Month: April 2023

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command this day, that…all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.

We respond to God’s Law and Gospel by hearkening to God’s Word. Hearken means to listen with faith and then do. Fear and love are two strong motivating factors for desiring to keep the Law, the Ten Commandments. A blessed and a good life will result, and these blessings are listed in detail in chapter 28. If we believe God we will selfishly want to do it, since it will be for our benefit. On the other hand, a cursed and troubled life results when we do not listen and do. These curses are listed in gruesome detail. The graphics are abundantly clear, if we believe God’s Word. This so-called Deuteronomist History (blessed if you do, cursed if you don’t) unfolds in the rest of the Old Testament.

“These things are written for our learning.” The same Truths unfold in our individual lives as well. We cannot see the cause and effect nor can science study it. Therefore, it is revealed to us in the Bible so that we can believe it. We can see that life is good at the same time that we see it is not so good. However, we resist laying the blame on our own sin until the Spirit of God convicts us. He leads us to repent and believe the Gospel. In it we see by faith the forgiveness of sins, the Love of God, and the righteousness of God granted by grace. Thus by listening we fear and love God so that we do. God reveals this: listening makes a difference.

Deuteronomy 27:10 Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day.

In Deuteronomy chapters 27-28, Moses gives us a long list of curses and blessings that will come upon us according to whether we have obeyed or disobeyed the Law given by the Lord in the Ten Commandments. A blessed or cursed life is directly dependent upon the degree of obedience to the Law. Behavior, whether in thought, word, or actual deed, has consequences, positive or negative. This principle is built into the universe by the Creator God. It cannot be changed or challenged.

Even the lives of godless unbelievers are affected by the Law of Blessings and Curses. However, living an upright and moral life cannot produce or earn the blessing of God’s spiritual and eternal life living in us, since no one is holy. The Blessing can only come to us through the merits and mercies of Jesus Christ, who obeyed perfectly. We who repent and believe in Jesus have by faith obeyed the voice of the Lord. For Christ’s sake we enjoy the abundant blessing of Life today and forever.

“Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” The obedience of faith is the perfect keeping of the Voice of the Lord. Since Jesus did it all for us and obeyed perfectly, believers can respond by claiming the blessing of God, especially the deep, rich, abundant, and eternal blessings of the Father, earned by the Son, and granted by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel.

Deuteronomy 26:17-18 Thou hast avouched the Lord. This day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statues, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments.

Our response to God’s grace and salvation is to avouch, publicly declare and proclaim, that the Lord is my God. We believe in the heart and confess with the lips that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. The Christian does this at least once in a lifetime when he confirms his faith before the church or publicly confesses Jesus is Lord. We are publicly proclaiming every time we go to church, go to Communion, and go to Bible class. We do so every time we do a kind deed or say a good word to another from a believing heart, in Jesus’ name. We do so any time that we witness to our Lord in word or deed.

The result of avouching the Lord as our God is that we will walk in his ways, keep his commandments, and listen to His Word. Once we let the world know that Jesus is our Lord and our God, we will live up to the Name and do what He says. When we fail (which is every day) we repent and reaffirm our faith in Jesus, who gives daily, instant, and constant forgiveness.

This lifestyle is ours because the Lord has avouched us as His special people, and me as His special person upon whom He has set His favor. When we believe this Gospel we naturally respond with a godly life: “Whatever you do, do it all in the name of Christ the Lord Jesus Christ.” At our Baptism the Lord avouched (publicly proclaimed to the visible and invisible world) that I am His special person. At Confirmation and at Communion I avouch that Jesus is my only Lord.

Deuteronomy 24:14-15 Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates. At his day thou shalt give him his hire.

The Bible has much to say about taking care of the poor and needy. It is the expected response of believers who have been themselves rescued from slavery and poverty and been strangers in a foreign land. We give to the poor because we remember that we were slaves in Egypt (the world) and the Lord redeemed us (v. 18). We are so grateful for God’s blessing and salvation. We were once in spiritual poverty, slaves to sin, and strangers to God’s Kingdom and Life. After we have been blessed with the Gospel of redemption, we desire to share the wealth. “Freely you have received, freely give.”

God gives Jesus, who redeems us. “Through His poverty we might become rich.” The Lord blesses us with abundant spiritual riches that we might share with those who are in need. A part of our thankful response is that we do not oppress, exploit, or use the poor, but instead help and lift them up.

Deuteronomy 23:21, 23 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it; for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be a sin in thee….That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a free will offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.

People often make rash vows and promises in regard to relationships with God or other people. If one makes a promise it is a sin to him if he does not keep it. It is like a lie, but not quite the same. But it is a matter of faithfulness, integrity, and trust. Keeping promises and paying vows is a characteristic of a man or woman of God: he does what he says.

Moses also says in v. 22 that it is not a sin if you do not vow. But not keeping a promise you did make is a sin. Therefore, we are very careful about making vows and promises in uncertain affairs and frivolous matters, for once it has escaped our lips we are bound to it. However, there are promises we do make in serious situations and legal contracts. For instance, it is right to make a marriage vow, and keep it. It is proper to make a Confirmation vow in church. It is required to take an oath in court to tell the truth. It is helpful to make contracts and pay back loans.

The Christian only makes promises he knows he can and will keep. Even when there is no legal penalty to enforce a vow, we have in internal enforcer that holds us to account to keep our promises. So we watch what we say. And we repent; we are not like the son in the parable who said he would work but didn’t. We become faithful and trustworthy because God is faithful to His promises, and we can count on it.

Deuteronomy 22:1, 3-4: Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother…In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost thing of thy brother’s, which hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself. Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide yourself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.

Love, service, and kindness to others is the lifestyle of Christians in response to the love and kindness of God toward us. Here Moses gives specific examples of how that actually works out in agrarian life. These are just a couple out of thousands of examples that could be used in everyone’s life. The principle is clear: we love, help, and serve other people whenever the opportunity presents itself to us. The temptation to steal, lie, and exploit others is always present, but the Overcomer in us helps instead.

Humans are constantly being presented with the choice to use others or to serve them. But we love because He first loved us. This is the natural response of the Jesus who lives in us. God’s Love is real life and real living, and it works itself out in thousands of social interactions and practical situations. We love, serve, and help God by living in humble serve and loving kindness to family, friends, neighbors, fellow believers, even strangers and enemies. Others first!

The Christian’s response to finding something that belongs to another person is to return it. And even more, we go out of our way (go the extra mile) to find things we can do or say to make others feel better.

Deuteronomy 21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them,

It is a very serious matter to respond to parents, and to God, with a stubborn and rebellious spirit. It is so serious that it is worthy of death. If the son persists in not listening and obeying even after discipline, he shall be brought before the elders of the city and stoned to death. The penalty, of course, is extremely drastic, and maybe it never even happened, but the Lord impresses upon us the importance of listening to and obeying parents.

The Fourth Commandment is the first of the second table of the Law, for when “honor your father and your mother” is kept it is easier to keep the following commandments dealing with relations between people. And society runs safely and smoothly. How important it is for parents to recognize the inherent stubbornness and rebellion within every sinner and to hold it in check with loving discipline. Honoring and obeying parents builds strong character and healthy lives, and it makes it easier for children to love, trust, and obey God.

Whatever age we are, however, we need to respond with the humility and penitence that recognizes and confesses the stubbornness and rebellion in us. We respond with trust in, dependence on, and submission to The Father. We learn obedience. Hebrews 12:6: “The Lord disciplines the one he loves.”

Deuteronomy 20:1, 3 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and sees horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is worth thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt….let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them.

Moses is telling Israel to be not afraid of the enemies who occupy the Land God is giving them. For the Lord is with them and He will fight for them. Therefore, you do not need to be afraid or terrified because of them. And so it worked out under the Conquest of Joshua (Hebrew name for Jesus). God did fight for them.

“These things are written for our learning.” For NT believers the Lord has the same encouraging spiritual message. God gave us the Kingdom through the work and the victorious warfare of Jesus, but we by faith still go in to possess it. Our spiritual enemies (sin, death, and the devil) are constantly disputing with us and fighting with us over the possession of, settling in, and enjoying of the Kingdom of God within the heart. They argue and fight over the occupation of it.

But we have the Valiant One who fights alongside us. We have the Word of Truth, the Name of Jesus, the Gospel of Grace, and the Promise of God. Our Enemies will fight as they will to prevent us from entering in and driving them out. But they cannot prevail. We will overcome and win.

The daily encouraging word from our Lord as we go into battle every morning is: do not be afraid of your spiritual enemies, faint not, do not tremble, or be terrified. We do not fear, doubt, or worry. Jesus is on our side. We respond with courage and confidence by remembering our baptism, receiving grace, and applying faith to the current issues.

Deuteronomy 19:20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and commit no more any such evil among you.

The purpose of carrying out justice and punishing evildoers is that it be a deterrent to others, “those which remain,” that they might hear about it, be afraid of it, and so be prevented from doing the evil. Human government is established by God to uphold the Rule of Law and a fair Justice System. The “eye for an eye” thing in v. 21 is a principle for government to follow: to enforce a just penalty and not be excessive. It is not up to individuals to seek vengeance or to get even. “Vengeance is Mine,” not yours.

Six cities of refuge were set up to prevent the avenger of blood from taking the law into his own hands. Allow the judges to exact the death penalty for premeditated murder on the basis of two or three witnesses. This law combines justice and mercy. In addition, if a witness lies (commits perjury) he shall suffer the penalty.

A governmental system of laws is necessary for sinners to live peaceably in a sinful world. Without restraints, sinners would destroy themselves. Deterrents are necessary to prevent sinners from gross evil.

We must also admit that while good Christians do good things because “the love of Christ compels us,” we also need a dose of the fear of God. There are bad things we don’t do for fear of God’s displeasure and of grieving the Spirit. Proper fear and love of God deters sin and motivates righteousness. Our response to the Law is to “fear and love God so that….” A humble spirit repents and believes the gospel.

Deuteronomy 18:9, 12 When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations…For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord..

Once we have been born again and have entered into the Kingdom, our faith response is not to learn to do after the abominations of the godless, pagan world around us. The God who loves is still a jealous God who will not tolerate any kind of worship or faith of any false god. Therefore, we will not be curious about or seek to even learn the ways of the world. False gods, false worship, false philosophy and false religion is regarded by the Lord as an abomination, a terrible, evil, and ugly thing. And we will see it the same as God sees it, and avoid it.

In this context Moses lists child sacrifice and various kinds of occult and demonic practices. Certainly, we can easily see human sacrifice and Satanic worship as abominations. It is a little harder to see illicit sex, drug use, and fortune-telling as abominable. It is even harder to see abortion and false doctrine, for example, in the same light. But God is serious, and so are we.

Sin is a terrible evil, no matter how small it may seem. Just look at the disgusting, innocent, suffering of Christ to see the abominable evil of your own sin. And as God He took our abomination on Himself. Then appreciate what Jesus did for you by believing Him.