Devotions

our Asherahs and standing stones

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

Photo by David Gonzales on Pexels.com

our Asherahs and standing stones

Deuteronomy 16:21-22 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 16:21 “Do not set up an Asherah of any kind of wood next to the altar you will build for Yahveh your God,
Deuteronomy 16:22 and do not set up a standing stone; Yahveh your God hates them.

our Asherahs and standing stones

When I was a teenager, I had one of those mule-choker Bibles — a huge red King James covered in worn leather. I used to take it to school with me, and put it on my desk. It was very impressive, and that was the point. I wanted the other kids to know how spiritual I was. I didn’t know at the time that it was a standing stone for me.

Both the Asherahs and the standing stones were objects of worship that the Canaanites placed outside their houses. They were probably carved/chiseled and possibly painted to depict the images of Baal and his wife Asherah. The pagans probably competed to determine who was capable of producing the best ornament that identified the household as religious or pious.

God told the Israelites not to do that. They could build family altars, where they could seek his face in prayer and ask for his help, but he never wanted their family worship to degrade to what it had become for the Canaanites. He hated that. He still does.

Our relationship with God and our spiritual health is not a matter of competition. The only appropriate way to display it is by displaying our acts of obedience and attitudes of humility and mutual care for one another. Anything else is in danger of becoming an Asherah or standing stone, which God does not appreciate.

Lord, help us to tear down our Asheras and standing stones, and build godly lives that truly honor you.

Posted in genuineness, hypocrisy, idolatry, pride | Tagged Deuteronomy 16 | 3 Comments

doggedly pursue justice

Posted on February 16, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

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doggedly pursue justice

Deuteronomy 16:18 “Appoint judges and officials for your tribes in all your towns Yahveh your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with ethical judgment.

Deuteronomy 16:19 Do not deny justice or show partiality to¹ anyone. Do not accept a bribe, because it blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

Deuteronomy 16:20 Pursue justice – justice, so that you will stay alive and take possession of the land Yahveh your God is giving you.

doggedly pursue justice

My wife and I do not binge watch often, but we were captivated by Susannah Grant’s “Unbelievable” and watched it in two nights. I appreciated the way the series depicted one of the detective’s Christian values. I also appreciated the story of how two of the detectives doggedly pursued justice for a group of victims, not stopping until they had caught and prosecuted the rapist.

Moses commanded judges for the Israelite tribes who would pursue justice for them. He warned them that they would be tempted to be partial, and that they needed to judge with integrity, because some would seek to bribe them to make them look the other way.

There are things in this world that are not right. We need those who walk with integrity, and doggedly pursue justice for those who are wrongly treated.

Lord, give us judges and lawgivers and police officers who seek justice for all, and will not be blinded by bribes or predjudice.

1literally “recognize the face of”

Posted in commitment, justice, partiality, Uncategorized | Tagged Deuteronomy 16 | 1 Comment

three festivals

Posted on February 15, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

assorted color opened umbrella hangs on display

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three festivals

Deuteronomy 16:16-17 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 16:16 “All your males are to appear three times a year before Yahveh your God in the place he chooses: at the Festival of Matzah, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Huts. No one is to appear before Yahveh empty-handed.
Deuteronomy 16:17 Everyone must appear with a gift suited to his means, according to the empowerment Yahveh your God has given you.

three festivals

The LORD did not require every member of the household to attend these three great yearly festivals, but he did require the male representatives to attend. Each of the festivals celebrated the relationship of God with his people.

He is their deliverer from the past slavery (Festival of Matzah),
He is their provider for the present (Festival of Weeks),
and he is their promise for the future (Festival of Huts).

Our Lord Jesus Christ offers the same benefits in his gospel.

He came to release the captives and set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18)
He provides the bread of life in himself (John 6:35, 48)
He promises a place for us in his Father’s house when he returns (John 14:2-3).

Christ can be for us all that God wants for us. Is there any reason not to celebrate that fact regularly?

LORD, thank you for all that you want for us, and for Jesus Christ, who embodies it all.

Posted in Jesus Christ, relationship with God, worship | Tagged Deuteronomy 16 | 1 Comment

stretch limbo

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

stretch limbo

Deuteronomy 16:12-15

Deuteronomy 16:12 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt; carefully watch these prescriptions.

Deuteronomy 16:13 “You are to celebrate the Festival of Huts¹ for seven days when you have gathered in everything from your threshing floor and winepress.

Deuteronomy 16:14 Enjoy yourselves at your festival – you, your son and daughter, your male and female slave, as well as the Levite, the guest, the fatherless, and the widow within your city gates.

Deuteronomy 16:15 You are to hold a seven-day festival for Yahveh your God in the place he chooses, because Yahveh your God will empower you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, and you will certainly have joy.

stretch limbo

Moses told the Israelites that they would certainly have joy. They would have numerous reasons to celebrate, but if they are not careful to keep the command to celebrate, it would be possible to overlook all of those reasons.

Our Christian life is also going to give us numerous reasons for celebration. But it will also be full of reasons for anxiety and stress which could steal that joy if we let it. Part of being faithful to God is remembering to celebrate regularly in spite of whatever the enemy is throwing at us.

The festival of Huts was a reminder of the long stretch of years during which the Israelites were stuck in the limbo of temporary existence. But God told them to celebrate that festival at the end of the harvest season. It was to accentuate the contrast between those decades of lack, and the years of plenty. But it was a reminder that even during those decades of lack, they really lacked nothing, because their Shepherd was leading them to green pastures.

Christian, are you in the land of plenty now, or are you still in the stretch limbo? Don’t let your fears about your current situation keep you from celebrating regularly with the rest of the congregation.

Good Shepherd, thank you for leading us out of the place of waiting and into the place of celebrating.

1סֻכָּה

Posted in joy, patience | Tagged Deuteronomy 16 | 1 Comment

extending the family

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

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extending the family

Deuteronomy 16:8-11 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 16:8 Eat matzah for six days. On the seventh day there is to be a solemn assembly to Yahveh your God; do not do any work.

Deuteronomy 16:9 “You are to count seven weeks, counting the weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain.

Deuteronomy 16:10 You are to celebrate the Festival of Weeks to Yahveh your God with a spontaneous voluntary offering that you give in proportion to how Yahveh your God has empowered you.

Deuteronomy 16:11 Enjoy the face of Yahveh your God in the place where he chooses to have his name dwell – you, your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite within your city gates, as well as the guest, the fatherless, and the widow among you.

extending the family

The festival of weeks was a celebration of the conclusion of the harvest season. This passage contains instructions as to how to celebrate that festival. It also gives us some insight into the social structure of the Israelite extended family at the time. It included the nuclear family— of course—, but the list in verse eleven tells us who would have been invited to share in the celebration. These would have been people adopted into the extended family.

Male and female slaves head the list. These were not foreigners, enslaved because of their race. They were usually fellow Israelites who had lost their ability to provide for themselves. While they worked to pay off their debts, they were considered part of the family, and thus joined in the harvest celebration.

The Levites in the local community were dedicated to serving God and their fellow Israelites, but were often dependent upon local families for their daily needs. Apparently one of the ways Levites survived was by being adopted into a local family.

A guest would have been a foreigner — a temporary resident from another nation who had attached himself and his family to that of a willing Israelite.

Orphans and widows who had no family of their own would also be adopted into this extended family.

God expected those he blessed to find others in their community and share that blessing with them. Including those abandoned by others, the Israelites were to exemplify the way God included them.

Lord, open our eyes to those around us who need a family to belong to and share life with.

Posted in authority, children, consideration of others, employment, family, Uncategorized | Tagged Deuteronomy 16 | 1 Comment

no new places

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

Photo by BECCA SIEGEL on Pexels.com

no new places

Deuteronomy 16:5-7

Deuteronomy 16:5 You are not to sacrifice the Passover animal in any of the towns Yahveh your God is giving you.

Deuteronomy 16:6 Sacrifice the Passover animal only at the place where Yahveh your God chooses to have his name dwell. Do this in the evening as the sun sets at the same time of day¹ you departed from Egypt.

Deuteronomy 16:7 You are to cook and eat it in the place Yahveh your God chooses, and you are to return to your tents in the morning.

no new places

The pagans had their sacred places, and the Israelites would be tempted to adopt and adapt those sacred places for their own rituals – including Passover. God strictly forbade it, for several reasons, some of which are included in this instruction.

Passover celebrated the saving work of God. It was not a human work, and so was not to be initiated by human choice. The Israelites were not celebrating a revolt against Egypt, but a deliverance from bondage brought about by God himself. The sacred places of the Canaanites would not do for such a celebration. New places conceived and built by the Israelites would not do. Only God’s place.
The special place – the tabernacle – was the place God chose to have his name dwell. Eventually that special place would be the city of Jerusalem, where David would reign as king, and his descendant would give his life as the ultimate sacrifice to which the Passover ritual pointed.
Eating the Passover meal was to happen at the same time of day that they were delivered from death by the sacrifice of the first Passover lamb – when the firstborn of each household was spared. It was a fixed even in history to be remembered and pondered. It was not to be adapted to any new circumstances until Christ – our Passover lamb – would come (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Lord, we have a tendency to take over even your sacred services and make them into something that suits us. Lead us to a pure worship that reflects on your grace and your gospel. Help to jettison the trappings of our worship that hide your work and your intention for us.

1מוֹעֵד

Posted in commitment, worship | Tagged Deuteronomy 16 | 2 Comments

Egyptian sand

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

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Egyptian sand

Deuteronomy 16:1-4 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 16:1 “Set aside the month of Avib and watch the Passover to Yahveh your God, because Yahveh your God brought you out of Egypt by night in the month of Avib.

Deuteronomy 16:2 Sacrifice to Yahveh your God a Passover animal from the herd or flock in the place where Yahveh chooses to have his name dwell.

Deuteronomy 16:3 Do not eat flatbread¹ with it. For seven days you are to eat matzah² with it, the bread of hardship– because you left the land of Egypt in a hurry– so that you may remember for the rest of your life the day you left the land of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 16:4 No yeast is to be found anywhere in your territory for seven days, and none of the meat you sacrifice in the evening of the first day is to remain until morning.

Egyptian sand

The Passover lamb and Matzah bread were symbols to remind the Israelites that they had left the old world behind. The bread was specifically the kind that could be made in a hurry. This symbolizes the urgency of the need for escape.

Christian, do you remember how desperate you were to leave your old life and seek freedom in Jesus? Don’t ever forget that. You will be tempted to pick up little pocketfuls of Egyptian sand and carry them with you. Empty those pockets and commit yourself to living the new life you are heading to, not the old life you left behind.

Lord, thank you for the promise of a new life. We surrender our old lives to you again, and empty our pockets of Egyptian sand.

1חָמֵץ

2מַצָּה

Posted in commitment, obedience, sanctification | Tagged Deuteronomy 16 | 1 Comment

set apart as a symbol

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

shallow focus photography of white sheep on green grass

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set apart as a symbol

Deuteronomy 15:19-23 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 15:19 “Commit to Yahveh your God every firstborn male produced by your herd and flock. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work or shear the firstborn of your flock.

Deuteronomy 15:20 Each year you and your family are to eat it before Yahveh your God in the place Yahveh chooses.

Deuteronomy 15:21 But if there is a defect in the animal, if it is lame or blind or has any serious defect, you may not sacrifice it to Yahveh your God.

Deuteronomy 15:22 Eat it within your city gates; both the contaminated person and the pure may eat it, as though it were a gazelle or deer.

Deuteronomy 15:23 But you must not eat its blood; pour it on the land like water.

set apart as a symbol

We are used to looking at passages like this from the standpoint of the past— as reminders of God’s rescue of the firstborn Israelites in Egypt. Or, we think about how the passage reflects on God’s plan to rescue us in Christ— his firstborn— sacrificed on the cross.

But today I want us to focus on what God might be communicating every time a family chooses to set aside its first and best to enjoy it in God’s presence. That firstborn animal would become a symbol of God’s provision, and would remind the family of all their possessions.

Every time they saw that young bullock not allowed to pull a plow, or that conspicuously unshorn sheep, it would remind them of the animal’s special purpose. In fact, that was another reason the animal had to be without defect. A flawed animal could never represent God.

All year they could imagine what it was going to be like to be in God’s special place, and celebrate life with him.

More than just a symbol of God’s provision, or a reminder of his rescue by grace— the firstborn of the flock or herd would be a reminder of God’s existence. As they took care of the animal, they would remember how he was with them and took care of them. When they made sure their animals were safe, they would be reminded that he was keeping them safe.

Lord, in this age, you have given us one ultimate sacrifice and symbol of your goodness and grace. May our thoughts of Jesus always bring us closer to you.

Posted in Jesus Christ, relationship with God | Tagged Deuteronomy 15 | 1 Comment

when they want to stay

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

Photo by Marily Torres on Pexels.com

when they want to stay

Deuteronomy 15:16-18

Deuteronomy 15:16 But if your slave says to you, ‘I don’t want to leave you,’ because he cares about you and your family, and is well off with you,

Deuteronomy 15:17 take an awl and pierce through his ear into the door, and he will become your slave permanently. Also treat your female slave the same way.

Deuteronomy 15:18 Do not regard it as a hardship when you set him free, because he worked for you six years – worth twice the wages of a hired worker. Then Yahveh your God will empower you in everything you do.

when they want to stay

The Israelites were commanded to take a difficult situation and turn it into a reason for joy and gratitude. The difficult situation in view here was the poverty of a fellow resident. If their poverty or debt was so great that they had no other way to get out of it, they were allowed to sell themselves into temporary slavery. After six years, they were to be released with gratitude. But if they had grown attached to the family and did not want to go, they would be allowed to make the relationship permanent.

When anyone saw that pierced ear, it would be a badge of honor for that household head. It would indicate that the person under his employ was so happy and successful that he or she did not want to leave.

The same cultural phenomenon does not exist anymore in most places. But there is a similar thing. Believers who are responsible for the welfare of others, or who have others in their employ – can treat them so well that they would not want to leave. Or, if they do leave, it would be with gratitude on their part, and their employer as well.

Lord, make us the kind of people that others want to stay around.

Posted in employment, servanthood | Tagged Deuteronomy 15 | 1 Comment

reflecting the first blesser

Posted on February 8, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

photo-1490139753981-d33e0da2c26c

reflecting the first blesser

Deuteronomy 15:11-15

Deuteronomy 15:11 For there will never cease to be poor people in the land; that is why I am commanding you, and this is what I say: ‘Open your hand willingly to your poor and needy brother in your land.’

Deuteronomy 15:12 “If your fellow Hebrew, a man or woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, you must set him free in the seventh year.

Deuteronomy 15:13 When you set him free, do not send him away empty-handed.

Deuteronomy 15:14 Give generously to him from your flock, your threshing floor, and your wine press. You are to give him whatever Yahveh your God has empowered you with.

Deuteronomy 15:15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and Yahveh your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.

reflecting the first blesser

God wants his community to follow his pattern. His pattern for the Israelites was to redeem them from slavery. He expects the Israelites to follow that pattern when it comes to their own brothers and sisters. There will always be poor people among them because God wants their fellow Israelites to rescue them as a reflection of his character.

God empowers us for the same reason. He wants us to use the blessings he gives us to bless others, and so reflect his character as the first giver.

Lord, show us how help those around us, and so draw attention to you.

Posted in deliverance, giving, poverty | Tagged Deuteronomy 15 | 1 Comment