Short Reflection from Deuteronomy 18-34

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (PG) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[1:18 pm, 22/06/2022] S.R:

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟙𝟠:𝟙𝟟-𝟙𝟠

"The LORD said to me, ‘They have spoken well. I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.’"

Indeed, Jesus had to conceal His glory in His incarnation. Or no man would survive seeing the full glory of God.

 

[7:12 am, 23/06/2022] S.R: 𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟙𝟡:𝟙𝟛

"You shall not pity him, but you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you."

There's a counterfeit for everything. There's counterfeit justice, counterfeit mercy, and counterfeit compassion.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟚𝟘:𝟙𝟘

"When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace."

There's an option for peace.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟚𝟙:𝟚𝟚-𝟚𝟛

"If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance."

Civility even in Punishment!

Even Jesus wasn't hung up there all night. He was taken down by the evening.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟚𝟚:𝟠

"When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it."

Government should not dictate how a Christian Church should be built and looking like. However, Christians should obey government instructions in certain things for safety protocol, like fire safety, earthquake strategy, etc...

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 23:7

"You shall not detest an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land."

To remember the humble background! To consider the importance and significance of the past in present times!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟚𝟜:𝟚𝟙

"When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow."

The Bible lays out for God's people to be generous, not greedy; to be merciful not to be a miser; to be contented not maximal profit.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟚𝟝:𝟙𝟟-𝟙𝟠

"Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out from Egypt, how he met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God."

Are Christians supposed to forgive and forget wicked people all the time? Are Christians supposed to be merciful to wicked people?

Well, allow not the heathens to dictate what we should and shouldn’t do. Even Satan uses the Scriptures to destroy the saints of God and the very Son of God!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟚𝟞:𝟙𝟘-𝟙𝟙

"Now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, O LORD have given me. And you shall set it down before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God; and you and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the LORD your God has given you and your household."

Gratefulness to God is accompanied by Generosity to the other classes (top and bottom) of the society: the Levites and the aliens.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟚𝟟:𝟡

"Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, ‘Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for the LORD your God.’"

We do praise God from the top of our voices but it's appropriate to silence ourselves before Him too.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟚𝟠:𝟞𝟛

"It shall come about that as the LORD delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the LORD will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you; and you will be torn from the land where you are entering to possess it."

The description concerning the curse is much longer than the blessings. Humans are often motivated by warnings than privileges!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟚𝟡:𝟚𝟡

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law."

Not to waste time thinking about things that will not make one more godly or Christlike.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟛𝟘:𝟙𝟙

"For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach."

To those who love God, His commandments aren't burdensome. People would rather love the world than God.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟛𝟙:𝟚𝟙

"Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants); for I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore."

God is not surprised with what's going on. Nor is he mad about it. Everything is under His control. This is the God who from before the foundation of the world has seen the eternal hell and has chosen me to be His. Nothing I do surprises Him nor will make me utterly go astray.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟛𝟚:𝟛𝟞

"For the LORD will vindicate His people, And will have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their strength is gone, And there is none remaining, bond or free."

#Vindication. #Compassion.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟛𝟛:𝟚𝟟

"The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, 'Destroy!"

Dwelling place: defense

Drove out: offense

Destroy: immense

 

[6:37 am, 08/07/2022] S.R: 𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟛𝟜:𝟞

"And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day."

Very cool to be buried by the Lord. But I might not want to die where my body will not be found... 😬

Short Reflection from Deuteronomy 1-17

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (PG) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[9:35 pm, 05/06/2022] S.R:

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟙:𝟚𝟟

"and you grumbled in your tents and said, 'Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us.’"

Hmm! Regarding (treating) the love of God to be the hatred of God, I could see the relevance of this incident in many areas of life!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟚:𝟙𝟞-𝟙𝟠

"So it came about when all the men of war had finally perished from among the people, that the LORD spoke to me, saying, 'Today you shall cross over Ar, the border of Moab.’"

Surely, God didn't mind killing every sinner. He did wait for everyone from the first generation to die off before letting them enter the promised land.

He did drown the whole world. Even if a majority of the churches across the world in our time affirm false and compromised doctrines such as affirming homosexuality, etc., God will not, and shall wipe away those churches as Jesus has warned in the book of Revelation. To be alone with God is better than to be with the majority of the opinions and favors of the world!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟛:𝟚𝟝

"Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon."

Moses did want to go to the promised land, the land of his ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the land of milk and honey. God didn't grant his request. God declined his prayer! Hmmm!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟜:𝟚𝟜

"For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."

Moses and Prophets, Jesus and Apostles kept warning people that God is a consuming fire. Modern day preachers don't seem to get the message of the Bible.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟝:𝟞

"I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery."

The Christians of this generation are too uneducated biblically. How many would be able to remember the 10 commandments? The church itself has forgotten to catechize the basics of Christianity.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟝:𝟙𝟠

'You shall not commit adultery."

Westminster Larger Catechism of Faith says in Q&A 139 that "undue delay of marriage is a violation of this seventh commandment" hmmm! 😆

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟞:𝟛

"O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey."

Better to be over-careful than careless. Btw, Pharisees were rebuked not for their religious duties but for their satisfaction in their duties (work-based self-righteousness).

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟞:𝟡

"You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

Sure, there are some scripture portions we do and should paste on our wall, door, and refrigerator!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟟:𝟟

"The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples,"

How low we are and yet, what love is this that God chooses us!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟠:𝟚𝟘

"Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the LORD your God."

God shall judge everyone justly!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟡:𝟚𝟠

"Otherwise the land from which You brought us may say, ‘Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which He had promised them and because He hated them He has brought them out to slay them in the wilderness.’

God's honor is important. God's glory is important. Prayer without a desire or mention to honor and glorify God, I suppose, will not go up beyond the roof of the house!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟡

"So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt."

Loving strangers, loving neighbors, I wish to see these increase in me.

However, I also do observe that those who proclaim the loudest aren't doing better than the rest of us.

Even those who signal themselves to follow this truth aren't doing anything better.

It's difficult to find faithful people to watch and learn.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟙𝟙:𝟚𝟟-𝟚𝟠

"the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known."

Blessings or Curse!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟙𝟚:𝟠

"You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes;"

We have the book. Let's study it and do it accordingly. Not according to our ideas or desire!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟙𝟛:𝟡

"But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people."

Honor killing but not for family or caste but for God?

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟙𝟜:𝟚𝟞

"You may spend the money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household."

Giving with celebration.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟙𝟝:𝟙𝟙

"For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.'"

It's not right to wait for the poor to catch up with the rich because it's impossible to eradicate poverty. The rich must help the poor.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟙𝟞:𝟙𝟚

"You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes."

God reminds the Israelites again and again of their past status and how much we ought to do the same. Not to make us feel bad but to make us feel glad for what God has now made!

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟙𝟟:𝟙𝟠

"Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests."

People say church and state should be separated. That politician can be secular. That politician can afford to be sinful and get away. Well, not so according to the Bible. This verse is prescribing him to be like the duties and position of a pastor.

Bible Reading Reflection from Deuteronomy 26-34

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (KD), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝔻𝔼𝕌𝕋𝔼ℝ𝕆ℕ𝕆𝕄𝕐 𝟚𝟞:𝟙𝟘

"Now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, O LORD have given me.' And you shall set it down before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God."

Gratefulness shown from the heart. Grateful not only to God but being gracious and generous to others as well!

Ritualism will pay all the tithes, and maybe even more than tithes, but it takes a real grateful heart to be generous to others especially to those who will never be able to give us or help us back.

Last time, @Pastor Ezekiel was saying that he used to cry when he listened to the song, "Who am I?" Indeed, who are we that God continues to shower his mercy and grace!!!?

Lord, cast away grumbling, complaining, and dissatisfaction from my heart, and set me to be grateful with everything going on, seeing I have you as my God both in heaven and on earth!

 

𝔻𝔼𝕌𝕋𝔼ℝ𝕆ℕ𝕆𝕄𝕐 𝟚𝟟:𝟙𝟞

"’Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’"

I always thought we loved our parents more when we are younger. Well, I don't know how children love their parents when they grew older and older [I am still not that old].

In my case, I think I loved my parents when I was a child for my selfish wants and needs, for their love. Nowadays, I am increasingly realizing how I really need to honor them and make them really joyful, which I haven't done yet!

Indeed, how stupid and how wicked is a man who does not honor his parents! And, I am afraid, I myself am not far from that!

Let's encourage one another to honor our parents!

 

𝔻𝔼𝕌𝕋𝔼ℝ𝕆ℕ𝕆𝕄𝕐 𝟚𝟠:𝟞𝟛

"It shall come about that as the LORD delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the LORD will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you; and you will be torn from the land where you are entering to possess it."

There's no neutral ground: blessings or curses. There's no as it is: blessings or curses. The preaching of the Gospel is consequential too: Salvation or Damnation.

We must share [proclaim] the Gospel to our friends, to anyone in that way, that the Gospel is not an improvement to their lifestyle, but the lifeline, because destruction is coming! Get saved or you shall perish in your sins!

If that's difficult to communicate, learn from Ray Comfort on YouTube. Search his videos.

 

𝔻𝔼𝕌𝕋𝔼ℝ𝕆ℕ𝕆𝕄𝕐 𝟚𝟡:𝟚𝟡

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law."

This is one of the most favorite scripture portions for Bible teachers! 😂

Indeed, there are sorts too difficult for us, nay, impossible for us to understand. And there are some sorts we shouldn't even try to know about it. Knowledge is not everything.

Whatever is revealed to us, that [may it] be our delight. We must use the revealed knowledge to discern our way: to confirm obedience, and to fear of going astray. We must use the revealed knowledge to comfort us in distresses and convict us [when] in sin!

The revealed knowledge is sufficient for our existence on earth to fulfill our purpose in the most meaningful, happy, and glorious way!

May we learn to find sufficiency in God's revelation!

 

𝔻𝔼𝕌𝕋𝔼ℝ𝕆ℕ𝕆𝕄𝕐 𝟛𝟘:𝟙𝟙

"For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach."

It's not easy to follow God, but not too difficult as well. God's commandments are not burdensome, says Apostle John.

If we love God, His commandments are delightful. If we fear (afraid) God, His commandments are troublesome. Even a child can and is a follower of God. His commandments are lighter than the commandments of the law and sin. It's lighter than the law of any society, land, or organization, because, God bears along with us.

 

𝔻𝔼𝕌𝕋𝔼ℝ𝕆ℕ𝕆𝕄𝕐 𝟛𝟙:𝟚𝟙

"And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give."

Songs help us to remember certain aspects of life.

Let's learn song not because of tune or style, but because of its content! And let's sing such songs.

 

𝔻𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝟛𝟚:𝟟, 𝟞

v7 "Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you."

Moses was composing a song for the next generation to know the greatness of God (v3), how God did a mighty work to choose and preserve their forefathers (v9). And the Israelites tended to be rebellious at all times (v5-6).

This verse implies how children ought to learn from their parents. Also, how parents ought to teach and bring up their children in the fear of the Lord. However, this verse is interesting: even if the parents didn't teach, the children must ask.

v6. "Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?"

V6 furthermore implies children cannot forget or forsake their parents. It's a metaphor to express how Israelites forsook Yahweh!

This week, it impressed on my mind how my father and his siblings took great loving care of my aged grandpa in the last years of his life! Children don't forsake their parents, especially in their old age [obligation].

Well, God is not a weak old man, but the analogy of family relationships is on display here. That He is their father and His people are His children. Parents love their children, and children love their parents. That's it. And nowadays, there's not a high view of family. Everywhere, broken families.

 

𝔻𝔼𝕌𝕋𝔼ℝ𝕆ℕ𝕆𝕄𝕐 𝟛𝟛:𝟙𝟛-𝟙𝟜

"And of Joseph he said, ‘Blessed by the LORD be his land, with the𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕥 gifts of heaven above, and of the deep that crouches beneath, with the𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕥 fruits of the sun and the rich yield of the months.’"

The choicest man of Israel blessed the choicest son of Jacob with the choicest blessing! 🙂

No wonder, apart from the tribe of Judah, Ephraim (Joseph's son) is one of the most prominent tribes among the 13 tribes! The northern kingdom, Israel is sometimes referred to as the “Ephraim”.

 

𝔻𝔼𝕌𝕋𝔼ℝ𝕆ℕ𝕆𝕄𝕐 𝟛𝟜:𝟟

"Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated."

As someone who has poor eyesight, every time I read this, I feel like the Lord has withheld blessing/grace from me. 😬😅 And the worst feeling is that God ought to let it be this way because even with these eyes, I often fail to use them to the glory of God.

A ray of hope against this is that Apostle Paul had bad eyesight! Ridiculously Comforting! 😅😎👍