting humanity and nature. The person who seeks God helps keep calm, harmony, and order in his community and the world. He gains a closer relationship with God, then comes to believe in His Son, Jesus. This seeker of God gains his heart’s desire and eternal reward of living with and being in a close relationship with God. The fool becomes surrounded by discord and chaos. His wisdom and knowledge will often fail him and others because it comes from the mind of a fallible. The fool strays from God; intimacy with God eludes him.

What is the remedy for the fool about whom Solomon wrote? Solomon's recording at the beginning of this verse reads, "Fear the Lord." Yes, this fear can include fearing judgment for our sins, but it should not stay that way. For a fool to change, he must arrive at the point of revering God, seeking Him and His ways, and seeking change in his life. He must come to the point of confessing and repenting of his sin and believing in Jesus, the Son of God, as His Savior. When the fool seeks God for His life, he receives calm, peace, and harmony. The past fool will live in communion with his community while caring for them and God’s creation. The once foolish man will fear God, gain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding from its fount—God, and experience peace within himself and with others. He will be God's child, enjoying eternal closeness with God.

God should be foremost in our thoughts. Seeking God will affect our actions, words, and attitude. Taking from Solomon’s thoughts:

1.      Choose to make God and His ways your primary thoughts and let those affect your words, actions, and thoughts.

2.      Gain knowledge of and from God. Grow in His wisdom, a gift He gives to those who follow Him.

3.      Give these gifts back to Him as a service offering.

Your obedience to God is your offering back to Him from His good gifts of salvation, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these (good) things will be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33, BSB)

God Renews, So

 

“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16 

Don’t lose heart, become spiritless, give up, and lose the will to go on. Yes, our physical bodies are aging and decaying. But, if we, individually, believe in Jesus, God will renew our inner self—heart, mind, and spirit—to be like Christ’s. We do not and cannot renew our inner selves.

God’s renewing our inner selves makes us more able to daily know what to do, say, and think. When we stay in tune with God daily, He renews us. He never grows tired or weary, like we mortals do. God continues to renew us, strengthen and embolden us, guide, and teach us. His never gives up on renewing us or calling the unsaved to turn to Him. God’s love, power, and patience are limitless. He is our strength, power, inspiration, teacher, guide, protector, and provider. We hold onto Him by continuing to pray, read and study the Bible, worship Him, and do what He says. 

There’s more. The “therefore” at the beginning of this verse leads us to consider what Paul wrote before verse 16. This “therefore” means that because of something or despite something…. we must remember God is renewing us, so we shouldn’t become spiritless, afraid, faint, or give up, unless God says to.

What happened before verse 16 that Paul wants us to remember? Verse seven tells us to remember we are mortal. As God’s servants and children, we will be… 

*hard-pressed, but not crushed

*Perplexed but not despairing

*Persecuted but not forsaken

*Struck down but not destroyed

Why? Because God is more powerful than anything that comes against us, and He renews us. He keeps His children from being crushed, despairing, forsaken, and destroyed. Only God can utterly destroy anything and anyone. 

Nothing anyone or spiritual being does can ever remove us from God’s hands. Our mortal flesh already is decaying, but God is renewing our inner self. He gave us the new inner self when we believed. Nothing and nobody can take it from us. 

Instead, though we are mortal, we gladly give our lives for Jesus’ sake to reveal Him to other people (verse 11). We do this so those people can see the life of Jesus through our words, actions, and attitudes, and believe in Him for themselves.

Therefore, don’t lose heart, faint, or grow weary because of the task, fatigue, numbers of people and their needs, or persecution that may come. Yes, your mortal body is decaying. Yet, God is renewing your inner self daily to be more like Jesus and be in closer communion with Him. 

“Those who wait upon the Lord will receive renewed strength and will Mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” —Isaiah 40:31

Being Least

 

They (James and John) said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. But to sit on My right or on My left is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” Hearing this, the other ten felt indignant with James and John. Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them, and their people in high position exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you; rather, whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant; and whoever wants to be first among you shall be a slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:37-45, NASB, 2020)

    This example of hearing something different from what the speaker intended happens often with people. James and John, two of the three apostles in Jesus’ inner circle, asked to have a position of authority forever in Jesus’ glory. Their idea proved they still had the world’s mindset. The other ten apostles heard what they asked with the same mindset and responded with surprise. That misunderstanding led them to challenge the two brothers. The ten apostles wanted people to see them as having authority and leadership, not just John and James. Understanding these things, let’s walk through this lesson.

    Amazingly, Jesus did not get frustrated or angry with his twelve disciples, but was patient and gracious as He taught them and made them to be fishers of men. By this time, Jesus had been with His twelve chosen men for almost three years. The Twelve had seen the miracles Jesus did, heard the teachings He spoke, and watched how He interacted with people. Right before James and John made their request of Jesus, Jesus told His disciples the chief priests would condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the Gentiles (Romans) to be mocked, spit on, flogged, and put to death, but He would rise three days later (Mark 10:33-34).

    This causes later readers and hearers of the disciples’ discussion with Jesus to wonder if the disciples had been listening to Him. Jesus had taught them several things in the earlier verses. To Him, each person is important. Consider the following teachings by Jesus in Mark 1.

     In Mark 10:1-12, Jesus corrected the Pharisees’ interpretation of Moses’ law that they could divorce their wives and marry another woman. The Pharisees only understood the words Moses said and allowed that to guide them in life. They had not recognized Moses and God, who guided Moses’ leadership over the Israelites, had given this law because the Israelites had hardened hearts. They did not want to follow God’s command that each man should have one wife. With the law God gave to Moses to proclaim, God protected the wives from becoming outcasts because of being divorced—a used woman, not a virgin. He protected them from a life of ostracism and poverty. As a married woman, she would have a husband to provide for and protect her. As a divorced woman, she had no one to provide for and protect her, unless she had a son who would take care of her. This law protected the husband, too, by keeping him from being considered an adulterer when he married another woman. The people did not care about God’s intent for the law, just the letters of the law, what was seen and heard. Women and men are important to God. Nobody should be cast off like dirt. Likewise, men should not cast off their wives, just as God would not cast His own people away.

    Next in Mark, Jesus welcomed and blessed the children. His disciples had tried to keep them away from Jesus. Jesus was “indignant” with them for keeping the children away. Young children were nobodies in society. They were trained at home. Children shepherds, carried the day’s water from the well, learned the family trade, were taught the Law and Prophets, and a person spoke to them. With Mark 10:13-16, Jesus saw the children. He welcomed them. Jesus took them in His arms, blessed them, and laid His hands upon them. Jesus’ recognition of them and deep care of and blessing of the children showed all who saw and heard that they are important. People should love and bless children, as Jesus showed by example. Children are not nobodies. God welcomes them into His kingdom with open arms. They are important.

    In Mark 10:17-31, Jesus spoke with a rich, young ruler. The disciples asked questions of Jesus about what He said to the ruler. This young ruler asked a deep question. He asked, “What shall I do so that I may inherit eternal life?” This young man recognized Jesus as a teacher of Scripture. He sincerely wanted to be with God in heaven. When Jesus reminded the ruler of the last six commandments, the young man said he had kept them since he was a youth. Jesus zeroed into the heart of the man and the matter. He knew the thing that would keep the young man away from God and inheriting heaven. Jesus next replied to the young ruler to sell all he owned and give to the poor, then he would have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ answer continued. He added, “then come follow Me.” Mark explained the man left “deeply dismayed.” The young man kept the commandments. He recognized obeying the commandments would not make him sinless to he could “inherit heaven.” His mind knew the laws. Jesus’ words went deeper; they went to the young man’s heart. The young ruler wanted to keep doing things without a change in his life’s circumstances. Jesus knew what kept the man from inheriting heaven. The young man’s things of earth held greater sway over him than being right with God. He made his possessions his god instead of Yahweh. When Jesus confronted this young ruler, the young man understood what Jesus meant; he knew Jesus spoke to his heart, not just his head. This man did not want to go beyond the letter of the law, the words. He wanted to do things without considering his heart. Jesus loved this man, just as He did the children and the Pharisees. He wanted them to understand who they are, who He is, and to believe in Him for salvation.

    Jesus explained this to His disciples after the rich, young ruler walked away dismayed. He said people who are rich have a harder time entering heaven. Poor people enter the kingdom of God more easily, Jesus added. The disciples expressed astonishment at this teaching. They asked, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus explained, salvation comes only by God. People cannot earn salvation by following the commandments or any other law or precept. The rich young ruler was weighed down by the treasures of earth and would not cast them off even to follow Jesus and be saved.

    After hearing this conversation, Mark wrote Peter told Jesus, “We have left everything and followed You.” The disciples each had left everything behind to follow Jesus when He commanded them to follow Him. Jesus heard Peter’s words and understood his unspoken question of, “Will we inherit heaven?” Jesus said, everyone who has left all his possessions and his loved ones to follow Him will get more in this world, including persecution. Inheriting heaven requires more sacrifice than losing earthly treasures. It involves being closely identified with Jesus. That means the follower may be persecuted just as Jesus was. Yet these followers will inherit eternal life. True disciples leave behind all ties in and to this world and follow Jesus, even though they will face persecution. Their reward is greater than what they forsook. The reward is eternity with God.

    One other point Jesus made. His followers should place themselves last, not first (vs. 31). Serving God should be foremost in their minds, hearts, and actions. The rich, young ruler willingly gave his mind and actions up to a point. He was unwilling to give his heart and obedience to Jesus’ leading from his heart’s conviction. Jesus spent time with this young man because he was important, like the children and Pharisees were important. The rich ruler was not a nobody in the world’s eyes and he refused to give away what made him a somebody in his world. Jesus spoke to and about religious leaders (the religious and moral leaders of the Jews, who were important because of their jobs), children (the lowly nobodies of society), and a rich, young ruler (important by wealth and status). Each of these people received their status by human standards. Jesus turned the tables on their understanding of people’s importance. The last (the least/lowliest in people’s eyes) shall be first (the ones who would believe in Jesus and inherit salvation easiest) and the first (the people who see no need for believing in Jesus because they have everything they need) shall be last.

    Jesus spoke to and taught about the greatest and least in society according to humanity’s standards. He explained they each are important, and He came so each person can inherit heaven. With Jesus’ next teaching, He explained how that would be. Jesus foretold the suffering and death He would experience (vs. 33-34). He would be arrested, condemned to death, flogged, beaten, hung on a cross, and die, yet death would not confine Him. Jesus would return to life from death. In Mark’s account of Jesus telling His disciples this, Peter did not rebuke Jesus for saying these things, unlike in Matthew 16:22. Instead, Mark recorded James and John asking Jesus to grant them to be seated on His left and right hand in the kingdom of heaven. John and James believed in Jesus, served Him, and wanted to have a seat of priority and authority in heaven. These two brothers wanted recognition from people. Had they not heard what Jesus had just said about the rich, young ruler? Did they misunderstand leaders would serve and the last would become first by their so doing (vs. 31)? Matthew 20:20-28 records James’ and John’s mother asked this of Jesus for her sons. She did not understand what she requested for her sons.

    Jesus explained what it meant for a leader, one who is first in the eyes of people, to become one of the least. He knew these two disciples of His did not understand what they asked from Him when they desired to be first in His kingdom among all the people. Jesus taught by asking them a question. He began by telling them they did not know what they asked of Him. Jesus then asked James and John in verse 31, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” Without pause, they replied they understood, but did they? Jesus did not mean they were to drink from the same dinner cup Him drank or to rise from the Jordan River after being baptized in water. Drinking the same cup meant to follow Jesus in the same way He walked, lived, and died. Jesus had explained to them just a moment before that He would be tortured, condemned to death, and die on a cross. Had these two disciples misheard or misunderstood? Did they misunderstand Jesus’ analogy of the cup and baptism? Maybe they were too eager and did not count the total cost of discipleship in their head. Possibly, they were too quick to ensure they received the coveted position of authority. Perhaps these two disciples asked and replied hastily to get done what their mother asked them to do. Whatever the reason, Jesus granted them the servantship of a leader who would become one of the least. He told them, “The cup that I drink, you shall drink, and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized” (vs. 39).  Jesus gave them what He intended for them as His disciples. Then He answered them about their request. Jesus said, “To sit on My right or My left is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared” (vs. 40). Jesus, the Son, knew the Father’s intention about this. He understood God had prepared these seats of authority for others.

    Jesus did not and could not give the seats of recognition, authority, and power to James and John because the Godhead had already determined who would occupy them. In keeping with what He had been teaching, Jesus reiterated the heart of the person is what God requires, not action from position or status. Those who inherit heaven are the meek—the nobodies of society and the ones who serve God by serving other people. Even with these teachings and examples, the disciples feared others would have authority and power over them. How do we know? Mark recorded in verse 41 the other ten disciples became indignant with John and James. Each person understands the feeling these ten disciples experienced. We ourselves may have experienced it in our families or at work when someone who we considered our equal or lesser gets a position, coveted task, or reward we felt we deserved. It can occur when that person tries to get noticed for a position above ours. Our response might be anger and indignation toward that person. The ten disciples may have felt these things toward James and John. Why did James and John think were so special? Peter, of those ten disciples, must have felt this more since he was one of the three in Jesus’ inner circle. Jesus understood the hearts of men and of these twelve men who had lived with him for three years. He realized they were angry in their hearts at James and John, though they did not say so. Jesus reminded them Gentile leaders ruled over them and they themselves had people who ruled over them. The world works in that way. A hierarchy of power exists in the way humanity runs the world and all creation in it. Yet, that is not the God’s way.

    Jesus reminded the twelve disciples that is not the way they are to be. He explained that the prominent one serves the others and the one who aspires to be the first among them must be the slave of them all. Jesus explained that even the Son of Man (the Son of God) did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for people (vs. 45). A true follower of Jesus does what is necessary in life to help/serve other people, not considering if wealth or sickness will come because of serving as God leads him. In this way, the one who is first (the one who has received the promise of eternity in God’s kingdom by his faith in Jesus) is the one who must serve others at God’s command so they will live better lives and come to know Jesus as their Savior, too. Lest we think we are too good to do what God asks, or we have done what He required and now deserve a better job, remember Jesus did what was necessary to provide humanity with salvation and eternity in heaven with Him. He also came back to life and lived among people continuing to teach for 40 more days on earth before His ascension. We are never too good to do what God tells us to do. No matter how often God tells us to do a task, we are only done with it when God tells us to do something different.  

    No person is beneath any other. Christians especially need to make this mental note a permanent part of their lives by living it out through their hearts. Nobody is worthless and unworthy to be saved. No person in the world is a nobody who does not deserve recognition. Jesus saw, loved, and blessed the children. He recognized the hearts of the Jews who wanted to divorce their wives and provided the correct teaching to love and protect wives from becoming outcasts and labels as sinners. Jesus understood the heart and mind of the rich, young ruler who tried to work his way into heaven. He loves them and wants them to recognize Him and receive an inheritance in the kingdom of God. No person is beneath another. We each are sinners who need the Savior. No one is superior to others. The one whom God puts into leadership/authority has responsibility for serving the people who need help, who have less, or who do not know Jesus. God puts each person in positions not to flaunt it over others or drive them into the ground, but to help them and be a channel of God’s blessings to them by word and action. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. His way of living led to condemnation, persecution, and death. His death provides salvation. Jesus’ resurrection provides eternal life to each person who believes in Him. His authority provides all anyone needs in this life and eternally.

     The questions that come from this chapter are: In which position has God placed you? What does God want you to do with your position, authority, and resources He has given you? Today, for whom will you become least so that you can serve him or her?

     James was the first apostle to die for following and preaching Jesus and the salvation He gives. He was killed by the sword. John was the oldest and last apostle to die. He spent his life teaching and preaching. John was exiled from people but continued to teach through his letters until his death. Both men drank of Jesus’ cup and were baptized with His baptism. Are you drinking of Jesus’ cup today? Are you willing to be baptized with Jesus’ baptism? Be like these leaders who became least to serve Jesus and people until their dying breath.

Freedom and Humility

 “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”

— Galatians 5:13

 

Paul wrote, “You, who have become my brothers and sisters because of your believing faith in Jesus, were called to be free” (paraphrase). God called you to Himself and removed the shackles of your old, sinful nature so you were not bound to be powerless against temptation and evil forces. He made you free by His power through Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself on the cross to pay the judgment price for your sins. You are free! You have God’s power available to you now to defeat temptation and evil by walking in step with the Holy Spirit who lives in you. 

 

Since God called you to freedom and has freed you, don’t entangle yourself with your old desires and sins. Your freedom gives you the right and ability to have and live the best life—the perfect life God created you for. (God only gives good gifts)

 

What does that best life include? It includes the penultimate example of what Jesus showed you. Just as Jesus loves you and loved people while on earth (all who were/are not biologically His family), you, too, serve and humbly love others. For Jesus said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39 and Galatians 5:14)” By doing this, you obey God and His commandments and show your love for Him with your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37). Your serving is a willing submission (humility) of your right to yourself because of your love for God by obeying Him eternally. 

 

Today, will you use the freedom you received from Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to entangle yourself with your old desires? Or, will you use your freedom to humbly and gratefully love God by humbly serving your brothers and sisters in Christ?

Shepherd of My Heart

 

²Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be, not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve. ⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:2, 6-7 (NIV)

 As we humble ourselves to do God’s will and serve others because we willingly obey Him, we should do this because we love Him, not because we must. If we have cares and anxieties that burden us and cause us to be distracted in our obedience to Him or cause us to think twice before obeying Him, then we must give those anxieties and cares to Him. God does not ask us to ignore those difficulties, but to willingly obey Him and receive His heart-peace, shalom, knowing He will take care of what causes us anxiety.

God cares for your heart. He cares about what keeps you from willingly saying yes to Him. God cares about your anxieties and fears you continue to bear as you serve Him. When you answer, “Yes” to God, give Him your anxieties with your willing submission of obedience. He will lift you up. Your burdens will be lighter because you gave them to Him. Covenant is two-sided.

¹⁰And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. ¹¹To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:10-11 (NIV)

Purpose, not Fear

God did this (see verses 24-26) so we would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far away from any one of us. ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ (Acts 17:27-28 [NIV])

Imagine you and a navigator use a rowboat to travel over the waters. You begin the journey with hearty conversation and begin dreaming about the future. Periodically, the navigator tells you when to veer eastward or westward. You trust him because he knows more than you, and you and he have the same agenda. After days of being in the boat with the navigator, you’ve talked all you want, and the air goes silent except for the splash of your oars as they break the surface of the water. You can’t hear the navigator, but you keep paddling. Eventually, you realize you’ve not seen anyone on the water for a long time. Then you realize you’ve not asked the navigator for directions in a long time. At that point, you understand you stopped listening to and left him and you don’t have any way to know where you are. You lose your way and become stranded on your own, then you don’t know what to do as panic rises within you.

Jesus is like the navigator of the boat. We often see Him as unnecessary for our journey, then go on our merry way. Still, as we continue, we realize we had a sure purpose and direction in life when we listened as the navigator gave directions. We realize we learned about life as we talked with Him throughout the journey. As children of God, we have a purpose in life. 

Jesus’ purpose and calling on earth was to live as the Son of God as the Son of Man to fulfill prophecies about the Messiah and become the Savior of the world by dying on the cross. Each Christian has a God-ordained purpose, too. Our purpose is to let the Son of God live and move and have His being in us (Acts 17:28) so that other people will seek Him, see Him, and come to know Him as their Savior. Our purpose as Christians is to bring glory to God by testifying about Him.

When Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane for the last time, He entered it already a victor because He is the Son of God. He prayed intently not to fail in His purpose of dying as the Son of Man. Jesus came to earth to die on the cross for each person to remove their sins, which caused their separation from God, and their resultant judgment. God had defeated Satan long before when He cast Satan out of heaven. As the Son of God living on earth, Jesus defeated Satan, too, during His forty days in the wilderness when he tempted Jesus, but Jesus did not yield to sin. The challenge that faced Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane was going through His crucifixion as a man, the Son of Man. Going through the agony as the Son of Man revealed He accepted the purpose God had given Him as the Son of God. His agony provided humanity the simplest way to be saved from their sins. Jesus’ greatest action, dying on the cross, provided humankind the greatest victory, victory over sin and death. Salvation through Jesus makes us co-heirs with Him in the kingdom of heaven. As such, we do need not fear what may happen to us, but instead follow in Jesus’ footsteps with His strength. The writer of the book of Romans said, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ-if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:16-17 [BSB]) We are co-heirs with Jesus through His death and resurrection. God’s children do need not fear, but just follow Him. He has a purpose for our lives that is for our good. God will always be with us, for us, and in us.

We each face similar challenges in fulfilling the purpose of God in our lives. The greatest challenge is saying, “Yes, I will give my will, my life, my all so that the will of God can live, move, and have its being through me and in that way other people can come to know Jesus and the salvation He offers.” The challenge is do I want my will or God’s will to rule my life. This challenge comes throughout our lives as life-choice questions. Should I take the job offered to me with higher pay so I can provide more for my family, even knowing it will mean we must move and the ministry in which God has placed me will suffer? Should I seek safety and comfort closer to family offered by my employer during a perilous or pandemic time, even though the ministry in which God put me will suffer and people would turn their backs on God? Should I seek a degree in a field that offers surety of employment and good money, even if God has gifted me in the arts and has told me to get a degree in the arts? These and other life choices arise, and we must decide if we will live as a person the Son of God lives in, moves through, and in whom He has His being so other people would seek Him, see Him, and know Him as their Savior.

More is at stake than our own lives and fears when we live as the son or daughter of God. As heirs of salvation, for that is what Jesus said we, His disciples, are in Matthew 25:34 and of what Paul reminds us in Romans 8:16-17, we are the body of Christ on earth to testify about Him and God’s great love. God calls each of us to tell people about Him so those people may be saved. Jesus’ salvation was not for a few select people, but for all people. Jew, Greek, male, female, slave or free, He loves and cherishes every person. God has a purpose for where He places us and for what He tells us to do. That purpose may sometimes put us in uncomfortable situations. Thoughts may come to mind that we can find another job somewhere else. Or, our families need us to provide more money so they can do X or Y or Z. Or, surely God doesn’t want us to die far from my family?

If we seek ease, money, or health over God’s will, we hinder God’s means to reach the people to whom He wanted us to be a living testimony of Him, so they would come to know Jesus Christ as the Son of God, their Savior. This does not mean the people He wants to know about Him won’t hear about Him; it means He won’t use us to do it. Besides this, if we choose to go our own way and not God’s way, we don’t know if what we sought instead of God’s plans will occur. Perhaps a job for which we moved will not be a good “fit” for us, and our families experience more problems in that city. Or, possibly, going our own way instead of God’s will lead to an avoidable health crisis that we wouldn’t have experienced if we followed His plan. Considering factors besides ourselves, the people God meant for us to meet would not hear a testimony of Christ from us or they would think we don’t believe God can protect us. Finally, if we seek a degree that “guarantees” a good income, the people we would have met in the art world might not hear about Jesus, and the income might be too little on which to live. Making decisions based on self because of fear or personal desire will often lead us away from God’s plan and possibly into hardships against which we cannot stand by ourselves.

The purpose of Jesus’ life, the Son of God and the Son of Man, was to be our Savior through His crucifixion, the most agonizing of deaths. Similarly, the purpose of our lives, as co-heirs with Christ, is to be a living testimony to Jesus. Our lives  are meant to show His living, moving, and being through our actions, words, and thoughts. Considering laying aside our agendas and our ideas of what is best and where is safest for us is agonizing. Still we must remember, Jesus’ agony on the cross was the greatest suffering ever experienced by humanity. Jesus, as Son of Man, probably dreaded the pain of crucifixion just as we dread what might happen to us if we don’t take our lives into our own hands. Even in the face of crucifixion, Jesus told His Father, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39 [NIV]) The Son of Man gave His will entirely to the will of the Father though it would require a crucifixion death because of humanity’s sins and a separation from the Father until it was “finished”.

Where is God telling you to be today? What is He telling you to do today? To whom is God telling you to go? Nothing you can figure out for your own life is greater than living, being, and moving for Him because nothing is more important than obeying Him and leading people to know Jesus as their Savior. Your life choices are not more important than eternal salvation from hell. Your health, safety, and wealth are not more important that God’s plan to save each person.

When you choose to do what you want and ignore what God asks you to do, you choose your desires over someone’s eternal life.

You could be condemning someone to eternal separation from God.

Who are you to decide someone should go to Hell?

God was the navigator of your rowboat as you began your Christian journey with Him. You enjoyed daily conversation with Him and learning from Him. You realized you never had to worry about how to get food and fresh water to drink. God taught you many things and took you to meet people you wouldn’t have met if He hadn’t been your navigator. He wanted you to talk with other people on your journey to glean from their journey with Him or to tell them about your relationship with Him. One day, after having exhausted conversation topics with your journey companion, you realize God is not in your boat anymore. He has not navigated your journey for a long time. Now you paddle in circles without meeting many people and without eternal purpose. You don’t know where you are or how to get to any place. Think back to when your journey began. How did you know what to do then? You spoke with God daily. You sought Him. God promised that when you seek for Him, you will find Him. (Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9; Acts 17:24-28)

But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29 [NIV])

Today, you can choose to renew your relationship with God. Pray to Him. Read your Bible. God waits for you to turn back to Him. He loves you, has a purpose for your life, and wants to be your Navigator again.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 [NIV])

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4 [ESV])

Choose today who you will serve – God or yourself.

Lord, forgive me for being blinded by my ego and fear, and considering You less important than me. Forgive me for my self-centered view of life. I had never considered my choices could affect someone’s eternal situation – permanent separation from You or permanent life with You. Lord, I am sorry. I got into the boat with You to live life with You, but then I put You ashore and set out on my own agenda. Lord, You are most important in life and eternity. Your gift of salvation is more important than anything I could ever do for myself or anyone else. Lord, You are almighty, faithful, and loving, and I am not any of those things. Today, Lord, I give the oar to my boat, my life, back to You. Lead me where You want me to go. I will trust Your plans and live Your purpose for my life to bring You glory as I obey You by telling people about You and the salvation You offer. I must decrease and You must increase. I understand this better now. Thank you for Your patience with me. I love You, Lord. Amen.

Fear or Compulsion

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 [ESV])

What controls you? Fear? Greed? Envy? Stature? Christ? We live in a time of fear for illness and death because of a worldwide pandemic from a coronavirus. This fear causes people to be greedy and buy more supplies than needed from grocery and drug stores. It causes people to say and do hurtful things to other people. This fear is causing some people not to have the staples of life in their homes and they are hungry, do not have medicine, and don’t even have simple things like toilet tissue. Fear is causing people to be inhuman to others. They care about no one except themselves. Fear is controlling their thoughts, words, and actions.

Paul spoke about being controlled by something/Someone. He wrote about this in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 Why be controlled by something that causes you and other people grief and pain? The word “controlled” Paul used in these verses comes from the Greek word meaning to be compelled. Being compelled means being controlled by something or someone. What compels you? Striving after your own goals no matter the cost? Striving to beat death, fear, or poverty? Paul said he was controlled/compelled by Christ. Christ died for each person so none would live only with thoughts for him/herself (earthly, flawed emotions and intentions), but for Him, the eternal, sinless One who loves all people and desires they be saved from their sins.

In the first part of 2 Corinthians 5, Paul wrote about his desire to be with God in His kingdom. He compared this to being clothed by His Holy Spirit. God gives His children, Christians, His Spirit to live within and change them into being more like Christ. Since His children have His Spirit living in them, they long more and more to be with God and to do what He desires. God’s great desire is that all people come to a saving relationship with Him. Because of God’s love for him, Paul felt compelled by love for God to tell and show other people about His love. Paul said his aim was to please the Lord. His love for God compelled him to please Him by his obedience to Him to tell everyone in the world about Jesus. Since Paul’s chief aim was to please God, no other purpose took precedence. Things that could have taken precedence would have been fear for his life, security of home and food, stature among other Jews and Jewish leaders, and bodily health. Paul stated definitively what controlled him was the love of Christ (vs 14).

Understanding this from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, what controls/compels you? Do you want to be controlled by earthly, flawed emotions and intentions? Or would you rather be controlled and compelled by the sinless, eternal One, Jesus Christ? Jesus’ love for each person compelled Him to die the death each of us should receive as judgment for our sins. Jesus allowed His love for us to compel Him to die for us.

In this time of a worldwide health pandemic, what compels and controls you? Your fear of death and not having necessities? Instead, allow the love of Christ who died for you to compel and control you. Allow God’s love to control you so you help other people, are not panicked, and buy only what you need. Seek to serve others, especially those who cannot take care of themselves well during this time such as older adults, homeless people, people with immune deficiencies, people who are chronically ill, and neighbors on your street. Think of these people first, then you will be like Jesus who humbled Himself by taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7).

Are you afraid? Are you worried? Now is the time to pray and to talk to other Christians. Seek the peace of God that surpasses all understanding so your hearts and minds will be guarded by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Have the peace that Christ left with His disciples, not the peace the world tries to give, but His perfect peace so that your heart is not troubled or afraid (John 14:27). Put into practice what Christ has put into you and what He practiced, and God’s peace will be with you (Philippians 4:9).

If you are not a Christian and want to have this eternal peace that comes from God, talk to a minister or a Christian. Pray to God asking Him to give you His peace and to help you understand His saving love. Believe Jesus is the Son of God, confess your sins, and accept Him as your Savior from sin and death, then God’s perfect peace will be in you. Have the peace Isaiah spoke about in Isaiah 26:3, “You (God) will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!” (NLT)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 [ESV])

Lord, please forgive me for getting panicked about my life during this pandemic. Please give me Your peace. Use me for Your purposes during this time so other people receive help and know You love them. Keep me safe in Your faithful hands as I give myself to You and show my love to You by obeying Your compulsion to serve others. Help me keep my mind centered on You and not the trials surrounding me in the world today. Thank you, Lord, for Your love and faithfulness. Amen.

Salt-Giver

“So then any of you who does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33 [AMP])

In Luke 14:26-33, Luke wrote of Jesus speaking to the crowd who followed Him. Jesus spoke about what a person must do to be His disciple. The things Jesus said a disciple must do sound harsh-hate your mother, father, wife, husband, children, and yourself (vs. 26-27). When one looks at the original text, the intention is that you love Jesus more than these. Put your relationship and devotion to these people in your life lower than your devoted love to Jesus. Jesus said His followers must persevere, carry his or her own cross, and follow Him. He spoke to the heart of people in this part of His teaching.

These sound like difficult, negative things. How can Jesus speak about hating people when He loved humanity enough to die for it?

In verses twenty-eight through twenty-nine, Jesus said a follower who doesn’t count the cost of following Him is like a man who began to build a farm building but ran out of funds. He said people would mock and ridicule this man for not counting his cost well enough to see if he had the funds to pay for the building (Luke 14:29-30). Jesus spoke to the pride, the emotions, of a person in this part of His teaching.

This, too, sounds difficult. No one wants people to ridicule or laugh at them. So many people considered Jesus to be a cult leader and when He died, the people would point fingers at His followers and laugh at them for being gullible. How could Jesus stand up to this ridicule Himself as He faced religious leaders and others wherever He went?

In Luke 14:31-33, Jesus used the idea of one king confronting another in battle. He said His followers need to count the cost by preparing and understanding they and their personal resources are less than God’s. One king realized he had half the soldiers the other king did. When this realization came upon him, he sent an envoy to seek the terms of peace. A person’s resources end at death. God’s resources continue throughout eternity. If a person begins to follow Jesus but not with his or her whole being, then he or she wasn’t a true believer at all. That person’s resources will end; whereas, if the person was a true believer, he or she would have had access to the greater King’s resources and would have gained righteousness and eternal life. Jesus spoke to the mind and spirit of a person with this part of His teaching.

A follower of Jesus is not just one who physically follows today and tomorrow, but next week has another leader or another plan. A follower of Jesus is one who counts the cost, the cost of loving Jesus more than anyone or anything one has whether family, self (heart, soul, mind, and body), or possessions. Jesus compared the fickle follower to unsalty salt. Salt keeps its flavor when undiluted. Comparatively, followers of Jesus continue to follow Him when they do not seek to add other things to their lives and so dilute the teachings of Jesus and their devotion to Him. Jesus said to these people, “Salt is good, but if salt has become tasteless (bland and flat), with what will it be seasoned?” (vs. 34 [AMP]) If salt has lost its strength and become flat, how will its saltness be restored?

Being a follower of Jesus requires a commitment of heart, soul, mind, and strength. It’s not just a physical (bodily) following of Him by going to church on Christmas and Easter, or for those who are more “religious”, every Sunday morning. It’s a daily devoted following of Jesus by going to your quiet place, giving your heart to God each day, humbling yourself by recognizing your feebleness and sinfulness, supplicating for forgiveness, and recognizing who God is, His greatness. It is a moment-by-moment seeking God’s will and plan for each event that happens in your days and years. This is loving God with your whole being-heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).

Jesus taught in the Sermon on the mount, “First and most importantly seek, aim for, and strive after His [God’s] kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right], and all these things will be given to you also.” (Matthew 6:33 [AMP]) When we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, we seek God and His attitude and character. We are enabled to love Jesus more than our family members. We’ve counted the cost and know we are unable to finish the task, but the Master has all the resources we need to finish the building. We recognize our finiteness in time, power, and strength and recognize God’s omnipotence (power). With God’s strength, we can do anything. We can continue walking in the ways of Jesus. We continue to think of honorable and right things. We have pride in Jesus and not ourselves-who we are and what we can do. We recognize the greatness of the salvation Jesus gave us and don’t take it for granted. Jesus paid the ultimate price-His life.

With this understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, devotedly loving Him with our heart, soul, mind, and strength more than ourselves, our family and friends, and our things, we can persevere resolutely, carry our cross determinedly, and follow Jesus persistently. With this mindset, we can join Joshua and say as he did in Joshua 24:15,

“If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live, but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” [italics added for emphasis, AMP]

Lord, I find myself wanting to falter in following You. I come to a point to make a decision and I want to take the easy way. Often that means not following You. Please forgive me for my laziness and disobedience. Forgive me of making myself my own god. After each time I choose my own way, I realize my sinfulness and insufficiency then I remember Your righteousness and greatness. Lord, I do not deserve Your love and forgiveness and I am humbled each time You give these to me. You are so much greater than I could ever think or imagine myself to be. You are almighty and awesome, and I am feeble and disappointing. Thank you for Your forgiveness. Thank you for your devoted love. Thank you for continuing to call me to follow You and for your strength and resources to do that. I renew my commitment to follow You with the strength of Your power. I commit to take up my cross, forsaking all I have and all I love, to follow You. Amen.

Promises, Faithfulness, Blessings, and Curses - Deuteronomy 10:12-11:32

Deuteronomy 10:12-11:32

            From Deuteronomy 5, Moses reminded the Israelites and the later readers and hearers over the millennia what they learned with the Ten Commandments, what the LORD requires of His children. God requires absolute allegiance. From chapters six through eleven, Moses taught the Israelites about God – His characteristics, His past works on their behalf, His presence at the current time, and His assured presence in the future. Moses taught them God’s ordinances, statutes, laws, and His future judgments, too, which would earn them blessings or curses.

            Deuteronomy 10:12-11:32 is a simplified and pointed restatement of the earlier four-and-one-half chapters. The outline of this sermon is simple and alternates between a verse of God commanding the Israelites and then a verse about God or of what He will do. It continues this pattern mostly throughout this part of Scripture with just a few segments being longer than one verse. The verses of this sermon divide into two parts – verses 10:12-11:7 and verses 11:8-11:32. A positive restatement of the First Commandment begins the first and second sections. The second section’s command of “keep” (hear, listen, and obey) all God’s commands is the succinct restatement of 10:12. Moses’ purpose for these two sections was to teach the Israelites what God requires and commands of His children – absolute allegiance to Him lived out as reverential fear and obedient love. Moses taught the Israelites in the first section about who God is – His characteristics and His past actions for them. In the second section, Moses taught the Israelites what God commands of them as His children and what He promises He will do for/to them if they obey or disobey Him – blessing or curse. The part of the second section that states the First Commandment negatively (vs. 16) introduces the typical covenantal clause of blessings and curses (vs. 17, 31-32). This division of Moses’ sermon demonstrates precisely what the word yada (“know” in English; see 11:2) means. Yada is a progressive learning that leads to knowing personally. It covers the spectrum from introduction, perceiving, recognizing, acknowledging, and then confessing one’s relationship with the introduced person. The Bible speaks of yada regarding a person’s relationship with Yahweh. From verses 10:12-11:7, Moses introduced Yahweh to the Israelites by describing His characteristics to them. In the second part of the first section, Moses taught them that what they experienced in their exilic departure from Egypt and in the wilderness showed the LORD’s actions for them because of His love for them. From 11:8-11:32, Moses taught the Israelites to acknowledge the LORD and confess Him because of His works for them in their past, in their present, and in their future. Instead of talking to the Israelites about who God is, in this section Moses spoke to them regarding what God will do as they cross the Jordan River and receive their inheritance and in their future. He taught them what God commanded them to do as His chosen people, too. The second section of the sermon was current and future focused. Throughout this sermon, Moses told the Israelites the LORD’s past actions teach them of who He is and His care for them. By this, they could recognize Him in the present and could know and trust He would be in their future. Let us look at these forty-three verses closer.

            In the first section of this sermon, verses 10:12-11:7, Moses taught four times what God required and commanded the Israelites as His chosen people upon whom He “set His affections” (vs. 10:15). He taught four times about God, too. In verses twelve through thirteen, Moses said God requires five things of His covenanted people. God gave His expectations of His people. Just as a good father explains his expectations of his child so they recognize when they are obedient or not, God outlined His expectations, so the Israelites knew what He expected of them. Within each section of the sermon, subsections occur that alternate speaking about the Israelites or about the LORD. Moses began this section of the sermon telling the Israelites what Yahweh God requires from them (vs. 12). In this verse (12), the word “require” comes from the Hebrew word sha’al, which means to ask. God asked them to be in a covenant relationship with Him. He chose Abraham and his descendents to receive His affection (10:15). Moses taught the Israelites God requires His people to be in a relationship with Him. [Remember, God created us to be in a relationship with Him (Ephesians 1:4).] God taught them through Moses what relationship with Him requires – reverential fear and obedient love. Moses gave the Israelites practical ways reverence and love are to be shown to the LORD – walking in all His ways and serving Him (10:12). The Hebrew word for “walk” is halak. It means living a way of life like God’s. To live this way, “walk,” they must watch and follow God and then imitate Him or live out what Moses taught them. The other practical way Moses taught them to love and revere the LORD is to serve Him. The Hebrew word for “serve” is abad, which means to voluntarily work for or serve as a subject. In chapter eight’s lesson, we learned the greatest expression of our love for God is obedience. Moses taught this. Verse 13 says it succinctly, “Keep the LORD’s commandments and His statutes, which I am commanding you today for your good.” “Keep” comes from the Hebrew word shamar. Moses used this word often as he taught the Israelites. It means to hear, listen, and obey. Human obedience to God comes from love and reverence of Him. Shamar/keep incorporates loving and revering. Moses spelled out for the Israelites how they were to enact shamar in their lives.

            With verses fourteen and fifteen, Moses taught the Israelites about God – His primacy and characteristics. He began this lesson about God with an imperative verb, “behold.” Moses wanted their attention and wanted them to see and understand something very important. He said the LORD your God owns the heavens, the earth, and everything that is in them. God is greater than anything they know of or can imagine, Moses said because He owns everything. Moses told them, too, that the LORD “chose to set His affections” on their forefathers and chose their descendents over every other people. These two verses told the Israelites that God is omniscient, all-loving, and great.

            Verse 16 begins with a conditional adverb, “therefore.” Moses said to the Israelites, since God is all-loving, great, and omniscient, they must accede their thoughts of primacy to Him by circumcising their hearts and not stiffening their necks. “Circumcise” means to cut and comes from the Hebrew word mool. “Heart” comes from the Hebrew word lebab and means the inner man – will, mind, heart, and soul. Moses and Jeremiah spoke of this in Leviticus 26:41 and Jeremiah 4:4. Remember earlier in Genesis, God required Abraham and all his men be circumcised, which signified their setting themselves apart as God’s own people. Their circumcision signified their covenant with Yahweh God, instead of to the other gods of the land. When a person circumcises their heart, he or she makes a covenant with God. Every person has a heart, male and female, so this circumcision is not just for men. When a person cuts away the foreskin of his or her heart, he or she cuts away the barriers and hardness he or she erected between him or herself and God. He or she is allowing God to enter his or her most-inner self so He can be his or her LORD and Master. The other part of this command Moses spoke tells the Israelites not to stiffen their necks. This goes back to Deuteronomy 9:6 when God said they were a stubborn people. When a person circumcises their heart, God has a home in his or her heart because he or she no longer stubbornly rebels against Him.

            In verses seventeen and eighteen, Moses told the Israelites more about God. He told them God is great (large in importance), mighty (strong), awesome (respected and revered), and is not biased, corrupt, unjust, or unmerciful. These are God’s characteristics. Moses did not end with that though. He set up a practical way the Israelites could “walk” (halak) in God’s ways – by being just, merciful, true, righteous, and faithful. Verses 12 and 13 told the Israelites to walk in the way of God. Verses 17 and 18 described God further and gave practical ways to do that.

            Moses then, in verses nineteen through twenty, told them to do what God does – love the aliens/foreigners in their land. In verse eighteen, he explained what that meant – give them food and clothing. Moses reminded the Israelites they were once aliens in Egypt, too, and know what it felt like to be mis-treated and not helped. Besides this practical action, Moses reminded them of what he told them in verses twelve and thirteen, “You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him and you shall swear by His name.” “Shall” conveys a strong command for the future. Moses strongly commanded them to revere God. He reminded them to love God by serving Him, too. The new term “cling to Him” comes from the Hebrew word dabaq, which means joined together or follow closely. The Israelites love and reverence for God should be so close they are considered bodily joined to Him so no distinction exists between God and them. As a final addition, Moses told them to swear by God’s name (Deuteronomy 5:11, 6:13, and Psalm 63:11), not as in misusing God’s name, but as making an adamant statement. Their promise was so trustworthy that they would attach holy God’s name to it to make sure the person knew of their seriousness.

            Moses taught the Israelites again in verses twenty-one and twenty-two about who God is. He said, “He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you, which your eyes have seen.” We must understand what Moses meant by saying “He is your praise.” In this instance, the Hebrew word for praise is tahillah and means praise song, adoration, and thanksgiving. Moses then gave them the reason they praised God – His greatness and awesomeness appeared when He multiplied their population in Egypt. The Israelites grew from seventy people to a multitude, almost too many to count. The Israelites praised God and He became the source of their praise. Praise was on their lips because of Him. The Psalmist and Jeremiah spoke of this too, in Psalm 109:1, 148:14, and Jeremiah 17:14.

            In the final command of the first section of this sermon, Moses taught God’s First Commandment in a positive way again. He commanded, because God is the one true God, they “shall love the LORD and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments.” Remember the word “keep” comes from the Hebrew word shamar, meaning to hear, listen, and obey. “Keeping” is loving and revering with all the internal and external actions involved, such as worshipping and serving. When Moses spoke of “His charge,” he used the Hebrew word mishmereth, which means obligations, service, and injunctions. Moses told the Israelites to hear, listen, and obey everything God commanded and taught them through him.

            The fourth time Moses taught the Israelites about who God is, he said,

“Know (yada) this day that I am not speaking with your sons who have not known (yada) and who have not seen (ra’ah – progressive seeing from being taught to look at to discerning and knowing) the discipline of the LORD your God – His greatness, His mighty hand, and His outstretched arm, and His signs and His works which He did in the midst of Egypt…” [NASB]

The Israelites who survived the wilderness and whom Moses taught to recognize the LORD were the ones whom God held accountable to this covenant, not their children. Those who experienced firsthand God’s greatness, mighty hand, and outstretched arm were the adults. Moses taught them about God and pointed out God’s works on their behalf. The Israelites had no excuse for not following God’s commands because they experienced His presence and knew Him to be real, true, and faithful. Moses gave the Israelites an account of several things they saw God do from Egypt to their present time in verses two through seven. (For more information about Dathan and Abiram in verse six, go to Numbers 16:1-35. God showed His justice, omniscience, and power in that instance.)

            The second section of this sermon alternates between what the Israelites were to do and what God would do. There are five of each, just as there were four in the first section of this sermon. This second part of the sermon concerns the Israelites’ present and future. It begins with a command that covers the First Commandment and the others from God. Moses commanded the Israelites to keep every commandment he spoke that day. Remember, Moses spoke at Beth-peor in one day every word from chapter four through chapter thirty-four. From chapter six through verse seven of chapter eleven, Moses taught and commanded the Israelites to keep the First Commandment. From 11:8, Moses spoke specifically regarding the First Commandment but included the other commandments, too. In the first half of verse eight of chapter eleven, Moses told the Israelites what they were to do. From the second half of verse eight through verse nine, he told them what God would do (the reason they should obey God’s commands). Moses said God would make them strong to prevail against the Canaanites so they could go in, possess the land, and prolong their days (personal lifetime and national longevity) in the land the LORD swore to their forefathers. At this point, Moses explained to the Israelites that their covenant with God was conditional on their obedience. As before, their inheritance of the land came from the Abrahamic covenant. The Israelites’ possession of and longevity on the land depended on their obedience to their own covenant, the Mosaic Covenant, with the LORD God. God swore upon Himself - holy God swearing an adamant oath - that He will abide by this covenant. Remember the Ten Commandments ends with the conditional statement, “that you may live long in the land” (5:29). From verse ten through verse twelve, Moses told the Israelites what the land that the LORD was giving them was like – fruitful. He told them God managed the land and cared for it, too – watered it and His eyes were always on it (vs. 11b-12). The rain came from heaven, God’s abode. God watered Canaan not the people. The land God was giving them to possess He cared for and made plentiful. The Israelites must remember, since God watches the land so well, He would see them and the way they lived, too. God is omnipresent.

            The next segment of the second section occurs in verse thirteen with Moses commanding the Israelites a second time in this section. This verse has a conditional if-then statement. Moses said, “It shall come about if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul…” The Hebrew word for our English word “listen” is shama, which derives from the same root word as shamar. Shama means to hear, listen, and obey. Moses defined shama in his correct wording, “listen obediently.” If the Israelites listened to and obeyed God’s word with all their hearts and souls, then something would occur. One final note on this verse, though, must be made. Notice the command is to love the LORD with all the heart and soul as Moses stated in Deuteronomy 4:29. God promised He would be found if a person sought Him with all their heart and soul, their whole being. Jesus taught this in Matthew 7:7-8, too.

            The other side of the “if-then” statement gives us the LORD’s actions. Notice the second section of this sermon has a similar format as the first section – a command to the Israelites and then a statement regarding God. In verses fourteen and fifteen, Moses told the Israelites if they listened and kept God’s commands, God would continue to watch over the Promised Land so it would be fruitful and the Israelites would have everything they needed to live. This statement is open-ended though. Humans are not always faithful.

            Another side to God’s promise exists. It occurs if the Israelites are faithless. This verse speaks of a negative action of the Israelites. Moses warned them by saying, “Beware that your hearts are not deceived and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them.” This negative restatement was ominous. The Israelites’ hearts, minds, and souls must have pricked with fear at its possibility. Yet we know that they failed to keep their covenant with God. Humans are stubborn and rebel against God.

            What did Moses say God would do? Verse 17 speaks of the curse, the judgment for the Israelites’ unfaithfulness. Their disobedience and stubbornness would ignite/kindle God’s anger against them. God’s anger comes from His righteousness. His righteousness requires justice. God’s justice against anyone who broke covenant with Him would be separation from Him. Separation from God brings neediness, drought, famine, illness, and death. Moses shared this judgment in the second half of verse seventeen. God would stop watering the land, which would then lead to famine, drought, and death of all things and people. The Israelites would no longer possess the Promised Land. By breaking their covenant with God, they would bring God’s curse upon themselves and be dispossessed like the earlier Canaanites.

            Moses implored the Israelites what they must do in verses eighteen through twenty. He taught these in Deuteronomy chapters four and six. The Israelites were to absorb and embody in their lives God’s commands so they would be a permanent part of their lives and beings. They were to take them into their hearts and minds (ephods and frontlets) so they spoke of them at all times (walking, sitting, waking, and sleeping) to their children. The Israelites were to make sure they remembered and obeyed God’s commands. They must write them on their doors and gates. Moses taught that God and His commands were to be an essential part of their lives and that without Him they would be bereft. God considered His covenant with the Israelites very important.

            To turn this to a positive view, Moses told them why God’s commands must be followed and why the actions of verses eighteen through twenty must occur. The Israelite’s faithfulness to the Ten Commandments ensured they would possess the land forever, “as long as the heavens remain above the earth.” God would make their days long in the land. The Israelites love and reverence (worship) of God was to be the impetus for remaining faithful to the covenant. In case that was not enough, God gave another possibility for faithlessness, a negative inducement. Parents experience the necessity of offering an ultimatum if a child refuses to obey. Judgment and punishment occur at those times. God, as the original and loving Father, provides the negative incentive, too, for the Israelites in case they consider breaking their covenant with God.

            For the final time, Moses commanded the Israelites to keep their covenant with God. Verse 22 states what God requires from the Israelites in their covenant with Him and what would occur when they do – His blessing. They were to keep every commandment of God, love Him, walk in His ways, and hold fast to Him. These are what Moses said in 10:12-13 with one addition. The addition is something he commanded in 10:20. “Hold fast” comes from the Hebrew word dabaq and means to cling to. Moses commanded the Israelites to cling to God as their source of life and reason d’etre because He is the almighty, all-knowing Creator, one true God – the one who existed before time, who redeemed them from slavery, and who promised to be with them forever, thus ensuring they have everything needed for life.

            Notice verse twenty-two is the first part of a conditional statement. If the Israelites keep God’s commandments and hold fast to Him, then the LORD will do something. He will ensure their possession of the land. Every nation that stands between them and the Promise Land will fear the Israelites and their God (vs. 25). God is faithful to His promises.

            Verses 26 through 30 speak specifically about God’s blessing and curse. The blessing is a gift and the curse is death (Deuteronomy 30:1, 19). Moses said God’s blessing would occur if they listened (shama – hear, listen, and obey) to the commandments of the LORD. The blessing is long life and possession of the land if they fulfill their covenant with God (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). God’s curse occurs if the Israelites rebel and turn away from their covenant with God to follow other gods. The curse is death – God’s not watering the Promised Land leads to physical death (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). Moses next instructed the Israelites where to place the blessing and curse when they cross the Jordan River.

            Moses summed up God’s blessings and His covenant with Israel. They would cross the Jordan River to possess the land and live in it because God was giving it to them. The Israelites were to be careful (shamar) to do all God’s commands.

            Many people know the history of the Israelites. They failed to keep their covenant and God dispossessed them. Multiple times in history other nations destroyed their cities and displaced them  – 712 BC, 586BC, 70AD. People look upon the Israelites as negligent or fickle. God’s commands appeared so simple. Yet the Israelites failed many times.

God had a plan to bring humankind back into relationship with Him from the beginning of time. His plan was the death and resurrection of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. People may wonder what God’s purpose was in giving the Ten Commandments if it was not enough to save people from themselves, their sins. Obeying God’s Laws cannot ever make a person righteous. God gave the Ten Commandments to lead people back to Him, to fellowship with and worship Him. This worship of Him would lead a person to God’s prophesied Messiah, the Savior God planned for humankind’s redemption from the curse they deserve – death. Humankind is enslaved to sin. The word “redeem” comes from the Bible-times context of buying the freedom of a slave. When sinless Jesus died on the cross, He chose to take the rightful place of sinful humankind. Jesus redeemed humankind from the slavery and penalty of sin – death – if they believed in Him. Why, then, did God give the Ten Commandments and command the Israelites to listen and obey them? He did it to bring them back into a relationship with Him. He did it to bring their focus back to worshipping Him, the Creator of everything, and away from their sinful selves and lusts. When Moses told the Israelites to fear and love the LORD God with their hearts and souls, he taught them how to have a relationship with God that occurred when they walked with and worshipped Him. The Ten Commandments lead humankind to refocus on God. They lead us to the Messiah and Savior of humankind, which brings an eternal relationship with God.

            God chose to “set His affection to love” the Israelites. He sets His affection to love each of us. He chooses you and me, but He does not force Himself on us. We each must choose Him over our own selves. By doing this, we place Him first and follow Him daily. What must we do to have eternal life with God? Each of us individually must admit that he or she is a sinner and needs a Redeemer/Savior to bring him or her back into relationship with God. Each person must believe Jesus Christ is God’s holy Son who died and whom God resurrected. By his or her belief, he or she can have renewed and eternal life with God. Each person must confess with his or her mouth that Jesus is Lord (Kurios/Yahweh – the person who has power over people and things; Master) (Romans 10:9).

What will you decide today? Will you return to God and worship Him? Will you admit, believe, and confess? It is your decision, but if you say, “Not now,” you are saying, “No.” Is that really what you want? It is your choice.