In this section, Moses reiterates the dietary laws for the people of Israel - which meats were considered to be clean, which were unclean. These kosher laws served the people of Israel well not only in Moses’ generation, but for centuries to come . . .
In the Middle Ages, when plagues and disease devastated the continent of Europe, the Jewish people were singularly protected from many of them. Mistakenly thinking their protection came from magic or witchcraft, the Jews were persecuted. As time has passed, however, we now know that the reason the Jewish people in Europe were protected was because of their adherence to the sanitary and dietary regulations found throughout the book of Deuteronomy.
The wisdom of God’s Word becomes all the more clear in light of the contemporary writings of other cultures. For example, an Egyptian scroll, written at approximately the same time Moses wrote Deuteronomy, is said to have propagated the following: To prevent gray hair, take blood from a black cat, mix it with the fat of a rattlesnake and eat it twice daily. Or to reverse baldness, take fat from a cat, a horse, a crocodile, a hippo, a snake, and an ibex and mix it together and eat it. If you have a severe case of baldness, add to it a tooth of a donkey that has been cooked in honey.
When we read these things, we chuckle because of the absurdity. But when we study the Scriptures, written at the same time as this papyrus, we see them proving to be medically correct and healthy. They are not dated, not absurd - and should the Lord tarry, I have a sneaking suspicion that as we learn more, we’ll discover to a greater degree how God’s dietary regulations are the best possible plan for the human condition.
When Jesus came on the scene, He said, “The issue is not what you eat physically, but what goes on in your heart” (see Mark 7:15). With this in mind, we can understand that these laws are not only to be followed by the Jewish people of Moses’ day, but that they’re applicable for you and me spiritually - that we might be careful what we take in, what we put into our soul.
When the children of Israel brought their tithe, it was to be with rejoicing. “For God loveth a cheerful giver,” Paul would write to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 9:7). The Greek word translated “cheerful” is hilaros - from which we get the word “hilarious.” God loves a person who gives hilariously, cheerfully, or gladly. Therefore, I think it’s a mistake to feel obligated to give. It’s a privilege to be able to say, “Lord, I’m honoring You in the way You’ve asked me.”
If it’s not a privilege for you, don’t do it. You’ll find, however, that things don’t work for you in your budgeting and your own financial situation. Over and over I’ve watched people miss out on blessings all because of a failure to understand that they couldn’t possibly out-give God.
Every third year, a second tithe was taken to take care of people who were poor - the fatherless, the widow, and the stranger. And that money was to be used for their well-being and welfare. If you add together the tithes of Deuteronomy 14, Deuteronomy 16, and Numbers 18, they come to an average of 23 percent annually. While it may be that even in our godless society we are contributing a portion of this through taxes, this we do know for certain: God’s ways are right. His heart is for us. Therefore, when He asks us to give to Him, it’s not only for His glory, but also for our good.
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. - Psalm 40:6–8
The ear of Jesus Christ was opened, pierced not with an awl but by the wood of the Cross of Calvary. Jesus is the perfect bondslave who came not to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45), who came not to do His own will, but His Father’s (Matthew 26:39). For the joy set before Him, He endured the Cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2). He knew there would be suffering and bleeding, but He also knew that on the other side, there would be joy which would far outweigh and supersede even the pain.
And such can be the same for you and me . . .
Doulos, the Greek word for servant, refers to an under rower. Think of a ship sailing across the Mediterranean Sea. While the passengers on the deck enjoy the view, below them are men expending great energy, toiling at the oars. That’s what it means to be a servant. You slave away hour after hour, day after day in order to get the people above you to their destination. The true servant says, “I want to get you to where you’re supposed to be - out of the slough of despondency, out of the place where you’re discouraged, confused, or damned eternally. I want to do whatever I can to get you to your destination.”
“That sounds awful,” you say, “rowing day after day under the deck just to get someone else to his or her destination.”
But here’s what you must remember: If the people on deck are headed to Maui, guess where you will end up? It’s true. If I’m helping someone else to have a better day, I arrive at the same port. If I’m helping someone overcome discouragement, I myself end up overcoming my own discouragement. If I’m helping someone else with their marriage, my own marriage grows stronger, richer, and deeper. If I’m helping someone else who is confused about the nature of the Father, as I row for them, my own understanding of the Father becomes so much clearer.
This should not be surprising. After all, Jesus said, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).
Next time you have a week where you feel physically, emotionally, spiritually, or mentally fatigued, here’s the key: Serve others. Talk to others. Pray with others. Maybe people will notice your labor of love on their behalf. But it may be that your work will take place under the deck where, out of sight, unnoticed by others, as a bondslave, you row faithfully to get them to their destination.
The first act the king was to perform upon taking the throne was not to go to an inaugural ball, throw a party for his donors, or watch a parade in his honor. God declared the first thing a king was to do was to make a copy of the Law. Why? Because in writing down every line and every word, the Law would be embedded in the king’s mind.
I have found that if I have pencil and paper in hand when I have devotions or go to a Bible study, I never come away empty-handed. And even if I never refer to those notes again, taking notes forces me to be engaged in the process of listening.
Not only are we to write the Word down, but we’re to pack it around. I have several pocket Bibles I carry not because I’m trying to be a holy Joe or some kind of Pharisee, but because I’ve found I can redeem a bunch of time - whether waiting for a stoplight, waiting for an appointment, or standing in line at the grocery store. You will be amazed at how much Scripture you can absorb in a single year simply by keeping the Word close at hand.
In addition to writing it down and packing it around, the king was not only to read the Word consistently, but to take it seriously. When I read the Bible, I fear the Lord. Why? Not because I’m condemned, but because I’m convicted. I realize the Word is right and I’m not, that it is good and I’m not, that it is true and I’m not. In other words, when I read the Word, I realize that I need Jesus every single day.
When do I find fault with others? When do I come down on others? When is my heart lifted up above others? When I’m not in the Word. When I’m in the Word, however, I realize how far I have yet to go. In reading the Word, the king would be reminded of his own need for mercy and forgiveness and would thereby be merciful and forgiving toward those he ruled.
If, like Israel’s kings were instructed to do, I read the Word consistently and take it seriously, not only will I walk in the ways of the Lord, but also my children will follow. What a simple premise. What a glorious promise.
To the children of Israel, Moses didn’t say, “If you see the enemy . . .” He said, “When you see the enemy . . .” In other words, battles were inevitable.
So too, if you are facing a battle today, you are neither unique nor alone. Every one of us will have encounters when we feel outgunned and outmaneuvered, when we feel under-prepared and overwhelmed. At such times, we are not to be afraid. Why? Because these challenges provide invaluable opportunities for us to see how God will come through for us.
There is no way to know how great God is until you are in a situation you can’t handle, until you don’t know what to do, until it is seemingly impossible to solve the problem. We will only know how great and loving our God is when we are in over our heads, completely at a loss. I’ve been there. So have you. Maybe you’re there right now. The priest is to say, “Don’t be afraid. The Lord is with you. He brought you out of Egypt, out of the world, out of hell. He’s not going to let you go now.”
Three groups of men were exempt from battle: those who hadn’t finished building their houses, those who hadn’t yet eaten of their vineyards, and those who were engaged, but not yet married. In this, we see God’s desire that people delight in His blessings before they devote themselves to battle.
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. - 2 Corinthians 8:9
Jesus left the blessings of Heaven in order to bless us. And, while there is definitely a time for battle, there is also a time to delight in the blessings that are ours through the grace of the One who became poor that we might be rich.
A fourth group deferred from battle was comprised of those who were afraid. When people lack faith, they often begin to speak negatively to justify their own fears. Cynicism and criticism are often a cowardly covering for fear. And they’re contagious. That’s why those who were afraid were to go home.
If you want to be used by the Lord, ask yourself if your household is stable, if the work of your hands is thriving, if your marriage is healthy, if your heart is full of faith. If a man doesn’t have a home for his family, he ought to tend to that first. If a man doesn’t have a job and wants to be supported by others, he should get a job and succeed at that. If a man has a lousy marriage, he shouldn’t be taking on further ministry. If a man is full of fear, he shouldn’t try to hide behind ministry or missions. This passage is an important checklist for anyone who wants to be used by the Lord, to be engaged in His work.
When the Israelites went to battle, their axes were not to fly indiscriminately. That is, they were not to cut down any fruit-bearing tree. This is a good word for us because in our battle against principalities and powers, against the Devil, our adversary, if we’re not careful, we can cut down trees that bear fruit - other believers, denominations, or churches who might have an entirely different flavor than ours, but from which we can be nourished. Wise is the believer who says, “Lord, help me to see what I can glean from that group, what I can learn from those people.”
So much of what I’ve learned has been from trees that, in my own fleshly tendency, I would have chopped down. Wouldn’t it be something if all the energy we expended analyzing ministries and criticizing Christians was harnessed against the real Enemy? Yes, there’s a war to wage, a battle to fight. And some trees are apostate indeed. But others have fruit that we can glean, through which we can grow, from which we can gain strength for the battle against the Enemy of our souls.
All the men of the city were to stone the rebellious son. Why? I suggest three reasons . . .
Motivation. With communities being small in Bible times, the men of the city would know the son in question. They would know his family. Therefore, it would be so difficult to stone him, and they would go home resolved to do whatever it took to make sure their own sons didn’t follow the same path of rebellion.
Evaluation. Participating in the stoning would cause the men in the community to ask themselves if there was something they could have done to turn him from his rebellious ways.
Proclamation. The stoning proclaimed to the community that rebellion was neither a “stage” nor an inevitable part of growing up. It was simply not to be tolerated.
If you’ve either been, or raised, a rebellious child, I call your attention to another rebellious son - the Prodigal Son of Luke 15. When this rebellious son returned, his father ran out to meet him not with rocks in his hand, but with a robe for his son. Why? Did God change His mind somewhere between Deuteronomy and Luke about the severity of rebellion?
No. The punishment for rebellion is always death (Romans 6:23). But because a third Son - not the rebellious son, not the Prodigal Son, but the perfect Son - became sin and took my place on the Cross, I am forgiven completely.
For centuries, this was a controversial passage in the life and history of Israel. In fact, when Jesus came on the scene, there was a red-hot debate taking place in the culture concerning the definition of “uncleanness.” One opinion was voiced by a famous scholar named Hillel. Liberal in his perspective, Hillel said a woman was to be considered unclean - and, therefore, a candidate for divorce - if she caused uncleanness in her home. For example, if she over-salted her husband’s eggs, thereby causing him to be angry, the resulting “unclean” atmosphere of the home would be her fault. Hillel went on to say that if a man saw a woman who was “cleaner” than his wife, his wife would become “unclean” by comparison. The other opinion was voiced by a scholar named Shammai, who insisted that uncleanness applied exclusively to immorality.
When asked His opinion on the matter, Jesus answered, “What God has joined together, let not man put asunder.”
“Why, then, did Moses give permission to divorce?” the Pharisees asked Him.
“Because of the hardness of your hearts,” Jesus explained (see Matthew 19:3–9). As evidenced by Jesus’ answer, the answer to the question of divorce doesn’t lie in loopholes.
“I want a divorce because I’m being abused,” says a wife.
“How are you being abused?” I ask.
“Verbally,” she answers.
“I want a divorce because my wife is hindering my spiritual growth,” a husband says.
“No,” Jesus says. “Go back to the garden of Eden and see that God’s plan is that one woman and one man stay together until death separates them.”
Does this mean the divorced person has committed the unpardonable sin? Not at all. It means they’ve committed a sin - just like we all have. But because God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), it must be an absolute last resort, not a first option. And there must be the admission that it is only the hardness of one’s own heart that makes it even a possibility.
It has been said that the primary task of teaching is not so much to reveal as it is to remind. And evidently Moses would agree, for as we have seen, the entire book of Deuteronomy is a reminder to the children of Israel of what God had done for them, of what He had taught them, and of what He expected of them.
The passage before us is no exception, beginning as it does with the word, “Remember” (verse 17), and ending with the words, “Thou shalt not forget” (verse 19).
What were the children of Israel not to forget? They were not to forget how during their wilderness wanderings the Amalekites attacked them not man-to-man, not face-to-face, but from the back. The Israelites were to remember how the Amalekites would wait in hiding until they passed by, how they would attack those who were weary and feeble.
We, too, have an Enemy who attacks us constantly. “Be sober,” Peter said. “Be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). It is said that in the jungle, the lion wakes up each day knowing that he simply must outrun the slowest prey. And the same is true spiritually, for like the lion, Satan attacks the weariest or feeblest among us. And, like Amalek, he finds them at the back of the pack.
This is a word we need to remember, a word of which we need to be reminded constantly because we can say, “I’ve been walking with the Lord for a number of years. I’ve been involved in a lot of battles. I need to kick back a bit, to cruise awhile,” not realizing that those who think they deserve a break are the very ones most vulnerable to an attack . . .
He was a great man, a godly man. Year after year he had led his troops into battle. He was their commander, their king. But at the age of fifty, he said, “I’ve fought long enough. I’m going to kick back awhile.” So he sent another to lead the troops while he stayed behind. On the roof of his palace one night, enjoying the view of the golden city of Jerusalem, his eye came across a woman taking a bath. Intrigued by her, he had an affair with her and tried to cover it up by murdering her husband. He should have been fully engaged. He should have been front and center in the battle. Instead, he thought he deserved a break. And as a result, life was never the same for David, for his family, or for his Kingdom.
The same thing can happen to you and me. “I’ve been walking with the Lord for forty years,” we say. “Who says I have to have devotions and go to Bible study? Why not let someone else teach Sunday school? Why not let someone else work in the nursery? Why not let someone else go to the prayer meeting? I’m tired.”
We are currently seeing a rash of middle-aged men in our own community falling into immorality. The number of people who have been sucked into sin at this point in life is astonishing to me. And the common thread among them seems to be a misconception that they were justified in pulling away from fellowship, in drifting away from worship because they thought they had paid their dues, because they thought that spending time with the Lord or with His people no longer needed to be a priority.
Precious people, be oh, so careful that you don’t grow weary somewhere in middle life, saying, “I’ve fought the fight. Now it’s time to cruise.” Amalek attacks the back of the pack. He’ll be waiting for you.
At only thirty years of age, he wasn’t weary. But he was feeble. He hadn’t always been that way. “Smite the Shepherd and the sheep will scatter,” the Lord had said.
“Not me,” he had boldly answered. “My name is Peter. I’m solid as a rock. You can count on me” (see Matthew 26:31–35).
But hours later, when Jesus was led away to the trial that would ultimately lead to His crucifixion, Peter did what he said he would never do: he ran. And then, feeling feeble, he followed Jesus afar off. He still followed Jesus, but no longer at His side. Now there was a distance between them (Matthew 26:58).
The enemies of Jesus lit fires that night to take the chill away. And Peter was chilled indeed - not only outwardly, but inwardly - to his very soul. He knew he was not where he was supposed to be, where he said he would be, where he used to be. Instead, he stood by the fires of the enemy.
“We know you,” one of those who stood by said to him. “You’re one of His followers.”
“No, I’m not,” Peter answered.
“Weren’t you with Jesus?” asked a young girl.
“No,” Peter insisted.
“I’m sure you’re a Galilean,” said another.
And at this point Peter swore, the original text indicating that he took an oath as if to say, “My soul be damned if I know that Man” (see Matthew 26:74).
Be careful when you feel feeble that you don’t say, “I’m not what I should be or not what I used to be so I’m going to follow Jesus afar off.” When you follow Jesus from afar, there’s a chill in your soul that will drive you to the fires of the Enemy in search of warmth. You’ll visit web sites you know you ought not to look at. You’ll turn to movies or to alcohol, to drugs or to fantasies, hoping they’ll warm your soul. You’ll fall prey to the attack of the Enemy when you allow former sins or tendencies to needlessly drive you to the back of the pack.
What are you supposed to do when you’re weary or feeble?
Don’t go to the back. Go to the front. Become more engaged than ever, more involved than you ever were before in your spiritual work and devotional life, more committed to service and ministry, to worship and Bible study.
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31
Why should we remain front and center in the things of the Lord even when we’re tired, even if we’re feeble? Because in so doing, our strength is not diminished. It’s renewed, replenished, and restored.
We’re involved in a battle, to be sure. But there’s coming a day when even the memory of Amalek will be blotted out - when Satan is cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). And Isaiah tells us we’re going to “narrowly look” on Satan (14:16–17). That is, with furrowed brow, we’ll scratch our heads and say, “Is this the one who held people captive, who shook kingdoms, who brought destruction? We were tricked by him?” And then we’ll see how greatly the lion, seeking whom he may devour, pales in comparison to the Lion of the tribe of Judah (1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 5:5).
Until then, remain fully engaged in your devotional life, in your personal walk, in your service for the King. In so doing, not only will you please Him greatly, not only will your strength be renewed daily, but the arrows of Amalek will never reach you way up there at the front.
Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal are each about two thousand feet high. Between them is a valley that served as a natural amphitheater. With six tribes on each mountain and the priests and leaders in between, the stage was set for an illustrated sermon the children of Israel would not soon forget.
As the Law was read, the tribes on Mount Ebal would say “Amen” to the curses, while those on Mount Gerizim would affirm the blessings. And lest you think you would rather be on Mount Gerizim affirming the blessings, don’t forget that the altar - the place where blood is shed, where forgiveness is made - was on Mount Ebal.
You might be aware of failings and shortcomings in your life, of times you’ve dropped the ball and cursed yourself or others because of stupidity and sin. But where sin abounds, grace abounds more (Romans 5:20). Therefore, the greater awareness I have of my sin, the more thankful I am for the grace of God. It is not surprising that the one who is forgiven much loves much (Luke 7:47), making Mount Ebal - the place where blood is shed - the place where there is, ultimately, peace and joy.
When I see the blessings in Deuteronomy 28, I can’t help but say, “That’s exactly what I want. I want to see my family blessed. I want my location to be satisfying to me. I want to see my cupboards full. I want to experience stability and spiritual intimacy. I want to see the work of my hands blessed, to have a daily routine that’s fulfilling, to know my future is secure.” But this is hardly surprising, for who of us doesn’t want these blessings?
So when I hear Moses saying, “If you hearken diligently to the Lord, if you obey all of His commandments, these blessings will be yours,” I say, “Wonderful!” - until I try, but inevitably and consistently fail.
You see, the key to success and blessing lies in obeying all of the commandments. It can’t be 90 percent or even 99 percent. To get the victory that brings the blessings, one must do it all (James 2:10) because the Ten Commandments are interwoven in such a way that to break one is ultimately to break all ten. Think of it this way . . .
You’re out at sea, two miles from shore, when you notice that, although nine of the floorboards in your boat are shipshape, one is rotting away in the salt water. Therefore, even though only one in ten is faulty, even though nine are in perfect order, you’re sunk.
So too, Moses said if you want these blessings, you’ve got to obey all the commandments. And therein lies the problem. I want to. I try. But I can’t.
There is One, however, who did indeed keep all the commandments. In fact, so perfectly did He keep them that even His enemies could find no fault in Him (Luke 23:4). And because Jesus kept all the commandments, because He fulfilled every expectation and requirement of the Law, He gets all of the blessings. In other words, every Old Testament blessing, every glorious promise made to those who would walk in God’s ways, who would obey God’s Word, who would seek God’s heart is His because He did all of those things (2 Corinthians 1:19–20).
And here’s the amazing news: When you became a Christian, not only did Christ come in you, but you were placed in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Therefore, all the promises are yours as well.
“Why don’t I see blessings in my life?” you ask.
Maybe God has blessed you more than you realize. Maybe you haven’t taken the time to think through the way He’s blessed you in the city and in the country, blessed the fruit of your body, blessed you in the storehouse, blessed you in your basket, blessed you with victory over the Enemy who threatened to crush and destroy you. Maybe He’s blessed you more than you think. And maybe part of the issue is to stop and review what He’s done for you and to rejoice in that.
But more importantly, maybe you don’t see God’s blessings in your life because you’re working too hard to even notice them . . .
After wasting his father’s money in the far country, the Prodigal Son returned, not to punishment, but to a party. “Unfair!” said his older brother to their father. “I’ve been with you every day, working faithfully. But you never threw a party on my behalf.”
“Son,” the father answered. “All that I have is yours” (see Luke 15:31), as if to say, “Any time you wanted, you could have had anything and everything you desired. But you were too busy being self-righteous, working in the field trying to impress me, trying to earn something from me to come out of the field and into the party.”
So too, many of us have said, “I’m going to pray more. I’m going to work harder. I’m going to worship with greater intensity. I’m going to give more money. I’m going to teach Sunday school or work in the nursery so that I will be blessed,” only to find that it never works.
We’re blessed, gang, no matter what we do or don’t do simply because we’re His. But now God wants to use us. Isn’t it amazing that God would want to use us?
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20
The more we allow Christ to work in and through us, the more He taps us on the shoulder, saying, “I’ve already blessed you. Now I want to use you. Go out there and serve for My glory.”
As we come to chapter 30, nearing the end of Moses’ farewell sermon to the children of Israel, I can almost hear Moses pause, sigh, and look the congregation in the eye as he begins to share with them from his soul.
He’s been going on and on, repeating the commandments of the Lord. And now he says God’s commandment is not secret, mystical, abstract, or hard to reach. It’s not in the heavens, but is very near to them. How near? As close as it can be. It’s embedded in their hearts and on the tips of their tongues.
After twenty-nine chapters of preaching, Moses pauses and essentially says, “You know what to do. And you know that it’s true.” People do know. They might not want to admit it, but deep within, they know that the best way to live is to love God and keep His commandments. After all, who does even the unsaved person want to move into the vacant house next to him or her - a person who loves God and honors the Ten Commandments, or one who hates God and believes that murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and killing are acceptable?
Or think of it this way . . .
You run out of gas in the middle of a big city just before midnight. You leave your car by the side of a poorly lit street and begin walking to the nearest gas station. After a block or two, sensing you’re not alone, you look over your shoulder and see four big guys following you. Would it make a difference if you knew they were coming out of an evening Bible study and prayer meeting rather than out of a bar?
In our hearts, we know the right way to live is to love God and obey the commands He’s given us. “So choose life,” Moses says. “Don’t violate what you know is true, what you know you ought to do, what you know is best for you.”
Jesus said all of the commandments are summed up in a single word: love. “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” He said. “And . . . love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37, 39). We’re to love God passionately and love our neighbor compassionately. It’s just that simple.
“I know what to do,” you might be saying, “I know God’s ways are true, that they’re best for me and you. But here’s the problem: I don’t come through. There are times when I don’t do what I know is the right thing to do. And there are times when I do things I ought not to do. I understand what is right and good and true. But I fail in so many ways, on so many days.”
Wait. There’s hope because this very passage pops up again in the New Testament. Paul reaches back to Deuteronomy 30 and look what he says concerning these very things . . .
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into Heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) . . . - Romans 10:6–7
Inspired by the Spirit, Paul says, “There’s another way. Not the word of the law, but the word of faith . . .”
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. - Romans 10:8–10
There’s no need to try to attain a spiritual high or dig into the depths of your soul, for salvation is in none of those places. Where is it? It’s on the tip of your tongue, if you’ll simply confess that you want Jesus to be your Lord.
Fear is to the Devil what faith is to the Lord. That is, Satan responds to, takes advantage of, and delights in fear the same way our Lord responds to, works through, and delights in faith. When I don’t know how the bills will get paid or if the relationship will be restored, the Devil will try to get me to become full of anxiety and fear. God, however, “hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
The disciples were on the Sea of Galilee, toiling at the oars. The wind was howling, the waves were rolling, and the disciples, many of whom were seasoned fishermen, were afraid of the ferocity of the storm. Suddenly they saw Someone walking on the waves, headed in their direction. “It’s a ghost!” they shouted, perhaps alluding to the legend that said when a boat was about to go down, a ghost would come to deliver the message that the lives of the men on board were over.
But then they heard the words, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” (Matthew 14:27).
Faith is like a muscle. It doesn’t grow unless it’s exercised. And we need to exercise faith in a most practical way. In the midst of the storm, when it seems as though our boat is sinking, we need to choose to be of good cheer. I have discovered over and over that when I make the decision to be strong, to be of good cheer, to not give into tears and fears, that the Lord is truly near.
Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We take faith in as we hear the promises of God’s Word and the preaching of the Scriptures. Faith is worked in by the hearing of the Word - but it’s worked out by the speaking of the Word. That’s why Romans 10 also says we must confess with our mouths (verses 9–10). Faith comes in through the ear, but is worked out through the mouth.
A lot of times we take in a Scripture, but then have a tendency to complain or murmur - and wonder why faith isn’t impacting our situation. Jesus said, “Say to the mountain, be removed . . .” (see Matthew 21:21). This is such a key, but is forgotten so easily. Faith that works is not only a matter of having devotions in the morning or going to Bible study in the evening, but it’s a matter of speaking out that which we have taken in.
If I hear the Word in a Bible study and go my way, saying, “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know how things are going to work,” my faith is short-circuited by my words of fear and frustration. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that the power of life and death is in the tongue. How often we kill our faith either by the words we say or fail to say.
For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. - Hebrews 13:5–6
“He hath said . . . that we may boldly say . . .” Next time you are fearful about the future, boldly speak out what He has already said, and watch your faith grow.
Eagles can be found on every continent of the world except Antarctica. And the eagle is not only the symbol of America, but was, in czarist days, the symbol of Russia. In Bible times, it was the symbol of the Roman Empire.
The African eagle, with which the children of Israel would have been familiar, makes its home in the Middle East and has a wingspan of up to ten feet.
Once a year, the female eagle lays an egg in a nest high over a bluff or ravine, inaccessible to predators. For the six weeks following its hatching, the eaglet has it made in the shade. He can see lots of things from his vantage point. He’s fed hourly by his mother. And he grows fat and plump.
By week five, he has grown quite large. And then something begins to happen. Unbeknownst to him, his mother designed the nest in such a way that sticks point inward. So as he gets fatter, the sticks begin to poke him. And no doubt Ernie Eaglet wonders why his parents didn’t make a more comfortable nest - never realizing that its design was all part of the plan to get him to do something he never would have done otherwise: to fly.
The same thing can happen to you and me. We’re comfy. We’re cozy. We’re chubby. But all of a sudden, something begins to happen that agitates us, that pokes at us. “My boss shouldn’t treat me this way,” we squawk. “My friend shouldn’t ignore me that way,” we screech.
Wait a minute. It’s all part of a divine design, a grand plan. Therefore, wise is the man or woman who doesn’t blame the sticks, but realizes they’re part of the Father’s plan.
At about this time, Mom returns to the nest one day and, with her five-foot wings, stirs it and bumps it. And Ernie is thrown out, causing him to fall hundreds of feet toward the ravine below. Feathers fly. Ernie squawks. The ground gets closer, the rocks bigger - when Mama swoops underneath Ernie and carries him on her back to the nest once again.
"Whew!" Ernie thinks, "That was close! I hope Mom learned a lesson about being clumsy." But a few days later, Mama stirs the nest once again, sending Ernie screeching and tumbling once more. And once again, she swoops underneath him at seemingly the last minute, returning him to the nest at last.
The same process is repeated over and over again. But somewhere after the sixth or seventh time, Ernie catches air. No longer sore at his mother, he soars with her. And he can’t believe it. He didn’t have any idea that he could fly - until he was dumped out of the nest.
“What are You doing, God?” we cry. “If I’m Your inheritance, if You keep me as the apple of Your eye, then why am I headed for the rocks?” But right before we crash - maybe only a moment or so before we’re crushed - He swoops in, bears us on His back, and returns us to the nest. Then, days later, He stirs the nest and begins the process all over again.
You see, God loves you and me too much to allow us to settle into the comfort of mediocrity. So He makes our nest uncomfortable as He gets us ready to do something new. He’s not going to let us settle for a perch on a cliff when He knows we could soar in the Heavenlies.
In Israel, bees make their honeycombs, and olive trees take root in crevasses, or fissures, in the rocks. Therefore, what would seem to be an unproductive place actually produces sweetness and sustenance.
“I’m on the rocks,” we cry. “This is it. I’m through.”
And yet God would say, “There’s honey and oil in those rocks, for in them you will discover sweetness you never knew about, empowering and anointing you never would have experienced.”
If you’re between a rock and a hard place, take hope, dear saint, for it is there you will find honey and oil, sweetness and sustenance for your journey.
We like to think of God as One who heals. And He does. But, as seen in verse 39, He also wounds. When I read about God and study His Word, I realize that He is much bigger than my ability to package Him neatly. He is, after all, God.
“Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.
“I’m dying of thirst,” said Jill.
“Then drink,” said the Lion.
“May I - could I - would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.
“Will you promise not to - do anything to me, if I do come?” said Jill.
“I make no promise,” said the Lion.
“Do you eat girls?” she said.
“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion.
“I daren’t come and drink,” said Jill.
“Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion.
In his classic series, The Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis drove home a very real point. That is, God doesn’t make deals with me or you. He’s God. And He can wound, heal, kill, and resurrect whenever He wants. Our God is indeed an awesome God, a fearful and terrible God. He loves us. He proved it by sending His Son to die for us. But never forget this passage in Deuteronomy 32. The people who forget this do so to their own destruction.
Deuteronomy 32 ended with a reiteration of God’s refusal to allow Moses to enter the Promised Land with the children of Israel. Chapter 33 begins with Moses blessing the people. And this, among other things, is what qualifies Moses to be called a “man of God,” a phrase seen here in Scripture for the first time. When God denied Moses’ requests to accompany the people into the Promised Land, Moses could have said, “If after forty years, this is the thanks I get; if after I’ve given my life for these people and led them through the wilderness to the best of my ability, I’m disqualified because of one mistake, I’m outta here.” But he didn’t. Rather than running away and licking his wounds, Moses blessed the people.
Greatness is found in what a man does within the boundaries placed around him. Many people say, “If I can’t do this, if I can’t be that, I won’t do anything.” Not Moses. He shows us that the way to greatness, to being a man of God, is not to pull back, but to be a blessing.
“Lord,” Moses said, “cause Judah to prosper. May his tribe increase. Help him when he encounters the enemy.” As the people of Israel marched through the wilderness and, again, as they will march into the Land of Promise, which tribe leads the way? Judah. Judah means “Praise.” We enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4). Praise is always the key.
Christian scholar and author Francis Schaeffer reportedly once said that if he had one hour to present the Gospel to someone, he would use the first fifty-five minutes to tell him what God is like, and he would use the last five minutes to communicate how he could know Him. The same holds true for the believer. If you want to be victorious and fruitful in your walk with the Lord, praise is absolutely foundational and essential. As we praise the Lord, our focus shifts from what we need to do to what He has already done; from our insufficiency to His all-sufficiency; from our weakness to His all-encompassing strength.
“I don’t know what to do. I don’t know which way to go,” we are prone to say. Even in these New Testament times, the Urim and the Thummim give us real understanding about finding God’s will and getting His direction, for in whose care were the Urim and the Thummim? They were in the charge of the high priest (Numbers 27:21).
“I am the way,” said Jesus, our great High Priest. He didn’t say, “I’ll tell you the way,” or “I’ll point you to the way.” He said, “I am the way” (John 14:6).
One of my tasks as a pastor and teacher is to remind people of this constantly. People come seeking an answer, asking for direction. But what they need to do is simply cling to Jesus every hour, every minute. And then, because He is the way, they’ll end up in the right place.
At six months old, my granddaughter Bailey doesn’t say, “Mommy, how do I get to the mall?” She just stays close to Amanda, and believe me, she’ll get there! So too, like Bailey, we can say to the Lord, “I’m not going to be anxious about what I should do tomorrow. I’m just going to abide in You, cling to You today, close to Your heart, right by Your side. And I know I’ll end up exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
Having finished the pronunciation of blessing upon the congregation of Israel, this great man of God reminds them again who their God is. If the sun, moon, and stars are the work of God’s fingers (Psalm 8:3), what must be the power of His everlasting arms?
When I was three years old, I remember my dad pulling up into our driveway after his day at work at the bank. I would scramble to the top of the wood box on the side of our house each day, and after parking the car, he would walk to the wood box and with outstretched arms say, “Okay, Jon. Jump.” And although I was scared, I’d jump. He always caught me. Every time.
Moses is hoping the children of Israel will come to understand the same thing - that their Father has strong arms and that He will never let them fall.
Stuck in prison, John the Baptist sent messengers to ask Jesus if He was indeed the Messiah. If not, he would look for another. Jesus’ answer to the messengers was for them to tell John how He had healed the blind, made the lame to walk, and cleansed the leper, raised the dead. Then Jesus added, “And blessed is he who is not offended in Me” (see Matthew 11:2–6). When John received this message, I wonder if he beat himself for his lack of faith. He had been so bold up to that point; I wonder if he felt his ministry was, after all, a failure.
Certainly Moses would be able to understand. Having been faithful for forty years, his obedience had faltered at a moment of frustration. Yet, because God had shown him the Promised Land, Moses knew the end of his story. John didn’t. You see, right after his messengers left, Jesus called John the greatest man ever born (Matthew 11:11).
So too, if you feel like a failure, like you’ve let the Lord down once too often, like He will never again be able to use you, remember that He sees you as perfect, robed in the righteousness of His Son (Isaiah 61:10). That makes us who are “least in the Kingdom” greater even than John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11). Messengers may not tell you this, your prison walls may not confirm it, failure at Meribah may say otherwise - but you, dear saint, are God’s prize and His inheritance. And, as seen in the lives of Moses and John the Baptist, those God uses to the greatest degree are often the very ones who question their own effectiveness.
Press on, precious brother; be strong, dear sister. The Promised Land of the Spirit-filled life is yours for the taking. And the Promised Land of Heaven is just around the bend.
“It’s not that simple,” the cultist says to the believer. “You can’t come boldly before the throne of grace. You’ve got to prove your sincerity.”
In Moses’ day, the Canaanites proved they were sincere seekers of their gods by literally burning their sons and daughters. Five-foot-high iron idols dedicated to Molech were constructed with a hole in them in which a fire would burn, causing the idol to become incandescent. Sincere worshipers would place their firstborn child on the red-hot arms of these idols in the valley of Tophet, also known as the valley of Gehenna, which is another name for hell.
Every cult and false religion is based upon man working his way up the ladder of sincerity, good works, and obedience to a system. Christianity alone is not based upon man working up to God, but God reaching down to man. “For by grace are ye saved,” Paul declares. And what is grace? It is unmerited, undeserved, unearned favor. It is a gift of God, not of works (Ephesians 2:8–9).
What must a man do to be saved? Simply believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30–31). Period. “It is finished,” Jesus said (John 19:30). My standing with God is not about what I do to prove my sincerity, but about what He’s already done to prove His love and mercy. And all that’s left is for me to respond to His free gift of salvation.