November 4

Journey-through-the-Bible-with-us

READING FOR NOVEMBER 4, 2024: DEUTERONOMY 1, HEBREWS 13, PSALMS 116:1-11             DEUTERONMY 1 As Moses neared the end of his life and Israel neared the end of their travels through the wilderness, Moses provided the people with a final summary of their journey. Notice this summary took place at a very specific location on a specific day, month, and year. This is real history, not a mythical story. In verse three it states that Moses spoke “according to all that the LORD had commanded him to say.”  A clear application for us is to obey all the LORD has commanded us to say, do, and think. The Bible, including the words of Jesus, contains almost countless commands for us. We are responsible for obeying ALL of those not fulfilled by Jesus’s atonement. If we have a Bible (or nowadays a computer) we cannot plead ignorance. And why would we want to ignore them? They are all provided for our flourishing. Given how God viewed Israel’s disobedience, it might not be wise to tell God at the final judgment that we didn’t think He meant us to take His words literally. 

Verse four places Moses’s summary after victories over the Amorites, and Bashan. National or personal victories are good times to focus on God’s priorities to avoid arrogance. Verse five states Moses expounded on the law of God, not his own opinion--essential practice for pastors and teachers. He reviewed the immense mission given Israel: possessing land as far as the Euphrates River. He tied this mission back to the covenant with Abraham. Let’s remember our mission is to make disciples of Jesus throughout the world, starting with those closest to us—such as our families. Shouldn’t we get busy as we see our earthly journey soon ending?

Moses observed that Israel’s population had increased tremendously since Jacob’s family went to Egypt. He prays that this growth continues, as God promised. Since the 100 or so disciples at Pentecost, the followers of Jesus have grown to over two billion. But has our church shown much growth recently? God’s mission, God’s Gospel, and God’s empowerment remain the same. What has changed? Perhaps our barrier is the same Israel experienced. When the spies returned from the land, the people were more fearful of the size of the opposition than they were impressed by the greatness of the promised land and proven support of God.  Verse 34 states that God was not pleased with this defeatism. In fact, only those who trusted God from their generation--Caleb and Joshua--were permitted to inherit the land. If we are reading this today, the Lord is calling us to be Caleb and Joshua today in Yorktown, not defeatists.

The good news for Israel: God’s objective was not blocked by that generation’s disobedience. He decided to work with the next generation, who were not old enough to be morally responsible for Israel’s sins. (This might give us a hint about children who die before being old enough to understand the Gospel.) God will achieve His kingdom purposes, if not through us, then through other churches, countries, or generations. There will be “Victory in Jesus!”

READING FOR NOVEMBER 4, 2024 CONTINUED: HEBREWS 13                                          HEBREWS 13 This chapter includes lots of seemingly disconnected bits of guidance that flow from the reminder given in the last phrase of chapter 12: “Our God is a consuming fire.”  Being aware of that truth should motivate us to certain actions, a holy checklist: 

  • Keep loving believers. They have special claim on our attention. Check out YMC’s prayer calendar.
  • Show hospitality to strangers. These strangers might be angels or might need to know Jesus.
  • Remember those in prison. These prisoners may have been incarcerated for their faith (Heb. 13:23).
  • Reserve sexual activity for marriage. Jesus made this clear in Matthew 19: 1-12. 
  • Free ourselves from the love of money. Not doing so shows we don’t trust God’s word or character. 
  • Imitate the faith of those who teach God’s word to us. Of course, we need to verify that God’s word is being taught—not just what is trendy or some extraneous teaching that is not clearly God’s word.
  • Verse nine implies strange teaching can carry us away from the truth of God grace. This seems to be connected with those preoccupied by certain foods. Perhaps the larger context refers to those advocating for a Kosher diet or food offered as sacrifices in the Mosaic law. Don’t waste time on this. 

The writer of Hebrews then emphasizes that the Mosaic sacrificial system is totally fulfilled by the blood of Jesus and that we must identify with his suffering and seek the lasting city, which is still to come. Clinging to this life while ignoring the next is tragically shortsighted. Since the Levitical sacrifices are now obsolete, does that mean Christians no longer sacrifice anything? Here the writer says we offer the sacrifice of praise continually. Also, we sacrifice by doing good and sharing. A sacrifice implies that it comes at a cost to us. It should not necessarily be easy or unintentional. How is our continual praise, good works, and sharing costing us? The writer then reminds us of something Americans find challenging: submitting to leaders. There is also a reminder that leaders will be accountable to God for how they lead. Leaders must be certain that their goals and means are completely in conformance with God’s word. Finally, the writer prays that his readers be equipped to do God’s will. May that be our prayer for us.

PSALM 116:1-11 Google the question: Why do we love? Answers pop up from psychology, philosophy, and, poetry. Psalmist answers the question why he loves God. His answer may not be the main reason for others and no doubt is not the only reason for him. Still, it tells us a lot about the Psalmist and God. He believes God not only exists but is aware of his prayers. The Psalmist found this especially important during times of extreme trials. Consider that he could never know this experientially about God without having gone through dark times.  Thus, there is great value in extreme trial because of the depth of knowledge we gain about God. Is the knowledge worth the trial? The Psalmist suggests so because it has increased his love for God. He goes on to add these experiences have taught him about God’s righteousness, compassion, and generosity.  To know more about God gives us additional reasons for loving God. Let’s use each difficult experience as an opportunity to learn about God’s goodness.