Bible Reading Plan

Author: Jon Green

Galatians 3
Read Galatians 3

Faith or Works of the Law
3 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. ²I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? ³Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? ⁴Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? ⁵So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? ⁶So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
⁷Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.⁸Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” ⁹So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
¹⁰For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” ¹¹Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” ¹²The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” ¹³Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” ¹⁴He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
The Law and the Promise
¹⁵Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. ¹⁶The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.¹⁸For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
¹⁹Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. ²⁰A mediator,however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
²¹Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. ²²But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
Children of God
²³Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. ²⁴So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.²⁵Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
²⁶So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, ²⁷for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.²⁸There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹If you belong to Christ,then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Go Deeper

It is so easy for us to try and live life on our own. We like control. We like the glory when things go well. Our pride and the world around us tell us that we are the heroes, we are in charge of our own destinies, that if we try our hardest and do our best, then we can fix ourselves. The lie we believe is that it is possible for us to live up to the standard that the law has laid out for us.
In Galatians 3, Paul reminds us that our desire to live perfectly on our own is the very thing that keeps us from understanding grace, living in freedom, and walking with Him. The enemy fools us into thinking we don’t need Jesus to be free; he wants us to believe that we can find freedom on our own. Jesus tells us that this is a lie and that the enemy has come to deceive us. We are far from God because of our sinfulness, and we cannot bring ourselves close to holiness.
Sometimes our weary, confused souls need to be reminded of what has been true since the beginning of our faith. Eternal life is found through Jesus alone. We need to be reminded that we are not seen as righteous because of our own works, by being good enough, or by working our way to perfection. At the root of our salvation is the truth that it is by faith alone we have been made righteous. The law came to reveal our sinfulness to us (Romans 3:20), and Jesus came to fulfill the law. He lived up to its perfect standard, the standard of God’s holiness, so that we don’t have to. Only through believing what Christ has promised to us are we able to receive the gift of salvation.
The question we need to answer is, “Do we believe Him”? If so, let’s stop living like we are bound to the law, like we need to earn our way to salvation and earn our way to Him. Let’s live like we know we are free because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and lean into the truth of our identity as redeemed children of God. Knowing who He says we are, we are free to live lives that bring God glory.

Questions

In what ways are you prone to forget the grace of Jesus? What lies do you believe about the gift of salvation?
How has the truth of the gospel changed the way you live? Has it?
Paul’s letter demonstrates our need for community in remembering Truth. Who can you encourage with the Truth today?

Keep Digging

This article explores more deeply the false gospel being spread around the church in Galatia. Keep reading to understand why Paul felt such a sense of urgency to write his letter to the church!

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March 15, 2023
Galatians 2
Read Galatians 2

Paul Accepted by the Apostles
2 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. ²I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. ³Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. ⁴This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.⁵We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospelmight be preserved for you.
⁶As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. ⁷On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. ⁸For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostleto the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles.⁹James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.
Paul Opposes Cephas
¹¹When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹²For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. ¹³The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
¹⁴When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
¹⁵“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles ¹⁶know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
¹⁷“But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! ¹⁸If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.
¹⁹“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. ²⁰I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Go Deeper

The book of Galatians is written by Paul to refute legalism in the early church. In Galatians 2, we see two pillars of the faith (Paul and Peter) in conflict over that subject, similar to arguments we can see amongst believers today.
In the first section, Paul is establishing the history behind his confirmation by leaders in the early church, the apostles, to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. In verse 2, Paul states that he verified that the Gospel he was preaching was correct, especially in regard to the debate over circumcision. In that time, circumcision represented living under the Jewish law which taught that a person’s strict adherence to laws like circumcision brought salvation. An important theme of this book is presented in this section: “God does not show favoritism.” (vs. 6) Peter was very familiar with this truth because God revealed it to him, as recorded in Acts 10:34-35. The conclusion was that nothing Paul was preaching needed to be changed because the gospel teaches that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone—no works can bring salvation, not even the Jewish law.
Some of the Jewish believers of the day were arguing that in order for a Gentile to be saved, circumcision was required. Peter (or Cephas) was allowing those Jews to influence his actions; he no longer was associating with uncircumcised believers. This is what Paul publicly confronted Peter about in the second section of this chapter.
Peter, who had previously eaten with Gentiles, was suddenly not willing to associate with them because of what others might think. Peter’s actions caused others to think that faith wasn’t enough anymore—that salvation needed added works like circumcision to be valid. Paul corrects this publicly with Peter, possibly because Peter’s legalism was public and Peter was considered a prominent leader. We know that ultimately this conflict was resolved because Peter makes a public proclamation about this subject in Acts 15, allowing the Gospel to go forward.
Jesus teaches us in Mark 2:17, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” The Gospel is for sinners, and that includes all of us. Jesus preached the Good News to everyone—especially the marginalized and outcasts of society. He didn’t ask them to clean up before they came to a saving faith in Him. He sat with, ate with, and included them, freely showing them grace. Because it is nothing we do to earn salvation; it is only a gift of grace from Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9).
One question we should walk away with after reading this chapter: Are our actions as believers in Christ allowing the Gospel to go forward or are we hindering it through our fear of others and legalism?

Questions

What are the debates today that cause divisions among believers? Do they create barriers to coming to Christ? If so, what are they?
What do we learn about Jesus’ ministry in the gospels? Look at the characteristics of His disciples’ backgrounds. Who does He call to follow him?
How is the Lord convicting you to walk forward differently? Pray to God and consult with community for wisdom.

By the Way

Read a beautiful account of Jesus sharing the gospel with a Gentile, the woman at the well, in John 4:1-42. What can we learn from how Jesus engaged with her?

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March 14, 2023
Galatians 1
Galatians Overview

Galatians is an early letter written by Paul, dated between AD 49 and early to mid 50s. This letter, thought to be Paul’s first, was written to some of the earliest converts to Christianity through Paul’s ministry. Written to both Jewish and Gentile converts, Paul’s letter to the Galatians pushes back against the legalism and false teaching that had infiltrated the church. Paul and his missionary companion Barnabas had previously spent two years living amongst and ministering to the Galatians. Now, all of that work seemed in peril because unhealthy orthodoxy (belief) and orthopraxy (practice) had crept in.
Paul’s writing is straightforward and, at times, confrontational. He’s writing with urgency to the churches in that region because they were facing a theological crisis as some had abandoned the Gospel. Paul’s opening to the churches of Galatia is brief, if not curt, in its greeting and salutations. Void of Paul’s typical encouragement and thankfulness, his letter begins with a quick reminder of who Paul is, the Authority who sent him, the message he’s teaching, and the confrontation of false messages.
The rest of this letter is reminiscent of Romans (just in a more compact, less theologically dense version). The beginning of the letter talks about important matters of theology, such as salvation and justification. The latter portion of the book is more focused on the practical application of what Paul is saying and how that should play out in a believer’s everyday life when it comes to matters of the Law and living in freedom.
As we read this letter over the next six days, pay close attention to each chapter. Look for words that are repeated over and over as you pick up on the important themes in this book. Process your takeaways and what you’re learning with the community around you. As always, thanks for reading along!

Read Galatians 1

1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christand God the Father, who raised him from the dead— ²and all the brothers and sisters with me,
To the churches in Galatia:
³Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,⁴who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age,according to the will of our God and Father, ⁵to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
No Other Gospel
⁶I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ⁷which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! ⁹As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
¹⁰Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul Called by God
¹¹I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. ¹²I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
¹³For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased ¹⁶to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. ¹⁷I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.
¹⁸Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.
²¹Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. ²²I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. ²³They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴And they praised God because of me.

Go Deeper

Paul wastes no time at the beginning of this letter before he reminds them of the Gospel (v. 4)–the true Gospel which is salvation is by grace, through faith alone, not by human works. With clarity and conviction, Paul intended for the recipients to understand that the message he preached was not a gospel but the Gospel. And, not because Paul originally preached it to them, but because Jesus had given it to him.
However, the churches in Galatia quickly slipped back into legalism (which astounded Paul). How swiftly they believed a lie! Because they fell away so fast from the Gospel of grace Paul preached, Paul’s credibility and integrity came into question as well. He spends the first two chapters of Galatians defending his authority as an apostle.
In his defense, we read these words: “If I were trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (v. 10). Said another way, “If I wanted the approval and applause of people, I certainly wouldn’t leverage my whole life on the message of Jesus, his forgiveness of sins, death on the cross, and resurrection.” Yet, Paul was compelled–willingly enslaved–to share the Gospel.
We grow complacent with familiarity and tired with repetition so it’s understandable when we gloss over Paul’s conversion and surrender. Yet, if we are willing to observe, with fresh eyes, his encounter with the risen Christ, we experience a renewed awe of God and worship of Jesus. Paul was the least likely character to encounter Christ. A murderer of those who believed in Jesus. The people who he now served. He set out to abolish Christians, not become one. He had to know that people would not believe his conversion; that opposition would follow him.The gospel of Jesus changed his life forever. If he wanted to be popular or well-liked, surrendering his life to Christ and becoming His ambassador was not the avenue for approval and applause. His conversion only makes sense if it’s true. He had nothing to gain, except Christ. And, to him, that was everything. He was unknown, unqualified, unbelievable, and undeserving.
Yet, Paul’s calling was a Divine calling. As is ours. Make no mistake: It is God who qualifies the called. We cannot qualify ourselves. No one can validate our worth or purpose apart from Jesus. We cannot (and will not) find lasting approval, appreciation, or applause from anyone other than God. But, like the Galatians, we are often quick to try. We are quick to take our allegiance from Christ and give it to another.
Even without Paul’s traditional opening of gratitude and encouragement, we see a word repeated throughout chapter one: grace. It’s as if Paul, with his pen guided by the Spirit, is reminding us that what we desperately need as we journey home to Jesus is freely given to us. Grace. When we seek the approval or affection or applause of someone other than Jesus, it’s grace that reminds us we are already approved. When we believe the lie of the enemy again and again, it’s grace that prompts us to remember truth. When we doubt the simplicity of the Gospel and try to clean ourselves up to go to God, it’s grace that reminds us we already belong. All is grace. All is undeserved. All freely given.

Questions

Whose approval do you want the most? What compromises of character are you making to gain or sustain their approval?
What encourages you from this chapter? Why?
The word gospel is repeated throughout chapter one. In one sentence, what is the Gospel?

Watch This

For a video overview of the book of Galatians, check out this video from The Bible Project.

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March 13, 2023
Rest Day
Editor’s Note

Galatians starts tomorrow! Now that we’ve finished our journey through Deuteronomy, we’ll spend a few weeks reading a couple of different New Testament books before diving into our Holy Week readings.

Rest Day

Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence.

Reflecting on Deuteronomy

As you look back on Deuteronomy and all that we read, answer the following questions:
What stuck out to you most in Deuteronomy?
If you were to sum up Deuteronomy in a word or phrase, what would it be? Why?
What is your primary takeaway from Deuteronomy? How do we apply this to our own lives today?

Worship With Us

Join us in person or online at 9a, 11a, or 7p at harriscreek.org/live. We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

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March 12, 2023
Deuteronomy 34
Read Deuteronomy 34

The Death of Moses
34 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, ²all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, ³the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar.⁴Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”
⁵And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. ⁶He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. ⁷Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.⁸The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.
⁹Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.
¹⁰Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lordknew face to face, ¹¹who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land.¹²For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

Go Deeper

No one was like Moses. No one could do “all the signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do….and no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.”
But he couldn’t cross into the Promised Land because of his failure to exactly follow God’s commands. In Numbers 20, the Israelites complained to Moses and Aaron because they didn’t have any water. God told Moses to command water from a rock in the presence of the Israelites, but Moses instead struck the rock with his staff. Because of his disobedience, God told Moses that he would not be allowed to enter the promised land with his people. Keep in mind, we also know from Exodus 17 that God had previously commanded Moses to strike a rock for water when the people were thirsty, so Moses was doing what God had instructed him to do on a different occasion.
The punishment seems a little harsh when we consider all that Moses had done and the eulogy that he earned at the end of his life. So, why was God so upset with Moses’s misstep? The answer seems to be found in the recounting of this same story in Numbers 20.
While on the top of the mountain, God told Moses to gather the people and “tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water.” He wanted Moses to use his words only. However, Moses assembled the Israelites and with Aaron said to them “…shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” and then struck the rock twice. Moses made it about himself–he didn’t rely on God’s power. Instead, he asked the people if “we” should bring forth the water. In Exodus, Moses pointed the people to God. In Numbers, he tried to control the situation himself.
Encouragingly, however, we see the loving and merciful nature of God abound despite the discipline He gives Moses. First, Numbers 20:11 tells us that when Moses struck the rock, “water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank…” Despite Moses’s disobedience, God loved His people enough to supply their needs anyway. Second, despite Moses’s disobedience, God loved him enough to forgive him and eternally preserve his legacy as the only prophet whom the Lord knew face to face and worthy of the tribute in the final verses of Deuteronomy 34.
Today’s reading shows us that God’s plans are not thwarted by our disobedience, even if we might have to suffer the consequences of our actions. He will always provide. It also shows us that God’s love for us is not stifled by our sin. He will always forgive us and desire to know us face to face for eternity.

Questions

Can you think of a time where you don’t feel like you obeyed God exactly as He directed you?
Take a moment and contemplate how gracious God is for not allowing our missteps to affect His love or provision for us.
Is there anything you need to do today in response to this reading? If so, tell someone and ask them to hold you accountable to following through with that prompting.

Keep Digging

If authorship of Deuteronomy is commonly attributed to Moses and Moses died in the final chapter, then who wrote Deuteronomy 34? Check out this article from The Gospel Coalition about the possible author of this final chapter.

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March 11, 2023
Deuteronomy 33
Read Deuteronomy 33

Moses Blesses the Tribes
33 This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death. ²He said:
“The Lord came from Sinai
    and dawned over them from Seir;
    he shone forth from Mount Paran.
He came with myriads of holy ones
    from the south, from his mountain slopes.
³Surely it is you who love the people;
    all the holy ones are in your hand.
At your feet they all bow down,
    and from you receive instruction,
⁴the law that Moses gave us,
    the possession of the assembly of Jacob.
⁵He was king over Jeshurun
    when the leaders of the people assembled,
    along with the tribes of Israel.
⁶“Let Reuben live and not die,
    nor his people be few.”
⁷And this he said about Judah:
“Hear, Lord, the cry of Judah;
    bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause.
    Oh, be his help against his foes!”
⁸About Levi he said:
“Your Thummim and Urim belong
    to your faithful servant.
You tested him at Massah;
    you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.
⁹He said of his father and mother,
    ‘I have no regard for them.’
He did not recognize his brothers
    or acknowledge his own children,
but he watched over your word
    and guarded your covenant.
¹⁰He teaches your precepts to Jacob
    and your law to Israel.
He offers incense before you
    and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
¹¹Bless all his skills, Lord,
    and be pleased with the work of his hands.
Strike down those who rise against him,
    his foes till they rise no more.”
¹²About Benjamin he said:
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,
    for he shields him all day long,
    and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”
¹³About Joseph he said:
“May the Lord bless his land
    with the precious dew from heaven above
    and with the deep waters that lie below;
¹⁴with the best the sun brings forth
    and the finest the moon can yield;
¹⁵with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains
    and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
¹⁶with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
    and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
    on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
¹⁷In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
    his horns are the horns of a wild ox.
With them he will gore the nations,
    even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;
    such are the thousands of Manasseh.”
¹⁸About Zebulun he said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
    and you, Issachar, in your tents.
¹⁹They will summon peoples to the mountain
    and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous;
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,
    on the treasures hidden in the sand.”
²⁰About Gad he said:
“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!
    Gad lives there like a lion,
    tearing at arm or head.
²¹He chose the best land for himself;
    the leader’s portion was kept for him.
When the heads of the people assembled,
    he carried out the Lord’s righteous will,
    and his judgments concerning Israel.”
²²About Dan he said:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
    springing out of Bashan.”
²³About Naphtali he said:
“Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord
    and is full of his blessing;
    he will inherit southward to the lake.”
²⁴About Asher he said:
“Most blessed of sons is Asher;
    let him be favored by his brothers,
    and let him bathe his feet in oil.
²⁵The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,
    and your strength will equal your days.
²⁶“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
    who rides across the heavens to help you
    and on the clouds in his majesty.
²⁷The eternal God is your refuge,
    and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you,
    saying, ‘Destroy them!’
²⁸So Israel will live in safety;
    Jacob will dwell secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
    where the heavens drop dew.
²⁹Blessed are you, Israel!
    Who is like you,
    a people saved by the Lord?
He is your shield and helper
    and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
    and you will tread on their heights.”

Go Deeper

Deuteronomy 33 is called the Blessings of Moses and it’s a continuation of his last words to the Israelites. These are the same people whom he had known, loved, and led for 40 years. How amazing that even after Moses is told this is when and where his life will end, just steps from the Promised Land, he still speaks so affectionately and highly of the Lord.
First Moses exalts God for choosing Israel, for what He has already done for them and for giving them the Law. Next Moses addresses eleven of the tribes individually, pronouncing blessing and prophecy to each of them.
The tribe of Simeon is the only tribe unmentioned in Moses’ blessing over Israel. It is believed that this was a prophetic statement on Moses’ part. Jacob had prophesied similarly in Genesis 49:7 when he said “I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.” This is exactly what happened. Eventually the Tribe of Simeon merged with Judah and after the Babylonian exile, we cease to read about them (likely because they had been absorbed into other cultures).
This goes to show just how important the patriarch’s final blessing was, both in practicality when regarding rights of inheritance, as well as prophetically. Receiving a blessing was the highest of honors, while losing a blessing was essentially a curse. This was one of God’s ways of revealing His will for His people.
Finally, Moses ends his blessing by glorifying the Lord once more. As he prepares to enter into God’s presence again, what a kind reminder he gives his people of the God they serve: “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun.” This was the same God who went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way… and did not depart from them (Exodus 13:21-22), who acted as their refuge, gave them rest and safety, who delivered His people, and drove out their enemies that they may live so well provided for and secure. These are the words of a man who met face-to-face with God–who spent time at His feet. Even with his last words, Moses pointed his people to God in every way.

Questions

How would you respond if you had just learned you would not experience the thing you had been working towards for the past 40 years? Would it look more like praise or hatred?
What makes you trust or distrust these attributes of the God of Jeshurun?
Think about a time when you feel you experienced God in a “face-to-face” way. Find an opportunity to share that memory with a friend, a family member, or a stranger over the next few days.

Keep Digging

Read about the ways Moses was similar to Jesus here.

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March 10, 2023
Deuteronomy 32
Read Deuteronomy 32

32 Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;
    hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.
²Let my teaching fall like rain
    and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
    like abundant rain on tender plants.
³I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
    Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
⁴He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
    and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
    upright and just is he.
⁵They are corrupt and not his children;
    to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.
⁶Is this the way you repay the Lord,
    you foolish and unwise people?
Is he not your Father, your Creator,
    who made you and formed you?
⁷Remember the days of old;
    consider the generations long past.
Ask your father and he will tell you,
    your elders, and they will explain to you.
⁸When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
    when he divided all mankind,
he set up boundaries for the peoples
    according to the number of the sons of Israel.
⁹For the Lord’s portion is his people,
    Jacob his allotted inheritance.
¹⁰In a desert land he found him,
    in a barren and howling waste.
He shielded him and cared for him;
    he guarded him as the apple of his eye,
¹¹like an eagle that stirs up its nest
    and hovers over its young,
that spreads its wings to catch them
    and carries them aloft.
¹²The Lord alone led him;
    no foreign god was with him.
¹³He made him ride on the heights of the land
    and fed him with the fruit of the fields.
He nourished him with honey from the rock,
    and with oil from the flinty crag,
¹⁴with curds and milk from herd and flock
    and with fattened lambs and goats,
with choice rams of Bashan
    and the finest kernels of wheat.
You drank the foaming blood of the grape.
¹⁵Jeshurun grew fat and kicked;
    filled with food, they became heavy and sleek.
They abandoned the God who made them
    and rejected the Rock their Savior.
¹⁶They made him jealous with their foreign gods
    and angered him with their detestable idols.
¹⁷They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God—
    gods they had not known,
    gods that recently appeared,
    gods your ancestors did not fear.
¹⁸You deserted the Rock, who fathered you;
    you forgot the God who gave you birth.
¹⁹The Lord saw this and rejected them
    because he was angered by his sons and daughters.
²⁰“I will hide my face from them,” he said,
    “and see what their end will be;
for they are a perverse generation,
    children who are unfaithful.
²¹They made me jealous by what is no god
    and angered me with their worthless idols.
I will make them envious by those who are not a people;
    I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.
²²For a fire will be kindled by my wrath,
    one that burns down to the realm of the dead below.
It will devour the earth and its harvests
    and set afire the foundations of the mountains.
²³“I will heap calamities on them
    and spend my arrows against them.
²⁴I will send wasting famine against them,
    consuming pestilence and deadly plague;
I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts,
    the venom of vipers that glide in the dust.
²⁵In the street the sword will make them childless;
    in their homes terror will reign.
The young men and young women will perish,
    the infants and those with gray hair.
²⁶I said I would scatter them
    and erase their name from human memory,
²⁷but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy,
    lest the adversary misunderstand
and say, ‘Our hand has triumphed;
    the Lord has not done all this.’”
²⁸They are a nation without sense,
    there is no discernment in them.
²⁹If only they were wise and would understand this
    and discern what their end will be!
³⁰How could one man chase a thousand,
    or two put ten thousand to flight,
unless their Rock had sold them,
    unless the Lord had given them up?
³¹For their rock is not like our Rock,
    as even our enemies concede.
³²Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom
    and from the fields of Gomorrah.
Their grapes are filled with poison,
    and their clusters with bitterness.
³³Their wine is the venom of serpents,
    the deadly poison of cobras.
³⁴“Have I not kept this in reserve
    and sealed it in my vaults?
³⁵It is mine to avenge; I will repay.
    In due time their foot will slip;
their day of disaster is near
    and their doom rushes upon them.”
³⁶The Lord will vindicate his people
    and relent concerning his servants
when he sees their strength is gone
    and no one is left, slave or free.
³⁷He will say: “Now where are their gods,
    the rock they took refuge in,
³⁸the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices
    and drank the wine of their drink offerings?
Let them rise up to help you!
    Let them give you shelter!
³⁹“See now that I myself am he!
    There is no god besides me.
I put to death and I bring to life,
    I have wounded and I will heal,
    and no one can deliver out of my hand.
⁴⁰I lift my hand to heaven and solemnly swear:
    As surely as I live forever,
⁴¹when I sharpen my flashing sword
    and my hand grasps it in judgment,
I will take vengeance on my adversaries
    and repay those who hate me.
⁴²I will make my arrows drunk with blood,
    while my sword devours flesh:
the blood of the slain and the captives,
    the heads of the enemy leaders.”
⁴³Rejoice, you nations, with his people,
    for he will avenge the blood of his servants;
he will take vengeance on his enemies
    and make atonement for his land and people.⁴⁴Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. ⁴⁵When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, ⁴⁶he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. ⁴⁷They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
Moses to Die on Mount Nebo
⁴⁸On that same day the Lord told Moses, ⁴⁹“Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. ⁵⁰There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people.⁵¹This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. ⁵²Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.”

Go Deeper

Before Moses’ death, God instructed him to write a song and teach it to all Israel to serve as a witness to them. This chapter includes that song. Have you ever noticed that words set to song are easier to remember than words alone? Songs and rhymes are mnemonic devices that help us recall important information. Did you use a tune to help you remember the alphabet, the months of the year, the quadratic equation, the periodic table, or the books of the Bible? God designed our brains to work this way! In His infinite wisdom, He gives Moses a song for the people so that it would stay in their memory and they would recall it often. The method He uses here is as intentional as the message itself.
Bible teacher and author Warren Wiersbe breaks the song into four distinct parts:
The character of God (v.1-4)
The kindness of God (v. 5-14)
The faithfulness of God in chastening His people (v. 15-25)
The vengeance of God against His adversaries (v. 26-43)
Its purpose is to help God’s people remember His faithfulness, and reflecting on the faithfulness of God will help us to walk in His ways and teach them to our children. When we believe who God is and understand His character and kindness, the more we’ll trust that good is in store when we walk in His ways.
“Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess” (v. 46-47). The ESV states verse 47 this way: “For it is no empty word for you, but your very life.” It is your very life! Life is found in obedience to God—true, deep, and abundant life!
Paul comes to a similar conclusion in Romans 8:6. He says, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” Today, we have the option to choose life and peace, by walking in the Spirit and choosing obedience to God’s Word.

Questions

What are some ways you can remember God’s faithfulness today? Write them down and put them in a place where you can reference them when you need the reminder.
What is a song that you love to sing as an act of worship? Give it a listen this morning to start your day in worship.
What command of the Lord do you need to cling to and obey? Share this with a close friend or your Life Group and ask them to hold you accountable.

Listen Here

Check out this episode from The Bible Project for a bit more insight on Deuteronomy 32: Moses’ Final Words.

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March 9, 2023
Deuteronomy 31
Read Deuteronomy 31

Joshua to Succeed Moses
31 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: ²“I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lordhas said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’ ³The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said. ⁴And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land.⁵The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. ⁶Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrifiedbecause of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
⁷Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. ⁸The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Public Reading of the Law
⁹So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.¹⁰Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Festival of Tabernacles, ¹¹when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. ¹²Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. ¹³Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
Israel’s Rebellion Predicted
¹⁴The Lord said to Moses, “Now the day of your death is near. Call Joshuaand present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him.” So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.
¹⁵Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent. ¹⁶And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors, and these people will soon prostitutethemselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them. ¹⁷And in that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and calamities will come on them, and in that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come on us because our God is not with us?’ ¹⁸And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.
¹⁹“Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. ²⁰When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their ancestors, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant. ²¹And when many disasters and calamities come on them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.” ²²So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.
²³The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.”
²⁴After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, ²⁵he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord: ²⁶“Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. ²⁷For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die! ²⁸Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to testify against them.²⁹For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall on you because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and arouse his anger by what your hands have made.”
The Song of Moses
³⁰And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel:

Go Deeper

Today we read about the succession of leadership from Moses to Joshua. Through Moses, the Lord encourages both the Israelites and then Joshua in verse 6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” In this passage the Lord reminds His people that He will go before them and will neither leave nor forsake them as they prepare for a new leader to take them into new battles (and eventually the promised land). Let’s camp out here.
Even though this Old Testament passage is centuries old, the law that Moses was writing and preserving for the Israelites was eventually fulfilled through Jesus, and we can still cling to these promises from the Lord! We know that our Lord is a promise keeper. In Psalm 145:13, we read:
For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; He is gracious in all he does.
Too often, the circumstances of this world overwhelm us, and we respond with fear and trembling. Wherever we turn, we see the prince of darkness ruling the Earth, spawning brokenness all around. However, as believers, we can see our fear and weakness as an opportunity to be dependent on the Lord. We can use it as an opportunity to turn away from the evil in this world and turn back to God’s Word and faithfulness.
Look at the New Testament example of Peter walking on water. What an amazingillustration! Jesus reminds Peter to have courage and keep his eyes fixed on Him, even as he is walking on water in the midst of the storm! Jesus did not stop the wind until after he helped Peter into the boat. So while Peter was scared during the storm and let the worry of this world take him down, Jesus knew all along that he would be safe in the boat soon.
In the same way, God knew that the Israelites would turn away from His commands and give in to corruption, even after He delivered the Promised Land to them. Verses 28-30 reveal the song God instructed Moses to write to remind them of their sinful tendencies. But God stayed faithful to the Israelites, and He stands faithful beside us, even when He knows we may take our eyes off Him and sink, time and time again.
Whether you are walking through a storm or rushing into a battle, you can remember that God is faithful. He knows where you are and what you are facing. He knows how this will end, and He has your best in mind. Even if you fall and feel crushed by this world, He is reaching out His hand to help. Lean into dependency on the Lord today and remember His promises; He will never leave nor forsake you.

Questions

Where is God calling you to be strong and courageous in this season?
Is it hard for you to believe the promises of God and trust that He has your best in mind?
How is the Father calling you to dependence on Him in this season?

Listen Here

Jennie Allen did a great interview with Jamie Winship on the “Made for This” podcast about How to Stop Fear from Ruining Your Life. Listen here!

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March 8, 2023
Deuteronomy 30
Read Deuteronomy 30

Prosperity After Turning to the Lord
30 When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, ²and when you and your children return to the Lordyour God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, ³then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. ⁴Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. ⁵He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. ⁶The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. ⁷The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you.⁸You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. ⁹Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, ¹⁰if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
The Offer of Life or Death
¹¹Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. ¹²It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”¹³Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” ¹⁴No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
¹⁵See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.¹⁶For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
¹⁷But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, ¹⁸I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
¹⁹This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰and that you may love the Lordyour God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life,and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Go Deeper

Moses makes his final appeal to the Israelites as they are on the verge of entering into the Promised Land. He has already gone through a review of the history and law, and he is now calling them to faithful obedience. Moses told the Israelites about the blessings that come with walking in obedience to the Lord and how much the Lord loves them and keeps His promises to them, and how cursing will come if they do not follow the Lord because the Lord himself is the blessing. He is where life and goodness is found because every good and perfect gift comes from Him (James 1:17). Moses outlines the conditions of the covenant, the promises of the covenant, and the consequences for breaking the covenant. God promises in this chapter to restore Israel in the Promised Land as they repent and turn back to Him. When they repent, Moses promises that the Lord will make them prosperous and put these curses on their enemies (v. 7-10).
Moses gives them a choice: they can choose life or they can choose death. He says, “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess” (v. 15-16). Obedience to God leads to life. Disobedience to God leads to death. This law set before them is not supposed to be difficult for the Israelites to keep, but they will eventually break it (v. 11). In the previous chapter, Moses prophesied that the Israelites will in fact disobey the Lord and will be driven out of the land. They are going to fail.
However, there is a promise in this chapter that the Lord will not leave them in exile forever. It is promised that the Lord will restore Israel’s fortunes and have compassion on them and gather them again from all the nations where he scattered them (v. 3). After the exile, the Israelites will one day return and be restored. Like the Israelites, we also have the choice between life and death. We can choose to walk in obedience to the Lord and His Word which leads to life, or we can choose to turn away from God and forsake Him which leads to death. We choose life by choosing to follow Jesus, which will always lead to life in abundance (John 10:10).
We have seen in Deuteronomy a powerful theme of remembrance. Moses is telling them to remember how the Lord has led them. To remember how the Lord had been faithful. To remember how they lack no good thing in Him (Psalm 23:1). To remember His goodness and His promises. To hold tightly to His Word which is not burdensome but freedom and life giving (1 John 5:3). When they walk into what the Lord has promised them, they are to remember how good He is in there. This is true for us today. Loving God and walking in obedience to Him are not separate. They go hand in hand.
Our behavior should always follow our belief. James 1:22 tells us to not only be hearers of the word but doers of the word. We show God we love Him by walking in accordance to His Word and wholeheartedly following in His ways. It’s not always easy to walk in submission to His Word because of our flesh, the schemes of the enemy, and the broken world we live in, but it is what we were made to do. We were made to abide in the Lord and walk with Him for all eternity. When we remember how the Lord has been faithful in the past, it helps us cling on to the truth that He will be faithful in the future.

Questions

What area of your life do you feel is the hardest to walk in submission to God’s Word?
What are some ways you can remember how the Lord has been faithful towards you?
Is there a verse that stands out to you in this passage?

Listen Here

Listen to the song “I Don’t Wanna Go” by Chris Renzema and reflect on the lyrics today.

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March 7, 2023
Deuteronomy 29
Read Deuteronomy 29

Renewal of the Covenant
29 These are the terms of the covenant the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.
²Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them:
Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. ³With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders. ⁴But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. ⁵Yet the Lordsays, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. ⁶You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the Lord your God.”
⁷When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out to fight against us, but we defeated them. ⁸We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
⁹Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do. ¹⁰All of you are standing today in the presence of the Lord your God—your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, ¹¹together with your children and your wives, and the foreigners living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water. ¹²You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the Lord your God, a covenant the Lord is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, ¹³to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ¹⁴I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you¹⁵who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God but also with those who are not here today.
¹⁶You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here. ¹⁷You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold. ¹⁸Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.
¹⁹When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,” they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. ²⁰The Lord will never be willing to forgive them; his wrath and zealwill burn against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot out their names from under heaven. ²¹The Lord will single them out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.
²²Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the Lord has afflicted it. ²³The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, which the Lord overthrew in fierce anger.²⁴All the nations will ask: “Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?”
²⁵And the answer will be: “It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt. ²⁶They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them. ²⁷Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book. ²⁸In furious anger and in great wrath the Lord uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now.”
²⁹The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.

Go Deeper

Verse 2 of Deuteronomy 29 begins a new literary section that continues in chapter 30. This section is a historical review, commonly called an epilogue, that looks back to God’s faithfulness and looks forward to the possible outcomes of either obedience or disobedience of the Law.
Matthew 11:20 says, “Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.” Here, Jesus echoes the words of Moses in verses 3-4 of Deuteronomy 29. A common misbelief of our day is that if God would do more miracles, then evangelism would be more fruitful. The Bible shows us that disciples are not made only when people witness the supernatural, but when God gives new eyes, ears, and hearts to people so that they may know Christ and understand His grace (Ephesians 1:17-18).
This chapter also outlines the severity of the punishments of abandoning the Law. Verses 22-29 are perhaps the most concentrated expression of God’s wrath in all of Scripture, with six different words for anger used. The strong language used in these verses teach us an important lesson about Israel’s relationship with the Lord. God wants His people to worship Him alone—not the false idols prevalent in the culture. He doesn’t want them to hear His promise and say, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way” (v. 19). If God’s people denounce Him and refuse to follow His commands, the “curses of the covenant” will fall on them (v. 21). One of the greatest consequences to idol worship and disobedience of the Mosaic Covenant is that Israel would lose possession of the Promised Land. We see this through the exiles, Roman occupation, and the eventual destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Romans 3:19 says, “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law.” Through the New Covenant brought to us by Jesus, God offers Himself to receive this wrath, thus fulfilling the Law. Because of Jesus, the warnings for unfaithfulness in this chapter do not apply to us, but the truth is still relevant to our lives. Once we place our belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior, God does not want us to abuse His grace by continuing to willfully live in sin. Romans 6:1-2 explains, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” The Israelites were motivated to follow the Law because of their fear of the Lord. Today, because Jesus fulfilled the Law for us, God’s grace offers us salvation we can’t earn. His grace also motivates us to say no to sin (Titus 2:11-12). God wants our obedience to come from our hearts of love for Him. May the grace and unconditional love of God motivate us to walk in faithfulness and obedience today.

Questions

Consider who in your life needs eyes to see the truth about Jesus? Take a moment to pray for them by name, asking God to reveal the truth of the gospel to them.
Why do you think God cares so much if His people worship false gods?
Read Titus 2:11-14. How does God’s grace teach us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions? What does this passage teach us about the heart of God?

Keep Digging

Read this article to learn more about the “secret things” that belong to the Lord (v. 29).

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March 6, 2023