Devotionary

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Ep 1014 – Deuteronomy 32:19-27 Jul 28, 2020

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Nobody likes to talk about the wrath of God. But, interestingly enough, God has no problem discussing His anger and wrath. And as we'll see in Deuteronomy 32:19-27, He doesn't hesitate to discuss His anger or the consequences it will bring about. But God's anger is anything but capricious. He is not one to fly off the handle or allow Himself to be easily provoked by the slightest indiscretion. No, He is holy and just. And He has clearly communicated to His chosen people what He expects from them. Moses has spent an inordinate amount of time describing the expectations God placed upon His people. And now, through the words of a song that God has given him, Moses is letting them know exactly what will happen when they fail to live up to His holy standards. And God isn't apologetic or hesitant when He lays out the consequences for their rebellion. They will get exactly what they deserve from the hands of a just and righteous God.

Ep 1013 – Deuteronomy 32:10-18 Jul 27, 2020

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This song that God has given to Moses is an unpleasant one. It will not be a joy to sing or hear. But it comes from the lips of God Himself, so its words are true, and its meaning is clear. The chosen people of God were going to experience the horror of captivity once again. They would enter the land God had promised as their inheritance, but their time there would prove to be short-lived. Despite God's abundant blessings and His patient tolerance of their repeated acts of unfaithfulness, they would continue to live in stubborn rebellion to His will. And in these verses, we hear another stanza of the song Moses was to teach to the people of Israel. Deuteronomy 32:10-18 is intended to remind them of God's gracious deliverance of them from their captivity in Egypt. But it also paints the very painful picture of their ungrateful response to all He had done for them.

Ep 1012 – Deuteronomy 31:30-32:9 Jul 26, 2020

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It was Neil Diamond who recorded the 1972 hit, "Song Sung Blue." It was a memorable tune that opened with the lines, "Song sung blue, everybody knows one, Song sung blue, every garden grows one." But while this song hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the song we're going to look at today never enjoyed the same degree of popularity. It was a "song sung blue," but it didn't have a happy ending. And I doubt anyone found this tune particularly catchy or easy to dance to. Found in Deuteronomy 31:30-32:9, this song was written by God Himself and given to Moses to teach to the people of Israel before they entered the land of promise. And it's not a song of celebration. When sung, this song would not bring to mind happy memories or good feelings. It would remind them of their rebellion against God that was not just a potential possibility, but a foregone conclusion. They would sing this song, and every time they did they would recount their own unfaithfulness.

Ep 1011 – Deuteronomy 31:23-29 Jul 25, 2020

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What should have been an exciting new day for Joshua was quickly turning into a day worth forgetting. He was about to take over for Moses and was going to have the distinct privilege of leading the nation of Israel in their conquest of the land of Canaan. But before he could take over the reins of leadership, Moses had a few last-minute words of warning for the people of Israel. He wasn't going to lead them into the land of promise, but that wasn't going to stop him from sharing some rather harsh news. And poor Joshua had to stand in the background, listening as Moses delivered a stinging indictment against the people he was about to lead. In Deuteronomy 31:23-29, we get a glimpse of Joshua's less-than-ideal day of commissioning. It wasn't pretty and it probably wasn't very enjoyable for Israel's new leader. But the truth isn't always pleasant to hear.

Ep 1010 – Deuteronomy 31:14-22 Jul 24, 2020

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A new leader. A new land. A new opportunity to enjoy the blessings of God. This was to have been a great day in the history of the nation of Israel. But when Moses and his successor met with God in the tent of meeting, the joy of the moment was overshadowed by some unexpected news from the Almighty. Deuteronomy 31:14-22 contains one of the most depressing sections in the entire Old and New Testaments. God drops a bombshell pronouncement on Moses and his newly appointed replacement. And God puts His message in the form of a song that He expects Moses and Joshua to teach to the people of Israel. But this is not a happy song with an up-tempo beat. It's a dirge, a literal funeral song that tells of the future destruction of Israel for their inevitable unfaithfulness. Before they ever entered the land, God announced that they would one day leave it as slaves – and all because of disobedience.

Ep 1008 – Deuteronomy 31:1-8 Jul 22, 2020

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Moses was a natural-born leader, but what made him so effective was his calling and anointing by God. He had spent nearly half a century leading some of the most difficult to lead people that had ever walked the planet. Now, just as they were getting ready to enter the land of promise, he was having to announce that he would not be going with them. This highly effective and seasoned leader had made what amounted to be a rookie mistake. He had lost his temper and allowed his anger to rob God of glory – a costly error in judgment that would keep him on the wrong side of the Jordan and outside the land of promise. But in Deuteronomy 31:1-8, rather than finding Moses throwing a pity party, we see him introducing the people to their newly appointed leader: Joshua. But the main point he wanted Joshua and the people to understand was that, when all was said and done, it was God who had been leading them all along. And it would be God who brought them safely into Canaan.

Ep 1009 – Deuteronomy 31:9-13 Jul 22, 2020

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A large portion of the Book of Deuteronomy is dedicated to Moses' recitation of the law to the people of Israel. It was vital to Moses that they understood the seriousness of the law and God's expectation that they live in obedience to it. He was determined that they have the right kind of leadership in place to ensure their compliance with all of God's commands. And in Deuteronomy 31:9-13, as Moses prepares to turn over the reins of leadership to Joshua, he calls on the priests and elders to assist Israel's new leader in the faithful execution of his God-given responsibilities. The entire nation was expected to do all that God had called them to do, and Moses was letting the priests and elders know that they had a vital part to play. He supplied them with a copy of the law and commanded that one day every seventh year it be read to the entire nation.

Ep 1007 – Deuteronomy 30:11-20 Jul 21, 2020

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In Deuteronomy 30:11-20, Moses continues to deliver his closing remarks to the people of Israel. They are poised to enter the promised land, but he is making one last attempt to prepare them for what lies ahead. He will not be going with them and so, he is making an extra-special effort to make sure they understand the conditions surrounding their acceptance of God's inheritance. For Moses, everything he had told them could be boiled down to a simple matter of choosing to do the right thing. They were going to have to make a decision whether they would obey or disobey God. And that decision would have to be a daily and ongoing one. Every day of their lives, they would have to consider what God had commanded and decide whether they wanted to live according to His will or their own. And Moses makes it clear that their daily choices would have long-term consequences, resulting in either life or death. The choice would be theirs. But the outcome would be up to God.

Ep 1006 – Deuteronomy 30:1-10 Jul 20, 2020

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Why is it that the people of God have a nagging tendency to make everything about themselves? We declare God to be the one we worship, then turn around and make ourselves the center of attention. Even when it comes to our salvation, we wrongly assume that It's all up to us. It's all contingent on what we do or don't do. If we believe, we're saved. If we don't believe, we remain lost in our sins and condemned to an eternity apart from God. And while our belief plays a vital role in our salvation, it is shortsighted to view our acceptance by God as dependent upon something we do. In Deuteronomy 30:1-10, Moses seems to convey the idea that, should the Israelites prove unfaithful to God and suffer His divine judgment, they will be able to restore their relationship through self-effort. But God knew something Moses and the people didn't know: Their future restoration would be His doing, not theirs. He would prove to faithful to the covenant, not them.

Ep 1005 – Deuteronomy 29:16-29 Jul 19, 2020

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Everyone loves a secret. That is, if they're in on it. But no one likes to be the last to know or to be kept in the dark. So, it is only natural that the Israelites were anxious to know how things were going to turn out when they finally crossed over the Jordan River and entered the land of Canaan. They had all kinds of questions and concerns. They were plagued by all kinds of fears and doubts. But Moses reminded them that they didn't need to worry about the future because that was in God's hands. What they needed to focus their attention on were the things they DID know. Like the commandments handed down by God. Moses had just spent a protracted period of time reciting all the commands, in order to make sure they were fresh on the minds of the people of Israel. They knew everything they needed to know to accomplish what God had given them to do. If they would simply obey His instructions, they could leave the future in His fully capable hands.

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