READING FOR NOVEMBER 14, 2024: DEUTERONOMY 9, 1 PETER 3, PSALM 119:17-24 DEUTERONOMY 9 Moses prepared the people for the challenge that lay ahead of them. He told Israel the seven nations currently occupying the promised land were all stronger than they were and were highly fortified. Leaders in history whom we now consider great were honest about the enormity of the task ahead. In 1940 Churchill told the English people, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” Other leaders minimize the dangers ahead. Here is a statement from an American leader at the outset of the COVID outbreak: “When you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero.” Jesus always was honest about the hard times His disciples would face: “Be on guard against people, for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues” (Matt. 10: 17).
Another aspect of a great leader is to explain what we can do to overcome the problem. Moses pointed to God’s power: “God who is crossing over ahead of you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them” (Deut. 9:3). Yorktown Methodist Church in 2024 exists when faith in Jesus is declining, yet our mission is to make disciples. The obstacles are just as great as Israel faced, but the God who goes ahead of us is just as powerful.
Moses was very concerned that Israel would misinterpret the victories that God would bring. Israel would not be successful because they were great people. There were two reasons. First, these seven nations were wicked. As we have seen in studying Romans, even though these people were not God’s chosen people and possessed no written laws from God, still they were accountable to God for the laws that could be discerned in creation (Rom. 1:18-20) and in the human conscious (Rom. 2:15-16). The second reason for Israel’s victories was that God would be fulfilling the covenant promise He originally made with Abraham: “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; everything came to pass” (Joshua 21:45).
To make sure Israel got the message about their not succeeding because of their own goodness, Moses went over the sorry history of Israel’s disobedience to God in the past 40 years. It was necessary that they not forget their past sins in order for them to sufficiently understand God’s grace in fulfilling the covenant as they crossed into the promised land. Do we understand this concept? If we think we are headed to heaven when we cross out of this earthly life because we have done more good than bad or because we have always gone to church, we are sadly mistaken. Our only hope of crossing into the Kingdom of God is complete faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:1-2).
READING FOR NOVEMBER 14, 2024 CONTINUED: 1 PETER 3, PSALM 119:17-24 1 PETER 3 Peter wrote in chapter 2 about submitting to governing authorities for God’s sake (2:13). He said that this submission counterintuitively brings freedom (2:16). Now he says we should extend this principle to the family: “In the same way, you wives, be subject to your own husbands” (3:1). The American revolution, which occurred in the Enlightenment Period, was highly influenced by such thinkers as Rousseau who held the “cultivation and realization of human freedom as the highest end for human beings.” Extreme individualism is not in synch with the biblical concept of submission to authority. This might be why Christians in Africa, less influenced by Enlightenment thinking, are more receptive than we are to authority as it relates to family structure and the superiority of biblical revelation over human self-actualization.
Peter gives a fascinating method to wives for evangelizing their non-Christian husband: don’t talk about Jesus but “maintain a pure and respectful behavior” (3:2). He also advises wives to be more concerned with their inner person than their outer appearance. Men must show their wives understanding and honor befitting their high status as fellow heirs of Christ. If they don’t, their prayers won’t be effective. All are obligated to be “harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble.” Is that how our friends and family describe us? We will be blessed if we are (2:9). If folks take advantage of us and abuse our kindness, Peter, like all the biblical authors, says we should reframe it as blessing. We have the honor of being like Jesus, who was mocked and abused because He came to die for our sins. Space doesn’t permit a full discussion of other interesting passages in this chapter. Some thoughts, though:
- We should be ready to explain why we are Christians. It would be a good idea to write this out.
- Does vs 13 say Jesus preached after the crucifixion in hell to people alive during Noah’s time? Maybe, but, if so, it was not to give them a second chance. Heb. 9:27 implies that’s not possible. Difficult!
- Related to Noah’s flood, Peter suggests it’s not the water that saves in baptism, but faith in Jesus.
PSALM 119:17-24 Asking God to open our eyes so we can perceive the wonderful truths in His word is such a fantastic prayer before reading the scripture. It is surprising that it is not prayed publicly more often. In verse 19 Is the Psalmist claiming to be an alien on earth but a citizen of heaven? Not sure, but it is true for Christians: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phi.3:20). If that’s the case, our soul should be crushed with longing for His word—a word from our true home. Ever notice that many daily devotionals usually only include brief scriptural passages that are highly positive and inspirational in nature? The Psalmist in verse 21 reminds us that the entire Bible often rebukes us. Watch out for tiny slices of “inspirational” readings that only provide fuzzy warmth that were ripped from larger contexts. The final verses suggest the Bible is our advisor. Be willing to be changed by the Bible’s advice, instead of bending the Bible to fit what we want it to say.
