God Cherishes You Blog

How Does the Old Testament Mesh with the New 29

This is our 3^rd foray into the book of Deuteronomy:

9.Where and how to worship God and live by His laws in the Promised Land:

“…you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to establish His Name there for His dwelling [place], and there you shall come [to worship Him]. There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive (pledged, vowed) offerings, your freewill (voluntary) offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. And there you and your households shall eat before the Lord your God, and rejoice in all to which you put your hand, in which the Lord your God has blessed you. Dt. 12:5 – 7. AMP

This is the first time that Jehovah has spoken of having a central place of worship, that He would personally choose.

Then, Moses warns them of mixing God-centered worship with the paganism of the Canaanites.

“…do not fall into the trap of following their customs and worshiping their gods. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.’ You must not worship the Lord your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.

“So be careful to obey all the commands I give you. You must not add anything to them or subtract anything from them.” Dt. 12:30 – 32. NLT

God tells Moses to warn the Israelites from being led astray by false prophets who indulge in paganism, not to listen to family or friends who do not honor Jehovah, and not to live in a town with pagans. (See Dt. 13:1 – 17.)

How best to avoid all that?

“The Lord your God will be merciful only if you listen to his voice and keep all his commands that I am giving you today, doing what pleases him.” Dt. 13:18 NLT

Moses now shifts from the worship of pagan gods to individual pagan practices:

“Since you are the people of the Lord your God, never cut yourselves or shave the hair above your foreheads in mourning for the dead. You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.” Dt. 14:1,2. NLT

Many of the Canaanite pagans mutilated themselves with knives, whips, and tattoos to mourn the dead and during other pagan rites. This is clearly prohibited by Jehovah. You can’t mix ‘holy’ with ‘pagan’ and still be a child of God in good standing.

Note too that the description of the Israelites is now ‘people of the LORD your God’, indicating a greater intimacy between Him and His ‘chosen’ people.

Next, Moses teaches of the foodstuffs that are acceptable (kosher) to eat. (See Dt. 14:3 – 21). It is basically the same rules that God gave through Moses in Lv. 11:1 – 30. (See the 23^rd post in this series.)

Continuing, Moses shifts to ‘tithing’ of the same produce, which was to be eaten in the presence of God:

“You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year. Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the Lord your God.” Dt. 14:22, 23. NLT

How does this teach one to fear (revere) God? It is because it builds faith in Him that He will always provide, and to honor Him as the source of all good things.

God provides a caveat, allowing those who live too far to transport large crops, to sell the tithe portion for money:

“…you may sell the tithe portion of your crops and herds, put the money in a pouch, and go to the place the Lord your God has chosen.When you arrive, you may use the money to buy any kind of food you want—cattle, sheep, goats, wine, or other alcoholic drink. Then feast there in the presence of the Lord your God and celebrate with your household. And do not neglect the Levites in your town, for they will receive no allotment of land among you.

“At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year’s harvest and store it in the nearest town. Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all your work.” Dt. 14:25 – 29. NLT

God is a caring and compassionate Creator. And He wants you to take great joy in His provisions as a token of His love and abundance.

Continuing with His expression of love, provision, and compassion, Jehovah introduces the ‘Sabbatical Year’:

“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release (remission, pardon) from debt. This is the regulation for the release: every creditor shall forgive what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not require repayment from his neighbor and his brother, because the Lord’s release has been proclaimed.” Dt. 15:1, 2. AMP

Every 7 years, debt from personal loans was to be forgiven, to give everyone a chance to start over. But that’s not the whole story:

“However, there will be no poor among you, since the Lord will most certainly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, if only you will listen to and obey the voice of the Lord…” Dt. 15:4, 5. AMP

(You see that the eradication of poverty is dependent upon obedience to God’s word. Given the tendency of human nature to disobey, that optimum state was never achieved.[1])

“But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need…Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.” Dt. 15:7, 8 & 10. NLT

Moses then talks about freeing the slaves (indentured servants) in this same year. (See Dt. 15:12 – 18.) It pretty much mirrors Ex. 21:2 – 6. (See the 19^th post of this series.)

God is all about keeping His children close to Him and displaying their gratitude for His provisions. In this vein, He reminds them to keep the festivals that Moses has taught them (See Ex. 12:1 – 13:5 in the 16^th post of this series; Ex. 16:23 – 29 in the 17^th post; Ex. 23:14 – 17 in the 19^th post).

Those festivals include Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths /Tabernacles. (See Dt. 16:1 – 16.) Now, they would be celebrated in God’s place of worship of His choosing.

Given how God wants us to emulate Him, next time we’ll find out how live a just life…

Goodnight and God Bless.

[1] Dt. 15:11; Mt. 26:11

Building Better Americans 146

Five characteristics one must possess to achieve happiness within a deeper and more productive life.

How Does the Old Testament Mesh with the New 28

In our first look at the book of Deuteronomy, (see the 27^th post in this series), we saw how Moses revealed God’s commands for how to keep Him in His children’s remembrance.

Why did he do that? It’s because Moses knows that when you obey God, your life works, and you receive His promises. (He also knows that if you don’t love Him, your motivation to obey Him doesn’t carry much weight.)

“The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.” Dt. 6:10 – 12. NLT

But what if you don’t obey?

“You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name.

You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, or the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth.” Dt. 6:13 – 15. NLT

Not a pleasant outcome by any means. Thus, obedience to our Creator is paramount, just like it was to the second-generation Israelites:

“Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to give your ancestors. You will drive out all the enemies living in the land, just as the Lord said you would.” Dt. 6:18, 19. NLT

5.Propagating God’s word to the next generation:

“In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God has commanded us to obey?’

“Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand. The Lord did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people. He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors. And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us.’ Dt. 6:20 – 25. NLT

6.Keeping Your Religion Pure:

Moses warns God’s children of the imminent dangers of the pagans who currently populate the land of Canaan:

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you are entering to possess, and has cleared away many nations before you…seven nations greater and mightier than you, and when the Lord your God gives them over to you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall not make a covenant (treaty) with them nor show mercy and compassion to them.You shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughter to his son, nor shall you take his daughter for your son; for they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled and burn against you and He will quickly destroy you.” Dt. 7:1 – 4. AMP

What must they do, then, to aide themselves in this endeavor?

You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles (idols of a Canaanite fertility goddess) and burn their idols. Dt. 7:5 NLT

And at the heart of why God wants the Israelites to carry out these things, is to preserve the loving bond He wants to bless His children with for all eternity:

“For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.

“The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him.” Dt. 7:6 – 10. NLT

“If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the Lord your God will keep his covenant of unfailing love with you, as he promised with an oath to your ancestors. He will love you and bless you, and he will give you many children. He will give fertility to your land and your animals. When you arrive in the land he swore to give your ancestors, you will have large harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and great herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. You will be blessed above all the nations of the earth.” Dt. 7:12 – 14. NLT

This applies to both Jews and Christian alike. For though Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with respect to world population, they, like the Jews, are still a minority.

Jehovah encourages His children:

“…do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt: the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, the strong hand and outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you fear.” Dt. 7:18, 19. CSB

“Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna…to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Dt. 8:2, 3. NLT (See also Mt. 4:4)

“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land…where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking.” Dt. 8:7 & 9. NLT

“But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God who rescued you…” Dt. 8:11 – 14. NLT

“Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.” Dt. 8:18 NLT

7.Jehovah has your back:

“Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky! The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants.” Dt. 9:1, 2. NLT

“…recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised.” Dt. 9:3 NLT

Moses then goes on to tell the people that it was not that the Israelites were such good people that they would prevail against the Canaanites; (indeed, God called them a stubborn people). It was because God was dispossessing the Canaanites for their wickedness; and because He was keeping His promise to the Patriarchs.

Again, Moses reviews all the ways that the Israelites have previously angered Jehovah; and he sums up to them how they can shed their stubbornness against Him:

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.” Dt. 10:12, 13. NLT

8.Call to arms and blessings:

“Therefore, be careful to obey every command I am giving you today, so you may have strength to go in and take over the land you are about to enter. If you obey, you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors and to you, their descendants—a land flowing with milk and honey!” Dt. 11:8, 9. NLT

He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early [fall] rain and the late [spring] rain, so that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your [olive] oil. And He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. Dt. 11:14, 15. AMP

“Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall become yours; your territory shall be from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the river, the river Euphrates, as far as the western sea (the Mediterranean). No man will be able to stand before you; the Lord your God will lay the fear and the dread of you on all the land on which you set foot, just as He has spoken to you.” Dt. 11:24, 25. AMP

Moses has now finished his preamble for entering Canaan, and for conquering it. Next, he will speak about God’s instructions for how to live there in a godly fashion, and how-to set-in place proper worship…

Goodnight and God bless.

Building Better Americans 145

The inevitable forces of human nature shaped American history as it did for the entire world; yet ‘progressive’ ideology insists on distorting history to fit a ‘victim’ agenda.

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