Bible Reading Plan

Category: Deuteronomy

  • Deuteronomy 34

    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, 2 all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, 3 the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar.4 Then 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.”

    5 And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. 6 He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.8 The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.

    9 Now 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.

    10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lordknew face to face, 11 who 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.12 For 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

    1. Can you think of a time where you don’t feel like you obeyed God exactly as He directed you? 
    2. Take a moment and contemplate how gracious God is for not allowing our missteps to affect His love or provision for us.
    3. 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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  • Rest Day + Family Guide (Deuteronomy 28-33)

    Rest Day + Family Guide (Deuteronomy 28-33)

    Rest Day

    Each Sunday 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.

    Each Rest Day, we will have an additional element to help you dig deeper. Sometimes it will be extra resources to further your study, a video to watch, or a podcast to listen to. Sometimes we’ll have a verse to commit to memorize to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. 

    If you have kids, our Family Guide will help you discuss what you’re reading and learning with them! It’s a great opportunity for your family to read God’s Word together and review what we read the previous week!

    Keep Digging

    In his address to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 30, Moses presents the people with two options: they can choose life or choose death. We, too, have the same choice to make today. To learn more about what it means to choose life, check out this article from GotQuestions.org! 

    Family Guide

    Check out this week’s Deuteronomy 28-33 Family Guide!

  • Deuteronomy 33

    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. 2 He 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.
    3 Surely 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,
    4 the law that Moses gave us,
        the possession of the assembly of Jacob.
    5 He 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.”

    7 And 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!”

    8 About 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.
    9 He 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.
    10 He teaches your precepts to Jacob
        and your law to Israel.
    He offers incense before you
        and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
    11 Bless 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.”

    12 About 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.”

    13 About Joseph he said:

    “May the Lord bless his land
        with the precious dew from heaven above
        and with the deep waters that lie below;
    14 with the best the sun brings forth
        and the finest the moon can yield;
    15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains
        and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
    16 with 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.
    17 In 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.”

    18 About Zebulun he said:

    “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
        and you, Issachar, in your tents.
    19 They 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.”

    20 About Gad he said:

    “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!
        Gad lives there like a lion,
        tearing at arm or head.
    21 He 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.”

    22 About Dan he said:

    “Dan is a lion’s cub,
        springing out of Bashan.”

    23 About 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.”

    24 About Asher he said:

    “Most blessed of sons is Asher;
        let him be favored by his brothers,
        and let him bathe his feet in oil.
    25 The 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.
    27 The eternal God is your refuge,
        and underneath are the everlasting arms.
    He will drive out your enemies before you,
        saying, ‘Destroy them!’
    28 So Israel will live in safety;
        Jacob will dwell secure
    in a land of grain and new wine,
        where the heavens drop dew.
    29 Blessed 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

    1. 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?
    2. What makes you trust or distrust these attributes of the God of Jeshurun? 
    3. 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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  • Deuteronomy 32

    Deuteronomy 32

    Read Deuteronomy 32

    32 Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;
        hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.
    2 Let my teaching fall like rain
        and my words descend like dew,
    like showers on new grass,
        like abundant rain on tender plants.

    3 I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
        Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
    4 He 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.

    5 They are corrupt and not his children;
        to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.
    6 Is 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?

    7 Remember 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.
    8 When 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.
    9 For the Lord’s portion is his people,
        Jacob his allotted inheritance.

    10 In 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,
    11 like an eagle that stirs up its nest
        and hovers over its young,
    that spreads its wings to catch them
        and carries them aloft.
    12 The Lord alone led him;
        no foreign god was with him.

    13 He 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,
    14 with 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.

    15 Jeshurun 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.
    16 They made him jealous with their foreign gods
        and angered him with their detestable idols.
    17 They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God—
        gods they had not known,
        gods that recently appeared,
        gods your ancestors did not fear.
    18 You deserted the Rock, who fathered you;
        you forgot the God who gave you birth.

    19 The 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.
    21 They 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.
    22 For 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.
    24 I 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.
    25 In 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.
    26 I said I would scatter them
        and erase their name from human memory,
    27 but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy,
        lest the adversary misunderstand
    and say, ‘Our hand has triumphed;
        the Lord has not done all this.’”

    28 They are a nation without sense,
        there is no discernment in them.
    29 If only they were wise and would understand this
        and discern what their end will be!
    30 How 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?
    31 For their rock is not like our Rock,
        as even our enemies concede.
    32 Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom
        and from the fields of Gomorrah.
    Their grapes are filled with poison,
        and their clusters with bitterness.
    33 Their 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?
    35 It 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.”
    36 The 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.
    37 He will say: “Now where are their gods,
        the rock they took refuge in,
    38 the 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.
    40 I lift my hand to heaven and solemnly swear:
        As surely as I live forever,
    41 when 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.
    42 I 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.”

    43 Rejoice, 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.    44 Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. 45 When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, 46 he 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. 47 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.”

    Moses to Die on Mount Nebo

    48 On 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. 50 There 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.51 This 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. 52 Therefore, 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

    1. 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. 
    2. 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. 
    3. 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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  • Deuteronomy 31

    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.’ 3 The 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. 4 And 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.5 The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. 6 Be 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.”

    7 Then 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. 8 The 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

    9 So 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.10 Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Festival of Tabernacles, 11 when 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. 12 Assemble 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. 13 Their 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

    14 The 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.

    15 Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent. 16 And 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. 17 And 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?’ 18 And 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. 20 When 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. 21 And 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.” 22 So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.

    23 The 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.”

    24 After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, 25 he 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. 27 For 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! 28 Assemble 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.29 For 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

    30 And 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

    1. Where is God calling you to be strong and courageous in this season?
    2. Is it hard for you to believe the promises of God and trust that He has your best in mind? 
    3. 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!

    Leave a Comment Below

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  • Deuteronomy 30

    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, 2 and 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, 3 then 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. 4 Even 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. 5 He 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. 6 The 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. 7 The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you.8 You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. 9 Then 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, 10 if 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

    11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It 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?”13 Nor 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?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

    15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.16 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.

    17 But 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, 18 I 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.

    19 This 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 20 and 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

    1. What area of your life do you feel is the hardest to walk in submission to God’s Word?
    2. What are some ways you can remember how the Lord has been faithful towards you?
    3. 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.

    Leave a Comment Below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.

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  • Deuteronomy 29

    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.

    2 Moses 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. 3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders. 4 But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. 5 Yet 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. 6 You 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.”

    7 When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out to fight against us, but we defeated them. 8 We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

    9 Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do. 10 All 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, 11 together with your children and your wives, and the foreigners living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water. 12 You 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, 13 to 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. 14 I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you15 who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God but also with those who are not here today.

    16 You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here. 17 You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold. 18 Make 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.

    19 When 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. 20 The 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. 21 The 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.

    22 Your 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. 23 The 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.24 All the nations will ask: “Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?”

    25 And 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. 26 They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them. 27 Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book. 28 In furious anger and in great wrath the Lord uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now.”

    29 The 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

    1. 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.
    2. Why do you think God cares so much if His people worship false gods?
    3. 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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  • Deuteronomy 28

    Deuteronomy 28

    Read Deuteronomy 28

    Blessings for Obedience

    28 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

    3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

    4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

    5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

    6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

    7 The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

    8 The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

    9 The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the nameof the Lord, and they will fear you. 11 The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.

    12 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rainon your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.

    Curses for Disobedience

    15 However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you:

    16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.

    17 Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.

    18 The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

    19 You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out.

    20 The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. 21 The Lord will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. 22 The Lord will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. 23 The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. 24 The Lord will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed.

    25 The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. 26 Your carcasses will be food for all the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away. 27 The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured.28 The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind.29 At midday you will grope about like a blind person in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you.

    30 You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and rape her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit. 31 Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them. 32 Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand. 33 A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days. 34 The sights you see will drive you mad.35 The Lord will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be cured, spreading from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.

    36 The Lord will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your ancestors. There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone. 37 You will become a thing of horror, a byword and an object of ridicule among all the peoples where the Lord will drive you.

    38 You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it. 39 You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them.40 You will have olive trees throughout your country but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off. 41 You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity. 42 Swarms of locusts will take over all your trees and the crops of your land.

    43 The foreigners who reside among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. 44 They will lend to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, but you will be the tail.

    45 All these curses will come on you. They will pursue you and overtake youuntil you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you. 46 They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. 47 Because you did not servethe Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, 48 therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neckuntil he has destroyed you.

    49 The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young. 51 They will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wineor olive oil, nor any calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined. 52 They will lay siege to all the cities throughout your land until the high fortified walls in which you trust fall down. They will besiege all the cities throughout the land the Lord your God is giving you.

    53 Because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you. 54 Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children, 55 and he will not give to one of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. It will be all he has left because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of all your cities.56 The most gentle and sensitive woman among you—so sensitive and gentle that she would not venture to touch the ground with the sole of her foot—will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or daughter57 the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. For in her dire need she intends to eat them secretly because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of your cities.

    58 If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the Lordyour God— 59 the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. 60 He will bring on you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. 61 The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. 62 You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God. 63 Just as it pleased the Lord to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.

    64 Then the Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known. 65 Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. 66 You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. 67 In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”—because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see. 68 The Lord will send you back in ships to Egypt on a journey I said you should never make again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.

    Go Deeper

    Earlier in the book of Deuteronomy, God blessed the people of Israel with the Ten Commandments. Through Moses, He explained the law to make it very clear how they should live when they enter the Promised Land. Now in chapter 28, Moses lays out the God-breathed terms of the covenant: Blessings if they choose to obey and follow God’s commands and curses if they choose to go their own way. 

    Though this section of Scripture was written about a particular people at a particular time in history, we can still draw insight from it and glean wisdom for today. The overarching story of the Bible is of a sovereign God who is making a way for His people to be in a covenant relationship with Him. In Deuteronomy, God offers His rebellious children a way to enter this covenant through the laws of Moses. Despite this blessing, the larger Old Testament tells countless stories of God’s people choosing to disobey. Therefore, they must live with the curses that are laid out in this chapter.

    ​All through Scripture, God begs us to understand that there is a way to live that leads to blessings and life, and there is also a way that leads to destruction and death. Israel could not keep the law; instead, it chose the way of death. 

    So, God sent His Son. Romans 8:3: “What the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.” God gives us a choice to follow Him just as He did with Israel as it entered the Promised Land. In our flesh we can not choose to follow God’s life-giving way, as Paul instructs us that “the mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so” (Romans 8:6-8). 

    In all our rebellion, praise be to God who has made a way through Jesus! Let’s be people who allow the Spirit of God to govern our minds and lead us through the way of life and peace.

    Questions

    1. What was your primary takeaway from this chapter?
    2. Galatians 3:10-14 explains that if we are in Christ, we are redeemed from the curse of the law because Christ became the curse for us. What does this mean to you? How does this affect the way you live?
    3. Have you received the gift of God’s grace and allowed your mind to be governed by the Spirit? Would you make that choice today?

    Watch This

    Check out this video from The Bible Project about the theme of blessings and curses throughout scripture.

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  • Rest Day + Family Guide (Deuteronomy 22-27)

    Rest Day + Family Guide (Deuteronomy 22-27)

    Rest Day

    Each Sunday 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.

    Each Rest Day, we will have an additional element to help you dig deeper. Sometimes it will be extra resources to further your study, a video to watch, or a podcast to listen to. Sometimes we’ll have a verse to commit to memorize to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. 

    If you have kids, our Family Guide will help you discuss what you’re reading and learning with them! It’s a great opportunity for your family to read God’s Word together and review what we read the previous week!

    Watch This

    This week we read about what it meant to give our “first fruits” back to God. We know that God wants us to give cheerfully and generously, but how do we do that? Check out this sermon from Harris Creek’s series “The Good Life” on what it means to live generously. 

    Family Guide

    Check out this week’s Deuteronomy 22-27 Family Guide!

  • Deuteronomy 27

    Deuteronomy 27

    Read Deuteronomy 27

    The Altar on Mount Ebal

    27 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all these commands that I give you today. 2 When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. 3 Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. 4 And when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I command you today, and coat them with plaster. 5 Build there an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool on them. 6 Build the altar of the Lord your God with fieldstones and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. 7 Sacrifice fellowship offerings there, eating them and rejoicing in the presence of the Lord your God. 8 And you shall write very clearly all the words of this law on these stones you have set up.”

    Curses From Mount Ebal

    9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Be silent, Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the Lord your God. 10 Obey the Lord your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today.”

    11 On the same day Moses commanded the people:

    12 When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. 13 And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.

    14 The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:

    15 “Cursed is anyone who makes an idol—a thing detestable to the Lord, the work of skilled hands—and sets it up in secret.”

    Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

    16 “Cursed is anyone who dishonors their father or mother.”

    Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

    17 “Cursed is anyone who moves their neighbor’s boundary stone.”

    Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

    18 “Cursed is anyone who leads the blind astray on the road.”

    Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

    19 “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.”

    Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

    20 “Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his father’s wife, for he dishonors his father’s bed.”

    Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

    21 “Cursed is anyone who has sexual relations with any animal.”

    Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

    22 “Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.”

    Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

    23 “Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his mother-in-law.”

    Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

    24 “Cursed is anyone who kills their neighbor secretly.”

    Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

    25 “Cursed is anyone who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.”

    Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

    26 “Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.”

    Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

    Go Deeper

    In this chapter, we see a clear calling to take action, provide clarity, and declare truth. So often, we think that we have heard sermons over certain passages before, so we can tune it out. We know John 3:16, we know the gospel, we know the Great Commission, we know the basics. Let’s get to the deeper, more intense theology! However, if we are not applying the “basics” on a consistent basis and truly internalizing them, then we simply do not know what we think we know.

    In Deuteronomy 27, God has called the people to raise an altar to Him. They have heard the law and guidance from Moses, and they know the information. Now it is time for them to not only be hearers of the Word, but also doers of the Word. We also see that they are commanded to “write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.” God did not say, “Write down the law and use as many big words as possible to make yourself sound smart.” God desires that all would know Him and keep His commandments. He wants His law accessible to all.

    In our own lives, sometimes pride can get in the way of living out the Great Commission. Instead of sharing the gospel, we want to debate a topic that we feel is “above” the gospel. We believe the gospel should be shared in children’s ministries, but not with us smart and wise adults. This could not be further from the truth. In Matthew 18:2-4, Jesus clearly tells us that those who have the faith of a child will inherit the kingdom of heaven. This is not to say we should not push deeper in our theology and understanding of Scripture. However, we must also not let our “pursuit of knowledge” be an excuse to actually avoid doing what God has called us to do.

    At the end of the chapter, we see that they are to declare truth openly. Not only are they called to build an altar, but they are also commanded to “declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice” laws that are to be engraved on the altar. These laws would cause a stir and perhaps some potential persecution to come upon its declarers. However, they are told to stand firm and declare the truth openly and clearly.

    God has called each of us to declare the truth as well. It might get us fired, kicked out of groups, shunned by friends or family members, and more. However, none of this compares to the persecution the early Church encountered or the persecution our brothers and sisters in Christ are experiencing as we read this right now in other places around the world.

    Do we trust that God is worth the persecution that will come when we declare truth? Are we ready to take action? Are we willing to be humble enough to embrace the simplicity and power of the gospel?

    Questions

    1. What is keeping you from boldly declaring the truth?
    2. What are you willing to lose by declaring the truth?
    3. How can you declare the truth in a loving, humble, easily understood way?

    Did You Know?

    Mount Ebal (where Moses instructed the Israelites to build an altar) is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. To see where it is on a map and where else it’s mentioned, check out this helpful resource.

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