Deuteronomy (Program #15) – A Word Concerning Division and Apostasy

Deuteronomy includes a lengthy portion where God through Moses is instituting His divine government among His people Israel. Divine government means government by God and according to what God is. This is call theocracy, it is neither democracy a government according to the opinions of the people nor it is autocracy which is government by a dictator or monarchy.  Many people may be apprehensive about this term because through out history it is often misapplied but according to the Old Testament picture there is a genuine theocracy may be not among earthly nations but certainly among God’s people. A theocracy that reflects the person of God, the God of love and of righteousness and holiness and absolute fairness and justice.  So, in the coming few programs we want to keep this view of God, the God who knows man and man’s condition and what man’s need to be preserved for His eternal purpose.

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Deuteronomy (Program #14) – The Rehearsal of the Law (6 & 7)

The word slavery has a powerful and we would say even a painful connotation in today’s society.  Yet in the Bible it often refer to to describe an aspect of everyday life for many of God’s people. In a sense it helps to remember that we all had a background of a very real kind of slavery, that’s slavery to the world and to sin. In Christ God has set us all free. This is the promise of the gospel and the hope of our Christian life. For in Christ not only are the captives set free, but the poor and the needy are fed and are clothed and sheltered. Deuteronomy, is an Old Testament book with many wonderful pictures of these aspects of the life of the New Testament believers.

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Deuteronomy (Program #13) – God’s Choice—The Definite Ground for the Worship of God

The Bible often speaks of God’s love and we take great comfort from the love of God. But the Bible also speaks very much about the things that God hates. You may say “well I know that God hates sin”, that’s true. But specifically they are a few sins that God hates above all others because they damage the very person of God and His Christ or they damage His corporate expression which is the Body of Christ. Many times it is verses from the Old Testament that help us to see things if our eyes are opened.

Deuteronomy 13:4  says “You shall follow Jehovah your God; and you shall fear Him, keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and hold fast to Him.. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has advocated apostasy from Jehovah your God.”  Apostasy, an Old Testament word but there is a New Testament equal, we will find out from this life study of Deuteronomy.

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Deuteronomy (Program #12) -The Rehearsal of the Law (5)

Many people take great solace and comfort in the fact that we live in the land that allows us absolute freedom and how and where to worship God. Surely this is a cherish and value freedom that we thank God for. But how much freedom does the Bible give to the people of God in choosing where and how to worship?

In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy we see that Moses had a lot to say on this issue. Deuteronomy 12:13 says “Be careful that you do not offer up your burnt offerings in every place that you see; But in the place which Jehovah will choose, there you shall offer up your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you.”  The place that Jehovah will choose is the focus of this chapter in Deuteronomy.  An important and interesting fellowship today and one we all will come to realize which is very, very much in God’s heart.

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Deuteronomy (Program #11) – The Rehearsal of the Law (4)

The matter of God blessing His people is so often spoken of in Christian circles these days. Popular books, detailed the right prayer to pray with the latest method of bringing ourselves into a place where God can bless us.

Surely, God does desire to bless His people, perhaps you pray such a prayer of faith and God had answered you with some material possession. But if the Lord would mercifully open our eyes we would see that even in the Old Testament book like Deuteronomy, the highest blessing for God’s people is just Christ Himself and that we would hold Him fast and live in the sweetness of His presence.

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Deuteronomy (Program #10) – The Rehearsal of the Law (3)

To the assembled nation of Israel preparing to cross over the Jordan river and enter Canaan, Moses had this to say, “Hear, O Israel! You are about to cross over the Jordan this day in order to enter in and dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, cities that are big and fortified up to heaven, know therefore today that Jehovah your God is the One crossing over before you as a consuming fire; it is He who will destroy them, and it is He who will subdue them before you, so that you may dispossess them and destroy them quickly, as Jehovah has said to you.”

Surely these words must had filled the people with hope and expectation. but Moses also brought their earlier failures to remembrance, “Remember; do not forget that you made Jehovah your God furious in the wilderness; from the day that you came forth from the land of Egypt up until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against Jehovah.”  Moses once again preparing this new generation to overcome, enter and possess the land.

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Deuteronomy (Program #9) – The Rehearsal of the Law (2)

Deuteronomy Chapter 7 begins in a way that might be very difficult for us to reconcile with our natural thought.  “When Jehovah your God brings you into the land which you are about to enter to possess, and clears away many nations from before you – And Jehovah your God delivers them up before you and you defeat them, you shall utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, nor shall you show them any favor.”

God’s word to the children of Israel was as they were preparing to enter the good land was to utterly and absolutely destroy the people that were inhabiting the land. To us today this may seems far too extreme. But what view do we bring to the Scriptures?

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Deuteronomy (Program #8) – The Rehearsal of the Law (1)

The word Deuteronomy means a second speaking or re-speaking . In Deuteronomy what is been re-spoken by Moses to the assembled nation of Israel was the commandments, the law, the ten commandments, the ordinances, statues and judgments. These were originally given to the people some 38 years prior at Mt Sinai.  The reason for this repeating of the word is that Moses was facing a new generation that had grown up after the law was originally given to their fathers. By now the fathers were all dead. And God’s purpose was with this new, young generation.

The words here of Moses, are the words of a loving, caring father’s speaking to his children. How much all of us as God’s children today needs to hear His word spoken again and again and how much even we ourselves shall speak this word to our own children again and again.

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Deuteronomy (Program #7) – A Book Concerning Christ

Deuteronomy is a book very much concern with the good land. For 40 years the children of Israel journeyed with the goal of entering into the good land of Canaan. All that they had experience and passed through was for this. And for us as Christians we need to understand that good land represents the goal of our journey as well. Because the good land is a type of our all inclusive Christ.

Listen to the description of it that is found in Deuteronomy 8:7-10 “For Jehovah your God is bringing you to a good land, a land of waterbrooks, of springs and of fountains, flowing forth in valleys and in mountains; A land of wheat and barley and vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees with oil and of honey; A land in which you will eat bread without scarcity; you will not lack anything in it; a land whose stones are iron, and from whose mountains you can mine copper.  And you shall eat and be satisfied, and you shall bless Jehovah your God for the good land which He has given you.”

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Deuteronomy (Program #6) – A Review of the Past (2)

It should come as a surprise to no one really that God is revealed in the Bible. But that is not all of course many things are revealed but primarily three things are shown to us in the Bible: God, mankind in general and even yourself in particular and of course Christ.

Well, it is very easy to see God manifested in the pages of the Bible and if we look at the story of God’s people through out history in the pages of the Bible we will also see man but to see Christ unveiled is not so easy.  Deuteronomy, we find is an extract of the entire Bible and it too primarily reveal these three main things.

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