Archives for April 2014

Thus the LORD became king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together. Deuteronomy 33:5 (ESV)

As this book draws to a close we focus on God again. The Lord became king in Israel, the passage speaks of God as their teacher and guide (verse 3) to but one of the ultimate truths of the overall biblical narrative is that God is king. God became or was recognised king over the people when they were given the law and they agreed to keep it.

We affirm God as king in our lives when we hear his word (the bible), agree with and apply it, in this way we submit ourselves to his loving sovereign rule and dominion. The ultimate story of Gods word is about God as King in his Kingdom. See Matthew 6:10

Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs.” Deuteronomy 33:29 (ESV)

In verse 26 we affirm again that there is no one like the Lord, here God affirms that his people Israel are special and there is no other nation like them too. This final passage encourages Gods people that his everlasting arms are there for them to lean on and he is their shield and sword. It is not a promise of peaceful paradise but of God’s protection and deliverance in the middle of conflict. We should be encouraged and happy today that the Lord is our shield and sword as we fight the fight of faith. See Ephesians 6:16-17

and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. Deuteronomy 34:6 (ESV)

This point is picked up in Jude 9, the devil would have likely wanted to have the body of Moses enshrined and then set up as an object of worship and distraction for God’s people because Moses was so great. We see the devils power is limited as the Archangel rebuked him in the name of the Lord.

Moses was one of the greatest prophets of all time and had experiences with God that no one else will ever have, he inaugurated the old covenant and was the mediator of the law, he saw some of the most breathtaking miracles and despite all this he was only a man, a servant of God and this is emphasised in that he died and God buried him.

We can learn from this that no matter how powerfully God uses us we are yet men, subject to death, the abiding glory belongs to God alone through Jesus Christ our Lord. See 1 Peter 4:11 and Romans 11:36

for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man. 2 Corinthians 8:21 (ESV)

Like Paul we must avoid arrogance when working for the Lord. The Lord knowing we have acted in integrity is good but we need to be mindful of people, we need to ensure we are open and honest before each other and portray the right image to outsiders to the glory of God and so the ministry and work does not come under unnecessary scrutiny or criticism.

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men. 2 Corinthians 8:23–24 (ESV)

As individual believers and as a church body we should bring Glory to Christ in our service and giving as well as the proclamation of the glorious gospel that the King and his kingdom has come. The Church can also be seen as the glory of Christ because he has redeemed her and she is alluded to as his bride and prize.

We should bring honour and credit to Jesus by promoting his glory and living lives worthy of his calling. We are the light of the world, the body of Christ the evidence of God’s victory and the proclaimers of his fame.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 (ESV)

God remains a refuge for his people today, he is our strength and although he is the mighty King he is still very close and accessible to us, making himself available to help us in times of trouble. We should have faith in God that he can help us right now. See Hebrews 7:25

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

We can take encouragement that God will be exalted over the nations and throughout the earth in our daily lives, we can trust in Gods power. However the context here is really pointing to the victory of Jesus at the second coming when he will put an end to war (see the previous verse) and all nations will bow to him as the king. See Revelation 11:15

“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. Deuteronomy 32:4 (ESV)

God calls himself The Rock. This name tells us so much about God’s character and who he is. Some of this is expounded in the same verse, God is just, faithful and holy. As the true Rock, God shows himself to be dependable, without sin and the source / foundation of all integrity and justice.

This reality gives the charge against his people context, if God is the rock, then how can they possibly forsake him. We should take confidence today that our God is the Rock, our firm foundation that will not be moved. Matthew 6:24-25

Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you? Deuteronomy 32:6 (ESV)

God is not only The Rock, he is their Creator and Father. Israel’s sin is not only that they fail to rely on and emulate his character as the dependable Rock but that they also fail to recognise his relationship with them and all he has done for them.

Jesus always referred to God as his Father, we should use speak the same way and think of God this way too, it will remind us of our relationship with him as his children which will help us act accordingly in recognition of his due love and respect. Matthew 6:9

“But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation. They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger. They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded. Deuteronomy 32:15–17 (ESV)

False gods are demons, the false gods of the religions of the world are all in fact demons. Our culture wants us to laugh at the Rock and forsake our Father to instead pay homage to the false god’s of human reasoning, chance/nothing (the big bang etc), comfort and convenience (the abortion rationale etc). These false gods are more subtle than the idols of the past but they are no less demonic.

For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves. Deuteronomy 32:31 (ESV)

No false or substitute rock can ever replace or compare to the true Rock, our God. The very revealed truth that Jesus is The Christ, The Son of The Living God was said by Jesus to be the Rock on which the church would be built and it has been built on this core truth and stands till this day. Matthew 16:16

“ ‘See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. Deuteronomy 32:39 (ESV)

God Majestically declares his own glory and sovereign rule. He alone is God and there is no other. God affirms that life, health and victory are in his hands alone. At the same time God affirms that death, sickness and defeat are in his hands too.

This boldly declared truth would have helped the Israelites form their sound theology about there being only one God and that God is sovereign over everything that happens to his people both good and bad. This would help them understand that some of their actions were worthy of God’s judgement rather than seeing bad times as God losing control.

An important lesson is seen here, when God’s blessing appears to be withdrawn, we should not questions God’s ability but need to examine our relationship with God.

For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 32:47 (ESV)

God’s word to us are not just empty words they are our very life. John 6:68 and Matthew 4:4

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 (ESV)

This is one of the key places in the bible which speaks about the incarnation of the Son of God and his eternal pre-existences. “being rich” in the greek indicates Christ’s un-begun pre-existence. “became poor” points to the historic act of the incarnation.

Jesus gave up his position and equality with God in heaven (richness) when he made the pre-incarnate choice to surrender his riches and glory to live, die and be resurrected as a man (becoming poor) so that we might be saved by becoming “rich” through His “poverty” (salvation)”

Jesus example shows us that the ‘grace’ expressed in love is the willingness to give up our own rights for the sake of meeting the needs of others. The riches we now have in christ are not economic but include forgiveness (2 Cor 5:19), reconciliation with God (2 Cor 5:18), and the gift of the Spirit (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5).

you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; Psalm 45:7 (ESV)

This great king is Jesus, notice God speaking to God because Jesus and the Father are both God. This is the doctrine of the Trinity in the Old Testament. One God in three distinct persons. This is referenced to Jesus in Hebrews 1:8-9

then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. Deuteronomy 30:3 (ESV)

The Lord shows his character here, he is merciful and gracious, he is willing to forgive. This whole chapters outlines mans choice before a very merciful and patient God. If Israel truly repented then God would restore them to their land and he did that throughout their history.

Today’s restoration of Israel has not happened in the same way as the restorations of the OT where there was also spiritual restoration through repentance, we should pray for the spiritual restoration of Israel to accompany it’s political restoration. Paul instructs us to desire and pray for their restoration through Jesus in Romans 9-11. See Romans 11:15, 23–24 regarding their full restoration

And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deuteronomy 30:6 (ESV)

In the hebrew this verse represents the climax of God’s point being made in verse 1-10. The turning in repentance to obey the Lord and prosperity in the land all hinges upon the greatest commandment which is to love God with everything. This ultimate demand of the law is only accomplished as the fruit of Gods grace in the hearts of his people as he is the one who circumcises their hearts. This is fulfilled and realised in truth in the new covenant through the Messiah Jesus Christ. See Romans 2:28-29

But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. Deuteronomy 30:14 (ESV)

God’s law has received a bad reputation over the years as being unrealistic, unbearable, unachievable and unfair (Often in an attempt to exalt Christianity over Judaism) but this couldn’t be further from the truth. God declares that the law is not too hard and it is not un reachable.

However God never claims that anyone can be saved by it, he simply call the people to live by it and be blessed. Salvation and relationship with God was and still is a matter of the heart and in Israel’s case salvation (from Egypt) had already been won, so the law was a life lived in response to salvation.

Reading and mediating on the word of God in the bible is so important, it is not too difficult and God wants us to internalise the word and live it out. Now in the new covenant we have the indwelling person of the Holy Spirit and the work Christ has been done, making it possible for us to live as God intends (Romans 10:5-13). We must pass God’s word on to our children too.

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, Deuteronomy 30:19 (ESV)

We face the same choice today, we should choose life and blessing, why would anyone choose death and cursing… but so many do, this shows the slavery of men’s will’s to sin. Thanks be to God that when Jesus sets us free from slavery to sin we are truly free. See John 8:32, 34-36

Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 31:12–13 (ESV)

As a church community we have been reading through the entire bible year on year for the last three years, just reading the bible like this will help us grow in the Lord and help us instruct our children as we bring them up as a community

For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. Deuteronomy 31:20 (ESV)

Getting what we want and having all our needs met can lead us into complacency and then indifference, rebellion and idolatry. We need to watch over our hearts especially living the extremely prosperous western world where God can be so easily forgotten.

For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 2 Corinthians 8:3 (ESV)

This gives us a perfect example of how we should give. the saints in Macedonia were not rich yet they joyfully and voluntarily gave according to their means and even stretched themselves beyond their means. We are called to generosity, beyond cold set percentages and portions we should enjoy the fellowship and service of giving generously from our hearts to the needs of our brothers and sisters etc.

The fact that Paul had to instruct the wealthy Corinthian church should stand as a warning to us that our prosperity can make us cold and without true faith filled generosity. As mentioned in verse 7 we should excel in giving alongside our other pursuits in Christ.

Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. Psalm 44:22 (ESV)

The Psalmist is talking about the suffering the people are going through, not because of disobedience, in fact this is an example of a Psalm where it is declared that the whole law was kept which is in line with the point made earlier about Gods achievable and reachable law.

This is suffering for the name of the Lord, because they refuse to compromise, the Psalmist, under this sort of pressure for standing for God seeks reassurance of God’s love. Paul picks this point up in Romans 8:36-39

But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. Deuteronomy 29:4 (ESV)

Often people can see God’s mighty works and hear his word and yet they do not trust or obey him, this is seen most strikingly with the people of Israel who saw the most amazing miracles and heard Gods actual voice and yet remained in unbelief. God is sovereign even over revelation and belief.

Jesus had to deal with this reality in his own ministry as mentioned in Matthew 13:14 which is itself a quote from Isaiah 6:9. Later Paul picks this point up and has this very passage in mind in Romans 11:8

Knowing God and trusting God’s word are all in fact gifts of grace but at the same time they are a matter of our own choice, desire and response. Without the Holy Spirit no one can truly know the truth, this is core to our understanding of the new “better” covenant which is pointed at here but made very clear by God in Jeremiah 24:6, 31:33 and Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26-28. This covenant is fulfilled in Jesus.

It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant, but with whoever is standing here with us today before the LORD our God, and with whoever is not here with us today. Deuteronomy 29:14–15 (ESV)

God did not limit this covenant to physical descendants of Israel but with all who stood with them that day from other nations too who had joined themselves to Israel. It also speaks of the fact that there is no Caste system, all are welcome. Here is a great picture of unity and social equality before God.

Future generations are also prophetically called into this covenant, Jesus does this too in his prayer in John 17:20. The repeated use of the word today would mean when future generations recite or read this they would have a sense of urgency and ownership for their own generation in much the same way that every generations of Christians have read the words soon regarding the Lords return and kept the urgency and expectancy alive in every age.

one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. Deuteronomy 29:19 (ESV)

As Galatians 6:7 states, we should not think that God can be tricked or fooled. Just saying we believe doesn’t mean anything we need to genuinely repent and live for God

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29 (ESV)

God’s self revelation in the bible is not Gods total revelation of everything, it is not all there is to know. God has revealed to man all he needs to come into relationship with him in the Bible. So our religion is not one where great knowledge must be sought to know God like we find in things like Buddhism. What God has revealed in his word is given that we might follow God’s commands. God has told us all we need to know, there are some mystery’s we will only know in heaven 1 Corinthians 13:12

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 (ESV)

Godly grief over sin is very healthy, we should not be so incubated by God’s grace that we never feel guilt, grief or sorrow, these negative emotions are necessary and awaken us to God’s love and grace when we drift of course. We need these emotions to act like an alert system for our hearts bringing to light the need to repent.

Outside Christ these emotions are destructive and open wider the chasm of selfishness, self pity and ultimately self destruction. Opposite examples in Gods word are Judas and Esau on the negative side and the Prodigal Son and Peter on the other side.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? Psalm 42:2 (ESV)

We should have a thirst for God, not the things of this word but for the fountain of living water, the only place were we can find safety and true satisfaction. See Matthew 5:6, John 6:35 and Revelation 22:17

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation Psalm 42:5 (ESV)

We need to talk to ourselves and remind ourselves of who God is if we fall into depression or discouragement. Doing this can build up your faith, don’t stay silent, speak up.

Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Psalm 43:4 (ESV)

God should be our ultimate and greatest joy