partnering with paganism

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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partnering with paganism

Deuteronomy 7:2 and when Yahveh your God delivers them over to you and you defeat them, you must completely eliminate them. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.
Deuteronomy 7:3 You must not intermarry with them, and you must not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,
Deuteronomy 7:4 because they will turn your sons away from me to worship other gods. Then Yahveh’s anger will burn against you, and he will rapidly exterminate you.

partnering with paganism

These instructions may seem severe, but they are extremely wise. The objective of the Mosaic mission was a land dedicated to God. Treaties and mixed marriages with those dedicated to idols would defeat the mission.

Likewise, we who have a mission from our Savior need to take great care not to get caught up in foolishness of the ungodly by forming alliances and partnering with them. They are our mission, but we must not let ourselves or our children be theirs.

Lord, in our zeal to reach the nations for Christ, give us wisdom to know how not to partner with paganism.

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he drives out many nations

Posted on December 14, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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he drives out many nations

Deuteronomy 6:24 Yahveh commanded us to follow all these prescriptions and to fear Yahveh our God for our good always and that we may stay alive, as it is today.
Deuteronomy 6:25 Righteousness will be ours if we are careful to follow every one of these commands in the sight of Yahveh our God, like he has commanded us.’
Deuteronomy 7:1 “When Yahveh your God brings you into the land you are entering to take possession of, and he drives out many nations before you – the Hethites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and powerful than you—

he drives out many nations

There was not just one nation the Israelites had to contend with. There were seven. Each could have obliterated the people of God. But God was driving out each nation, removing each obstacle.

At some point in your life you will realize that there are far more things that could go wrong than could go right. The odds are against us. Don’t worry. God is allowing it to be that way so he gets credit for our victory.

Lord, the odds are against us, but you have it covered.

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the meaning of the rules

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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the meaning of the rules

Deuteronomy 6:20 “When your son asks you in the future, and this is what they say: ‘What is the meaning of the reminders, prescriptions, and rules that Yahveh our God has commanded you? ‘

Deuteronomy 6:21 tell him, ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but Yahveh brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand.

Deuteronomy 6:22 Before our eyes Yahveh inflicted great and devastating signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his household,

Deuteronomy 6:23 but he brought us from there in order to lead us in and give us the land that he swore to our fathers.

the meaning of the rules

The rules and prohibitions of the Mosaic covenant were designed to remind the Israelites that they had been redeemed by the blood of the sacrificial lamb, and rescued out of Egypt. As such, they were not a burden, but a blessing. They were designed to promote worship.

The commands of Christ also point us to his death on the cross: our redemption under the new covenant. Without the death of Christ, no amount of good works could erase our sins. After his atonement, our obedience to his commands helps to guide others to him.

Thank you Lord for your commands, and your grace which gives purpose to our obedience to them.

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trusting, not testing

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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trusting, not testing

Deuteronomy 6:16 Do not test Yahveh your God like you tested him at Massah.

Deuteronomy 6:17 Carefully observe the commands of Yahveh your God, the reminders and prescriptions he has commanded you.

Deuteronomy 6:18 Do what is right and good in Yahveh’s sight, so that you may prosper and so that you may enter and take possession of the good land Yahveh your God swore to give your fathers,

Deuteronomy 6:19 by pushing away1 all your enemies before you, as Yahveh has said.

trusting, not testing

Exodus 17:1-7 tells the story of Massah. The Israelites were thirsty and turned on Moses, blaming him for their having to leave Egypt! God provided the water by having Moses strike a rock. But the place was renamed testing from that time on.

The choice was to trust God or to test God. That day, the Israelites made the wrong choice. Moses brings up Massah here as a reminder that tough times will test God’s people, but they do not give us permission to test God.

Lord, we choose to trust you, not to test you.

1הָדַף

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your God who is among you

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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your God who is among you

Deuteronomy 6:13 Fear Yahveh your God, worship him, and take your oaths in his name.

Deuteronomy 6:14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you,

Deuteronomy 6:15 because Yahveh your God, who is among you, is a jealous God. Otherwise, Yahveh your God will become angry with you and exterminate you from the face of the land.

your God who is among you

Notice the choice the Israelites had to make. They could follow the gods of the people around them, or they could fear their God who was among them. Those pagan gods are not to be feared if they choose to fear God instead. But if they choose to follow those pagan idols, they will suffer the fate of the idol worshipers whom they would dispossess.

If we realize God’s greatness, we will fear him and love him at the same time. Even our Savior commands us to fear God.1 But he also commands us to love God.2

We can do this more easily by remembering that God is our Father in the sky. Even though he has terrifying power, he uses that power to bless his children.

Thank you Lord for being the sky Father among us.

1Matthew 10:28

2Matthew 22:37

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redemption and left

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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redemption and left

Deuteronomy 6:10-12 JDV

Deuteronomy 6:10 “When Yahveh your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give you – a land with large and good cities that you did not build,

Deuteronomy 6:11 houses full of every good thing that you did not fill them with, wells that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant– and when you eat and are satisfied,

Deuteronomy 6:12 be careful or else you will forget Yahveh who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.

redemption and left

The Israelites were going to experience great blessing at the hand of God. He would prosper them beyond their dreams and expectations. But he warned them not to forget him as they forgot their past troubles. Their culture was going to have what we call “redemption and lift” and it would result in a higher standard of living. But sometimes such cultures experience “redemption and left” where they keep all the trappings of financial stability but lose the moral base that created it.

Lord, keep us so grounded in our relationship with Christ that even financial prosperity will not shake our faith in him.

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mission statement

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Jefferson Vann

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mission statement

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 JDV

Deuteronomy 6:6 These words that I am commanding you today are to be in your heart.

Deuteronomy 6:7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you are lying down and when you are getting up.

Deuteronomy 6:8 Tie them as a sign onto your hand and let them be a symbol between your eyes.

Deuteronomy 6:9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.

mission statement

Lots of congregations today have mission statements. These mission statements help define what the congregation does, and help them decide when they are faced with options. They are usually not too detailed, but focus on the things the congregation feels are most important.

The ten words were not designed to be mere prohibitions. They served as a mission statement for the Israelites. The Mosaic mission required that they demonstrate God’s holiness and goodness to the nations around them. These ten words gave them the guidance they needed to do that.

Our mission today is also to witness to the nations. The commands of Christ help us to stay on target with that objective.

Lord, thank you for words to guide us in doing the mission you called us to.

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focusing on God alone

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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focusing on God alone

Deuteronomy 6:3 Listen, Israel, and be careful to follow them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because Yahveh, the God of your fathers, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 6:4 “Listen, Israel: Yahveh our God, Yahveh is one.

Deuteronomy 6:5 Care about Yahveh your God with all your heart, with all your throat, and with all your strength.

focusing on God alone

We can so easily compartmentalize our lives so we go in a thousand directions. God wants us to focus on him. He is one. In the context of the Mosaic covenant, the problem was idols. God wanted an entire community focused on him alone. Imagine what we could do if we congregated together and focused on God alone.

Lord, you alone deserve our focus.

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long lives

Posted on December 7, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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long lives

Deuteronomy 5:32-6:2

Deuteronomy 5:32 “Be careful to do as Yahveh your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or the left.

Deuteronomy 5:33 Follow the whole instruction Yahveh your God has commanded you, so that you may stay alive, prosper, and have a long life in the land you will possess.

Deuteronomy 6:1 “This is the command– the prescriptions and rules – Yahveh your God has commanded me to teach you, so that you may follow them in the land you are about to enter and take possession of.

Deuteronomy 6:2 Do this so that you may fear Yahveh your God all the days of your life by watching all his prescriptions1 and commands I am commanding you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life.

long lives

The greatest benefit guaranteed under the Mosaic covenant was a long life. Under the covenant with Christ we are promised a resurrection to permanent life. But the saints of old believed in a resurrection too. They will also be raised by Christ and live eternally with us.

We don’t know how long this life will be, but there are certain things we can do to lessen our chances of going to the grave early. Our Father has always wanted that. He is not pleased when his children die. No father is. He wants our long lives to demonstrate and witness to his goodness.

Lord, show us how to live long, healthy and holy lives.

1חֻקָּה

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the burden of prescience

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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the burden of prescience

Deuteronomy 5:28-31

Deuteronomy 5:28 “Yahveh heard your words when you spoke to me. He said to me, ‘I have heard the words that these people have spoken to you. Everything they have said is right.

Deuteronomy 5:29 If only they had such a heart to fear me and watch all my commands always, so that they and their children would permanently1 prosper.

Deuteronomy 5:30 Go and tell them: Return to your tents.

Deuteronomy 5:31 But you stand here with me, and I will tell you every command – the prescriptions and rules – you are to teach them, so that they may follow them in the land I am giving them to take possession of.’

the burden of prescience

God expresses his broken heart with those words “if only.” He knows that they will not be obedient always, so their prosperity will not be permanent.

Some people think it would be great to know the future, but imagine knowing everything. God knows everyone who will be with him in eternity, but he also knows everyone who will not.

It is best for us that we remain ignorant of such things.

Thank you Lord for not burdening us with knowledge of the future.

1עוֹלָם

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