And The Lord Gave Them Rest On Every Side

The tribes of Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan were all given their territories (Simeon nestled within the land of Judah). When all the land was distributed, the people gave Joshua land of his own within the territory of Ephraim. It was noted that he "rebuilt" the city and lived in it - so not only was he a good spy (in his younger days), a good leader, a good commander and warrior, but a builder as well. I thought about the various territories and who lived next to whom. Were some "good neighbors" and some not? Did they share fields and pastures, or were there fences or walls between them? Are we good neighbors where we live? Can you borrow a cup of sugar from your neighbor? Will a neighbor pick up your mail for you while you are on vacation? I believe being a good neighbor reflects who and what is in our hearts. The Cities of Refuge. Once again we are told of these appointed places of refuge. Cities scattered throughout the land as a place to flee from the "avenger." Note that each of these cities was situated within a day's journey from anywhere in the Promised Land - so a man could reach a haven of safety by walking a day's journey. And all of these cities of refuge were within the cities of the Levites. In one of the commentaries I read it stated that these cities of refuge were probably on a "hill" so that the person seeking refuge could look up in the distance and see, at the end of a long day's journey, that he was close to safety and rest. Jesus is our refuge - no matter where we are or where we've been. Just "look" up and seek His smiling face - ever ready to welcome us home with open arms. The Levites were given 48 cities with pasture lands beside them. (Certainly a peaceful image when you picture that scene in your mind's eye - sheep grazing, green grass, brooks bubbling). The chapter ends with "And the Lord gave them rest on every side . . . not one of the promises made to Israel which the Lord had made had failed." Still true today. Reminds me of the hymn -

There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God.

A place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God.

O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God.

Hold us who wait before thee, near to the heart of God.

A delightful inheritance

In these chapters, as well as the ones before and a few after them, it's like we're reading someone else's will, and we have no part in the inheritance. It's easy to mentally check out. In fact, if I hadn't had to write this post today, I might have. I'm glad I didn't. I hope you don't. Because the reality is, we ARE included in this inheritance. The good, the bad, the ugly and the awesome.

"What do you mean, Natalie? We don't live in Israel?"

Oh, I'm so glad you asked.

Let's get the bad news out of the way first, shall we? At the end of Chapter 17, we see the tribes of Ephriam and Mannaseh whining about the work ahead of them. "Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people and the Lord has blessed us abundantly." We certainly fall into this inheritance of thinking we deserve more than we've been given, and not wanting to work for it. Drink in this exchange. Act it out or something.

Joshua: "If you are so numerous, and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites."

Ephriam/Mannaseh: "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and it's settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel."

Joshua: "You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and the farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out."

Are you laughing yet? Can you hear the whining in the Israelites voices and Joshua's bemused correction to them? I laughed because I see myself in these people so much. They SAW and participated in the fall of Jericho, as well as the 31 other amazing victories God helped them win. Now they are fussing about having to clear land and fight people with chariots. God gives us a few victories and then we want to say "haven't I done enough already Lord? Where is MY blessing?"

The result was that, even though these people agreed to fight like Joshua told them to, they never held up their end of the deal. So many other tribes left remnants behind. God specifically told them to drive out everyone, and leave nothing behind. They got complacent. Maybe it was convenient. Some of the tribes kept other peoples as slave labor. What sin do you keep around because you are too lazy to drive it out? Is some sin convenient for you? The lesson we can learn from these people- our "inheritance" - is that while sin may seem innocuous and perhaps even convenient at first, it soon leads to all kinds of other trouble.

Notice that God already had the boundary lines laid out for each tribe. Joshua assigned each one based on what God told him, and it lined up with the prophecies of both Jacob and Moses years before. God has given us boundary lines as well. We are assigned places of ministry, sphere's of influence and areas of service. God has work for us to do there.

"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,

against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world

and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Ephesians 6:12

The good news? We can overcome. We can be like Caleb was and aggressively pursue what God has promised us. We can fight confidently because we know what our God is capable of. The end of the story isn't up for grabs. God wins. To be able to be fighting on that side is a beautiful inheritance. We will get to claim our own promised land one day. God already has our boundary lines drawn. So get on with clearing your land! Set about claiming your inheritance!

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;

you have made my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

Psalm 16:5-6

The Tribes Receive Their Land

I know this was not a fascinating read but some parts were interesting. Here we are half way through the book of Joshua. After all the action in the previous passages, chapter twelve is a recap of all the kings and nations that Joshua and the Israelites conquered. Thirty-one kings in all were defeated and destroyed. At this point the Israelites had control of the land but there were still many areas that needed to be conquered. The Lord made a clear point in the beginning of chapter 13 that Joshua was old and there was still land to be taken over. God tells Joshua about the territory left to conquer; the land of the Philistines and Geshurites and the mountainous regions where the Sidonians live.

Next comes the division of the land among the twelve tribes. We are reminded about the land already allocated to the Reubenites, the Gadites and half of the tribe of Mannasseh which is East of the Jordan River. Hebron was given to Caleb. Caleb approached Joshua and reminded him about the promise of God made forty-five years before that he would inherit the land on which his feet walks. Hebron is actually a portion of the land that is alloted to the tribe of Judah. Chapter fifteen gives detail outlining the territory alloted to Judah. An interesting story about Caleb is that when he marched against the people (at 85 years old) living in his newly inherited land he said that whoever captures the land of Kiriath Sepher could have his daughter Acsah’s hand in marriage. Othniel, his brother, was the winner. Then Caleb gave Acsah and Othniel land and an additional field with springs of water after his daughter made the request.

The last verse of the reading tells us that the tribe of Judah could not get rid of the Jebusites from Jerusalem. I wonder what this means for the future? I am sure this means trouble for the Israelites...

Canaan is Conquered

Who else has had this song in their head all day yesterday and today... "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho... Jericho... Jericho..."? (Love that, Ms. Boots!)

For an estimated seven years, the conquest of Canaan continued...

To back up a bit... In Deuteronomy 7:1-2, God reminded the Israelites through Moses' words that HE would deliver the Promised Land to them. (I wonder if Joshua was standing close by and taking in every word?!?!) God also named specific nations that would be conquered. He instructed the Israelites to destroy everything with NO MERCY.

"When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations - the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you - and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy."

Joshua and the Israelites were in their Promised Land and were taking no prisoners! Well... except for the Gibeonites. After the Israelites defeat of Ai, the Gibeonites acted quickly out of fear and "resorted to a ruse". Against God's command, Joshua made a treaty with this group of Canaanites. They became enslaved to the Israelites in order to save their lives. I have to be honest here and say I wonder why God did not punish Joshua for making an agreement with these people after God had said, "Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy." To me, this is a reflection of God's grace and sovereignty. Even when we "resort to a ruse", act out of fear, or are disobedient, God is faithful to save us and to work out His plan for His glory.

After the Israelites defeated Jericho and Ai, the neighboring nations were terrified. Can you imagine the chaos among the seven Canaan nations and their leaders as they watch the destruction and death around them and anticipate their own? As promised, God delivered the seven nations one after another, after another, after another. The Israelites killed EVERYONE, including the kings, who either died by the sword during battle or were hung afterwards.

This map is a little difficult to read, but helped me to grasp the path of the Israelites conquest. Joshua and the Israelites were camped in Gilgal which is just west of the Jordan and north of the Dead Sea. Using the map, you can follow the cities in Israel's path (central nations, then southern, then northern).

This was a seven year blood bath. I'm reminded again that deliverance requires sacrifice. Sin results in death. The Canaanites' hearts were hardened against the Israelites (v 11:20). God purged the corruption of the land and handed it over to the Israelites. I love the last sentence of Joshua 11. "Then the land had rest from war." I imagine the people were extremely tired too. The Message translates this verse as, "And Israel had rest from war." Obviously, war is laborious, even in victory. God provided a time of rest.

Jesus says to us in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." In the midst of our busy minds and lives, let's rest in God today and celebrate His victories in our lives.

AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN

                                               Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, Jericho,
                                               Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, 
                                               and the walls came tumbling down.

God renewed His covenant with the Israelites and had the men circumcised.  When the men got better, God gave them instructions on how they was to take Jericho.  We all know the story.  They was to walk around the city once a day for six days but on the seventh day, they was to go around the city seven times and when the trumpet let out a long blast they was to shout and the walls would come tumbling down.  Don't you wish you could of seen the people of Jericho when this was going on.  I can see them now nudging one another and laughing, "These are the people we're suppose to be afraid of.  They must be a little touched in the head."
 Rehab and her family was to be the only people saved.  (Rehab was the one who protected the spies when they checked out Jericho)  The city was to be destroyed except for the gold, silver, iron and brass which was to be brought into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

Joshua sent men to A'i.  They came back saying, "Oh yes, we can take them.  We don't even need but about 3,00 of us."  Imagine their surprise when the A'is came out after them and sent them running back to safety.  Joshua called out to God.  "Why."  God tells Joshua that someone had things they wasn't suppose to have and if God was to stay with them they would have to get rid of the person who did this.  Joshua called all the people together and told them what happened.  He asked the men one by one if they did this.  A'chor admitted to taking the things and hiding them in the ground inside of his tent.  A'chor was then taken out and stoned, burned and then a pile of stones was placed on top of him.  This reminds me of the day of judgment.  Many people are going to stand in front of God and admit the wrong they have done.  They thought they could hide their sins and that they could get away with it.  Wrong.  God sees and knows everything we do.  God will punish them for their sins.  I hope I don't have to hang my head in shame on that day.  

Once this was taken care of God did give them A'i.  He told them to set up an ambush and they could take the people while they was out of the city.  Then they could destroy the city.  This time, they was allowed to take the cattle and the spoils of the city for a prey unto themselves.

God rewards us with good when we follow His Word and do His will.  Lord help me not to be an A'chor and try to hide my sins but to admit them and ask for your loving forgiveness.  For I know, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrightousness.
    

Joshua = Jesus

Welcome to the WONDERFUL book of Joshua!!! We have just finished the five books of the Law of Moses or the Pentateuch. I hope that those first five books of the Bible have changed forever your walk with the Lord and that you know Him even more intimately for being faithful in your readings! Press on dear sisters, you have no idea the amazing things in store for you!!

I am overwhelmed with ALL of the wonderful information I want to share with you as we begin our journey through Joshua, so I have asked the Lord to PLEASE help me keep my post as succinct and brief as possible! Just a little background information on this fantastic book:

1. The purpose of this book is to recount, from a theological perspective, the events surrounding Israel's capture and settlement of the land of Canaan with a particular emphasis on God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promise to the patriarchs.


2. Joshua is part two of God's grandest work of redemption in the Old Testament. In this part, God as divine Warrior brings his people into the Land of Promise and gives them "rest".


3. The leader Joshua has been interpreted as a "type" of Christ, as both the name Joshua and Jesus are rendered as the same name "Jesus" in the Greek.

(all of these points are from the study notes out of the ESV Study Bible)

In chapters one and three of our reading, we find Joshua officially taking over as the leader of the Israelites and subsequently leading the Israelites to cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land. As I read these chapters, I found myself wondering how difficult it might have been for Joshua to take "the reins" (yes, a horse term - I have to throw some in here!) from Moses as the leader of this HUGE amount of people. Have you ever had the daunting task of stepping in and filling another exceptional leader's shoes as they step down? I have and it is NOT AT ALL an easy thing to do. You can feel very inadequate and incompetent in the shadow of the previous leader. No wonder God kept telling Joshua over and over again to be strong and courageous!

In chapter 2 is the infamous story of the prostitute Rahab hiding the spies that Joshua sends in ahead of them to "check out" the Promised Land. What key things can we learn from Rahab? Well, God can use ANYBODY for His purposes no matter what you are or what you do! Secondly, we as GENTILES can be "grafted" into the family of God (thank you Jesus!). Lastly, God loves us no matter what our past failures have been...after all, Rahab is in the lineage of Jesus!!!

Chapter 4 tells us the story of how the Israelites crossed over the Jordan on dry land, which is very reminiscent of them crossing the Red Sea on dry land. Joshua them commands them to take 12 stones out of the Jordan and set up a monument in remembrance of this occasion. Have you noticed how the setting up of monuments to remember important things was quite commonplace in the Old Testament? I wonder, what "monuments" do we have set up in our lives to remember all that the Lord has done for us? I think that we SHOULD do this so that we do NOT forget all of the amazing acts of God in our lives! I have certain pieces of jewelry that mark special acts of God in my life as well as journaling or marking in my Bible(s) certain important and momentous occasions. What "monuments" do you have set up in your life?

____________________________________________________________________

There are some wonderful verses in Joshua that you will want to mark, write down, and memorize. I have posted two of them on my post for you. Get ready for a wonderful journey through Book number 6!!!

P.S. Sorry this is a little late today! I appreciate your patience!!!

To Know Him Face-to-Face

"And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face..." Such was said of Moses, who pastored the largest congregation in history, for the longest period of time. God gave the law and formed the Jewish church through Moses. What a special relationship he had with our Heavenly Father. So rich was this bond, that of it was born the song which would be sung through the ages as remembrance for the people of Israel. The song spoke of God's love, warned of His curse, comforted the faithful, and even bore witness to the grafting-in of the Gentiles. God Himself gave this song to bear witness of both His promises and His warnings. They were to memorize it, and on the day they realized His hand of blessing was removed they would sing the words and remember why.

Moses pronounced blessings over the tribes of Israel. I noted a few things in reading a few versions of this passage. Reuben received a blessing, truly by mercy as this tribe deserved to be cut off as Jacob predicted in Genesis. Judah would be so numerous and strong that they could hold their own, and the Messiah would come from this line. Levi was the family who kept the covenant with God when all the other tribes worshiped the golden calf. This is also the tribe who would have no land inheritance, but live fully dependent on God, serving in the temple. Benjamin was protected by God. The tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) received the largest blessing of all, going on for several verses! Zebulon and Issachar seemed to be the one who reached out to the Gentiles, telling them of the one true God. The tribes of Gad and Dan were gifted in defense, killing all their enemies easily. Naphtali was favored of God. And, the family of Asher was given the blessing of many strong children. What rich blessings the Father bestows on His children!!! Did you notice that Simeon was missing? We will remember why as we read on....

The final chapter of Deuteronomy records the death of Moses. He was 120 yrs old, but still strong and his "eyes were not dim" with age. He was told to climb the mountain Nebo, and there was shown the land of the promise. He did so without hesitation, I think because He knew God, and was not afraid to be gathered to his ancestors. He had lived a life following God's word, this was no different. He was the mediator of the law.....but it was Joshua (like Jesus) who would eventually escort the people into the promised land.......grace. God loved Moses and buried him secretly. We read in Jude, that Satan fought the angel Michael over the body of Moses, knowing he could get Israel to worship the bones of this great leader rather than God, Himself. God did not allow it.

What made Moses different? With such a strong testimony of the life and death of Moses, it makes me wonder how it all happened? In Hebrews, the Hall of Faith, we read that "by faith" Moses' parents hid him from Pharaoh. He had strong roots!! His parents raised a God-fearing son during time when God seemed to be far away. We learned that "by faith" Moses would not be called the daughter of Pharaoh's son, but sought the greater identity. He realized the fame of royalty was temporary!! He found the riches of Christ more valuable than the riches of Egypt, and he looked for the reward.

Moses was greatly used by God, because He had great faith in God. A God who knew him face to face, because Moses came while all the others chose to stay in their tents. Don't you want to know Him, too?

This Is Not Too Hard For You

Well, here they are, at the edge of the Jordan about to "cross over."

Cross Over - what does that mean? Continue across, pass over, proceed, forge ahead - all these years waiting to go to the Promised Land. Don't you know they were excited and nervous all at the same time? And Moses tells them - this is not too hard for you. What's not hard? The crossing over, the day to day living, keeping God's commandments, or living in the Promised Land?
When we look at our Christian lives, we know the "cross over" was not hard. We were excited and joyful when we accepted Jesus into our lives. It's the daily "moving ahead" where we find difficulty. It's the daily battle. The daily obedience. It's the "doing the right thing" that sometimes gets difficult in my life. Seeing clearly what God wants me to do. How about you? But here is the promise and the best thing! The Lord your God will Himself go over before you." That's why we can move ahead, cross over, be strong and of good courage because our God goes before us.

Life and death - blessing and curse . . . They had a choice - and so do we. Choose Life! Life in Christ - the abundant life. Choose obedience. Moses tells the people that even though God knows they will stray and even be dispersed into the uttermost parts of the earth (the Assyrians and the Babylonians) that the Lord will "gather" them back to Himself. (I was reminded of the Jewish people in years past coming back into their homeland after years of affliction, dispersion, and persecution.) When we are disobedient and "stray," God is faithful to take us back when we repent. That is what His grace is all about.

Moses, old and aged, now commissions Joshua to be their leader and tells the people that he is the one that will "cross over" with them. God is calling him home, and the leadership will pass to another man chosen of God. Could it be that in the months ahead Oak Hill will "cross over" and continue our journey with a new shepherd? A man chosen by God. That is my prayer.

And so, Moses is about to teach the Israelites a new song - his "Swan Song."

Stay tuned . . .

He is Faithful

My heart is very full after reading today's passage. For so many years, I struggled with what my testimony was. I accepted Christ as my savior when I was seven. While I had my share of teenage struggles and some rebellion and dishonesty in middle school, God never let me wander too far. For the most part, I really don't remember a time in my life when I knew what it was like to be without God. I struggled with how to let others know what God had done and was still doing in my life. There was no dramatic change, where one day I was living in sin and the next I knew God. In fact, there were years in High School where Satan really played with my head- trying to convince me that I hadn't really been saved but was only playing a part. If I had been saved I should "feel" something more...or something should look a lot different...or...something. I wasn't sure exactly what. Beth Moore says that while God deals with us in specific convictions, Satan deals in generalities to bog us down. I'm certainly inclined to agree! It's only really been in the past three or so years that God has really given me a "mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear." (29:4)

In Deuteronomy 28, Moses is listing off the blessings of obedience and curses for disobedience. In chapter 29, he is reminding the Israelites of the covenant they made with God at the base of Mount Sinai. I love these verses.

"Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharoah, to all his officials and to all his land. With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 29: 2-6

God has since opened my eyes to what my testimony is- that God is faithful. Just like the Israelites, I failed to notice all the ways God had cared for me and protected me. Even worse, much of the time I even wanted to try and take credit for my blessings instead of recognizing God's hand in the process. Even when I wasn't faithful, God was. He convicted me. Protected me. Surrounded me with godly women as examples. I benefitted so much from the examples of women who loved the Lord. My mom, my youth pastor's wife, numerous other ladies at my church, my grandmothers. I know I benefit from the faithfulness of my parents in following God. Are they perfect? No. Am I?? Certainly not! God himself knows how much work I've been over the years. But the testimony isn't about my faithfulness, it's about God's- even when I wasn't. "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

God made some wonderful promises to the Israelites here. What a wonderful nation they could have been. They were that wonderful nation when they were following God. However, so much of what Moses said regarding the curses was actually almost prophecy. God did what He said when Israel wasn't faithful. Israel was defeated and carried into captivity by Assyria and Judah to Babylon. Later, Roman oppression forced more Jews to flee their homeland. It's tragic. But, when they turned back to God, he remembered his promise. We close our reading with this verse:

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."

God has revealed so much of Himself to me over the years...through good times and through the struggles. That is my testimony. One of a God who honored His end of the bargain to a little seven year old girl who got up the courage to walk to the front of the church and commit her life to Him. He has never left me- even when I didn't pay attention to the fact that he was there. I don't know when you accepted Christ, or if you have. Maybe you feel like you're living under a curse- or that you deserve a curse. Please hear me, God wants nothing more than to start blessing you! Turn your heart back to Him. Remember, He is the faithful one. We are all just trying to be faithful. He's given us his word to help us along the way, and His Spirit to open our eyes and ears so we can understand. Thank you Lord. You are faithful God.

I love this song by Chris Tomlin, "Faithful." I pray it speaks to your heart too.

Obey the Lord and you will be blessed

Chapter 24
Divorce-
- a legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body.
- a separation between things that were or ought to be connected.

Divorce is such an ugly thing. Sadly divorce was a common practice even back during the days of Moses. These first four verses of chapter 24 gives restrictions to prevent casual separation and remarriage. Divorce is a permanent and final act for a couple. While these verses may give permission to divorce under certain circumstances the Lord never commands divorce. While you may have the right to do something like divorce your spouse, it does not mean you should or that it is the best thing to do.

On to a happier note, verse five is the newlywed verse. I love this verse because I think it is very important to take care of your marriage. The first year can be so challenging and critical. To become one flesh is not as easy as moving in with each other. God intended marriage for so much more.

Moving along through chapter 24 I had a thought pertaining to taking care of the poor. God instructed the people to leave some of the harvest for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows. Verse 19 talks about overlooking a sheaf and then purposely not going back to get it so it may provide for the poor and needy. This may be a stretch but my thought was, how many of us would feel we wasted something by leaving grapes on the vine or maybe we feel like we need to be in control of all the harvest and determine who is worthy of the grapes. God is in control and He is the one who provides.

Chapter 25
Verses 1-3 gives us three important points in the punishment of someone found guilty. Punishment should be quick after the offense. The punishment should fit the crime and do not over do the punishment. Then in verse four, such a simple verse, there is so much to learn. This verse is actually quoted twice in the New Testament referring to paying a worker what he deserves. To muzzle an ox while treading out the grain means the ox can not eat any of the grain as it works. God wants us to enjoy the fruit of our labor.

The next order of business in chapter 25 is the law that a widow’s brother-in-law is to marry her and carry on his dead brother’s name and inheritance. If he did not want to marry her then apparently his family would be shamed publicly.

Chapter 25 also gives us the command to do honest business. You should use accurate weights and measures when selling and buying from others. This is what the Lord wants. He detests dishonesty.

Chapter 26
In this passage Moses gives specific instructions for giving thanks to the Lord for the first crops in the Promised Land. After settling in the land, they were to take the firstfruits of all the produce, put it in a basket and take it to the priest that is in office. Then there shall be a specific ceremony performed to show thanks to the Lord. Then every third year is the Year of the Tithe. The Israelites are to set aside a tenth of all their produce, to go to the Levites, and the aliens, fatherless, and widows. Then the end of chapter 26 is one more reminder to the Israelites to obey the Lord and He will take care of them.

Chapter 27
Once the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land, they were to get large stones, cover them with plaster and write all the law on them. They were to build an altar at Mount Ebal and offer offerings to the Lord and rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God.

Moses then created two groups of people to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. On Mount Gerizim to bless the people would be Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. On Mount Ebal to pronounce curses would be Rueben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. After Moses sets up these two groups, he has the Levites recite a number of curses to the Israelites. He reminds the people of His commands. If you follow the laws, you’ll be blessed, and if you don’t, you’ll be cursed.

Purge the Evil

There are times in my life when I clearly know I am doing something wrong. The Holy Spirit convicts me and I am actively disobedient. There are other times when I do wrong, but don't realize it until later. Maybe this is because of my ignorance or lack of seeking God before acting. And still in other cases I know I need to do something and procrastinate (sometimes indefinitely). This might include making a phone call to a long-lost friend that God brings to mind or simply completing a chore that I know needs to be done.

To borrow a quote from Beth Moore... Anybody with me?

God demands that the Israelites actively deal with sin. In several cases throughout these chapters God tells the Israelites that they must "purge the evil." He gives very specific instructions and scenarios to convey His standards. In these chapters, God speaks specifically to a new and unhappy marriage between a man and his wife, inheritance for a first born son who is not born to a loved wife, rebellious sons, dealing with dead bodies, adultery, rape, keeping the camp clean (i.e., "toilets" outside of the camp), who can and cannot enter the assembly of the Lord, keeping vows, and several other laws.

It's clear to me that God cared about the intimate details of the Israelites' lives. He was passionate (and of course still is) about the holiness of His people. God required action or responses from the Israelites and in some cases the action was death to those who had done wrong. I think the action God required can be summarized as follows:

1. Do what is right in the eyes of the Lord
2. Discipline those who have done wrong

It is so freeing to me to do the right thing and to confess when I've done wrong... to reconcile with God and people I have hurt. It's also amazing how free my mind and spirit are when I no longer have to worry about that thing that keeps bothering me. God tells us in 1 John 1:9,

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

This New Testament scripture is a promise that God can "purge evil" from our lives today if we confess our sins. Lord, bring unconfessed sin to our minds. Teach us what is right in your eyes and help us deal aggressively with disobedience in our lives.

REMIND ME, REMIND ME, OH LORD

In these chapters God is reminding the Israelites of the laws they are to keep.  He tells them if they go and serve others gods and it is proven to be true then they shall be put to death.  They must have two or three witnesses in order for them to be put to death.  If there is only one, than they shall not put them to death.  The rules and laws of our courts today follow this same law that God gave to Israel.  They have to have witnesses or prove that a person is guilty in order for them to receive punishment.

God tells them they are not to have people that uses divination, observers of time, enchanters, witches, charmers, consulters with familiar spirits, wizards or necromancers for they are an abomination to the Lord.  He would send a prophet from the midst of them.  They could distinguish him from a false prophet because what the real prophet said would happen.  Today we have many false prophets and fortune tellers that people follow.  We must warn our children and others that they are an abomination unto the Lord and they need to stay away from them.

He tells them once again of the cities of refuge and how they are to be used.  He also tells them the laws of going into battle.  (Incidentally, Obviously, God condones war when it is proper.)  Who may and may not go and why.

In today's world we have laws and regulations that we must follow.  We can look at our laws and trace them back to God's laws.  As the Israelites had to teach their children what the laws were and to obey them, we too must teach our children.  I am reminded of when my children were younger and we were going someplace.  Before we left home, I would tell them what I expected them to do when we got there.  I would remind them once again when we got there of what I expected.

As God's children we need to be reminded of what God expects us to do and what not to do.  We get our reminders when we read God's word, by going to church and hearing God's word, by being around other Christians and by praying.  Remind me, Remind me oh Lord to do thy will in all that I do.

10%...could be 70%!

You have NO IDEA how ironic it is that I am the one doing this section that has a lot to do with money! I have NO DOUBT that God has a sense of humor! I am currently going through Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover" class at Oak Hill and there is a GOOD reason for this! Money issues are the "thorn in my flesh", to coin a phrase from Paul. Any of you that know me at all probably have a BIG grin on your face right about now because you know how funny this is!!!

Anyway, Chapter 14 is a review of the clean and unclean foods for the Israelites' diet. I covered this in detail in an earlier post (again, God knows how much we need repetition!). The main point from this chapter and that post is that the Israelites were to be set apart from all of the other nations around them and this was one of the main ways they were to do this. This chapter also gives the requirement of the tithe to the Lord. If you will recall with me, this was established WAY BACK in Genesis with Abram (Genesis 14:20). Some of you may be thinking to yourselves, we are a New Testament church so why do we have to still obey the tithe? This is an excellent question! Let's think about this logically...remember that Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy when being tempted by Satan, Jesus also quoted from MANY other Old Testament books during His ministry, Jesus is woven all throughout the Old Testament (we will see this as we progress!), the New Testament Jews still gave a tithe to the Levites, and the Ten Commandments are still in effect today! ALL of this gives validity to the requirements of the Old Testament and thus to the tithe. I can ALSO testify to the fact that God has protected us during our financial crisis and guess what...we tithe!!! I am just SO thankful that God only asks us to give 10% back to Him and not any more! It is ALL His money anyway! We could not earn ANY of it if He did not give us the breath in our lungs to live through the day!!!!

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Chapter 15 discusses the "Sabbatical Year" in which all debts between Israelites were cancelled. This happened every seven years. It is very interesting to me that this is also how long bad credit will stay on your credit report! The secular world does things that are dictated in the Bible and do not even realize it most of the time! I also found it very intriguing in verse 6 that God told the Israelites that they would lend money to many nations but would NOT borrow from other nations. Hmmmm....wonder what kind of shape the United States would be in if we would have followed this concept? Let me also point out verse 11, which talks about being generous and giving to the poor in your land. How well of a job are we doing of this in our community? I know that Oak Hill does a lot of things for the needy in our community, but are we helping with this?

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Chapter 16 reviews the requirements for the Passover, the Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The interesting part about these three events is that they all have to do with the Sabbath Law that was established in Deuteronomy 5:12. They all also required that these feasts occur in the central place of Jerusalem, which would mean a long pilgrimage for those who lived outside of Jerusalem. I wonder, are we willing to be "inconvenienced" for the Lord? Will we only do things to serve the Lord when it is easy and convenient for us?

What's in a Name?

So, I was thinking. Deuteronomy? I mean the other books we've read thus far in the Bible had names that were pretty self-explanatory......but Deuteronomy? Turns out it means "second law", meaning that the law was given a second time! You know why it had to be given again? Because this group of Israelites was a completely different flock than the one we started with! Although, some of these people had seen miracles in the wilderness, it had been forty years since the crossing of the Red Sea, and these guys were mere teenagers, some were children, and many weren't even born yet. Moses, Joshua, and Caleb were the only ones left who were adults at that time. I think they KNEW how important it was to carefully re-tell the miracles and explain the laws to this new generation. A commentary of sorts.....of all that Israel had learned from God.

I can somewhat identify with God here, because I run into this problem when raising my own children. Do you sometimes have to repeat the rules and responsibilities in your home, too? Some days I think, "Haven't I already said this before?" or "Haven't we done this before?!?!?" But, I have to remind myself that sometimes my youngest child may not have heard this particular rule before. (Mind you, he doesn't get this free pass often.) If the truth be told, my children aren't the only ones who need a reminder. I'm guilty of forgetting my own responsibilities, most days! What about in the life of our country? There were rules created and adopted in this land for how the government should operate, and also listing our rights and responsibilities as citizens of the United States. We weren't even alive then! Certainly, these laws have to be taught again as new generations are raised......ummmm, and sometimes "re-defined", but we won't get into that today.

It seems to me that Dt. 11:26-28 pretty much sums it all up. "Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known."

After Moses reminds Israel to never tolerate gods of the nations around them, he goes into detail about the God they are to worship. He tells them of the grave consequences they will endure should they not keep their hearts pure in worship. I thought it was so interesting that God warns the people through Moses, to watch out for false prophets and even family members who try to lead you astray! Satan will use anyone and anything to lure you away from God. We must guard our hearts diligently.

It's a choice only you can make, blessing or curse. Choose daily to trust and obey, for there's no other way....

WHAT THE LORD REQUIRES . . .

" . . . man does not live by bread alone . . ." that is a familiar and precious line is it not? When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness to turn stones into bread, he quoted this same verse from Deuteronomy.

In the desert they could not produce their own food but had to depend on God for

food and, thus, for their very lives. When Moses reminded them that they did not

live on bread alone, he meant that even their food was decreed by the Word of God.

They had manna because it came by His command. It was therefore ultimately

not bread that kept them alive but His Word! . . .It is significant that each

of the three temptations were met by a quote from the Book of Deuteronomy.

(Quoted from Chuck Missler)

Do we trust God to provide for us and be there for us - every day, in every thing, in every way, at all times? I'm learning to, are you? Is His Word keeping you alive? I want to put into practice some of the ideas from Natalie's post on Wednesday to keep His Word alive and before me at all times.

I found an interesting side note in my Amplified Bible concerning the two tablets of stone that Moses recalls here in this chapter. Since my son is an archaeologist, it got my attention quickly. I had never really thought of this before - just keep picturing in my mind those HUGE tablets!!

One of the many misconceptions of articles and events mentioned in the Bible,

which have been innocently perpetrated by artists without adequate knowledge,

is that of the size of the two tables of stone on which the Ten Commandments

were written. They were not great tombstone-sized slabs, but probably small

rectangular plates, two of which could easily be carried in one hand. Dr. George L.

Robinson brought from the Sinai area a pair of "tables of stone" believed

comparable to those mentioned here, which he put in his coat pocket. Moses

says here, "I went up the mountain with the two tables of stone in

my (one) hand."

"And what does the Lord require of you . . ." Here is God's command not only for the Israelites to live accordingly in the Promised Land, but to us as well. Love God with your whole heart and extend that love to others - not only the "lovely" but the "sojourner," the outcast, the unlovely. Moses reminded the people of what happened (i.e., the golden calf) when they turned away from loving God with their whole heart. And what do I do when I "turn away" from my first love? I get selfish, angry, possessive, self-righteous, and rebellious, disobedient.

Obedience is the evidence of what is in our hearts and our love for God. Obedience means trusting God, serving Him, following his commandments, loving others. God give us your grace to be obedient in all things.

Don't forget

I get the impression that in these chapters, Moses may have wished he had the ability to actually hammer some things into the Israelites brains. He stresses not just the law and the commandments, but the God behind them, and his relationship to Israel.

"The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. It was not with out fathers that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive today."

He's stressing that God's relationship is not just with those who have already passed, or even with Abraham, Isaac or Jacob, but with those standing in front of him on that day. He reminds them of the law, of their end of the bargain and reminds them that following that law consistently ensures long life and prosperity in a "land flowing with milk and honey."

Honestly, I think it may have been that beautiful land and prosperity that had Moses most concerned. I love these verses in chapter six:

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

This is so applicable to us today. Listen to christian music or a devotional in the car on the way to school or running errands. Find ways at home to have reminders of God in front of you. Scriptures on the mirror, or maybe frame a family verse in a pretty way. You can find tons of ready made options of some of the most popular verses here. (Go look when you have some spare time- there's a lot!) It's so easy to get distracted by the things of this world, it's better to keep reminders right in front of us. Most importantly, memorize scripture. "Write it on your hearts". Jesus tells us later that "out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." It will be a whole lot easier to talk about the things of God if we have them cemented on our hearts.

Right after those verses Moses tells Israel, "when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord." Oh, how easy it is to forget the Lord when we are "satisfied." When we feel like we don't need anything else from him at the moment. We life is good and we're enjoying the harvest. I'm so thankful that God gives us those times- we need them. But we don't need to forget that every good thing comes from Him.

In chapter seven, Moses reminds the Israelites of that.

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands."

Moses reminds them that God did not choose them based on their own merits, but based on His own character and promises. How thankful I am, and how much I need to remember, that it's God's goodness and grace alone that I have come to be counted as one of His children. Thank you Lord.

What do you do to keep scripture at the forefront of your mind? What do you do to teach your children the word of God? How do you "write it on the doorframes of your house and on your gates?"

Bet you thought I forgot...

Okay ladies, I did not forget about the giveaway. I worked the weekend and Monday. Twelve hour shifts + the time change did not leave me a lot of "non-sleeping" time at home over the past three days! My apologies for being so late in announcing!

Drum roll please!

And the lucky winner of the two Francine River's novellas is.....

Harriet!! With her comment "Thanks for adding some extra excitement into logging into the blog daily!"

Harriet, you are welcome and I'm so glad you're participating in our little adventure. And it has truly been an adventure! Please email me at natbhill@gmail.com with your "preferred method" of receiving your prize. Congratulations!

Everyone please make sure to read Amy's excellent post for today's reading from Deuteronomy! The real prize is for all of us- a fresh knowledge of God and a sure foundation in His word. Keep pressing on ladies! And keep those comments coming! We want to know what God's telling YOU!

Remember He is God

I am so excited that we have made it this far together. Deuteronomy is a book I have actually, in some ways, looked forward to studying. I am also very excited that I have made it through Leviticus and Numbers with you. Let’s keep moving!

Today’s first chapter, Deut. chapter three, we find Moses recounting the defeat of Og, King of Bashan. This was another battle that was totally the Lord’s. The Lord handed Og and his whole army over to the Israelites. They were reminded of the sixty cities they captured that were fortified with high walls, gates and bars. This land they took over was divided among the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh. Then Moses reminds Joshua that the Lord has brought the Israelites through all these battles and that the Lord will do the same for them in the land they are going.

Then we see Moses plead with the Lord one last time to go into the Promised Land. This reminds me of being a mother. There have been times when I have set rules that I didn’t want to follow through on because my child is pleading with me to change my mind. In my human ways I sometimes stick to my guns for prideful reasons or be lenient because of selfishness, or laziness. My intention is always to do what is best and right. Another way is to think about an action of you or your child that has a very difficult consequence. Like Moses, there is no “do over.” You can’t just take it back or do extra credit. Many times we may cry how “unfair” it is. The bottom line is that Moses was not going to enter the Promised Land but it did not mean God loved him any less and God still had much for Moses to do.

Chapter four is the Lord, again, commanding obedience and reminding the Israelites that He is God. I like verse two; “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.” So, that means, just do what He said because He is God and He means it. The Lord wanted the Israelites to remember. He wants us to remember. Remember His miracles, His provisions, even His disciplines. We should tell our children about what the Lord has done. Teach our children His word. This is one of the most important things we can do.

Moses Begins His Farewell

I had to laugh when I read the first sentence of my NIV Study Bible's introduction to Deuteronomy. The word Deuteronomy means "repetition of the law". You guys ready for some more law??? We know repetition of a good thing (a new habit, positive words, thoughts, actions) is key to it becoming ingrained in our lives. So, as we start this fifth book of the Bible together, let's press on to keep learning about our God, His commandments, and His grace.

As I think of times in my life that have been filled with great anticipation, several things come to my mind - my wedding, the birth of our son, and moving to a new home or city. There was a lot of preparation leading up to these events. I was looking forward to each one, but especially to what followed... sharing life with my sweet husband, the joy of my son, and the experiences of exploring a new town and making new friends. These are all wonderful memories for me.

Can you feel the anticipation growing for the Israelites? They had been "wandering in the desert" for 40 years. They were in Moab, which is just across the Jordan River from Canaan. They could probably see the edges of the Promised Land. Moses must have had some pretty intense emotions at this time also. We know that Moses was not allowed to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. He was also 120 years old at this time and was transitioning leadership of the Israelites to Joshua. I believe this time of his life would have been bitter-sweet. Moses still had a big job to do as he prepared the Israelites to enter Canaan. He was to remind them of God's covenant, faithfulness, and blessings. But, Moses also had to say goodbye to the people he had led for the past 40+ years. To the very end of his life, Moses was faithful to lead the Israelites and to deliver God's messages to them.

Deuteronomy consists of three "sermons", which were Moses' farewell messages. Let's dive in together...

Moses begins by reviewing some of the Israelites' history starting with their camp in Horeb (believed to be near the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula). He quickly reminds them of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob of deliverance to the Promised Land. Moses also reminds the Israelites of the following:

• They had agreed to established leadership and order throughout the tribes
• God told them to take the land of the Amorites, but the Israelites instead chose to send spies
• An entire generation of Israelites, including Moses, were not allowed to enter Canaan because of their lack of obedience or trust (the exceptions were Caleb and Joshua)
• The Israelites tried to conquer the Amorites on their own, failed miserably, and received no sympathy from God
• They wandered in the desert for another 38 years
• God led them back to conquer the Amorites and they were victorious

I don't know about you guys, but I felt like I was reading the Cliff Notes version of the Israelite wanderings. Kind of fun! Moses reminded the Israelites of where they have been, times when they were disobedient and had suffered consequences, and that God was faithful to keep his promises. God commanded the Israelites twice to conquer the Amorites. The first time they were disobedient and suffered as a result. The second time, they were obedient and were victorious. I want to be one who remembers my history, God's promises, and God's grace AND one who learns from my mistakes. I am so thankful that God gives us second (and third) chances!

GOD IS MY REFUGE

 Chapter 35 God tells Moses to tell the Children of Israel they are to give of their inheritance to the Levites cities to dwell in and also to give them suburbs for the cities round about them.  Forty-two of these cities are for the Levites to dwell in and six are to be for refuge.  If a person was to kill somebody unaware, they could flee to the City of Refuge.  If he made it to the City of Refuge, the avenger could not kill him until he stood before the congregation in judgment.
If a person was to murder than they was to be put to death.  If it was an accident they was to stay in the City of Refuge during the life of the high priest. than they could return to their home.

Chapter 36 tells us of their inheritance.  The woman was to marry in the family of the tribe of their father.  This was done so the families could keep their inheritance in the family.  Concerning the children of Zelophehad , Numbers 36:6 says "let them marry whom they think best" establishing some basic women's rights to choose who they would or wouldn't marry.  It was no longer the right of the parents to dictate who they would or wouldn't marry.  The daughter had a say so now.  God has always been the forerunner of women's rights, whereas man and man's religion has always sought to oppress women.

I am so g lad that today God is our refuge.  We do not have to flee to a city.  He keeps us in his loving arms and forgives us our sins if we first ask.  He died for our sins so the devil (avenger) can not have us when we do wrong.  As I read of all the laws that the Israelites had to follow or be punished, often with death, I am glad that we live under grace.  Thank you God for saving me and keeping me in the refuge of your arms.

Oh the Places You'll Go!

One Israelite, two Israelites, grumbling Israelites, disobedient Israelites - when will you finish this long, lengthy plight? Okay...in all seriousness...chapter 33 is a review of AALLLLL the places the Israelites have wandered to during their 40 years in the wilderness. Interestingly enough, Moses states in verse 2 the fact that HE wrote down this review of the Israelite's journey. All of the other books of Moses were said the be given to Moses BY God. Another interesting tidbit of information from this chapter is that 17 of the places Moses records they camped in are not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible and the only known information regarding these places is simply that the Israelites camped there. This chapter also reflects the form of a military itinerary, which was very common of certain literary genres recorded around the countries bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Having stated all of these very note-worthy facts, what can we see in this chapter about our lives? When I look back on my life, I can see the places where I have just wandered around. God was ALWAYS there beside me, patiently waiting for me to "get it". But until then, he just had me going here and there, but NEVER in vain! I ALWAYS learned something from these years of wandering! And He ALWAYS provided for me during these times just as He did for the Israelites during their wanderings.

In Chapter 34, God gives to Moses the boundaries for the Promised Land. Simply put, the land of Canaan consisted of the land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan, plus modern day Lebanon and a portion of modern day Syria. Interestingly (again) is the fact that Israel never occupies ALL this territory - it represents the Promised Land, not the actual occupied land of Israel. This got me to thinking about boundaries in our lives. Many of them exist for our protection, for our privacy, and to determine appropriate behavior by us and by others. Certainly the boundaries (or rules/laws) that God has given to us are for our protection and we are under His umbrella of protection when we follow these boundary limits. How many times have I pushed the "limits" of these boundaries and gotten myself into BIG (and I mean BIG) trouble? PLENTY!!!!!! Each time I have wandered outside of these boundaries, God lovingly brings me back into them and waits patiently for me to return! So, have you wandered outside of God's boundaries of protection He has established for your life? If you have, God is waiting with (HUGE!!!!) open, loving arms for you to return to within these boundaries! It is NEVER too late!

Giveaway reminder...

Don't forget that you have until tomorrow, March 13th at 4:00pm, to get your comments in to be entered for the giveaway! Don't miss out!

God's Not a Bully

God didn't just pick on little clans of people for Israel to massacre....He deals by complete justice. For review....Israel had camped next to the Moabites in the land of Midian. The Moabites rallied the Midianites against Israel convincing them that they'd "be licked up like an ox licks grass from a field" if they didn't do something about those pesky Israelites. Together, they sought out a "prophet" who would place a curse on Israel. (He was a fake prophet, if you will....a man who was in it for the diplomacy of it all, not so much the divination. Well, unless you mean the divination fee, now THAT was something he liked...money. But, isn't it just like our sovereign God to even use this pretender for His own glory?) Only problem with their plan to get Israel cursed is that Balaam couldn't curse them, as God did not allow it. However, Balaam still wanted his "prophet" fee so he did the next best thing: He set Israel up to curse themselves. God reveals the reason the Midianites had to be served justice. Balaam had advised (v.16) that they send their immoral women over to tempt the Israelites into sin. Israel fell for it hook, line, and sinker, and God had 24,000 put to death for willful sin against Him. They were dead wrong. But, God deals by complete justice, right? So of course He went after Midianites, too. All of the men were killed, including 5 kings, and Balaam, himself. The women, children, and animals were taken. And the Midianite's cities were burned to the ground. Don't mess with Israel, or her righteous Defender.

Why were 12,000 men told to take revenge on the Midianites? Why didn't God just send a plague or something? Aren't we told to overcome evil with good? ...to never repay evil for evil? ...to live at peace with all men as far as possible? Hmmmmmm. God's vengeance is different than ours. For one, He can take a lot more junk than we can! It's His timing and His purpose that has to be worked out. If we had license to take revenge, it could be disastrous! We'd likely serve our own agenda rather than God's....He is long-suffering and holy.

Hey...why march all those adulterous women back into the Israelite camp?!?!? Weren't they the reason Israel was in trouble? The seed of evil was still there. Moses ordered all women who had known a man, and all the male children to be killed. Seems harsh? I thought of the flood. Surely there were"innocent" women and children then, too? I don't know.....seems to me that the Lord knows what He's doing. Like some terrible, incurable disease those women would infect the people of Israel. They already did, actually.

And what about that miracle outcome in battle?? Listed first, we have the purification of those in Israel and all of the spoils of war after this battle, as well as the rations and taxes for all. But, as the booty was added up, and the spoils divided the miracle began to be revealed. Based on the number of women left, there must have been 40-50,000 men for Israel to conquer! And not a SINGLE Israelite life was lost! The people gave thanks to their God, knowing it was by His hand that they had won. They gave all the glory to Him. I do wonder, though... of all those donkeys taken, was one of them Balaams? :)

And what was up with Reuben and Gad? I mean they basically said, "Ummm, y'all go ahead and fight for your promised land....we like it here." Moses told them, no way! Do you think he remembered 40 yrs ago when Israel had stopped right outside the border of their promised land?? I don't know. But, the next plan was just as flawed. Their new idea was, "Okay, so let us build some fences for our sheep and put our tents here, then we'll go help you get the inheritance and we'll come back here to stay." Again....what? God's plan is for their best. He promised them HIS best. Did they really think that this was as good as it gets?? Then I am reminded.....do I? Sadly, yes. Sometimes I'm guilty of thinking this is the best He has to offer, after all it's so wonderful! But, He promises so much more....

Why not be safe, and dance with the One that brought ya? huh? They stayed and built sheepfolds.....Not just Reuben and Gad, but a half-tribe of Manasseh, together on the wrong side of the Jordan. The wrong side of the promised land. And does anyone else sense trouble when they started naming all their cities after themselves? Moses warned them with the words I think my Mom borrowed from him, "Be sure your sin will find you out" if you don't do right. I suppose I'm guilty of staying in the wilderness for far longer than God had asked, too. But, I wonder what will become of these that stayed in the wilderness boundaries......

God help me to not become too comfy, but to press on.

And the Lord said unto Moses . . .

How often have we read those words in the past few months? The Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments, the laws, instructions, commands, and now in these chapters the Lord gives instructions for worship. Since they are no longer wandering in the dessert and are about to settle down in the land of Canaan, things will change somewhat. Here the Lord reveals some new regulations regarding sacrifices and offerings.


A Sabbath Offering is mentioned. A time for a sacred assembly and sacrifice that was observed every seven days. The New Moon Festival was a monthly celebration observed by blowing of "silver trumpets" and special offerings. These rituals and offerings took time and had to be planned. They had to gather their sacrifices of grain, oil or animals to bring to the priest. (You just didn't go and grab a bull by the horns and run off to the priest.) The animals had to be "without blemish" (as was the Lamb of God) - so they had to be carefully chosen.

Do we "run off" to worship without any planning or aforethought as we come into worship on our Sabbath? Are our hearts and minds prepared? Our sins confessed? Are we "clean before our Lord?" We must also "prepare" for worship.

The other Feasts we have studied in Leviticus - The Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, The Feast of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement, and The Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths). Now this last one - The Feast of Tabernacles, I can relate to and connect with.

I grew up going to an old-fashioned "Camp Meeting" where our family stayed for a week in "tents" (rude cabins with sawdust floors and chicken-wire windows) and worshiped two to three times a day in a large, open-air "Tabernacle." These "tents" were erected in a large circle surround the Tabernacle (in remembrance of the Israelites encamped around their Tent of Meeting in the wilderness). We met each year in late August, (originally set because the crops would then be "laid by" and gathered in after the harvest). Originally each "tent" was connected by a "brush arbor" used for shade. A ram's horn was blown before each worship service to call us to worship. Some of my most cherished memories. It felt like "Holy Ground."



Should we not remember that when we enter our Worship Center at Oak Hill that is where the Lord will meet with us? We sing praises, give our offerings, ask that our sins be forgiven; listen to a word from the Lord - in a different and new way this represents our "festivals" and our "offerings." This is Holy Ground indeed.

Next we have what the Lord commands regarding a "vow." If a man vows a vow - here are God's guidelines concerning vows that are made to God or others. Rather than leave a vow unfulfilled, it would be better not to make one at all. "A promise made is a promise kept." "A man is as good as his word." Are things still the same today? What have I promised to God that I have not kept? Or what do I still "owe" on a vow that I have made? Makes you think, doesn't it??

By the Numbers

I use a lot of numbers at my job. By themselves, they don't mean a whole lot. Put into context, they can help doctors and me to determine whether or not someone is healthy, and potentially what is wrong with them. We open our reading today with a bunch of numbers. After roughly thirty six or seven years wandering in the desert, God instructs Moses to take another census. Throughout those thirty some odd years, an entire generation has passed away with the exception of Moses, Joshua and Caleb. Many died from plagues resulting from their sin and many died from natural causes. God has lived up to His word.

You would expect that, after so many passed away from their sins and the wrath of God expressed in various different plagues and fires and the earth swallowing them up, the numbers would have shown dramatic decreases across the board. Not so. Many of the tribes actually increased, often by a dramatic amount. The tribes of Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Manasseh, Benjamin, Dan, Asher and the Levites all recorded increases. In fact, the tribe of Manasseh almost doubled. The tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Ephriam, and Naphtali all decreased, with the tribe of Simeon decreasing by over half. In total, the population of men over the age of 20 in Israel only decreased by about 1800 people.

While I don't want to draw too many conclusions from the numbers, one thing is obvious. I would imagine the more spiritually healthy tribes increased while the spiritually weak tribes decreased. God did promise to keep them healthy and fertile if they followed his law, didn't he? It would follow then that those that obeyed grew, while the ones that didn't not only didn't grow, but lost many members directly to God's wrath. I think we can see here some of God's refining process. He was preparing a nation to follow Him. My study Bible makes this statement,

"A whole nation moved from one land to another, lost it's entire adult population, yet managed to maintain it spiritual direction."

That is pretty impressive to me. How many things remain intact in our world from one generation to the next? Really, from one DECADE to the next. Our culture changes so fast. But, the things of God stand, remain, and remain RELEVANT and TRUE for eternity, because we serve an eternal God. That knowledge leaves me much more at peace with the day to day, week to week, month to month and year to year changes life throws at me.

Ravi Zaccharias quotes C.S. Lewis (a GREAT combination by the way) in his book "The Grand Weaver."

"How time flies," we say. Then Lewis says that such a reaction would be as anomalous as a fish expressing surprise at the wetness of water- unless, of course, it were intended to live on dry land. Those words capture it well. We react to the speed of time because, deep in our souls, we are "created for eternity."

God Will Have His Way

Have you ever had a plan that you thought was so perfectly put together and then at the point of time it should all come together nothing went right? I think of this when I read about Balak not being happy with Balaam’s first oracle. I wonder what Balaam felt as the words were coming from his mouth, blessing the Israelites instead of cursing them. Balak undoubtedly expected to get his way eventually. He had been told or warned by Balaam that he could only say what the Lord put in his mouth. Balak tried different points of view to try to change the outcome. This makes me think of how we may try to get our way when we’ve been told it is not the way it is going to happen. My NIV notes say it like this, “changing locations won’t change God’s will.” Anyway, no matter how Balak tried to manipulate the situation Balaam would only bless the Israelites.

In chapter 24 it states that Balaam didn’t use his sorcery as the other times which sounds like he must have used his pagan practices before this third oracle. This is difficult for me to understand except to say that God will get His way! He can and will use whatever He wants to do His will. It also sounds like Balaam is experiencing God. The first two verses tell us that Balaam turned his face toward the wilderness and when he saw the tribes of Israel, the Spirit of God came upon him. This third oracle just makes Balak furious and he tells Balaam to just go home.

Verse 17 is thought to be a prophecy of Jesus: "I see him, but not in the present time. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the foreheads of Moab's people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth." How exciting. What do you think?

Next we read about some of the Israelite men being enticed by the Moabite women to indulge in sexual immorality and participate in worshipping their gods. The Lord was angered and He commanded Moses to take the leaders of the guilty people and kill them. During this time there was a plague killing Israelite people because of the Lord’s anger. While Moses was talking to the judges and in front of the whole assembly of Israel at the Tent of Meeting, a man brought a Midianite woman into his tent. Phinehas, son of Eleazar, takes a spear and goes into the man’s tent. He drives the spear through the man and the woman at one time, killing them. Because of Phinehas’s action the plague stopped and the Lord was pleased. Then Moses is commanded to treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them.

Once again God made the point that He alone is the one true God and no other should be worshipped. He will not tolerate anything taking His place. His way is the only way.