Deuteronomy 31
I can't help but feel for Moses. He is now 120 years old. He is tired. He has been on a VERY long journey, leading a very difficult group of people. He is doing a job he never asked to do. He is weary.
And then, because of one mistake (or one big mistake according to God), he is not even allowed to enter the Promised Land.
Now it is nearly the end of his time.
He knows it. God knows it. Joshua, next in line for the job, knows it.
Yet even at the end, Moses is faithful. He writes down God's words for the people to read. He reminds them of who God is. And he listens to his God.
As if this journey hasn't been difficult enough, Moses has to listen to the bad news.
After all of this, all he has been through, he hears that the people will soon forget about God, turning to other Gods. And God will turn His back on them.
I am just thinking that would be a bit of a disappointment after all he has been through.
I am pretty sure I would stand up and say, "Are you serious, God? You had me do all of this, travel all of this way, only to have it end like this? I don't want this. I want the fairy tale ending. Happily Ever After."
Thankfully, Moses is not me. He takes it all in stride. He delivers the appropriate messages. And he accepts what God says, no questions asked.
In some ways, there is no fairy tale ending.
But perhaps there is.
Eternity with a Heavenly Father.
This was just one part of the journey.
Reba
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Week 14 Day 1 Choose Life!
Deuteronomy 29 and 30
Again, God is reminding the people about following His commands, remembering their history, and what the blessings and the curses will be if they don't. His biggest command is to STAY away from idols. But no matter what, God makes it clear.
He is offering them life or death. Blessings or curses.
And He follows up with "Choose life!"
Choosing life isn't about breathing, eating, sleeping. It is loving God, obeying Him, and staying close to Him.
So...
What do you choose today?
Life or death? Blessings or curses?
Tomorrow: Deuteronomy 31
Reba
Again, God is reminding the people about following His commands, remembering their history, and what the blessings and the curses will be if they don't. His biggest command is to STAY away from idols. But no matter what, God makes it clear.
He is offering them life or death. Blessings or curses.
And He follows up with "Choose life!"
Choosing life isn't about breathing, eating, sleeping. It is loving God, obeying Him, and staying close to Him.
So...
What do you choose today?
Life or death? Blessings or curses?
Tomorrow: Deuteronomy 31
Reba
Monday, July 18, 2011
Week 13 Day 7 Written in Stone
Deuteronomy 27 and 28
I cannot tell you how many times I have tried to write this post. Have I mentioned we have a new puppy? We are quite busy these days. :)
Whew. This passage was tough to read.
Blessings and curses.
Moses tells the people what kinds of blessings to expect if they follow God's commands. It is a nice little paragraph. Then he begins to list the curses that will occur if they don't. And just reading them made my toes curl. Not pleasant. Not pleasant at all.
But the part that really stuck out to me was that the people were told to write God's words in stone. Not only would it be a physical reminder that they would see in their land but just think about what happens when you write out word for word these many commands of the Lord. They begin to stick in your mind. Kind of like in college when we could have a "cheat sheet" for a test. We would write everything we needed to know in tiny little letters to fit it all on an index card, then we wouldn't need them because by then the words were etched in our brains.
Maybe I need to be writing out the Bible rather than just reading and commenting on it!
Reba
I cannot tell you how many times I have tried to write this post. Have I mentioned we have a new puppy? We are quite busy these days. :)
Whew. This passage was tough to read.
Blessings and curses.
Moses tells the people what kinds of blessings to expect if they follow God's commands. It is a nice little paragraph. Then he begins to list the curses that will occur if they don't. And just reading them made my toes curl. Not pleasant. Not pleasant at all.
But the part that really stuck out to me was that the people were told to write God's words in stone. Not only would it be a physical reminder that they would see in their land but just think about what happens when you write out word for word these many commands of the Lord. They begin to stick in your mind. Kind of like in college when we could have a "cheat sheet" for a test. We would write everything we needed to know in tiny little letters to fit it all on an index card, then we wouldn't need them because by then the words were etched in our brains.
Maybe I need to be writing out the Bible rather than just reading and commenting on it!
Reba
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Week 13 Day 6 Whole Being
Deuteronomy 26
Two things stood out in this not very long passage.
One: The people were supposed to give some of the fruits of their labor from their first harvest as an offering to God. Then every third year, they were told to use a tenth of their harvest to give to the Levites (priests), widows, orphans, and foreigners.
One small command, one big punch.
When Mark and I first got married, he and I had a few discussions about tithing. I have to admit; I hadn't been a faithful tither prior to that. I was teaching in private schools and not making very much money. I felt like I had "tithed" already; I hadn't learned the whole act of faith. All I could see was the bottom line. I tithed and there wouldn't be much money left when I was already having difficulty making ends meet.
Too bad I hadn't taken time to truly read this verse and understand. We should give to God first. Not at the end of the month when we look to see what is leftover...we give Him the FIRST fruits.
I am still thankful for a husband who showed me that.
I also appreciate the giving to the priests, the widows, the orphans, and the foreigners. I think it is easy for us to get wrapped up in our own lives. I also think as Americans, we tend to forget there is a whole world out there. People in our own cities need help. And yes, there are "foreigners" who need help too. Not long ago, there was a "status update" on Facebook that people were copying and posting. It basically shamed Americans for wanting to help "foreigners", saying we should take care of our "own" first. I do agree we should take care of those around us. Look around...there are a lot of needs in our own community. But I have yet to find a place in the Bible that says we can only support our own people. In fact, in these books, God repeatedly asks us, no...rather commands us, to take care of "foreigners". That would be people who are not "our people".
The other thought that stuck out to me was to obey God's rules and laws with our whole being. One thing I learned while teaching in private schools and still use today is that we should obey "completely, immediately, and from the heart". That would be with our whole being. Okay, my kids are still working on that, and honestly, some days I am too!
I think tomorrow's reading is Deuteronomy 26 and 27.
Reba
Two things stood out in this not very long passage.
One: The people were supposed to give some of the fruits of their labor from their first harvest as an offering to God. Then every third year, they were told to use a tenth of their harvest to give to the Levites (priests), widows, orphans, and foreigners.
One small command, one big punch.
When Mark and I first got married, he and I had a few discussions about tithing. I have to admit; I hadn't been a faithful tither prior to that. I was teaching in private schools and not making very much money. I felt like I had "tithed" already; I hadn't learned the whole act of faith. All I could see was the bottom line. I tithed and there wouldn't be much money left when I was already having difficulty making ends meet.
Too bad I hadn't taken time to truly read this verse and understand. We should give to God first. Not at the end of the month when we look to see what is leftover...we give Him the FIRST fruits.
I am still thankful for a husband who showed me that.
I also appreciate the giving to the priests, the widows, the orphans, and the foreigners. I think it is easy for us to get wrapped up in our own lives. I also think as Americans, we tend to forget there is a whole world out there. People in our own cities need help. And yes, there are "foreigners" who need help too. Not long ago, there was a "status update" on Facebook that people were copying and posting. It basically shamed Americans for wanting to help "foreigners", saying we should take care of our "own" first. I do agree we should take care of those around us. Look around...there are a lot of needs in our own community. But I have yet to find a place in the Bible that says we can only support our own people. In fact, in these books, God repeatedly asks us, no...rather commands us, to take care of "foreigners". That would be people who are not "our people".
The other thought that stuck out to me was to obey God's rules and laws with our whole being. One thing I learned while teaching in private schools and still use today is that we should obey "completely, immediately, and from the heart". That would be with our whole being. Okay, my kids are still working on that, and honestly, some days I am too!
I think tomorrow's reading is Deuteronomy 26 and 27.
Reba
Monday, July 11, 2011
Week 13 Day 5 Very Interesting...
Deuteronomy 23-25
You have to say that title with an accent or it isn't nearly as fun.
Okay, this passage was full of interesting tidbits and warnings.
Some I would blush to even type.
But some kind of tickled me. I never noticed before that there could be a Family of the Unsandaled.
I have been reading the Bible for a LONG time and have never once noticed that.
Or that if a slave escaped came to an Israelite, they were NOT to return him to his master but to let him live where he wanted.
Or to not cover an ox's mouth while it was helping harvest grain.
But my favorite one is that when a man married a woman, he was NOT to go to war for a year or have another duty. He needed to stay home and make his new wife happy.
I love that!
Wonder what tomorrow will bring?
Deuteronomy 26
Reba
You have to say that title with an accent or it isn't nearly as fun.
Okay, this passage was full of interesting tidbits and warnings.
Some I would blush to even type.
But some kind of tickled me. I never noticed before that there could be a Family of the Unsandaled.
I have been reading the Bible for a LONG time and have never once noticed that.
Or that if a slave escaped came to an Israelite, they were NOT to return him to his master but to let him live where he wanted.
Or to not cover an ox's mouth while it was helping harvest grain.
But my favorite one is that when a man married a woman, he was NOT to go to war for a year or have another duty. He needed to stay home and make his new wife happy.
I love that!
Wonder what tomorrow will bring?
Deuteronomy 26
Reba
Friday, July 8, 2011
Week 13 Day 4 Speechless
Deuteronomy 21-22
I honestly don't even know what to say about these chapters.
They address murder, disobedient sons (who are to be stoned), marriage issues (and some others I won't mention on here), farming tips, and even rules about what men and women can wear.
And much of it made me queasy. A whole lot of stoning going on.
So what do I take away from this?
Well, one obvious thing is that I am SOOO thankful Jesus came to the cross and I don't have to witness stonings or bodies hanging from trees.
Blech.
The other thing is that the main point of many of these rules is to get the evil out of their people. If there was evil, they had to get rid of it. Otherwise it would take over their nation.
That is true, not necessarily in our nation. But I can apply that to my life.
Things that are evil, I need to shun or rid my life out.
Otherwise it spreads like wildfire.
I am just glad no stoning has to occur...
Tomorrow's reading: Deuteronomy 23-25
Reba
I honestly don't even know what to say about these chapters.
They address murder, disobedient sons (who are to be stoned), marriage issues (and some others I won't mention on here), farming tips, and even rules about what men and women can wear.
And much of it made me queasy. A whole lot of stoning going on.
So what do I take away from this?
Well, one obvious thing is that I am SOOO thankful Jesus came to the cross and I don't have to witness stonings or bodies hanging from trees.
Blech.
The other thing is that the main point of many of these rules is to get the evil out of their people. If there was evil, they had to get rid of it. Otherwise it would take over their nation.
That is true, not necessarily in our nation. But I can apply that to my life.
Things that are evil, I need to shun or rid my life out.
Otherwise it spreads like wildfire.
I am just glad no stoning has to occur...
Tomorrow's reading: Deuteronomy 23-25
Reba
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Week 13 Day 3 Going Green
Deuteronomy 19-20
This passage deals with a few topics like safe cities (which is where an Israelite could run if they accidentally killed someone to escape the wrath of the family), witnesses (one witness for a crime was NOT enough; there had to be two or more), and laws for war.
A couple things stood out from these two chapters.
God (via Moses) told the people to go out to war and not worry if they saw chariots and horses and an army bigger than them; he was with them. That makes sense.
I did get a bit tickled though in the next few verses because the officers were then to ask if anyone had a new home or was engaged or was afraid...if so, they had permission to leave the battle and go home. I don't know why, but that whole thing seemed full of irony to me.
The other part I thought was interesting was that the people were commanded to NOT cut down the fruit trees around cities they were attacking. They could eat the fruit but NOT cut the trees down. After all, their (the Israelite's) beef was with the people, not the trees. However, non-fruit trees could be cut down to make devices to attack the city walls.
I can't really say why that stuck out to me but it was just something new I hadn't read...and it did make me giggle a little. :)
Tomorrow's reading:
Deuteronomy 21-22
Reba
This passage deals with a few topics like safe cities (which is where an Israelite could run if they accidentally killed someone to escape the wrath of the family), witnesses (one witness for a crime was NOT enough; there had to be two or more), and laws for war.
A couple things stood out from these two chapters.
God (via Moses) told the people to go out to war and not worry if they saw chariots and horses and an army bigger than them; he was with them. That makes sense.
I did get a bit tickled though in the next few verses because the officers were then to ask if anyone had a new home or was engaged or was afraid...if so, they had permission to leave the battle and go home. I don't know why, but that whole thing seemed full of irony to me.
The other part I thought was interesting was that the people were commanded to NOT cut down the fruit trees around cities they were attacking. They could eat the fruit but NOT cut the trees down. After all, their (the Israelite's) beef was with the people, not the trees. However, non-fruit trees could be cut down to make devices to attack the city walls.
I can't really say why that stuck out to me but it was just something new I hadn't read...and it did make me giggle a little. :)
Tomorrow's reading:
Deuteronomy 21-22
Reba
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Week 13 Day 2 Excuses, Excuses
Deuteronomy 16-18
I don't know why I am having a hard time keeping up with my reading this summer. I think part of the reason is Deuteronomy (thus far) is just so much repetition. God is having Moses remind the people of many of the things He has already shared with them. And not that it isn't "good stuff". I think if I were just reading it, I could do it. It is the attempt to blog on something I have already blogged on that I am having a tough time with! The other reason is that I have a hard time finding my routine in the summer. You would think this would be the ideal time to study the Word but our schedule is all over the place with trips out of town, day outings, camps, etc.
I know.
Excuses, excuses.
Today's reading which I actually started a week or so ago is a review of the feasts (when, where, why). It also talks a lot about getting rid of evil in their land. Interestingly evil does not refer to things like theft and murders, though there are consequences for that. The "evil" refers to the worshiping of things other than God, like the sun and the moon. I also found it interesting that God told the people to respect the judge's decisions in cases like murder, theft, etc. It is kind of ironic reading that after the HUGE outcry I saw on the news and on FB regarding a decision made yesterday in a high profile case.
But what really stuck out to me in this passage involved the king that the people would choose one day. God gave some qualifications for the king, such as that he had to be from among the people (not a foreigner), couldn't own too many horse, and couldn't have too many wives (so he could keep his focus on his job at hand). Another requirement? The king had to write out (himself) the commands of the Lord from a copy taken from the priests. He was to keep it with him at all times and read it daily. Why? To learn to respect the Lord and to keep His commands. Wow. That is a huge job but what an impact that would make, not only for the king but for the people he leads!
Tomorrow's reading (and I am really going to try to stay on track the rest of this week): Deuteronomy 19 and 20.
Reba
I don't know why I am having a hard time keeping up with my reading this summer. I think part of the reason is Deuteronomy (thus far) is just so much repetition. God is having Moses remind the people of many of the things He has already shared with them. And not that it isn't "good stuff". I think if I were just reading it, I could do it. It is the attempt to blog on something I have already blogged on that I am having a tough time with! The other reason is that I have a hard time finding my routine in the summer. You would think this would be the ideal time to study the Word but our schedule is all over the place with trips out of town, day outings, camps, etc.
I know.
Excuses, excuses.
Today's reading which I actually started a week or so ago is a review of the feasts (when, where, why). It also talks a lot about getting rid of evil in their land. Interestingly evil does not refer to things like theft and murders, though there are consequences for that. The "evil" refers to the worshiping of things other than God, like the sun and the moon. I also found it interesting that God told the people to respect the judge's decisions in cases like murder, theft, etc. It is kind of ironic reading that after the HUGE outcry I saw on the news and on FB regarding a decision made yesterday in a high profile case.
But what really stuck out to me in this passage involved the king that the people would choose one day. God gave some qualifications for the king, such as that he had to be from among the people (not a foreigner), couldn't own too many horse, and couldn't have too many wives (so he could keep his focus on his job at hand). Another requirement? The king had to write out (himself) the commands of the Lord from a copy taken from the priests. He was to keep it with him at all times and read it daily. Why? To learn to respect the Lord and to keep His commands. Wow. That is a huge job but what an impact that would make, not only for the king but for the people he leads!
Tomorrow's reading (and I am really going to try to stay on track the rest of this week): Deuteronomy 19 and 20.
Reba
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