Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 15

Helpful thoughts:

• In today’s passage, Moses gives the details of sabbatical year (Every seven years) laws.
• There seems to be a contradiction between verse 4 (“But there will be no poor among you”) and verse 11 (“For there will never cease to be poor in the land.”)
  • There are two options to explain this apparent contradiction:
    • (1) If Israel had obeyed God’s prescribed economic policies/laws, there would have been no poor people in the land.  But God knew there would be failure to do so, which would produce poverty for some.
    • (2) Verse 11 contained the reality of what was expected (There would always be the poor), but the command was for the heart of every Israelite to be striving to lift people out of poverty.
• The slavery described in this passage is much different than the chattel slavery that existed in American history.  The slaves described in Deuteronomy 15 were also Israelites who had been impoverished were given a place to work and provide a roof over their heads and food to eat.
  • Those who became slaves were lifted out of worse conditions.
  • Those who became slaves could not remain slaves longer than six years without their own approval (Verses 16-17).
  • When they were released from their service they were sent away with what they needed to make a fresh start.

Questions to consider:

1. In what ways do we see God commanding Israel to treat these “slaves” as human beings, as their equals?  What modern day practice seems closer to what is being described in this chapter?
2. What principles do you see in this passage that would have been a blessing to Israel if they had faithfully kept them?  What would have been the fear of loaning money out in the sixth year?   What would have been the benefit of generosity and even this form of “slavery” for the poor in that day and age?
3. What did sacrificing the first-born animal communicate concerning the trust of the people for God’s provision?  How is this similar to the idea of tithing from the “first fruits?”  How did the sacrifice itself provide for their need?

Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 14

Helpful thoughts:

• The people of Israel were God’s distinct, set apart, chosen people.  They were to live in a unique way from the rest of the world.
  • This affected the way they were to grieve and mourn their lost loved ones (verse 1)
  • This affected the things they were and were not to ear (verses 3-21).
  • This affected the way Israelites were to view possessions and stewardship of what God had entrusted to them (verses 22-29).

Questions to consider:

1. When God united believing Gentiles and Jews under the New Covenant, what happened to these dietary laws (Acts 10:9-16, 1 Timothy 4:3-5)?
2. What foods/meats are you surprised to see were considered clean or unclean?
3. What practices are you surprised to see concerning tithing in Old Covenant Israel?  What would the benefits have been of tithing?  How would giving the first 10% display faith in God more than simply giving out of what is left over at the end of the year?

Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 13

Helpful thoughts:

• Moses gives Israel instructions concerning people who would lead Israel to worship false gods.
  • False prophets would test Israel.  They were to be punished by death.
  • Close family and friends would be so difficult to turn down.  And they would be so emotionally difficult to convict and punish.  They were to be punished by death.
  • An entire city/village who followed the teaching of false prophets or the encouragement of “worthless fellows” would be strategically difficult to convict and punish.  They were to be punished to death (Not just the people, but the entire infrastructure of the city).
• The Lord, He is God (1 Kings 18:38-40).  We are to have no other Gods (Deuteronomy 5:7).
• Remember, we do not live in Old Testament Israel and Deuteronomy 13 is not the law of our land.  It was the law for Israel under the Old Covenant.

Questions to consider:

1. How is the balance of the providence of God and the responsibility of man displayed in verse 3?  Even though God allowed Israel to be tested, what was still true of the false prophets’ desires and actions?
2. How difficult would it have been to report, convict and execute in all the ways prescribed in this chapter (Even your wife, children, best friend, etc.)?  How significant then must this command be?  How destructive must idolatry be for a loving God to command such weighty measures to preserve the purity of His people under the Old Covenant?
3. Who are the gods of the culture you live in?  In what ways do the culture and modern day “false prophets” and “worthless fellows” entice us to follow those false gods?  How can we keep our eyes turned to Jesus and worship Him alone?

Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 12

Helpful thoughts:

• There is only one God who deserves our worship.
• The only way to worship Him is the way He prescribes.
  • The phrase at the end of verse 8 will come up again in the history of Israel (Judges 17:6).
  • What God says, “You shall not add to it or take from it.” (Verse 32)
• Israel’s God was about to give them repeated victory over other nations (and the false gods those nations trusted in for their protection).  It would seem logical not to think those losing gods deserved worship over the true God who gave you victory, but God knew to warn Israel not to pick up and worship those gods.
  • Israel picked up and worshiped those gods (Judges 2:11-13).

Questions to consider:

1. What does it mean for everyone to do that which is right in their own eyes?  What use are commands, laws, or the idea of mutual submission in a community if everyone just does whatever makes sense to them in the moment?
2. If I think I know what I need to do at all times, what motivation will I have to read the Word of God or pay attention to any rules which have been laid out for the good of the community?  How is this prideful?
3. Why is God alone worthy of worship and worthy to tell us how to worship?  How does a right view of God produce humility and genuine unity in the body?

Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 11

Helpful thoughts:

• The heart of the encouragement and command in verses 18-20 is to have the Word of God in front of you often in order to impress it into your hearts and minds, that it would continually shape your thinking, desires and actions for good.
• In a time and culture when nations often worshiped and pleaded with false gods to provide rain and harvests, God reminded Israel who their true provider was (and always will be).
• Moses did not minimize the importance of knowing and following the Word of God.
  • To pursue knowledge and obedience to the Word was to choose blessing.
  • To neglect pursuing knowledge and obedience to the Word was to choose cursing.
    • There is no middle ground mentioned.  Passivity, busyness, distraction, or lack of interest would not result in neutrality.  The options given were blessing or curse.

Questions to consider:

1. Be encouraged by the command to Israel in verse 2 to take some time and consider what the Lord has done.  Who is He?  How has His power been displayed?  Who is it that we worship and serve?  Why is He worthy of our love and affections?
2. What are the ways (besides this devotional) that you put the Word of God before your eyes?  Where can you see it? Hear it? Speak it?  What are some creative ways to continue feeding on the Bible routinely?
3. Who would Israel be tempted to worship to get the rain and harvests they wanted if they turned away from pursuing the Lord (Verse 16)?  In our culture, to what/whom are we prone to turn for our needs and wants?  Who does our society think is responsible for our provision (Who gets praised or blamed when things go well or poorly)?  Who are the “gods” of our culture?  Why should we remain faithful, turning to the Lord?

Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 10

Helpful thoughts:

• Moses recounts his journey back up the mountain to receive a second copy of the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s death, Eleazar’s appointment as the next High Priest, and the command of the Lord to lead Israel to the Promised Land.
  • In these verses, Moses commends the faithfulness and covenant promises of the Lord to the people.  God had been angered, He had been sinned against, He had reason to reject the people and abandon them, but He did not.  God had shown His grace and mercy and He would see Israel through as He promised.
• The right response of Israel to these wonderful truths about the Lord was to fear Him, to love Him, to obey Him.
• More important than the external circumcision of the flesh was the figurative “circumcision of the heart.”
  • Romans 2:25-29

Questions to consider:

1. Why isn’t it wrong or prideful or selfish for God to command worship, loyalty, love and obedience?  Why is He entirely worthy of all these things?  Why is He truly loving (to our benefit) in commanding them from us?
2. What is required for a person to receive “circumcision of the heart” (Ezekiel 36:26, 2 Corinthians 5:17)?  What is the true nature of this “circumcision?”
3. How was Israel to love others outside of their own people, the sojourner (Verses 17-19)?  How has God loved you and brought you in to His people (Romans 5:6-11)?  How does this love inform and compel our love for others (1 John 4:19)?

Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 9

Helpful thoughts:

• The warriors Israel feared more than any other were no match for the Lord.  It wasn’t Israel who could defeat them, but their God was/is a consuming fire who keeps His every promise.
• Israel was not going to inherit the Promised Land because they were better than those they would defeat.  God was giving them the Promised Land because of His promise.
  • The main evidence of Israel’s lack of righteousness was given through the recounting of the golden calf.
• Because the Lord had brought about the existence of this nation through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and because the Lord had redeemed this people from their slavery in Egypt, they were clearly a testimony of His greatness.  When Moses appealed to the Lord to spare them from judgment, his appeal was based on the reputation of the Lord.

Questions to consider:

1. Why is the church set apart from the rest of the world today?  Are we better than everyone else?  What truly sets us apart?  On what promises do we base our eternal security? (Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Peter 2:9, Romans 8:29-30)
2. What was the purpose of Moses sharing this with the people of Israel?  What did they need to know and remember?  How would these truths produce a right humility and gratitude?
3. How does acknowledging we are sinners and helpless on our own run contrary to how the world thinks we all should think about ourselves?  How can a Christian be confident without having to think we are so very special and deserving?  In whom is our confidence, rest, security, and joy?

Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 8

Helpful thoughts:

• Israel had been tested in the wilderness.  In their times of need, they were to trust and obey the Lord, learning that they didn’t “live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
  • Now, they were going to be tested in the Promised Land.  Instead of a testing of want and lack, they would be tested by abundance.  Moses’ warning or concern for Israel was that they would forget their need for the words of God once they had the bread the longed for.
• Jesus quoted this verse (Verse 3) when being tempted (tested) by Satan in Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4.
• When Israel had little, they could turn to the Lord for help in time of need.  When Israel had much, they could turn to the Lord in praise for His abundant provision.  At all times, Israel was to enjoy their relationship with God and His revelation of Himself to them.  He was their God and they were His people.  This covenant relationship was always a better gift than all the bread, copper, sunshine, rain, money or anything else the people may have wanted.

Questions to consider:

1. In what ways does man live by bread?  In what ways does man live by the words of God?  In what way is it right to separate the physical from the spiritual?  Why is it right to never separate the physical from the spiritual?  From where does every good and perfect gift come (James 1:17)?
2. For what needs are you currently praying?  For what abundance could you be currently praising the Lord?  How can both aspects of life be used as tests of our love for Christ?  How do these tests reveal how highly we value our relationship with the Lord?
3. How can recounting the gospel (preaching the gospel to ourselves) help us to maintain a high appraisal of our standing in the family of God?  How blessed are we?  How does this perspective help us to pray better and enjoy life more richly in times of plenty and times of greater want?

Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 7

Helpful thoughts:

• Israel is warned about snares along the path ahead that could turn them from worshiping the Lord alone:
  • The failure to execute God’s justice against the nations that were to be driven out.  This included the potential of intermarriage with the people’s the Lord was going to judge through them (Genesis 15:16).
  • Desiring the idols they find in their conquest because of their appearance or because they were made with precious metals.
    • Both of these actions would lead to worship of false gods.
• Israel was God’s chosen nation, because He chose to love them.
  • They were not greater, bigger, more beautiful, less naturally sinful, etc.  He chose to show His love to them.  This is true of our salvation and inclusion in the kingdom of God as well!
• Because Israel had a covenant with the Lord, they were not to be in covenant with any other (Nation or god).  There was no need for it because God is sufficient.  And, to join in covenant with another was unfaithfulness to the One they were already covenanted.

Questions to consider:

1. How quickly was Israel to take control of the Promised Land (Verses 22-23)?  What did this practically look like?  How do we see this happening (To an extent) in the book of Joshua?
2. What was it about these other nations that God did not want the Israelites to share with?  Did it have to do with any physical characteristic or their race or was it their faith/religion and sin?  What made Israel God’s chosen people?  How did others born outside Israel become part of Israel (Ruth 1:16)?

Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 6

Helpful thoughts:

• Verse 4 is called, “The Shema” (Shema is the Hebrew word for, “hear”).
  • “The Lord our God, the Lord is one” points primarily to the fact that Israel was not to worship a plurality of gods.  Israel had one God and one God only.  They were to worship none other.
    • In the negative sense, one could say, “Do not worship any other God.”
    • This command is given positively, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…”
      • It’s hard to worship other gods if your whole heart, soul and might is devoted to the true God!
• The commands of verses 7-9 would later be legalistically applied with literal boxes tied to foreheads (Phylacteries – See the definition and image here).
  • The true application of these commands could only be done if the Word of God was truly saturating your mind and thoughts.  If the Word of God is on your heart, if you see the world around you through the lens of God’s Word, it will be on the tip of your tongue and you won’t be able to help but teach it to your children and anyone else you love.
• When Israel feared they had too little in the wilderness, they complained about God.  When they got to the place where they would have abundance, the Lord knew they would be prone to forget about Him altogether.
  • This would require continued gratitude and teaching.
  • God didn’t need Israel to remember all He did for them to help His self-esteem or stroke his ego…Israel needed to remember all He did for them for their good.

Questions to consider:

1. Why wasn’t it selfish, but actually truly loving for God to command Israel to remember Him and teach Him and His commands to their children and grandchildren?  What is the best gift God can (and does) give to His people?
2. Take a moment and think about fully loving the Lord with your whole mind, soul and might (Both your internal and physical self…ALL of you!).  What would that truly look like?  How will your life continue to change as you grow in this love?
3. In what way are we already on this track in our progressive sanctification and how does this shed a little more light on what heaven is going to be like?