God's Prescriptive Law for a National Leader

(courtesy of Mayfair Gallery)

The Law of the Administration of the King

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 -- Gems and Thoughts from the Passage

First I note the implication in verse 14 -- it was going to be the people (the Israelites) that wanted a king to rule over them. God would have preferred that they be ruled directly by Him through the priestly order (the Levites) that He had set up.  But if they wanted one, here's how it was to be. . . 

Verse 15 -- this king would be appointed by God from among their own countrymen. No foreigners would do for this job. It is interesting that progressive Canada allows any Canadian citizen to become Prime Minister while the United States requires their President to be born in the country. It seems that God intended the same criteria for the Israelites.

Verse 16 -- the appointed king was not to get rich as a result of his appointment.  (See also the end of verse 17.) Well, Canada has blown that especially with the current leader, and the U.S. seems to have failed here too in many instances.  People seem to enter politics with a limited amount of money, accept a decent salary, and then somehow turn out to be millionaires and billionaires while in office.

Verse 16 -- also warns that the king of the Israelites was never to return to Egypt, first because God had said they were never to return there, but secondly, because God doesn't want leaders or us to dwell on our past, but rather to focus on what He would have us do today and in the future.

Verse 17 -- the king was not to "multiply wives for himself".  The idea here was not that a king could only have one wife.  There was a custom in those days that allowed for more than one. But the point was that the kind would not add on wives simply for his own desire or pleasure because the chances were that such wives would come from heathen nations or nations that worshipped Baal and God did not want the kind to  "turn his heart away" from Him. Such relationships have a way of doing just that.

Verse 18 -- it was the custom in those days (one that continued for many years thereafter) that a king would have to personally 'scribe' out or write in his own handwriting the entire Law as given by God through Moses. And he would do it in the presence of the Levitical priests.  This was to indicate his personal commitment to the Law.

Verse 19 -- he would have this copy with him at all times; he would read it regularly; and by observing and obeying it, he would learn to fear the Lord God all his life.  Oh, that our leaders would do so.  Oh, that our church leaders would do so.  Oh, that we would do so.

Verse 20 -- but in the king's case (or in the leader's case) reading it would also prevent the king's heart from being "lifted up above his countrymen" and that he would stick to the straight and narrow way of the law.  And to what end?  So that he and his sons may rule the people a long time.

Wrap-Up

That is kind of king or ruler the true people of God need.  That is the kind of leader God's people want. Is it too late? No.  I believe that if enough Americans or Canadians humble themselves and adhere themselves to these instructions, and seek God's blessing of such a leader, we will have one. What's your take?

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

The Israelites Actually Had an Appeals Court

 (Courtesy State of Missouri)

Deuteronomy Chapter 17, Part 2: When A Case Is Too Difficult To Decide

Deuteronomy 17:8-13 – Gems and Thoughts from the Passage

This is a fascinating passage, especially in light of the Supreme Court Justice opening and upcoming confirmation hearings in the United States. I should also point out at the onset that a number of commentators believe that there were local priests in each city of the Israelites (see Deut. 16:18), but what is considered as the ‘appeal level’ here in these verses is a higher body. According to Matthew Henry:

These difficult cases, which hitherto had been brought to Moses, according to Jethro's advice, were, after his death, to be brought to the supreme power, wherever it was lodged, whether in a judge (when there was such an extraordinary person raised up and qualified for that great service, as Othniel, Deborah, Gideon, etc.) or in the high-priest (when he was by the eminency of his gifts called of God to preside in public affairs, as Eli), or, if no single person were marked by heaven for this honour, then in the priests and Levites (or in the priests, who were Levites of course), who not only attended the sanctuary, but met in council to receive appeals from the inferior courts, who might reasonably be supposed, not only to be best qualified by their learning and experience, but to have the best assistance of the divine Spirit for the deciding of doubts, v. 9.

Verse 8 implies that there will be cases that are too difficult for the children of God to determine the appropriate resolution thereof. And these cases will need to be referred to a “higher” authority. The verse says they are to “go the place where God chooses”.

And in the case of the Israelites, verse 9 tells us that that place was “the Levitical priest or the judge who is in office at the time”. One judge who will give you the correct verdict or the council of priests. David Guzik says, “God allowed for courts of appeal in Israel. These were higher courts where cases were taken beyond the local judges to the priests, the Levites - who were understood to be wiser judges because of their knowledge of God's Word.” Notice that the required wisdom to judge difficult cases stemmed from a “knowledge of God’s Word.”

Given my age, and my career (counselling, negotiating, mediating), sometimes I have the privilege and responsibility of trying to help people out with life’s problems. I can assure you from personal experience that the value and positive impact of any advice I give is directly proportional to the extent that it comes from God and His word, and not my own thinking. And the more I rely on God and His Word to help me help someone, the more access I have to God’s Wisdom. 

Verse 10 instructs the Israelites to do exactly what the priest or judge directs them to do with regard to the case. Again, David Guzik has something to offer here:

“The authority of the judges had to be respected, therefore contempt of court was a capital crime. God thought it essential that the courts and the judges be respected by the people of Israel.”

And thus, we have the interesting part expressed in verse 11. The text says that those instructions will be accordance “to the terms of the law”. Good judges and good priests rule and determine cases “in accordance with the law”.  [I will let you draw your own conclusions about the current American dispute about whether Supreme Court Justices should simply stick to the law and just interpret it (the conservative approach) or whether they can actually make new law (the progressive approach).]

Verse 11 also tells us that we have a responsibility to roll with the decision of the judge(s). [I can’t help but think of one state governor whose own state Supreme Court recently ruled against her Covid-19 lockdown actions and yet she has decided to defy that decision and continue with here illegalities.] The next verse states what happens to people who don’t accept the decisions of the judge(s).

Verse 12 says, they “shall die”.  And they have to, in order for evil to be purged from the land. When and how that happens is up to God but given the fact that He is a just God, it will happen.

The last verse in the passage, verse 13, suggests that given the teachings above, people would be motivated to act carefully and in accordance with the laws of God and the decisions of the judges.

Wrap-up

Where do you and I stand with respect to the decisions of appeal courts today? What is to be our response to those decisions?  What if the decisions contradict God’s Word? These are just some things we need to consider as we live in a day and age where not all “judges” seek or apply God’s Wisdom in deciding cases.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Evil In Our Midst -- some thoughts.

 

Courtesy: Brock University photo.

Deuteronomy Chapter 17, Part 1: Only the Best for God; and Purge Evil from Our Midst 

Deuteronomy 17:1-7 – Gems and Thoughts from the Passage

This passage, the first 7 verses of Deuteronomy chapter 17, and in fact down to verse 13, is not even given a heading title by the publisher of my bible. Let’s look at the first two.

In verse 1, the Israelites were told that when it came to sacrificing animals to God, nothing but the best would do. No animals with any blemishes were permitted. Simple lesson for us – when we give to God or to others because we love God, do we give the best. Our church had a food drive these last two weeks and recommended some items we could bring in. When my wife and I went shopping, admittedly these items were not ones that we buy at this stage of our lives. But in picking each one, we didn’t go for the cheapest – we went for the best of the choices before us. In participating in this food drive for those less fortunate than ourselves, we were giving to God. And He should always get the best.

Verses 2 to 5 require the Israelites to take action upon hearing that someone has done evil “in the sight of the Lord” by “worshipping other gods”. People like that “in your midst” are to be dealt with. In those days, the requirement was that they be stoned to death. But not before the matter was thoroughly investigated and actually found to be true. In fact, two witnesses were required to find someone guilty (vs. 6). Of course, today, no one can go out and stone someone else. But the point here is that God does not want us to tolerate sin, certainly idolatry, in our midst. For us that may be our family, our church, etc. We need to ask ourselves how much we are tolerating today that God would not want us to tolerate?

This is a big issue for many Christians today and for many families. As younger generations are moving away from God, are older generations having to be more tolerant of things that would fall under these few verses? A few words of caution here.

First, make sure that what you find intolerable is indeed a sin against God and not just something you do not like, or something you would never think of doing. Second, never lose sight of the importance of loving the sinner unquestionably while you may detest the sin. Third, make sure you are being led by the Holy Spirit in your actions in these matters, and not by your emotions or preferences for personal or other reasons.

Remember the whole point of verses 2 to 7 is to “purge the evil from (our) midst”. It is not necessarily to do away with the transgressor. This is a place where one can use James Dobson’s “tough love” philosophy. “Friend, son, daughter, spouse, I love you and I always will. I don’t want to lose you, but you realize that I cannot, nor will I, condone your behavior.”

Life is so complicated these days. Increased sin has crept in to all our lives. We face it all the time. A teenager got carried away on their cellphone and forgot they had an on-line class until well into the class. They got on it and simply said, “Sorry for being late; I was having trouble with my wi-fi.” That was a blatant lie. When challenged, they responded, “My teacher wouldn’t have accepted anything less.” The fact remains they didn’t have to lie. “Sorry for being late” may well have sufficed. Any adult aware of the situation would want that “evil” (the sin of lying) purged for their midst. But today, those lies of convenience aren’t even considered as lies. Life is indeed complicated these days.

May God give us all grace and wisdom to stand up, in His way, to the evil in our midst.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

The appointing of judges -- Moses did it first.

Deuteronomy Chapter 16, Part 2: Law of the Administration of the Judges

Deuteronomy 16:18-22 – Gems and Thoughts from the Passage

It is not clear whether the judges are separate from the officers. I would think that the officers were the administrative or military assistants to the judges. The job of the judges was to “judge the people with righteous judgment.” That’s a tall order.

You have to love the instructions Moses was given for the work of these judges, and also for himself – which in turn means these principles on justice apply to us.

God said a) don’t distort justice, b) don’t be partial, and c) don’t take any bribes. These judges were not to be thought of us Supreme Court type of judges – they were more than that. The Jewish word for judge is “shaphat” and it means much more.  It includes ruler, defender, deliverer, and liberator. I can’t help but laugh when I think about the closest thing that we may have to the Old Testament Judges. Today I would call them Politicians. Now stop and think about whether or not they a) distort justice, b) are partial, or c) take bribes. Enough said.

Bribes, the text says, blind the wise and pervert the words of the righteous. We know the first is true for sure. And as far as the second goes, how many times have we heard politicians make great appeals or speeches on a particular topic only to find out that privately they have done the opposite – including taking bribes from the opponents of the very thing they were orating about?

And God was saying, “hey, if you want to live in and possess the land – you can only do it by being just.”

Wrap-up

With our small group we have just begun a study on the book of Judges. I wish I could say that all of Israel’s judges followed the rules for judges that God gave to Moses and that he passed down through the generations. They did not. While God used them mightily, the majority of them failed big time during their lives. It’s not easy being just.

As I write this short devotional, I cannot ignore that America is in the midst of appointing a new judge for their Supreme Court. There was a battle royale for the last Supreme Court Justice that was appointed. The battle will be fiercer this time around for two reasons. First, we are very close to the Presidential election and while there is good precedent for having the judge appointed even before an election by the President and the Senate if they are of the same party, the opposition is saying ‘no – wait until the election to see who wins and let them appoint’.  Secondly, it will be fiercer because depending on who is appointed – a conservative constitutionalist or a more liberal progressive justice that believes in actually writing law (normally a responsibility of Congress), the famous Roe vs. Wade case with respect to abortion rights is due for review, and the outcome could change America.

Much is at stake. Much was at stake for the Israelites. The rules haven’t changed as to what is a good judge. And God hasn’t changed with respect to being totally in control no matter who Moses appointed and no matter who American politicians nominate and ultimately approve. God’s ‘will’ is guaranteed.

Finally, being just is not just for justices. It is for you and me.  This is our opportunity to examine our lives and ask: are we distorting justice in any way in our own lives, or in how we view the lives of our loved ones, or others beyond? Are we partial in any way when asked to adjudicate a matter that may seem insignificant to us, but it is the difference between life or death for others, or so they feel? And finally, are we sure we don’t take any bribes, keeping in mind that bribes may come in many forms, some more subtle than others?

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Jewish Pasover Feast in the O.T. and Our Communion Today -- some thoughts.

 

Deuteronomy Chapter 16, Part I: Law of the Feast, especially celebrating Passover

Deuteronomy 16:1-17 – Gems and Thoughts from the Passage

The first eight verses of this chapter are very specific as to why, when, where, and how the Passover is to be observed annually. It makes me wonder whether or not we have strayed from God’s intent for the Passover, or the Communion Table remembrance after Christ’s last supper and subsequent death. Might we be observing it too often and it loses its power and impact on our lives and thus on the lives of others? Are we making it too easy for others who have not been brought out of their spiritual bondage to take part in it?

These and other questions are certainly deserving of some consideration. I know that what matters is that we who do observe the Passover or take Communion must do so solemnly fully understanding what God and His Son have done for us. I think of it this way: If a king has saved me and my family from ruin or the enemy and I have a chance to remember that act of his in his presence, in his court – will I insist on doing it my way, or follow every bit of instruction the king’s representatives have given me as to how to behave, what to say or not say, etc. I think the latter. How much more so when, in the presence of our Lord and God, we remember His saving us.

From verse 7 one could also surmise that the eating of the Passover lamb is an all-night event, not just a few moments during our services when we celebrate Communion.

Chuck Smith in talking about this chapter points to the need, mentioned twice – verse 11 and verse 14 – for us to “rejoice” in these celebrations, Even in remembering the death of Christ at Communion, there needs to be a sense of great thanksgiving and rejoicing in what Christ did for mankind.

The latter part of the chapter deals with the Feast of Weeks, the Joy of Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The Israelites were commanded to observe all these feasts and to the extent allowed, invite others to join them for some. After all, celebrations are an incredible opportunity to share one’s faith.

Wrap-up

There are many things that Scripture tells us about God and one of those is that He loves for us to celebrate Him through Feasts. I know that we are no longer bound, after the death and resurrection of Christ, to follow all the laws and feasts of the Old Testament, but surely there are some that we do follow – including communion. Perhaps it is time for us to elevate them to a stature that God may have intended for us.  Just a thought as we start a new ministry year at our respective churches.

You can see a couple of Youtube videos by Ken here:

https://www.youtube.com/user/accordconsulting 

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Religion and Covid

 Not letting a Faulty Narrative shut out Religion when it comes to Covid. My less than 3 minute take. Watch, comment, share.

Religion and Covid

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

The long-term global impact of closing down schools.

 Check out my take in this two-minute video.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Would you give God your first-born?

 

Deuteronomy Chapter 15, part 3: Law of the First-born

Deuteronomy 15:19-23 – Gems and Thoughts from the Passage

Imagine being a rancher and having to give to God, or to consecrate to him, every first-born male offspring that any animal of your herd or flock has. And you are to let them be. You don’t work with them so they can be of use to work otherwise. You don’t shear them to get their wool, if they were sheep.

Instead, you are to eat them (or part of them) once a year where the Lord God tells you to eat them, after you have turned them over to the priests as a sacrifice to God. (If you are a successful rancher, that’s a lot of eating once a year.)

But wait, there’s a caveat. If there is any blemish whatsoever on or with respect to the animal, then it is not to be sacrificed to God, but it is still to be eaten. Just don’t “eat its blood”.

David Guzik has three interesting takes on why this was the case for the Israelites:
1. Israel was God’s First-born (Exodus 4:22), and this honored the fact.
2. The firstborn was thought to be the best, and the best was always given to God.
3. As a reminder to all generations of when God redeemed Israel, His first-born.

Wrap-up

Short, sweet, and to the point. Don’t forget who gives you your blessings.  Don’t forget He comes first in everything. Including your first-born.

On a personal note, some of you know that I have two daughters and one son. By God’s mercy, my son and his wife and family are well.  I did not have to give him up in any way, but God knew that I would have.  However, my dear son and his wife did lose their first-born and a male.  God only let us have him for a few hours.  At that time, they gave God their very best.  But God did not abandon them.  Yesterday my wife and I enjoyed a full day of taking their two children which God blessed them with soon after (a girl now aged six and a boy aged 3) to two parks, out for lunch, and then back to our place, and then home where we all had supper together. What a blessing, what a day. Our son told us today that his little guy put on his knapsack and got ready because he wanted to have another day with “Nanna and Pappou”.  God is good. Make Him first in your life.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Moses Talked about Slaves, but the Message Here is for Us

 

Deuteronomy Chapter 15, part 2: Law about Slaves

Deuteronomy 15:12-18 – Gems and Thoughts from the Passage

The topic of ‘slavery’ is very big these days as some Americans are calling for reparations on behalf of the slavery that took place in the United States decades ago. So, this passage was of particular interest to me. Verses 12-18 tell the Israelites how they are to treat their slaves. The first thing I noted was that Moses is talking about slaves that are “kinsmen” that is “a Hebrew man or woman”.  Their own people. Also, of interest is that the rules are the same for both male and female slaves. The issue of gender is a common theme throughout the Bible. Having studied it somewhat, I am convinced that God in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament pushed the needle towards the equality of women as far as the culture could stand and beyond. Our God is not a sexist in any way, shape, or form.

So, what were the rules? It appears that a ‘bought’ slave is to be kept for six years (likely from the time of purchase) and then released ‘in’ the seventh year. So, yes, there are some questions to be asked. Were all slaves bought? And if not, did these rules apply to slaves that were just acquired because someone else didn’t need them any longer or couldn’t afford to keep them? What about an Israelite that owned a slave that wasn’t a Hebrew? Were they to be released in the seventh year? And speaking of the seventh year, could the release date be anytime during that year, up to and including the last day?  All good questions, for which I have not found the answers yet.

[But this is what I like about studying the Bible for myself. You get to ask questions. You don’t always get answers. But you never despair or doubt – eventually Scripture does answer Scripture. And if all else fails, there is always I Corinthians 13:12 – “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”]

David Guzik suggests that “the slaves though of here are those who have had to sell themselves into slavery because of their debt” which ties in nicely with the earlier portion of this chapter on debt. 

Verse 13 tells the sons of Israel that when they release their slaves, they are not to be sent free “empty-handed”. The original ‘retirement’ or ‘leaving the company’ gifts were to be given to these people that served one for six years. This included some of the owner’s flocks, grains, wines. How much? Well, the text says, verse 14, you do so in accordance to how “the Lord your God has blessed you.” Two things to point out here. First, the actual decision is about you. But more importantly, it involves your relationship with God. Those are two things for us to keep in mind as Christians today with respect to our view of charity – the decision is ours as to how much (note, not as to whether or not to do so), and it does depend on how we view God’s blessings on our lives.

Verse 15 points out that how one treats a slave should be related to how one felt about themselves or their ancestors being treated as slaves (in this case, when the Israelites were in Egypt as slaves). They should not be like the Egyptians who ill-treated their slaves but should treat them with unparalleled kindness.

Verse 16 raises the possibility of a servant who refuses to leave – either because he/she loves you so much (as the text suggests) or because he/she is wise enough to know there is no better life for him/her. In that case, you accept, and to make that arrangement permanent, the Israelites were to put a hole in the ear of the slave or maidservant. Sometimes our employees become a very close part of our families and they are with us until death. But clearly the spiritual lesson here is that the owner (God) is dealing with a loving and dedicated servant (a believer and Christ-follower), who once committed to the master (Jesus), is in it for life.

The last verse (verse 18) of this section now addresses the feelings of the owner who will lose his slave after six years.  Moses is saying don’t regret doing so. The slave has given you six great years of service. And he points out that because he/she was a slave, they worked harder (gave you double the service) than what a hired person did. Let him go cheerfully. And if you do, God will keep on blessing you in your dealings.

Wrap-up

What does all this say to us today? For me, it boils down to three things: First, the relationship you and I as Christians have with anyone who works for us – be it full-time or part-time employees in our business, or the lady that cleans our house (if you have one) – is very important to God. And I would venture to say that it goes beyond those people – it includes those who provide services for us – auto services, public transport, mail services, the server when we eat out or the one who gives us our coffee at a coffee shop. I could go on for hours.

Second, we are to be generous with these people. We are to consider what God has saved us from and the circumstances we were in before our current ones. (Even if we were born rich, we still need to be thankful God didn’t allow us to fall into financial ruin and poverty after that.)

Finally, we are to consider with love the circumstances those that do work for us in any of the above ways are in.  What caused them to be doing what they are doing? Why are they the workers rather than the bosses? Was it their own poverty? Was it because they sacrificed to put a child through school? Are they working well beyond a normal retirement age just to survive? Do they have a sibling or other family member, sometimes older and sometimes younger with an illness, they need to take care of? Be generous. God loves a cheerful giver and He will bless you accordingly.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

God Has a Lot to Say about When to Lend Your Money

 

Deuteronomy Chapter 15, part 1: Law about Debts

Deuteronomy 15:1-11 – Gems and Thoughts from the Passage

Can you believe what God was expecting of the Israelites? Every seven years there was to be a forgiveness (a remission) of debts (verse 1). But this only applied to fellow Israelites, not foreigners (verse 3). The seven year period was not based on when you loaned, but it was a standardized time – that is, every seventh year in the history of the Israelites.

Proverbs 19:17 also says, “He who lends to the poor lends to the Lord.”

Interestingly enough, in verses 4-5, Moses goes on to say that the good news is that if you obey God’s commands, “there shall be no poor people amongst you”. Ever ventured downtown in your city or large town lately? If your neighborhood is like mine, it won’t be long before you see people begging on the streets. It won’t be long before you saw the multitude of homeless people. Moses is saying, if you follow God’s commands as a community, you won’t have that. Yes, I know that in the New Testament Jesus says the “poor you will always have with you”(John 12:8 and elsewhere), but that does not discredit the message from Moses here – follow God’s commands and you won’t any poor among you.

Then comes verse 6. The Israelites shall be blessed; they will ‘lend’ to many nations, but not ‘borrow’; they will rule over many nations, but nations will not rule over them.  There is much that may be said about this verse, but I like to think of lending as helping. And clearly Israel has always helped others, and even today the whole world benefits from Israeli technology, medical and pharmaceutical advancement, education, art, and so on. And while the Jewish people suffered greatly under the likes of Hitler, and right on through to today where antisemitism is rampant, as a ‘nation’ they have not been ruled over.  Israel is still Israel today and thriving, although it constantly has to be on the alert. As far as I’m concerned, the verse has come true.

Verses 7 and 8 talk about lending to those in need from among their brethren. Moses says it is a matter of not hardening your heart, not closing your hand, but lending sufficiently and generously to the person in need. I think that word “generously” causes a lot of problems for many Christians. The idea that a person in need should be treated with “generosity” strikes many as a bit much. But yet, the word of God says that we are to lend generously.  Now, it does say “lend” not “give”.  But in verse one, it also says that such lending is forgiven every seven years.

Verse 9 has an interesting warning. Moses was saying if you have any idea that because the seventh year of remission is near, you decide that you don’t want to lend to your brother – that is a sin.

Verse 10 here says basically what we are told in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 9:7 where we are told that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. So, don’t let your heart grieve about giving money to help your poor.

And then verse 11 repeats the idea that the Israelites will always have the poor in their land.

So, let’s think about the issues that arise here: On the one hand, if you obey God’s commands, you won’t have any poverty. On the other, the poor you will always have with you. Can it both?  Of course, it can.  You, personally, can obey God’s commands and you personally won’t be poor. [Anybody that learned to tithe with the first dime or dollar that they ever earned and is still doing so with a cheerful heart, knows that this is true. That’s a blessing indeed.] But, hey, others may not be as wise and don’t follow God’s commands, and you’ll need to help them – not so much for them, as it is good for you to do so. It’s a matter between you and God.

David Guzik puts says this about any apparent confusion here: “Is God contradicting Himself? Not at all. He knows that He has established a system where no one must be chronically poor, yet He knew that because of disobedience, some would, and there would always be the poor in Israel.”

Again, David Guzik on the command to be generous towards those of the faith: “This reminds us of Galatians 6:10 - Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Our charitable giving is to begin with those brothers and sisters closest to us, though it certainly can extend outward from there.”

 

Wrap-up

God has a lot to say about money in the Bible. Some have it.  Some don’t. There are reasons of course.  But the bottom line is that those who have it, are not to forget those that don’t – especially in one’s family and in one’s church, or faith. This section of chapter 15 of book of Deuteronomy may raise more questions for us than we expected.  But, that’s okay.  Let’s ask them and discuss them.

For me personally, there are two lessons – first, don’t lend to a brother or family member unless you’re prepared to lose it. And that’s not because they’re poor money handlers. It’s because God allows for that possibility.  And second, I had to let go of a grudge I held for three decades (if I were to be compliant with the teachings here).  [So if you’re the person I had this grudge against, and you’re reding this, please note that your loan has now been forgiven.]

And what did you learn?  Leave me a comment.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Watch what you eat and don't forget to give God what is His. Period.

 

Deuteronomy Chapter 14: The Laws of Food and Tithes

Deuteronomy 14:1-29 – Gems and Thoughts from the Passage

In the first 21 verses of this chapter, Moses repeats the Law about not ‘cutting’ our bodies or ‘shaving’ our foreheads “for the sake of the dead” and also what they cannot eat and what they can eat.

In verses 22 to 29, Moses reviews for the sons of Israel the Law of the Tithes. They are reminded how they are to tithe and not to forget the Levites or the priests and their needs. But of special interest to me was in verses 24 to 26. These talk about the situation where it was too far to take the “tithes of the field” to bring before the Lord, then they could sell the harvests or animals that were supposed to be a tithe, and then carry the money to where God wants them to give it to the Lord, then locally buy animals, etc., and then present their tithes.  Wow. That’s a God that wants to make it easy for us to follow His commands. It reminds me of how churches these days are encouraging many of their congregants to send in their tithes and offerings, by email, by direct deposit, etc.

Wrap-up

This is very much a repeat chapter of things already told to the Israelites by Moses. That very fact – that it is a repeat – just highlights how important these Laws are.  What we eat may no longer matter in terms of Jewish laws of cleanliness, but they certainly matter in terms of staying healthy today given all the processed foods and all the junk foods around.

Similarly, tithing is still very important to the carrying on of the church and the sharing of the Gospel.

Bottom line – watch what you eat and don’t forget to give God what is His rightful share, keeping in mind that all of what you and I have are only gifts from Him in the first place.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Moses Warns About Being Lured into Idolatry and How to Deal with Apostasy in our Faith

Deuteronomy Chapter 13: More on the Law of Idolatry

Deuteronomy 13:1-18 – Gems and Thoughts from the Passage

In verses 1-5 the children of Israel were cautioned most strongly against false prophets or dreamers or seers who would lead them against what they know God has already said. It is a warning to us about modern-day prophets. I am not saying there are none that are from God, but I am saying it is our responsibility to do our due diligence with respect to what they are saying. If it in any way contradicts what God has said in His Word, then we are to stay away from them in every respect. In fact, the Israelites were told to put such people who would lead them astray to death. We can’t do that today, but I certainly don’t believe in going easy on them in every other way and to use the full extent of the civil law against them. [I am thinking about false prophets who dabble with people’s finances or health in particular.]

Church Smith says the following on this passage:

“Because someone is able to bring to pass some kind of a phenomenon for which there is no scientific explanation, does not necessarily follow that that phenomena come from God. Satan is a deceiver and he is able also to create all kinds of spectacular phenomena. Thus, we are not to be drawn to phenomena and use phenomena as a criterion for truth.

The person who is seeking after miracles is on a dangerous territory for when the anti-Christ comes he is going to come with lying signs and miracles that he's able to work before the people. There is an unhealthy absorption in miracles in many people's lives.”

So, even if they are able to do what appear like miracles, if their words do not match God’s, they are false.

I note that in the margin of my Bible besides these verses, I had once written, “This explains why the Jews arrested Peter and John” when they first heard them. They were saying things that were so beyond what the Old Testament scrolls were saying. Thankfully, today, we have the entire sixty-six books of the Bible from which to glean what God is saying to us.

In verse 6 and following, Moses warns the sons of Israel what to do if a close family member (or close friend) entices them to worship other gods. They were not to yield to them or follow them. But more than that, they weren’t to protect them, but rather to expose them -- lest they cause others to fall away. This was and is a serious business. In fact, the one being enticed was to play a key role in stoning the person doing the enticing. Okay, we can’t do that today.  Fair enough but we can have nothing to do with this person and we can expose the dangers of listening to them to save others. Unfortunately, the Enemy works in the hearts of many to stay close to such a person telling us the lie, “how else will you be able to set that person back on the straight and narrow?”  Sorry, friends, in this case, the Bible is clear – have nothing to do with them.

Now verse 12 takes a further turn and one that is a little more difficult to understand. As I understand it, Moses is warning the Israelites that if some of them (in their cities that God had given them) go to another city and start worshipping their gods, the sons of Israel were to investigate and if true, they were to destroy all the inhabitants of that other city, and burn every aspect of it to the ground so that it will never be rebuilt. God has no tolerance for idolatry from His own people. And in verse 17, they were to “take no souvenirs”. Not so sure that we can do that today – we just have to leave these people who go from among us to God to take care of.

This last scenario also speaks to the idea that the Church has a responsibility to protect the community, the city, and in fact, the nation, from such false prophets and idolatry. I must admit that’s one responsibility we have not taken up very well lately.

I like what Matthew Henry says on this passage:

“Though idolaters may escape punishment from men (nor is this law in the letter of it binding now, under the gospel), yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgments. The New Testament speaks of communion with idolaters as a sin which, above any other, provokes the Lord to jealousy, and dares him as if we were stronger than he, 1 Co. 10:21, 22.” Some good advice we must not ignore.

Wrap-up

So, what are the lessons from Deuteronomy chapter 13?

First, do your due diligence with modern-day prophets. Check their words out against God’s Word in Scripture.

Second, stay away from and expose false prophets.

Third, that includes loved ones and friends who encourage you to follow other gods.

Finally, let go of, and stop associating with, those who were among the Church Body but have become an apostate to the faith.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Moses warns us of practices that can entrap us.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12: The Laws of the Central Sanctuary and Idolatry

Deuteronomy 12:1-32 – Highlights of The Passage and Some Thoughts

In this chapter, Moses is reiterating the need for the sons of Israel to destroy all evidence of idol worship by those that occupied the land they will conquer. And in verse 4, he tells them that they are not to act like that toward the Lord their God.

Sometimes I wonder if God expects us even today to be more like that.  That is, to take a stronger position against God’s enemies and do more not to be like them. Somehow, I feel we’ve let Him down in that regard.  Thankfully, His Grace abounds.

There’s yet a little gem hidden in verse 7 where Moses says, “There you shall eat before the Lord.” I wonder how much eating (and drinking) we do that we forget the Lord is there with us. We order too much or we order the most expensive thing just because we can. I’m not suggesting that we always eat poorly but I am suggesting that we be mindful that whenever we eat, we are eating before the Lord Who makes that possible for us.

Verse 8 is most interesting. Moses says, “You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes.” Seems like the world hasn’t changed much and the Bible warns us about that both in the Old and the New Testaments. When you have a minute take a look at just two of such verses:

Judges 17:6 ESV, In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Romans 8:7 ESV, For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.

In verse 9, Moses tells us why the children of Israel may have been behaving in this way and thus offers us a glimpse as to why we might be as well. He says it’s because “you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which the Lord Your God is giving you.” That certainly may well explain how or why our human nature still fights God’s spirit that He has given us as we live our lives and we have to carefully guard against it gaining ground.

In verse 13, Moses warns them to be careful not to worship (i.e. offer their sacrifices) anywhere they feel like (especially a ‘cultic’ place) but rather (vs. 14) only in the place where the Lord chooses for you. That’s big for me. Have you ever had to decide you should go to church? I know that is a difficult decision for many. And to be honest, we take a lot of things into consideration when we make that decision. We consider the preacher, the music, the children’s program, the location, the building, who goes there already, and so much more. Oh yes, theology and doctrine are important too. But I wonder if we’re doing it all wrong. Maybe we just need to let God choose it for us. Let Him lead us through circumstances and through the gentle nudging of our hearts to the right church. And by the way, it won’t be perfect, especially once you (or I) start attending.

In verse 19, there’s a strong reminder that we are not to neglect the needs of our pastors, our modern-day Levites. I know that today many well-known pastors are well taken care of financially and as far as perks are concerned – they get free use of some neat assets that some folks in their congregations have – be it cottages at the lake, or condos in the South, etc. But what about their own spiritual, social, or emotional needs? Is someone taking care of those things, noticing when help is needed even though not asked for? Also, while some pastors are very well taken care of financially, we must remember that others, often are not – the more junior ones that have debt, no house of their own, and as many children as God has given them. Is someone watching out for them, or do we just leave it up to the senior pastors to take care of them?

Lastly, I would point out verse 30 in which Moses advises the children of Israel to not even enquire about the gods of those people that were driven out of the land that they were to possess. They were not to even enquire about how these heathens served or worshipped their gods. The fear was that somehow, they would do likewise. And God hates that. And that same fear is operable today for us, or for our children, or grandchildren who may dabble with the study of other faiths or religions or cults. God says don’t do it.

David Guzik says reminds us of an old proverb that says “curiosity killed the cat” but he goes on to add, “ungodly curiosity has also killed many spiritual lives. No, it’s not okay for a Christian to start investigating Freemasonry.

Wrap-up

When I first looked at this chapter and the headings that were assigned to it, I thought I wouldn’t find too much here that God wanted to see to me, and to you, today. But again, I was surprised by the gems hidden in it.  Let me summarize the 7 things I learned today, and hopefully, you found them helpful as well:

1.     Don’t act like idolaters of other religions.

2.     Recognize you are still living in ways that are right in your own eyes, to a certain extent, and work on it.

3.     Recognizing your resting place is ultimately with Christ in heaven, and your perfection won’t be achieved until then.

4.     Do all your eating ‘before’ the Lord and recognize Him as your guest at the table.

5.     Let God choose where you go to church.

6.     Make sure your pastoral staff’s needs – not just financial – are taken care of.

7.     Don’t concern yourselves too much if at all with the study of other religions.

Would love to hear from you in one form or another. Send me a response on the media by which you Walked Thru this scripture with me.  See you again soon.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.