Feb.21 - Deuteronomy 4 - 6

Deuteronomy is Moses' final words of challenge to the people he's been leading over the past 40 years. The Hebrew name for Deuteronomy is "Devarim", and is obtained from the opening phrase of the book of Deuteronomy which says "Eleh ha-devarim", and actually means "These are the words". It simply refers the "discourses" or "talks" which Moses had with the people of Israel. These talks are comprised of mainly three speeches given by Moses some time before his death, in the mountains of Moab, in the penultimate month prior to their entering into the Promised Land.

Here are a few Power Thoughts from today's reading:

1) A lack of faithfulness to the Lord can impact your physical health! Throughout the Bible, we see numerous instances where people suffer physical ailments as a result of their sinful lives or lack of faithfulness to the Lord. Here in Deuteronomy 4:4, Moses reminds the Israelites that it was their faithfulness to Him that preserved their lives until today. Remember the man whom Jesus healed at the Pool of Siloam? After his healing, Jesus told him to "go and sin no more lest a worst thing happen to you." It was obvious from Jesus' comment that this man's physical health had seriously deteriorated due to a sinful life. In 1 Corinthians 11:30, the apostle Paul reminded the Christians at Corinth due to their habitual sinful living and lack of serious devotedness to the Lord and the communion table "for this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." One of God's methods of spanking his disobedient children is through physical problems. He knows this will eventually get our attention!

2) Obedience to God displays wisdom to others! Everyone has a conscience! And everybody appreciates and respects a person of integrity and justice! That's what Moses was trying to say to the Israelites in 4:6-8. When Moses advised the Israelites in 4:6, to "Obey them (God's commandments) completely, and you will display wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations", he further explained himself by what he meant when he said in 4:8, "what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions...?" Everyone, even evil people, appreciate justice. God's law preserves justice and gives those who obey His word a wisdom about them!

3) God gives us the SECRET to a prosperous life! When the Israelites saw how awesome God was at Mount Sinai they actually had a fear of His greatness and holiness. In fact, they begged Moses to stand between them and God so that they wouldn't encounter God's wrath and be killed. When God heard them say this to Moses He replied (5:29), "Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands!" If there is any verse in the Bible we ought to pay attention to and take it to heart...it's this one! It holds for us the heart of God's desire for us!

More on this later! Have a great Saturday!