"Not by works of righteousness that we have done..."

Deuteronomy 9:1-6

In today’s reading Moses is talking to the Israelites as they are about to cross the Jordan River and enter into the Promised Land.  Verses 1-3 summarize the challenges (Anakites!) of claiming this new land and end with the promise that “the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire.  He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you.”  These had to be some exciting words for a people who have been wandering in the wilderness for many years!


But after the promises in verses 1-3 the tone changes.  Three times in the next three verses Moses tells the people that the victories that they are going to experience are not because of their righteousness.  In fact, the reading ends with Moses telling the Israelites that instead of being righteous they “are a stiff-necked people.”


These warnings made me think of Paul’s instruction to Titus in Titus 3:4-5:  “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”.  (We hear a similar message from Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9).


God calls us to live righteous lives just as he did the Israelites.  But like the Israelites, we need to be reminded that our efforts toward righteousness do not “earn” our deliverance from our enemies (sin and death).  That only comes from the grace God showers on those who believe in his son, Jesus Christ.
  
As Lutheran Christians we like to talk about Law and Gospel.  The Law does a pretty good job of reminding us that our efforts toward righteousness are not enough.  The Law Shows us Our Sin (SOS).  The Gospel shows us the true source of our deliverance (salvation).  The Gospel Shows us Our Savior (SOS)!  


Thank-you Father for sending Jesus to win a victory for us that we could never win ourselves.  Help us to remember Moses’ message to the Israelites and Paul’s message to Titus as we give thanks for this incredible gift.  Amen.

Jehovah Jireh, our Provider

This Post written by Diane Ward 

The dry summer in Columbus with “everything thirsty” required daily refills of the bird bath and watering of summer annuals. Only the well-rooted perennials could gather ample moisture. When birds began to chatter, I knew rain was on the way. I thanked God “as the sole on-time provider of water.” Like the plants and birds, I too felt parched and thirsty. I thought of Jesus’ parable (Luke 8) of the sower and the seed teaching us to be deeply rooted in Him, so that we can be perennially drought resistant. I thought of David’s words (Psalm 42:1) As the deer pants for streams of water so my soul pants for you my God. 

Second to our need for oxygen is our need for water. Within 3-5 days most would not survive the effects of dehydration. Nearing the end of the 40-year journey the Israelites came to the desert of Zin. Because there was no water they turned against Moses and Aaron. God told Moses, and Aaron to gather the people and to speak to the rock so that water would come forth.

God showed Moses the place and told him “I will stand before you there.” Sinai limestone is known to retain water. As the thirsty fearful crowd gathered, Moses in anger struck the rock twice with his staff. Water came forth as God had promised. Immediately after God told Moses and Aaron, they would not lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, as they had not trusted and honored Him as their sole provider.

Lord, help me to be rooted in You alone, like a tree planted by the water. You are my sole provider, Jehovah Jireh. Prepare the soil of my heart as only You can do. Guide me and satisfy my soul in drought. I want to be a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:10-11.


Exodus 17

God's Got My Back

Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. (Exodus 14:19)

I cannot imagine a more frightening event, nor a more exciting one. One day you are a slave to Pharaoh and suddenly you are leaving Egypt as part of this gigantic caravan. You have been freed from the cruel Egyptian rule and are heading into a bright new future, albeit unknown. There are hundreds of thousands of you, all moving in the same direction...toward tomorrow. 

There must be some confusion, perhaps commotion too. But, now, it is apparent that Pharaoh didn't simply let you go, in fact he has changed his mind and now there are soldiers chasing after you. 

You have faith that the LORD has placed Moses in charge of you and is using him to bring you, the nation of Israel, out of bondage and into the Promised Land. But still there is an undercurrent of fear and panic.

Then, the angel of God...moved from in front of the people, to the rear. He took his place between God's people and their enemies. What a profound picture this gives me. This is a beautiful picture of God, having your back. And don't you know that He really does?

Knowing that I can turn to God in prayer, cry out for forgiveness and mercy, and understanding that He is there for me, takes my breath away. My journal is filled with instances like this. I imagine yours is too...or at least your memory is filled with such times.

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. (Isaiah 58:8)

Exodus 14:19-31

The Woes of Middle Management

For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!

Deuteronomy 31:27

Moses chose some harsh words for his farewell address to the Israelites he had been leading for over forty years. Perhaps justifiably so. The Israelites hadn’t stopped complaining since they left Egypt. They were idolaters who built a golden calf to worship while Moses was off receiving the stone tablets of God’s covenant law (Exodus 32). They were rebels constantly attacking Moses’s leadership, even taking up the cause of Korah after God miraculously opened the mouth of the earth to swallow him and his fellow rebels alive (Numbers 16). 

Yes, Moses had his reasons to rebuke the Israelites, but let’s dig deeper into the context, shall we? 

You see, Moses was only middle management. God was in charge, and Moses had just come from the tent of meeting where he and Joshua had been summoned to hear the will of the boss. God, speaking in a pillar of cloud, expressed the same sentiment toward the Israelites that Moses parrotted and then commissioned Joshua as their new leader, for God was about to bring the Israelites into the promised land. By God’s will, Moses would never experience it. He would only view the promised land from a nearby mountain just before his death. Why? Moses was being punished for his own rebellion against God (Numbers 20).

On that day, Moses was both the recipient and proclaimer of God’s righteous judgment. He climbed Mount Nebo and died, never to be heard from again … 

Until the transfiguration! There, again atop a mountain, Moses beheld one whose face shone like the sun, whose clothes were white as light (Matthew 17). Moses never entered the promised land, but he talked with the promised one, the perfect lamb of God, the Messiah who through his death and resurrection would free us all from God’s righteous judgment.

Some Things Never Change

Matthew 4:1-11

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%204%3A1-11&version=NIV;TLB

  

Have you ever had a face to face confrontation with the devil? Neither have I. But Jesus did, and he won! There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this passage in Matthew. First though, let’s take a look at the back story. Let’s dig deeper to see what else was going on.

 

Jesus quoted several verses from the book of Deuteronomy. The lessons of Deuteronomy occurred as the nation of Israel finished wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. They were at the Jordan River as Moses gave them his final words of instruction to prepare them before they entered the Promised Land.

 

Here are just a few of the lessons that Moses passed along to them:

 

¹³ Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.            Deuteronomy 6

 

¹⁶ Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.  Deuteronomy 6

 

³ He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.    Deuteronomy 8

 

Do these verses sound familiar to you? They are the same words that Jesus used to defend himself against the devil. Spoken 1400 years before, they were still powerful! 

Some things never change.

 

I would bet that while Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, that he was meditating on Deuteronomy because he was getting ready to lead the people of Israel to the Promised Land. Not a physical land, like Moses lead them to, but a spiritual home, inhabited by those who have faith in Jesus.

 

In light of this, as we wander in the wilderness, doesn’t it make sense for us to meditate on God’s word to prepare us for battle? Some things never change.

 

⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.                Deuteronomy 6

 

 

Don't Get Burned

I admit it. I am a closet pyromaniac. I really enjoy fires in my fireplace at home. Perhaps more than I should!

 

We have all been told, “Don’t play with matches” when we were young. You guessed it. I did. And I got burned.

 

(I am not sure which was worse, burning my fingers, or suffering in silence. I had to keep quiet.  Had I told my parents, I am certain a different part of my body would have gotten hot, if you get my gist.)

 

Today’s reading is Hebrews 3:7-19. The author is speaking to Jewish converts who were reverting back to Judaism instead of moving ahead with their new Christian faith. He reminds these converts that God was not happy with their forefathers when they went astray in the dessert, en route to the Promised Land.

 

Their forefathers turned away from God and did not trust Him or believe His promises.

 

The author continues to remind the new converts that God punished those who ignored His promises. The generation who left Egypt died before entering the Promised Land.

 

In effect, the author says, “If you play with fire, you are going to get burned.”

 

Yet, instructions are given that help one keep one’s faith. “… encourage one another daily … so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness …. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.”

 

Keeping one’s faith in today’s world can be a challenge at times. We are tugged away from Christ from many sources. Like the Hebrews, we can be guilty of falling back to the ways of the world. We need to combat this and do exercises that help us keep our faith.

 

The author of Hebrews provides good counsel, but his advice is not the only advice that works for Christians today.

 

What exercises do you do that help you appreciate God and keep your faith?

 

My favorites are reading the Bible and taking Communion.

 

But I also like a tall glass of ice water nearby!

 

 

Promises Kept

Numbers 13:28 (NIV) 
They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 

We all experience seasons in life where our troubles seem huge. We feel overwhelmed and confused with no idea which way to turn. We fear no one can help, and there is no answer to our problem. But over time we see life more clearly; we wonder why we didn't do this, or that. It is as if a cloud lifts and the solution to our problems is obvious.

Fear and doubt cripples us and often times impedes a blessing God is trying to bestow on us. Moses' people were experiencing this in today's reading. The men Joshua sent in to scout out the Promised Land just returned and were giving their report, but there were differing stories. The conflicting accounts and recommendations came from two types of hearts.

The hearts which doubted God's love and ability to do what He said He would do, saw only giants in the land. They envisioned more trouble and were afraid to step into God's promised new life. They forgot all the amazing and miraculous things God had already done for them. They were blinded by fear.

Caleb and his men saw that same sights but viewed them with hearts of trust of faith. They remembered the situations God had got them out of before and knew He would be right there with them at this time also. They knew this Promised Land was their new home and were ready to accept this precious gift from God with confidence and faith. They would not allow the giants before them to block out the view of God's Promise.

Numbers 13:26-33

Joshua 4:1-5:1

How do you remember milestones in your life, how do you keep memories of special events alive and meaningful? Those joyous days when a child is born, graduates or get married are ones we cherish in our hearts and our minds. Many of us take pictures, others write notes in a diary or journal. Still others tell the story often so details are not forgotten.

There are a few occurrences that are etched in our minds forever and we can recall just where we were and what we were doing when the experience occurred. There are those national news making incidents like when the space shuttle exploded, or 911; but there are also our own personal tragedies. I know I will always have the scene in my mind of the phone call I received from my brother the day my mom had a massive heart attack.

"When your children ask you, 'What are these stones to you?' you'll say, 'The flow of the Jordan was stopped in front of the Chest of the Covenant of God as it crossed the Jordan—stopped in its tracks. These stones are a permanent memorial for the People of Israel.'" (Joshua 4:6-7)

During the forty years the Chosen People roamed through the dessert in search of the Promised Land, there were a number of moments that were etched on their hearts forever. One of the first is the day God parted the Red Sea so the nation could cross to safety.  Another monumental memory would be Moses bringing the stone tablets, and we could go on and on because that is the kind of God we serve. He is always taking us places we never dreamed we would go.

Some of the sites he reveals to us are difficult to absorb, and change us forever.  While others fill us with such joy and help us to recognize what a mighty and powerful and loving God He is.  Take a few moments to examine your 'minds-eye' and bring into focus just how far God has taken you as you plod through your dessert.  Bring to mind some of those moments in your life when joy filled your heart and thank Him for His faithfulness in taking you on this journey to our Promised Land.

Read Joshua 4:1-5:1 here

Listen to Joshua 4:1-5:1 here

Joshua 2:15-24

Genealogy is a fascinating study.  It takes a lot of time because once you get into it, you can get caught up in the exciting stories and adventures our ancestors experienced. Studying one's family tree can get downright embarrassing too.  We never know what we might discover.  Perhaps great-great grandmother owned a gaming parlor, or great-great grandpa ran with a band of bank robbers. But, you could also learn that a distant cousin is a movie star or famous author.

King David can look back at his roots and find Rahab, the prostitute who also was the heroine who was used by God to help His people into the Promised Land.  God used Rahab and her house as a door into the promised land.  As the Life Application Study guide says, it was a door of safety for her family from the judgment that was going to fall on Jericho.

This story and its cast of characters points out to us that God can use us no matter what we have done in the past.  God can and will use those of us who are willing to be used by Him, and our family tree does not make a difference. Rahab was instrumental in God's plan, she was faithful to her promise to the two spies and in turn she and her family made history.

Joshua 2:15-16 (MSG)
"She lowered them down out a window with a rope because her house was on the city wall to the outside. She told them, "Run for the hills so your pursuers won't find you. Hide out for three days and give your pursuers time to return. Then get on your way."

We will have to wait until chapter 6 to learn the rest of the story, but it is worth the wait. Just like it is worth the wait to see how God will answer our faithfulness. More tomorrow...

Read Joshua 2:15-24 here

Listen to Joshua 2:15-24 here