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  • Deuteronomy 18

    Deuteronomy 18

    Read Deuteronomy 18

    Offerings for Priests and Levites

    18 The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offeringspresented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them.

    3 This is the share due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head. 4 You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep, 5 for the Lord your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the Lord’s name always.

    6 If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the Lord will choose, 7 he may minister in the name of the Lord his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the Lord. 8 He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions.

    Occult Practices

    9 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. 13 You must be blameless before the Lord your God.

    The Prophet

    14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”

    17 The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19 I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”

    21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.

    Go Deeper

    The Levites are God’s people specifically set apart as the ministers of Israel. In Numbers 18:6-7 their position is described this way: “and behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the Lord to do the service of the tent of meeting.” They are instructed not to earn money or seek a fortune for themselves, but instead God takes care of them. They are a gift to Him, set apart to do His work, take care of His temple, offerings, and sacrifices. How great that God has thought about how to provide for them and sets laws in place for His people to be taken care of. Every single person is thought of and taken care of in His plan for His people.

    Verses 9-14 might feel like obvious truths to be warned against, but even today–both inside and outside of the church–people practice this or have similar heart postures and actions. It is popular to be superstitious and to look for answers outside of God. People lean toward curiosity in regards to these behaviors, and the warning is against them. The reason isn’t because He is a selfish God and He wants all the attention to himself. He is a good God who knows these practices are evil, empty, and false. All of these practices are a disgrace to God, diminishing our view of who He is and His plan for us. And there are reasons bigger than what we see, these things are not from Him and thus are not good- they are against His character. He calls us higher, because His judgment is better than our own and what we perceive as being good (Isaiah 55:8-9). Tara-Leigh Cobble (from The Bible Recap) says it this way: “God does not synthesize with anything else.”

    Amidst all these laws, we see the promise of Jesus in the last verses of this chapter. Acts 3:19-26 and 7:37 clearly tell us that the prophet talked about here is Jesus; that he will be a mediator between them and God, and that He will be from them and for them. Though they are seeking guidance in practices that only lead to false words and destruction, God doesn’t leave them without an answer for where true guidance is found. He is the answer, the one we are looking for; nothing in this world completes us in the way that knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior does!

    Questions

    1. What does this chapter reveal to us about God’s character?
    2. Galatians 5:7-8 describes the life we live as the “good race.” How do these verses fit in with the context of the instructions of this chapter? How does it bring clarity to His character?
    3. Verse 12 says “you must be blameless before the Lord your God.” Why do you think this is?

    Listen Here

    For more on how we should approach the spirituality practices of our culture, listen to episode 172 of Becoming Something titled “Manifestation, Mediums, and Spiritual Things.”

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  • Deuteronomy 17

    Deuteronomy 17

    Read Deuteronomy 17

    17 Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to him.

    2 If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the Lord gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God in violation of his covenant, 3 and contrary to my command has worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars in the sky, 4 and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, 5 take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death. 6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 7 The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death, and then the hands of all the people.You must purge the evil from among you.

    Law Courts

    8 If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge—whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults—take them to the place the Lordyour God will choose. 9 Go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict. 10 You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the Lord will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you to do. 11 Act according to whatever they teach you and the decisions they give you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left. 12 Anyone who shows contempt for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering there to the Lord your God is to be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.13 All the people will hear and be afraid, and will not be contemptuous again.

    The King

    14 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” 15 be sure to appoint over you a king the Lordyour God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. 16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.

    18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

    Go Deeper

    Deuteronomy 17 addresses the requirements for sacrifices, laws regarding justice and courts, and the qualifications for kings. These laws are essential for understanding the rest of the Old Testament, specifically the stipulations for kings. At this point in the history of the Israelites, God was the one who led them. However, there would come a day when they would reject God as their supreme ruler and desire an earthly king to rule over them. There are many passages that predicted that Israel would one day have a king (Genesis 35:11, 36:31). The Israelites desired to be just like the rest of the nations, so God eventually allowed them to have temporary kings because of their hardened hearts. 

    Moses sets rules for the kings in this chapter and instructs them on what kings should (and should not) do. Moses tells them that a king should be chosen by God and selected by the people they lead (v. 15). They must live simply and they must carefully follow God’s decrees and laws (v. 18-19). They are to rule in a way that serves the interests of the people, and not their own benefit. Kings are to avoid the pursuit of riches because of the temptation to trust in wealth instead of the Lord (v. 16-17). They are to walk with humility and set God’s law before them as a reminder of who they truly serve. The promise in following these commands would be that the kings and their descendants would reign for many years in Israel (v. 20).

    Israel had numerous kings throughout its history, with very few that were righteous. When we go down the line of kings we might get our hopes up, but time after time we see rulers that did not measure up to these Deuteronomical expectations. King Solomon, for example, started off well but over time he clearly broke the guidelines laid out in this chapter. He accumulated large amounts of wealth, he married the daughters of other kings for political alliances, and he adopted foreign gods and introduced the worship of those gods into Israel. After Solomon’s reign, the kingdom split into two and fell to foreign enemies. At the end of the day, the Israelities didn’t need an earthly king; they needed a savior. These kings pointed to the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. No human can be a king apart from the sovereignty of a divine King. A king is ultimately a servant of the Lord. 

    Moses told the Israelites that who was leading them mattered. The same is true of us today. How we lead and who we follow matters. This chapter gives us insight into what godly leadership is supposed to look like and the kind of character the Lord values. It is clear in Scripture that leaders are chosen by the Lord (Romans 13:1). From this chapter, we see that godly leadership looks like humility, service, and a love for God and His Word. It looks like is doing nothing out of self ambition, but humbly considering others as more significant (Philippians 2:3). Leadership is service, and should be marked by a submission to the Lord. Every one of us is a leader in some capacity, and has influence over others. Let’s be a people marked by godly character and lead in a way that brings glory to God!

    Questions

    1.  What stands out to you about this chapter? 
    2.  When looking at the requirements for leaders, is there a specific area you can grow in?
    3.  Who is a godly leader in your life? What characteristics do you see in them?

    Keep Digging

    Check out this article from GotQuestions.org titled “Was It Wrong For the Israelites to Ask For a King?” to better understand this passage.

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  • Deuteronomy 16

    Deuteronomy 16

    Read Deuteronomy 16

    The Passover

    16 Observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night.2 Sacrifice as the Passover to the Lord your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for his Name. 3 Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt.4 Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning.

    5 You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the Lord your God gives you 6 except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. 7 Roast it and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. 8 For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the Lord your God and do no work.

    The Festival of Weeks

    9 Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. 10 Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. 11 And rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your towns, and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows living among you. 12 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees.

    The Festival of Tabernacles

    13 Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. 14 Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. 15 For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.

    16 Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed: 17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.

    Judges

    18 Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lordyour God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. 19 Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. 20 Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.

    Worshiping Other Gods

    21 Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the Lord your God, 22 and do not erect a sacred stone, for these the Lord your God hates.

    Go Deeper

    The opening of Deuteronomy 16 (v. 1-8) takes us all the way back to Exodus 12. The Israelites are captive in Egypt by Pharaoh, so God sends ten plagues on all of Egypt to get Pharaoh’s attention and ultimately liberate His people from captivity. The final and most severe plague, the death of the firstborn, killed every household’s firstborn child in Egypt, including the Israelites. But God provided a way out for the Israelites. This way out is called “the Passover.”

    The Passover was God’s way to protect His people. God made provision for the Israelites in the wake of the death of the firstborn plague by allowing for a substitute in the form of an unblemished lamb. The Israelites were instructed to slaughter an unblemished lamb from their flock and mark their doorposts with their blood. God said when He delivers the tenth plague, if He finds blood on a household’s doorposts He will pass over their firstborn, accepting the sacrifice of the slaughtered lamb; and that is exactly what happened. Soon after this final plague, Pharaoh released the Israelites from captivity – God had liberated His people!

    What a story! It seems like this powerful of a story wouldn’t be forgotten, but the Israelites often forgot the mighty works of God for their deliverance, not only deliverance for their firstborn but also deliverance from captivity. Here, Moses is calling the Israelites to remember when and how God delivered them. This remembrance shouldn’t just occur once, but every time the month of Aviv rolled around the Israelites were to remember the provision and deliverance He provided.

    Our deliverance may not have involved the slaughter of an unblemished lamb, or the release from slavery to an oppressive King. But our deliverance does involve the slaughter of an unblemished man, and our release from slavery to an oppressive adversary. Jesus, our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), was unjustly slaughtered on a cross for our sin, and the good news is that if we put our faith in this provision from God, God will pass over our sins, accepting the sacrifice of His Son in our place, just as he did for those firstborn Israelites in Egypt.

    Moses calls the Israelites to consistently remember when and how they were saved and brought forth from death and captivity.  We too should often come back to when and how God brought us from death and captivity to life and freedom through Christ!

    Questions

    1. Why is it good to remember when and how God brought the Israelites from death and captivity to life and freedom through Christ? Why does Moses call the Israelites to consistently come back to that reality?
    2. When and how did God bring you from death and captivity to life and freedom through Christ? If you haven’t put your faith in Christ’s sacrifice in your place, what continues to hold you back? Sin must be and will be punished, consider accepting that Jesus took the punishment of your sin for you to save and free you.
    3. What ways can you consistently come back to and remember God’s provision in and for your life? Consider sharing your faith story with a friend, coworker, or stranger to both tell others and remind yourself of God’s grace in your life.

    Listen Here

    Listen to this brief commentary from David Platt on Deuteronomy 16:1 and be encouraged by David’s prayer surrounding Deuteronomy 16:1!

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  • Rest Day + Family Guide (Deuteronomy 10-15)

    Rest Day + Family Guide (Deuteronomy 10-15)

    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!

    Memorize This

    Set aside some time to memorize these verses from this past week’s readings in Deuteronomy 10:20-21:

    20 Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. 

    Family Guide

    Check out this week’s Deuteronomy 10-15 Family Guide!

  • Deuteronomy 15

    Deuteronomy 15

    Read Deuteronomy 15

    The Year for Canceling Debts

    15 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.3 You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. 4 However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5 if only you fully obey the Lordyour God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.6 For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.

    7 If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfistedtoward them. 8 Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. 9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. 10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

    Freeing Servants

    12 If any of your people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free. 13 And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. 14 Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today.

    16 But if your servant says to you, “I do not want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, 17 then take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your female servant.

    18 Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because their service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.

    The Firstborn Animals

    19 Set apart for the Lord your God every firstborn male of your herds and flocks. Do not put the firstborn of your cows to work, and do not shear the firstborn of your sheep. 20 Each year you and your family are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose. 21 If an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. 22 You are to eat it in your own towns. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it, as if it were gazelle or deer. 23 But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.

    Go Deeper

    In Deuteronomy 15, as in the last few chapters, Moses continues to lay out how to live a life of worship and lovingly takes the time to elaborate specifically how the new generation of Israel can follow God’s will, particularly regarding money. Even when we have the best of intentions, greed is a common temptation among humanity. In this chapter, Moses addresses some temptations regarding generosity. 

    First, he acknowledges it is easy to give when we know we may receive something back whether monetarily, socially, emotionally, or through another form of compensation. Moses addresses the Israelites’ temptation to avoid giving right before the seventh year begins, the year when debts are canceled. What God wants His people to do is give even when we think we will receive nothing in return. Moses tells God’s people to give and to lend even when they know a debt will be canceled.  

    Moses also addresses the temptation to give with a grudging heart. God cares about the heart! He wants the actions but desires the heart more. During his discussion of canceling debts, Moses points out that the mindset of generosity is just as important as the act itself. He says to give (action) and give gladly (mindset). Do not be tightfisted (action) and hardhearted (mindset). First Samuel 16:7 tells us, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at…the Lord looks at the heart.” God is not concerned with how successful we appear to the world. He cares about how we treat others and that we do so generously. Treating the poor well is not a suggestion. It is a command: “Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land” (v. 11). 

    Moses was purposefully vague in his instruction on how to actually be generous. Being “open-handed” can look different to different people. There are so many ways for us to be generous! Yet, our very efforts to give generously and without expecting a return on our investment is part of what sets apart the people of God. These lessons are difficult and don’t reflect the social norm to be tight-fisted. It’s not even natural to our survival instincts. Most people believe having enough money will keep them safe or make them happy. Their faith is in their finances. However, we have the repetitive reassurance in Scripture that loving the poor holds a special place of importance with our God. When we love them, we love Him. 

    Questions

    1. How freely are we able to give when we think of our insurmountable debt that Jesus paid on our behalf? 
    2. Do you struggle more with the action or the mindset of generous giving?
    3. Where else does the Bible talk about caring for the poor? Read Matthew 25:37-40. What is your response to Jesus’ words?

    By the Way

    Deuteronomy 15:11 is reminiscent of the call to care for fellow believers in Galatians 6:10:

    “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

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  • Deuteronomy 14

    Deuteronomy 14

    Read Deuteronomy 14

    Clean and Unclean Food

    14 You are the children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, 2 for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.

    3 Do not eat any detestable thing. 4 These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, 5 the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat,the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep. 6 You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud. 7 However, of those that chew the cud or that have a divided hoof you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the hyrax. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you. 8 The pig is also unclean; although it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.

    9 Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales. 10 But anything that does not have fins and scales you may not eat; for you it is unclean.

    11 You may eat any clean bird. 12 But these you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, 13 the red kite, the black kite, any kind of falcon,14 any kind of raven, 15 the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, 16 the little owl, the great owl, the white owl, 17 the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant, 18 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.

    19 All flying insects are unclean to you; do not eat them. 20 But any winged creature that is clean you may eat.

    21 Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to the foreigner residing in any of your towns, and they may eat it, or you may sell it to any other foreigner. But you are a people holy to the Lord your God.

    Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

    Tithes

    22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lordyour God always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice. 27 And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.

    28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

    Go Deeper

    There are quite a few dos and don’ts in this chapter, but God’s wisdom is always for the benefit of those committed to it. His purposes in the law were to set His people apart from the pagan practices of the day, as well as protect their bodies from disease. God always knows the big picture.

    Remember feelings of exasperation when you argued with your parents about doing something and their reply was, “I say no and mean no because you’re mine.” As we got older, we understood that they were right. The first verse of Deuteronomy 14 speaks a similar and significant “why” into the rest of the dos and don’ts of the chapter: “You are the children of the Lord your God.”

    Verses 1-21 are God’s commands over animals, fish, and birds. Remember that hunting and fishing were necessary for all peoples until the last 100+ years of our world’s history. Even today, people still depend on food provision through hunting and fishing. Some love the connection to God’s creation in this, as well as the food it provides. Either way, there are required skills, knowledge, and laws for these necessary activities. Deuteronomy 14:2 gave the Israelites four reasons to follow God’s laws in living and acquiring food: They were the children of God, a holy people of God, chosen by God, and treasured by God. When we accept and follow Christ as our Lord and Savior, these four truths are ours to claim as well.

    Verses 22-28 close the chapter with specific instructions on tithing. One tenth of the best produce and animals were to be set aside to honor God at the temple. Whether the temple was near or far, special provision was made in the law to honor God in this way. The discipline of the gift is mentioned in verse 23 saying, “so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.” The Israelites were also told to store up tithes over a three year period to help the local Levites as well as the poor in their area. The message for us could not be more clear: Giving generously is an integral part of our faith that will move our hearts toward honoring God with all He has given us. Once giving becomes a joy for us, and the ripple effect will greatly aid the church and its ministries. 

    Finally, God makes this promise in the last half of Deuteronomy 14:29: “…so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” Praise be to God who has chosen us! May we be faithful to give back what He has so generously given us.

    Questions

    1. What does it mean to you to be a child of God?
    2. What did Christ mean when He said, “I have come to fulfill the law”?
    3. Why is generosity such an important part of our walk with Christ?

    Did You Know?

    The concept of tithing (giving 10%) isn’t discussed in the New Testament, but the principle of giving generously and cheerfully is repeated throughout it. Read the Apostle Paul’s instructions to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7:

    “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

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  • Deuteronomy 13

    Deuteronomy 13

    Read Deuteronomy 13

    Worshiping Other Gods

    13 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the Lordyour God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.

    6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, 7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), 8 do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. 9 You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.

    12 If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in 13 that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known), 14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, 15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. 16 You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. That town is to remain a ruinforever, never to be rebuilt, 17 and none of the condemned things are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers,as he promised on oath to your ancestors— 18 because you obey the Lordyour God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.

    Go Deeper

    As Moses continues to instruct God’s people to listen and love the Lord their God, he presents specific challenges they may encounter. This chapter describes the danger from false prophets and family members, friends, and peers in your community who influence you to follow pagan gods. Each of these may present the temptation to turn away from their worship and devotion to the one and only God. Moses states that these are tests to know whether they love the Lord their God with all their heart and soul. Throughout the book of Deuteronomy, the people of God are reminded of God’s desire for wholehearted devotion and worship.

    Honestly, God prescribes drastic means to address these dangerous tempters, from stoning the offender to eliminating a wicked city as a burnt sacrifice to God. As Moses delivers this message, it is key to remember he is addressing God’s chosen people who are living under the Mosaic covenant. God’s purpose is to protect them and underscore His desire for their complete devotion and worship. Also, keep in mind that these people were to represent the Lord to the rest of the world so that through them God would send His Son to offer salvation to any who would call on His name. The stakes are high in preserving their undivided commitment to God.

    Jesus expressed His concern for those who would turn away from wholehearted devotion to God. Through use of a vivid hyperbole in Matthew 18, He says, “Woe to the world for temptations to sin…but woe to the one by whom temptation comes… and if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away…” The lesson from Jesus in the New Testament is consistent with the lesson of Deuteronomy. Preserving wholehearted devotion to God is imperative to Him. The principle of “purging the evil from you” protects the fully devoted heart from being distracted and turning away.

    If the radical way Moses, God, and Jesus addressed idolatry shocks you and makes you question God’s great love for all humanity, do not forget that He offered his own son Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice. In perfect love and humility, Jesus offered His own body to be poured out to cover the countless times His people turned to other lesser gods.

    God’s desire to protect, preserve, and love His followers stirs our hearts to fully surrender and love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. He knows His children well, warning them and revealing steps to guard their devotion to Him. When false teaching comes to turn us away from God, whether it be through others or the culture, the truth of the reality of God is powerfully revealed in Jesus Christ. Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, resisting evil influences and trusting that He holds us fast in His mercy and grace. May we love the Lord our God wholeheartedly, fully surrendered to Him.

    Questions

    1. What tempts you to shift from wholehearted devotion to turning away from God?
    2. How might you remove that temptation from your life? 
    3. How will you encourage others in their wholehearted devotion to God?

    Watch This

    If you haven’t already, watch The Bible Project’s Old Testament overview of Deuteronomy. Here is one of the helpful tips from The Bible Project offered to understand the law given in Deuteronomy: “Look for the core principle underlying the law.” Each time you come across a law or instruction that doesn’t make sense at first, dig deeper to find the principle at the heart of the law.

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  • Deuteronomy 12

    Deuteronomy 12

    Read Deuteronomy 12

    The One Place of Worship

    12 These are the decrees and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess—as long as you live in the land. 2 Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. 3 Break down their altars, smashtheir sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.

    4 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way. 5 But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; 6 there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

    8 You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,9 since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety.11 Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord. 12 And there rejoice before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance of their own. 13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. 14 Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.

    15 Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. 16 But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. 17 You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts.18 Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns—and you are to rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to. 19 Be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.

    20 When the Lord your God has enlarged your territory as he promised you, and you crave meat and say, “I would like some meat,” then you may eat as much of it as you want. 21 If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his Name is too far away from you, you may slaughter animals from the herds and flocks the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and in your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want. 22 Eat them as you would gazelle or deer. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat. 23 But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. 24 You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. 25 Do not eat it, so that it may go wellwith you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is rightin the eyes of the Lord.

    26 But take your consecrated things and whatever you have vowed to give,and go to the place the Lord will choose. 27 Present your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God, both the meat and the blood. The blood of your sacrifices must be poured beside the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat the meat. 28 Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lordyour God.

    29 The Lord your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, 30 and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” 31 You must not worship the Lordyour God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

    32 See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.

    Go Deeper

    It is tempting as believers to think being a Christian would be a far easier assignment if we had more clear instructions or a checklist of what to do to honor and obey God. The reality is the story of the conflicted human heart–the insistence to prefer our own nature to be self-sufficient and sinful versus God’s desire for us to be pure-hearted and fully reliant on Him–is always a tangled journey. This is true even when God’s voice seems clear.

    In this chapter, Moses clearly and specifically lays out the decrees of worship for the Israelites to follow. The laws included destroying previous places of worship, prohibiting eating the blood of animals, and how to properly present burnt offerings at the altar. It is clear these rules are to protect the Israelites and help them prosper. “Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God” (v. 28).  

    Just like today, there were distractions for God’s people. “Be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods” (v. 30). Being distracted, listening and following other gods leads to doing “detestable things the Lord hates” (v. 31). We might be distracted by gods presented in other religions that seem to be direct competitors to God. However, there are other distractions that may not seem to have any religious connection, but may still take us away from God all the same. 

    We see Moses’ overarching, foundational message is conveying the absolute and singular nature of God. This is the ultimate purpose behind all of the laws presented–to point forward many thousands of years to Jesus. The entire Old Testament foreshadows Jesus’ emergence. Considering today’s verse in light of Jesus’ coming, death, and resurrection make what could be a confusing chapter more clear. We are no longer held to these same laws because of Jesus. Our reality as believers can be reduced down to this verse: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me” (John 14:6).

    Questions

    1. What other examples or stories of the Old Testament carry the theme of God as the one true God?
    2. What are other gods in modern society that we are continually tempted to worship outside of Him?
    3. What is a daily practice we can incorporate to feed the reality in our heads and hearts that Jesus is the only way to truth and life?

    Did You Know?

    Why was it necessary for God to provide a framework for the Israelites’ worship? Pastor David Guzik, in his Enduring Word commentary, explains it this way:

    “Before Israel crossed over the Jordan, during the wilderness wanderings, each Israelite pretty much conducted their own worship as they pleased. But God was not really pleased with this; worship was not a matter left up to whatever pleased the individual. Real worship is concerned with what pleases God.”

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  • Deuteronomy 11

    Deuteronomy 11

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    Love and Obey the Lord

    11 Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always. 2 Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God:his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; 3 the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; 4 what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea as they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them. 5 It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the wilderness until you arrived at this place, 6 and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. 7 But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.

    8 Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 9 and so that you may live long in the land the Lordswore to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. 11 But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleysthat drinks rain from heaven. 12 It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.

    13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul—14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. 15 I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.

    16 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. 17 Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you.18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

    22 If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him— 23 then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. 24 Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. 25 No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.

    26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods,which you have not known. 29 When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizimthe blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses. 30 As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, westward, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh, in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal. 31 You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you have taken it over and are living there, 32 be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today.

    Go Deeper

    The charge of Deuteronomy 11 is to love the Lord and obey His commands. These two cannot exist apart from each other. Without love, it is nearly impossible to desire obedience to God and a hunger for His word. On the flip side, we could follow every command perfectly, and it would not matter to God if He doesn’t have our hearts. God beautifully created us to have free will, because He wants us to have the choice to love and serve Him. If we do choose to love God, then a deep love for Him should directly translate into obedience. 

    Another theme we see is to remember. Moses reminds the Israelites of all the Lord has done for them and the amazing miracles that ultimately delivered them from Egypt. He then makes it a point to emphasize that after remembering the Lord and His work in their lives, the Israelites should therefore observe His commands (v. 8). They saw the Lord work miracles in front of their eyes, and yet they were prone to quickly forget. How much more do we need to remind ourselves of the Lord’s faithfulness in our lives? The phrases “remember” and “do not forget” are used hundreds of times in scripture, which signal their importance. When we remember who the Lord is and all that He has done–gaining a right perspective of who we are in comparison to Him–how could we not choose to love and obey His word? 

    The language starting in verse 18 should feel familiar. We read earlier in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, a very similar passage with a call to cherish these words, talk about them with the next generation, and write them everywhere so as not to forget them. This shows us, again, how God does not want us to just know His word, but to treasure it. He is not seeking rule followers who lack apathy, but rather His desire is for everyone to come to know Him and love Him, resulting in a sincere treasuring of His word. If we treasure something, we think about it often, we talk about it often, and we do everything we can to know more about it. May our prayer be to know and love the Lord more and more, remember Him, treasure His word, and obey.

    Questions

    1. What stirs your affections and love for God? Find some time to do those things today.
    2. How can you daily remember who the Lord is and what He has done for you?
    3. What are some things you can do today to treasure the Lord’s word more?

    Keep Digging

    Curious about the blessing and cursing mentioned in verse 26? Check out this article from GotQuestions.org for a brief explanation.

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  • Deuteronomy 10

    Deuteronomy 10

    Read Deuteronomy 10

    Tablets Like the First Ones

    10 At that time the Lord said to me, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones and come up to me on the mountain. Also make a wooden ark. 2 I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Then you are to put them in the ark.”

    3 So I made the ark out of acacia wood and chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hands. 4 The Lord wrote on these tablets what he had written before, the Ten Commandments he had proclaimed to you on the mountain, out of the fire, on the day of the assembly. And the Lord gave them to me. 5 Then I came back down the mountain and put the tablets in the ark I had made, as the Lord commanded me, and they are there now.

    6 (The Israelites traveled from the wells of Bene Jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died and was buried, and Eleazar his son succeeded him as priest.7 From there they traveled to Gudgodah and on to Jotbathah, a land with streams of water. 8 At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to ministerand to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today. 9 That is why the Levites have no share or inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance, as the Lord your God told them.)

    10 Now I had stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, as I did the first time, and the Lord listened to me at this time also. It was not his will to destroy you. 11 “Go,” the Lord said to me, “and lead the people on their way, so that they may enter and possess the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.”

    Fear the Lord

    12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lordyour God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

    14 To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. 15 Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. 16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow,and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. 20 Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. 22 Your ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.

    Go Deeper

    We may hear someone say on occasion, “The Bible just isn’t relevant now.” Deuteronomy 10 demonstrates the opposite is true, however, as Moses retells the miracle-laden, foundational history of the Israelite nation. Almost two generations had passed since Moses received the Ten Commandments. The people, old and new, needed to hear God’s law again, and so do we.

    Verses 1-11 point to Moses as a type of Christ, a figure symbolic of redemption in the Old Testament who points to the work of Christ in the New Testament. Per God’s command, Moses tells of his second trip to Mount Horeb where he pleads for God’s mercy over Israel in spite of their disobedience. After 40 days and nights on the mountain, he returns with the Ten Commandments rewritten by God on tablets of stone, along with God’s special instructions about the ark. God’s compassion, mercy, and commands to the people establish the holy significance of the ark and covenant. In the New Testament, Ephesians 1:12 tells us, “And you are included in Christ, when you hear(d) the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.”  Hence, Moses explains to the Israelites that they are chosen objects of God’s affection, love, and mercy. This is glorious news for the Israelites and for us who have heard and believed the gospel of our salvation! 

    The commands of God in verses 6–9 set forth the Levitical priesthood’s work and provision. Verse 9 states, “The Levites have no share in the inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance.” This special designation, given by God, claims their work as Holy and Lord led, and their provision would come from God’s law through His people. The message for us today is obvious. Our pastors, staff, worship leaders, missionaries, etc., in our local church are God-breathed and directed. These modern-day Levites need our spiritual and financial support as their ministries equip us to be God’s people in our communities and world. It is a beautiful response to God’s love and mercy to be in a circular relationship between God, the church, and each other.

    Finally, the Israelites are reminded in verses 14-22 of the faithful love of God. Moses describes God as the Creator, Lord of lords, and God of all gods, and, yet He is individually compassionate to the orphan, widow, and foreigner. He claims the promise to Abraham is fulfilled, saying in verse 22, “Your ancestors who went down to Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.” Genesis 26:4 says, “I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” 

    First, Abraham, then Moses, and now in Christ, we can see the parallel. The estimated number of Christians worldwide is 2.2 billion. From this one chapter, we can see the love, mercy, and forever faithfulness of God to the Israelites, and to us. May we joyfully respond to all God has done for us now and forever, striving “to walk in obedience to Him, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (v. 12). Let’s show His love and faithfulness to those who need to hear the gospel. Let’s make heaven crowded!

    Questions

    1. Review Exodus 32. How does Moses fit into Christ’s redemption story?
    2. What are the four things God requires of you? On a scale of 1-10, how are you doing in each category?
    3. Are you responding to God’s call in Deuteronomy 10:12? How can you grow in your love for God?

    A Quote

    Matthew Henry (a 17th century minister) said, “There is true honor and pleasure in obedience. We must give honor to God; and to Him we must cleave as one we delight in, trust in, and from whom we have great expectations.”

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