God loves to bless His people, but blessing the willfully disobedient sends a dangerous message. In light of all that has gone before, the last half of Deuteronomy 26 gives what we might call the bottom line. I can do no better than to quote it verbatim: “This day the Lord your God commands you […]
Read More… from February 15, 2023 — Going Up On The Down Escalator
God not only gives to us so we are blessed, but also so we are the means of His blessing to others. Flavius Josephus, famous first century historian, explained the three tithes expected of the Jewish people: “In addition to the two tithes which I have already directed you to pay each year, the one […]
Read More… from February 14, 2023 — The Thoughtfulness Of Giving
“So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given to you” (Deut 26:11). After a very difficult section of Scripture (Deut chs 12–25), God’s people are now to anticipate good times in the Land of Promise. The early rains would fall in October/November, softening the ground for planting. The […]
Read More… from February 13, 2023 — When You Come Into The Land
The enemies of God’s people know no compromise. The devil is looking for those he can devour. With one final flourish to the dark side, Deuteronomy 25 concludes with a solemn reminder: “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you on the way […]
Read More… from February 10, 2023 — Israel’s Unrelenting Foes
As they say, people dishonest in business may eat better, but the honest ones sleep better. If you recall the story of Tamar in Genesis 38, you’ll be in familiar territory when you read Deuteronomy 25:5-10. This is the so-called Levirate marriage arrangement, from the Latin levir, meaning brother-in-law. This had to do with the […]
Read More… from February 9, 2023 — Doing Things The Right Way
In both the treatment of a criminal and of a working ox, we see the link between action and consequence. As we read through these challenging chapters, it’s good to remind ourselves of certain facts. First, there were no prisons in Israel. If a crime was serious enough, where a person had forfeited their life […]
Read More… from February 8, 2023 — Limited Punishment; Unlimited Blessing
There’s nothing more interesting than a general store, and chapters like these sure look like one. Maybe the reason these sections of Scripture are arranged the way they are, with sudden topic changes, is to keep readers from being lulled to sleep. You know what it’s like when there’s a very long section on one […]
Read More… from February 7, 2023 — A Little Of This And That
A marriage breakdown can usually be traced to a heart breakdown, so let’s build up with love instead. Welcome to our continuing study in the fifth book by Moses, Deuteronomy. We’ve reached chapter 24, and you can’t help but realize how many details there are which God wanted His people to follow. Many of these […]
Read More… from February 6, 2023 — Love & Loyalty In Marriage