Deuteronomy 24

"Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.

(Deu 24:16)

SIN… WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT?

Just who’s fault is it when you sin? Is it Adam’s fault? Maybe Eve’s? Is it your Father’s fault? Or your Mother’s? Is it a result of your genetic makeup? Is it because of the environment you were raised in? Is it because of the way your friends behave?

According to the word of God, none of those things matter. When He looks at sin, He is going to be concerned with one person only… the one who committed the sin. I’ve heard people on TV try and blame horrendous deeds on the unloving environment they grew up in. I’ve heard others blame an addiction to drugs or alcohol on the addictions of their father. I’ve heard of men and women who did awful things that claim they only did them because their children drove them to that point.

We are a society that is full of people who don’t want to take responsibility for their actions. We always want to find someone to blame for OUR shortcomings. Some blame individuals, some blame the system, others blame the Devil or his demons. It has been like this since the very beginning, when sin first entered the world. Neither Adam nor Eve wanted to accept responsibility. Who did God punish in the Garden of Eden? Each person for the part they played, “each one for his own sin”. God is gonna be concerned with one thing when you stand before him in judgement… YOUR SIN. The sin that YOU committed. The only thing that will save you in that day is you having acknowledged it as your own, and trusted in the sacrifice of Jesus to pay the price.

So today, have you taken responsibility for your sin? Have you confessed to God that you are to blame for it in it’s entirety, that you have NO EXCUSE? If you haven’t, today is a great day to begin.

Deuteronomy 23

"When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you. But if you abstain from vowing, it shall not be sin to you. That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth.

(Deu 23:21-23)

We should never make a promise we don’t intend to keep. No matter how inconvenient, or what the personal cost may be, we need to be men and women who keep their word; men and women who’s yes means yes and no means no. Some salesmen practice the opposite of this. They say whatever it takes to close the deal, and if it isn’t in writing they’ll act like they never said it.

This happened to a couple in our church when they bought a new car. The salesman promised them some things that weren’t in writing, and when they wanted to take advantage of those things, he acted like he didn’t know what they were talking about. At one point Noel and I were at the dealership with the woman, and the one sales representative basically said, “we can’t do that for anyone, if someone here says something you better get it in writing”. It was convenient for them to make the promise because it got them the sale, it was inconvenient for them to keep the promise so they just ignored it.

We are told here as the people of God that, “that which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform”. Not just what is convenient, but EVERY PROMISE WE MAKE. In Psalm 15:4 we are told that the man that dwells in the Lord’s presence “swears to his own hurt and changes not”. The Lord would have us be men and women of our word. A promise is a promise. Don’t tarnish the reputation of the Lord by making promises you don’t intend to keep!

Deuteronomy 22

"You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother. And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it to your own house, and it shall remain with you until your brother seeks it; then you shall restore it to him. You shall do the same with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment; with any lost thing of your brother's, which he has lost and you have found, you shall do likewise; you must not hide yourself. "You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fall down along the road, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him lift them up again.

(Deu 22:1-4)

Indifference. How often do people just drive by a person stopped on the side of the road, obviously in need of help? How often do we pass up an opportunity to serve others because it will inconvenience us? As a society, we seem to have adopted the idea that as long as we aren’t actively seeking to harm someone, we have no obligation to help them. It’s a philosophy of “I’m just minding my own business”.

I remember one case in particular where I was on the receiving end of this indifference. I had just gotten my Honda back after it was stolen, and I was on my way to work one Saturday morning. I decided to drive through Herndon so I could hit the Starbucks with a drive-thru. About halfway through the drive-thru it happened… “KLUNK, KLUNK, KI-KI-CHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH….” My car had just died. Now I’m stuck. I turn the key… “WAHH-wahh-wahh-wahh-wahh”. I do it 4 or 5 times, and I get NOTHING. I’ve got cars behind me honking, and a gap developing in the line in front of me. There are still about 3 more cars that need to go before I can get out. My flashers are on, and I’m getting more frustrated with every honk. I climb out of the car and look at the big Lexus SUV directly behind me. The guy behind the wheel refuses to make eye contact with me, I’m staring at him, and if you could see my face you would know I was saying “can I please just get a little help?” I was so embarrassed and I felt totally helpless. All I could think of to do was use one hand to steer the car, and push against the door with the other. If I needed to stop I would jump in and hit the brakes. This was such hard work! It was literally taking every ounce of strength in my body. No one offered to help, no one ever even said a word. To them I was just a road block in their day threatening to mess up their schedule.

When I think about how I felt that morning, I am reminded how important it is to serve others. I don’t want to be the guy that looks the other way. I don’t want to ignore people’s problems for the sake of convenience. All over the world the normal thing to do is THINK ABOUT YOURSELF. In every situation the question asked is, “what’s in it for me?” Here in Deuteronomy we see that God wanted His people thinking differently, and living differently. Even if no one was around, they were to help a lost animal, to care for a lost possession of another. Even if it meant feeding and caring for that thing with your own resources, they were to put the needs of others first. We can learn an important lesson here. We may not have livestock, but we do see people in need on a regular basis. The Lord would have us meet those needs. Don’t turn the other way, show them the love of Jesus.

Deuteronomy 21

"If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. And they shall say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.' Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear.

(Deu 21:18-21)

This passage here is pretty hardcore. The rebellious child was to be stoned, YIKES!!! Look at the progression in the life of this “rebellious and stubborn” child.

1. He won’t obey the voice of his father and mother – The Bible tells us over and over that the wise man will take head to the warnings and corrections he is given, but a fool won’t even listen after a beating. The difference between the WISEMAN and the FOOL is there attitude towards God. The wise man has a reverential fear and respect for the LORD, the fool lives like God doesn’t exist. If you are wise, understand that disobeying your parents is = to disobeying God. The Lord’s will for your life is that you would listen to what your parents say, and do it without complaining and grumbling.

2. Even when they have chastened him, he won’t change – This word chastened means to “discipline or punish with the purpose of instructing”. These parents were taking active steps to show their children the consequences of rebelling against them and God. They were disciplining them, a way of allowing them to reap what they had sown, and teaching them how to avoid that discipline in the future. Part of the indictment against this child was that he was STUBBORN. He refused to change, to alter his course… this resulted in bringing God’s judgement upon him.

The Lord wants us to stay in a place where we are teachable, He doesn’t want us to follow this path to destruction. If we listen to Him, and to those in authority in our lives, we can avoid CHASTENING altogether. The Lord wants to instruct us with His voice, He only uses other means when we won’t listen. If we continue to rebel against God and authority, it will eventually end in our death. We need to take the Lord’s correction in our lives seriously, (that includes when it comes through your parents) He is only trying to make us into the people we were created to be.

Deuteronomy 20

“For Jehovah your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you” (Deut 20:4).

We all live in a battle. In Ephesians, Paul tells us that we battle against principalities and powers. Paul often tells to fight the good fight. Let us examine some obvious facts about battles.

Battles are uncomfortable.
Battles come with the possibility of getting hurt.
Battles are not fun.
Battles are not always won.

These are some reasons why you see Christians giving up. I ask you, Who is fighting your battle? If it is you, well, you can last so long. Eventually you will be worn down by the enemy. He takes advantage of our moments of weakness. If it is someone else in this world, well eventually they will let you down. It has to be Jesus.
I do not know what is going on in your life today. Perhaps you are struggling with the same sin, over and over again. Remember, the Bible never says that if you pray to Jesus that He will take away temptation. Often people pray that they would not feel temptation anymore. That is like saying, “I have put my faith to battle for you Lord as long as there are no enemies on the battlefield.” Temptations are here until we die (Romans 7). However, we have a God who will come along side of us and fght our battles with us, and for us. Read the verse one more time. Jesus goes with us. Therefore we must be stepping out onto the battlefield in faith. DON”T GIVE UP! Go out there, and know Jesus is with you. He goes with us to fight for us. He is there on a mission to defend our soul and spirit. He loves His bride and He fights for her.

“No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it” 1 Cor 10:13.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” James 1:12.

If you are in a battle today and you are ready to conquer it, pray to Jesus. Ask a brother or sister in Christ to pray for you. Finally, cling to Jesus in faith, that He, in all His power, will fight with you and for you. This is what He ha promised, and our Lord is not slack concerning His promises.

Deuteronomy 19

“And your eye shall not pity. Life shall go for life, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, hand for a hand, foot for a foot” (Deut 19:21).

Welcome to the law. The rules are simple; life shall go for life and so on. We have been talking about the law since Exodus 20. We have been examining each and every principle. We have been seeing how Jesus is portrayed through the law. However, I believe it is important to note now, that the law, though it is good, could not do it. It could not save us from our sins, and the reason is this principle right here. Which one of you has ever hated, fought, was bitter, lusted, complained, or disobeyed? All of us have. And when we have done these things the law only promises one thing, justice. If you got what you deserved where would you be?

“You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." But I say to you, Do not resist evil. But whoever shall strike you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew 5:38-39).

This is the new law. This is where grace enters in. Jesus is the forerunner of grace, the first to ever live this principle. He teaches us not to return, eye for an eye or tooth for tooth, but to turn the other cheek. Jesus not only taught this, but lived it out when He died for us on the cross. We live in a world that is constantly telling us we deserve this or deserve that. Here is God the Son, the only One deserving of praise, and He dies for us turning the other cheek on our behalf. As Christians we need to do the same.
Live today with the understanding that you do not deserve what you have. You do not deserve eternal life. You owe everything to Jesus. Therefore, when you are afflicted, why defend yourself? Why retaliate? The world expects you to do these things. However, as a Christian, reflect Christ and give them grace. Share the grace of God and preach the grace of God both with your mouth and your life. I love Jesus and I love His justice, but it is His grace poured out that makes me want to run to Him in times of trouble. This is the new law, it is a law of grace and love.

Deuteronomy 18

Moses was a unique prophet. Not only did he prophesy, but he also lead Israel in every way. He was the bridge by which Israel would talk to God. He knew God. He spoke with God. He represented the covenant and the law.

“Jehovah your God will raise up to you a Prophet from the midst of you, of your brothers, One like me. To Him you shall listen,” (Deut 18:15).

A new Prophet was to come. This Prophet was to be like God, as stated in verse 15. This prophet was to be no other than Jesus Christ. Let us look as to why these verses point to Jesus.

Moses is at the end of his life and the people are starting to wonder how they will fair without him. It only seems natural that the Lord would mention the Messiah, Jesus, at a time like this. He was to be “like” God. You may declare, “He was not like God, He was God.” The word, “like” means “in comparison to,” or “equal in worth.” Nobody is equal in worth to the Lord, unless He is the Lord. Moses came and sought to behold the Face of God, however, was only able to look at the back of His glory. This new Prophet would be the Son of God, equal in worth, and capable of looking at the face of God.

Next we notice that this next Prophet would be like Moses. We already discussed what Moses did in his fine career. Jesus, like Moses, would be the mediator between God and Man. He would be equal to God, but also, equal to man. He would set up a new law, the law of grace, and by that men would have fellowship with God. Although He would fulfill the law, He would represent grace. Finally, look at verse 18:

“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brothers, One like you, and will put My words in His mouth. And He shall speak to them all that I shall command Him.”

When I read this verse I immediately think of John 8:38, “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things which please Him.” If Jesus only did what His Father told Him to do, how much more should we! Jesus did nothing of Himself. He was 100% following the Father, just like Deuteronomy 18:18 tells us.

As we move on studying the Scripture remember, everything points to Jesus. We have now observed Jesus in Genesis as that perfect sacrifice (Gen. 22), in Exodus as the deliverer, in Leviticus as the great High Priest, in Numbers as the God’s appointed Leader, and in Deuteronomy as the New, greater Moses. He is the only prophet to be like Moses, but more importantly, He is the only prophet to be like God. Praise the Lord!

Deut 17

“When you come to the land which Jehovah your God gives you, and shall possess it and shall live in it and shall say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations around me” (Deut 17:14).

If there are any verses that prove that the Lord knows the heart of man it would be these verses given here. Read 1 Samuel 8 to hear all about the day Israel demands they are given a king. Israel was designed by God, to be governed by God. They were a Theocracy (A God governed nation). For the sake of being like the world around them, they choose to appoint themselves a king. We see here that God does not deny them this privilege, however He does set up a few guidelines.

“But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, so as to multiply horses, because Jehovah has said to you, You shall return no more that way from now on” (Deut 17:16).

Israel was not to worry about battles. The Lord God would win their battles for them. Remember what Balaam did to Israel. He knew that if Israel sinned that the Lord would not bless their conduct. Therefore he advised King Balak, who was fighting Israel, to send the women down to seduce the men of Israel. This plan worked out just the way Balaam hoped it would. Well, Israel would once again return to a life of sin. They were worshipping all sorts of idols. Therefore, to punish and cure Israel from this new obsession the Lord sent down Babylon to take out Israel for 70 years, representative of a Sabbath. Israel would be cleansed because of their evil. God was still merciful with Israel, granting them the opportunity to turn from their sins. Instead of turning from their sins, observe what Israel does in Isaiah 31, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and lean on horses and trust in chariots, because it is great; and in horsemen, because they are so very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor do they seek Jehovah!” They disobeyed the exact words of the Lord by trying to make an alliance with Egypt for horses.

“Nor shall he multiply wives to himself, so that his heart does not turn away. Nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold to himself” (Deut 17:17).

There were many kings who took for themselves many wives and concubines. However, whenever I look at something like this I feel Solomon is to be pointed out. “And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.” How sad. These wives would cause the wisest man to have ever lived to allow idols and other sin to pour into Israel. Solomon not only disobeyed the law, but downright ridiculed it by taking 700 wives!

In the end, we see that the only good king to come out of Israel would be David. The only great king would be Jesus Himself. There is a reason why Jesus tells you yes and no to certain things. The reason is because, He understands your heart so well that He understands what will be a weakness for you. Listen to Jesus before you become like a king of Israel.

Deut 16

The Children of Israel had a time of remembrance called the Passover. This was to celebrate when God took Israel from their bondage in Egypt. God wanted to set up a feast by which they would be reminded that they were slaves and now set free.

The Passover is a beautiful picture of our own lives. Egypt is usually a type of the world. Like Heather shared on Sunday night, we are in a battle between two kingdoms; the kingdom of this age (the world) and the kingdom of heaven. We were once in bondage to this world. We had no other choice but to serve it. Than, by the grace of God, we were set free. Can you think of something we do remind ourselves of our freedom in Christ? (Look up Luke 22:14-19). The Lord understands that we are frail, and sets up an event to remind us of His gift to us.

During the Passover you had liberty to give as much offerings as you wanted, however only one was required. This one offering was a lamb, perfect without blemishes. What a picture of Christ! Consider Revelation 4. The Passover lasted one week. For six days they were to refrain from unleavened bread. What is leaven? Leaven is yeast, which causes the bread to rise. It often represents sin in our lives. Why? Because a little leaven effects the whole lump of bread. If you put only a pinch of leaven in the bread, the whole dough will rise. Therefore, we are to refrain from any sin, because a little sin can effect our whole being. In remembrance of what the Lord did for them, Israel was to stay away from leaven for six days. On the seventh day, they were to join together with other Jews.

Consider it a dangerous place when you stop coming to church. I think the Lord wants this pattern in each of our lives. We are to refrain from sin for six days during the week, as we toil and work and live. Finally, we are to gather together to worship God. When you gather, and you are living in sin, it will be quite apparent. This is when people start getting away from fellowship with other believers. If you gather, and you are not living in sin, you will have no problem joining your brothers and sisters to worship the Lord. If you find yourself afraid to join your brothers and sisters in the Lord, it may be time to examine your own heart.

Deut 15

Deuteronomy 15

“James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion, greeting:” (James 1:1)

“And if he says to you, I will not go away from you, because he loves you and your house, because it has been good for him with you; then you shall take an awl and put it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. And also to your slave-girl you shall do so. “ Deut 15:16-17


James begins his letter to the churches saying that he is a bondservant of Jesus Christ. What is a bondservant? Deuteronomy explains: it is a servant who stays with his master after his six years of service because he loves his master.

You see, the Lord set up laws for servants. If they were to serve you faithfully for six long years they were to be released on the seventh. This was a way of giving the servants hope for their troubles. It corresponds beautifully with the history of Israel. Israel too will be granted their absolute freedom one day from all the attacks of the world around them. Their Messiah will come again to set up His kingdom and save Israel. The law of the Sabbatical year was a way of rewarding a faithful servant.

However, some servants would not want to leave. Some servants, loved their masters to the extent that they were ready to spend their entire lives serving their masters. Should this case arrive, they were to have their ear marked and they would become a servant forever. This is how James describes himself. I love this picture because it is so humbling. James could have claimed to be the brother of God. He could have claimed to have been the head honcho at the church of Jerusalem. Instead he likens himself to a servant, totally in love with his master!

Think of reasons to become a bondservant. Your master would certainly have to be great. He would have to be understanding. You would have to have a solid relationship with him. Now consider your own heart. Jesus has proven to be more than a Master but a Savior as well. It comes down to this; do you have a solid relationship with Jesus Christ? If you do, your only desire will be to serve for the rest of your life as His bondservant. If you do not, the thought of giving up your whole may seem extreme. In fact, maybe you feel you will give your six years and then use your freedom. Gang, fall in love with your Master. Understand that you are totally in debt, and that it is worth spending your entire life serving Him. Remember, you cannot serve two masters. You will either love one and hate the other. Are you a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and like James, would consider yourself this?

Deuteronomy 14

For thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

(Deu 14:2)

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

(1Pe 2:9)

Here we have some common ground with the Church, and God’s chosen people the Israelites. Both of us are described as a holy nation and a peculiar people. The shared theme here is that we have been called by God to be separate from the world, and to be set apart for Him. God has set us apart unto Himself. We belong to Him. He can do with us what He wants, for whatever reason He wants.

But because He is gracious and loving, He doesn’t leave us in the dark as to what He has called us out for, and what He wants to do with us. He has called us out of darkness to dwell in His light, to live lives that are open before Him and others, nothing needing to be hid, everything able to be seen.

His purpose for bringing us into the Light is to SHOW FORTH HIS PRAISES to the world around us. We sing His praises with our lips all the time. We tell people about God’s goodness. We tell people about His love. We tell people about what God has done for us. But God wants to do so much more than just use us to tell people. He wants our lives to SHOW people all the things He has done that are worthy of praise.

We are different than the world. We shouldn’t be afraid to be different; we should instead see it as an opportunity to live in the light rather than the darkness, an opportunity to let our LIVING, not just our mouths, proclaim God’s praises. God has called YOU. I pray that you would WALK WORTHY of that calling.

Deuteronomy 13

This chapter deals with how the children of Israel were to deal with people who might try and lead them away from the Lord. As it describes the various situations that this might take place in, the judgment is always the same: DEATH. It was a serious crime to be actively, willfully involved in leading someone astray, leading them into the worship of something other than the LORD.

Though we don’t stone people today, it is still a serious offence in the eyes of God when we do something to lead a Christian brother or sister away from the Lord. Remember, in the context here in Deuteronomy, the guilty people were part of the congregation. These weren’t people from the outside, they were people on the inside.

The principle here applies to us. People outside of the church will ALWAYS be doing things to lead you away from the LORD, that goes without saying. The problem addressed here is when a BELIEVER is doing something to try and turn your worship from the LORD to something else. Anytime another believer tries to get you to put something else in the place of the LORD you have a major problem. In the passage we just read, the person was to deal swiftly and decisively with the tempter, and we must do the same. We don’t stone them, we BREAK FELLOWSHIP with them. In other words, we don’t hang out with them, we don’t spend time with them.

I have had times in my life when friends of mine who claimed to be Christians were actively trying to get me to compromise my relationship with the LORD. “Come and do this or that”. “Don’t be so holy all the time”. “What, do you think you’re better than us? Do you think we aren’t good enough Christians?” In every one of these situations the best decision I ever made was to STOP HANGING WITH THEM. The Bible makes it clear, “evil companions corrupt good morals”.

So I finish with 2 questions for you:

1. Do you have any friends in your life trying to pull you away from the Lord?
2. Are you a friend that is pulling others away from the Lord?

Think about that, and ask the Lord what HE would have you to do.

Deuteronomy 12

All the things I command you, be careful to do it. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.

(Deu 12:32)

This is a very important principle for us to understand. In the context here, when this verse is proclaimed, God is talking about the things they should and should not do. They SHOULD tear down the altars and everything related to pagan worship, they SHOULD NOT enquire as to how the pagan nations worship and attempt to do likewise… the commands go on and on. These commands had particular application to the Israelites that don’t really apply to us today. We aren’t called by God to go around wrecking false idols and destroying mosques, and temples, and stuff.

However, the underlying principle contains a great timeless truth. It is never safe to alter God’s Word. We need to leave gospel intact, as is, not adding to it or subtracting from it. There are a couple of ways we can do this.

1. We can take things out of God’s Word that make us uncomfortable, or push others away. We need to come to grips with the facts that the message of the gospel is OFFENSIVE. There are times that it will offend us, and others that it will offend those we share it with. We cannot change it to make it less offensive. It says all men are sinners. It says there is nothing good in our fallen nature. It says the best we can do in our own strength is nothing more than a pile of filthy rags in the sight of God. It says Homosexuality is a sinful act we engage in, not a genetic “hand” we have been dealt in life. It says that those who lust after a woman are cheating on their wives, those who hate someone commit murder in God’s eyes, and that outward appearance means nothing to the God of the universe. These things OFFEND the world, but we can’t leave them out. They are truth, and without them, the Gospel lacks the power to transform.
2. We can add or own rules to the Gospel. We say Christians have to look a certain way, act a certain way, dress a certain way. We categorize things the Bible is silent about, and try and preach our own personal convictions as gospel truth. “Dancing is a sin”, “playing cards is a sin”, “wrestling is ungodly”… the list can go on and on. We don’t need to try and tell people what Christians do and don’t do… we just need to teach them the word of God.

Don’t add to God’s Word; don’t take away from it… just focus on reading it and doing it. People don’t need our opinions, they need to know what God’s opinion is… so let them have it. When we alter God’s Word, we are no longer making Disciples of Christ; we are creating clones of ourselves! God doesn’t want us to reproduce ourselves, He wants us to sow gospel seed, and water it with the Word, and let it bloom into what HE wants it to be. Let God do the talking; don’t spoil His Word with your silly ideas!

Deuteronomy 11

Place these words on your hearts. Get them deep inside you. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder. Teach them to your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night. Inscribe them on the doorposts and gates of your cities.

(Deu 11:18-20)

What words are we talking about here? What words were the Israelites to do this with? These are the words that God had spoken to them, the words that Moses was recounting for them. The commands, the promises, the prophecies, the truths about who God was… These words are the very Word of God. They weren’t to allow these words that God had spoken to “go in one ear and out the other”, instead they were to allow them to become a part of them.

Look at the practical steps Moses lays out to assist them as they seek to hide these words in their hearts:

1. Tie them on your hands
2. Put them on your foreheads
3. teach them to your children
4. talk about them always… at home, away from home, from the time you get up until the time you lay down.
5. Put them on the walls
6. Put them on the gates

The idea is to keep them in front of you all the time! These suggestions that Moses gives can still be carried out today. Think about it, what do you have hanging on your walls? What do you talk about when you are a t home with your family? What do you talk about when you are out with your friends? What occupies your thoughts in the morning? What occupies your thoughts in the middle of the day? What do you think about when you lay down at night? What kind of things are you teaching your younger brothers and sisters, both in the words you speak AND the things you do? A lot of questions??? I think they all deserve a little thought.

Look at the 2 parts of your body that Moses says to put God’s Word. The hand, and the forehead. What is right behind your forehead? Your brain! That is where we do our thinking. What about our hands? That is where we do our working! Think the Bible, do the Bible, let the Bible GET IN YOU, so you can LIVE THE BIBLE OUT!

In John 15 Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and let My Word’s abide in you”. In Colossians Paul Exhorts us to “let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” – This could literally translate let it take root deep in your heart! God wants His word to fill us up, so He can work in and through us. We cannot know His will if we don’t know His Word.

Read Psalm 1 today, and think about the part that the Word of God plays in the life of the “blessed” man, the Godly man. I pray it will inspire you to become a man or woman of God’s Word.

Dueteronomy 10

And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

(Deu 10:12-13)

He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

(Mic 6:8)

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

(Mat 22:37-40)

In these verses we are given the WHAT in terms of what the Lord requires of His people. All throughout HIStory, these things have not changed. What God desires is to see people reverence and respect Him, follow after Him, love and serve Him. According to Micah these things are accomplished by doing the right thing, loving to show mercy, and continuing to walk humbly before the Lord. Jesus summed it all up by saying – “Love the Lord with all you are, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

We could sum it all up by saying that what the Lord requires is a life that is all about loving Him, and serving others. A life that is not SELFISH, but selfless and worshipful. It is easy to understand this concept, in some ways it is even easy to describe the details of how these things might “look” in our culture today. The difficulty doesn’t come with the WHAT, but is found in the HOW.

This is the big question… the law showed the Israelites WHAT God required, but it didn’t offer any resources as to HOW it was to be accomplished. The Israelites continued to fail because the LAW CANNOT ENABLE. All it can do is show a man what He is lacking. The book of Galatians tells us that the Law is a SCHOOLMASTER; a teacher that makes us see our need, and hopefully causes us to turn to the only One who can give us the resources to meet that need. Man cannot keep the law in his own strength. No matter how great the man, he still has a sin nature, and still breaks the law on one level or another on a regular basis.

In the text here God asks the Israelites to be circumcised in heart, and to stop resisting the work God wanted to do in them. You see, they had begun as a nation by FAITH. It was only by continuing to walk by FAITH, trusting in the sacrifices God had ordained, receiving grace and mercy from Him, that they could have a successful walk.

Today, we have JESUS. We don’t just know the WHAT, we truly have the HOW. God has given us all the resources that we need to live up to His standards. He has come to fulfill in and through us the righteous requirements of the law. As we live by grace and walk according to the Spirit; we can achieve what would be impossible in the flesh. “With men this is impossible; but with God, all things are possible.”

Deuteronomy 9

Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak! Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee. Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.

(Deu 9:1-4)

It is in our blood… I don’t care what the situation or the circumstances might be, our natural response when God has done something for us is to try and take some kind of credit. We want to see ourselves as having a part in what happened, or as earning it by our great deeds… Why??? Because we always want a little taste of the glory.

God was about to do some incredible things in and through the lives of the Jews. Here where these people named the Anakim, and they were known around town as the guys no one could stand a chance against. Now, beating the guy no one else can beat does one thing for you… it makes you the new king in town. What God is concerned about here is who that king would be, Him or the Israelites. He is warning them now that they couldn’t claim a part in the victory because THEY DID NOT DESERVE IT.

It is a difficult idea to get in our heads, but the fact is, WE DON’T DESREVE TO GO TO HEAVEN. WE DON’T DESERVE TO BE FORGIVEN. We have no right claiming to have earned ANYTHING from the Lord, when the one thing we really HAVE earned is the sentence of death. You see, the way we come by any greatness in this life is through humble faith in the Lord. The danger God wants to keep us from is looking at the blessing we receive and thinking “I earned that”.

It was true for the Israelites and it is true for us. The attitude we take toward the victories in our lives will determine the state fo our future experience. If we remain humble and see it as a gift from the Lord, then we can expect to continue to benefit from that same grace. If we take credit on the other hand, we can be sure that a fall will not be to far off in our future. The Bible makes it clear, “pride comes before a fall”. So, don’t think you have somehow earned the right to wear the name “Christian”. Remember that ALL we have is a product of GRACE, getting from God what we DON’T deserve!

Dueteronomy 8

And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger, and then He fed you with manna, which you did not know, neither did your fathers know it, so that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of Jehovah man shall live.

(Deu 8:3)

I love this verse! It is an incredible reminder to us that we are not mere flesh, but we are spiritual beings.Notice the two things that are being compared here. We have BREAD and the WORD OF GOD. The connection that is drawn for us between these two things is LIFE.

Now, bread is used here as descriptive of the basic food that we eat. Eating and life are intimately connected. If I decide today that I don’t want to waste my time eating any more, and I go day after day without food, it won’t take long until the difference it makes in my body is obvious. First I will start to feel hunger pains, next I will grow weak and lack energy. As I continue to grow weaker I won’t be able to do any “normal” things, I will just lie around looking like death… then I will die. Food is essential for life, our bodies depend on it a source of fuel. Our bodies are not self-sustaining, we need outside fuel and regular “maintenance” to keep us running.

Spiritually, God’s Word does the same thing for us. It is essential for us to keep our spiritual man alive. The longer we go without the word of God, the weaker we get. Eventually we will go spiritually comatose if we don’t “feed” on God’s Word.

Here is the big question for all of us… We all notice when we miss a physical meal, but are you noticing when you miss a spiritual meal? Think about that for a little while, hopefully it will make you want to be in God’s Word all the more. I pray that you would realize what a blessing it is to be fed “fresh manna” from the Lord each day!

Deut 7

Deuteronomy 7

I was with my mom and she had baked some cookies. For those of you who have never tried my mother’s cookies, they are a very addictive thing. Eating one of her oatmeal raison cookies is not only delicious but has surpassed normal eating, entering into the realm of fun. To say it simply, I love Mom’s cookies. She gave me a cookie to eat. It was warm, freshly baked. I took it, carefully holding the tips as to not burn my entire hand but just the fingertips. Unfortunately (as you cookie experts know) when holding the tip of a hot, freshly baked cookie, the rest of the cookie flops onto the floor and you are left with a bite size tease. It is always disappointing. What did this mean? What would I have to do? Well, my mom casually said, “Not a problem just take another.” So I took another and I ate it.

“The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people; but because the Lord loved you…” (Deut. 7:7-8).

God’s nature is to love us. He did create us that we might worship Him. This is true, however, God truly loves us. How do I know this? I know this because He died for me. I know this because He takes care of me. I know this because He told me.

Think about Israel. They must be thinking, “Why did God choose us?” God gives us the reason in our theme verse. He chose them because He loves them. He chose you because He loves you.

I love cookies, because they are supposed to make me happy. Ever go to eat a cookie and it does not taste good? How disappointing! I throw that cookie out. If I make cookies, I can choose what to do with them. If I make cookies and they do not taste good, I throw them out. The creator has the right to do whatever he wants with the created. I make more cookies until I get it right. God does not do this.

We were designed to serve Jesus. Then we fell, like that cookie in my story. We were all of a sudden useless. We could not praise God for we were defiled. Instead of God just going out and making another Hector, He chose to die for me. I am not so unique that God could not make another Hector. I am not so unique that God could not use someone else. However, I am loved. I am loved to the point that God is working in me. We are loved to the point that He would rather bare eternal scares than live without us. Therefore, whenever you judge your brother and whenever you feel you deserve something in this world, realize very quickly that the only reason you can live with purpose is because Jesus loves you. Oh how I fall short of this realization each day! Please, the next time you see me, remind me. Shame on me should I not do the same for you.

Deut 6

Deuteronomy 6

Hear, O, Israel. Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. And you shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might (Deut. 6:4-5).


I often feel as though I teach the same lesson every time. I cannot help but feel that the entire Bible has its theme focused around this verse right here. It comes down to this; fall in love with Jesus. I can be teaching you all these facts about the Bible, but if I am not in love with Jesus they are just words. I can go to church and work hard all day, but if I am not in love with Jesus it is just the flesh at work. If I am not in love with Jesus then I am in the flesh. If I am following Jesus, then I am in love with Him.

We are to love our Lord Jesus with our all of our heart. Our heart is the place Jesus dwells (If you believe in Him). It is a temple. From our heart comes our ability to show true love. Jesus tells us that our heart is where our treasure lies. This raises the question: Who do I treasure? Is it Jesus? Gang, I invite all of you to speak into my life (Some of you already have!). If you see me doing some sort of ministry, but not out of love for Jesus, correct me. If you see signs of the flesh (Complaining, anxiety, fear) coming out in any ministry I am involved with, take me to the side and talk to me. I want to fall in love with Jesus and I want to serve Him because I love Him. Finally, if any of you need the same thing in your life, feel free to go to me, Tommy, Melissa, Katelyn, Mike, or Sarah.

We are to love Jesus with our soul, or our emotions. Your soul is what makes you, you. Your appearance is but a shell. Your soul is what makes you a spontaneous person, or a cautious person, or a fun person. It is also very dangerous. If you are controlled by your emotions you will go crazy. Allow Jesus to have complete control of your moods. Allow Him to make you happy.

Finally, we want God in control of our might. Zechariah tells us, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.” Follow His Spirit. Give complete control of every part of your life.

Praise the Lord for His grace that continues to pour down! Because of it, we can have a relationship with Christ. There is no longer any veil dividing us. I can fall in love with Jesus. What a glorious life to live for Him and not waste your life on a thrill.

Deuteronomy 5

Deuteronomy 5

“Oh that there were such a heart in them that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it might be well with them and with their sons forever! (Deut 5:29).

Once again, Deuteronomy is the law given again. Therefore it only make sense that the ten commandments are reiterated. Moses is telling the new generation of the time he received these ten commandments. It seems Moses remembers everything. Moses tells of the time after the law was given. We are told that the people feared the Lord.

The Hebrew word for “fear” means to revere. I love the heart of our Lord. Here is the all knowing God. He has Israel before them. He has just given them the law. They take it, and they revere Him. How troublesome it must be know the future! He tells Moses, “Oh that there was such a heart in them that would fear Me and keep all My commandments always…”

God is good. This is a fact we must hold onto. You may think, “Sure, I wish people would always revere me too!” Look at why God wants us to revere Him, “so that it might be well with them and with their sons forever.” God is so focused upon our well being!!! He desires that we worship Him that it might be well for us!

I have to ask myself, “Do I have such a heart in me?” Something happened to Israel. They would sin again. They would follow other gods. They would make false images. They would use God’s name in vain. They would break the Sabbath. They would dishonor their parents. They would murder. They would commit adultery. They would steal. They would covet. Yet, they were in the perfect place right now. This is called a mountain top experience, which is not bad, but it is not reality. It is easier to follow the Lord when you are in His presence, seeing His glory, and doing nothing but watching. I know for a lot of you the Sr. High retreat was a humongous blessing and the Lord really worked in your life. I am so blessed to hear this. I challenge you, do not be like Israel. I have friends who have gone through similar camps and yet, like Israel, they have broken most of the commandments above. It gets harder to obey when you go out on the battlefield. The biggest attack Satan will use is routine. Make your routine Jesus. Make your routine a perfect joy. Do not allow yourself to be worn down until you drop your guard. Instead, allow Jesus to finish that awesome work He has started in each one of your lives!

Deuteronomy 4

Deuteronomy 4

“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?” (Deut. 4:7).

Israel is a mystery. They are stubborn. They are rebellious. They are sinners. Israel is a great picture of our own fallen nature. Yet God promises them that He will stay close to them should they keep His commandments.

If you want to start a revolution follow Jesus. Follow Him closely. You will stand out more than you could ever believe. In fact, as we look at our topic verse, we see how much we will stand out. Israel was just a big group of sinners, yet when they followed the Lord closely the world stood in awe. They will ask questions like, “Why is God so close to them? Why does He answer their call?”

If we are covered by grace and we know we are going to heaven then why do we do good things. The reason is simple. You love Jesus because you realize what He has done for you. You and I realize that you and I do not deserve to be able to call on Him and have Him respond. Finally, we are so blessed by this that we have to share it with others.

Take some time to spend time with the Lord. What a promise we hold in this verse. What a beautiful future we get to hold on to! Go and spend time with the Lord, that you may bring others to Jesus.

Deuteronomy 3

Deuteronomy 3

“But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him. For he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see” (Deuteronomy 3:28).

We have all heard of the phrase to “pass the baton.” This is something that can be very hard to do. If you have ever watched professional sports it becomes interesting when a superstar for a tam begins to grow old. All of a sudden, though they have contributed to this team for years and been the face of the team, they are on the bench. It has been said that retirement is the point you reach when you have contributed all you can to the company, and now, there is really nothing left to give. Although all these things are sad for the non-believer, it is quite exciting for those who believe.

As Christians we are constantly trying to work ourselves out of a job. I teach you guys that one day you might be the ones teaching. However, unlike retirement, I realize this means the Lord will open up new doors for me. Eventually, He will open up the pearly gates themselves, and new excitement will come over me. Poor Moses did not know the full understanding of this. The promise of heaven, though it was known, was not taught. He did know that death meant he would spend time with God. He also knew that he wanted to be in the promised land. Was God being strict not letting him in? No. God was setting an example, that those who sin cannot lead people into a land of promise.

Moses now had a new job. A new door had been open, and it was called, “Build up Joshua.” This would be the last remaining task for him on earth and it was important. All these years Moses had been being built up to lead Israel. Now he was to hand that to Joshua that he might lead them. Although this must have been hard at times, what a privilege it was to give to Joshua what the Lord had given to him. If you know the Lord has called someone into your life to look up to you, you invest in them. I am sure there were times where Joshua did not want to listen. I am sure there were times where Joshua taught Moses. Nevertheless, Moses was to invest in Joshua. Likewise, if you are in a place of being built up, you allow a godly person to build you up. You take there council in humility. Finally, if you are a Christian both of these things should be happening in your life right now.

We have a leader who was sinless. We have Jesus Christ, the leader who should most effect our lives (and that is an understatement). As we journey through life hold on to that hope of heaven. Unlike Israel, our leader has not sinned. He was and is perfect. Think of heaven. Do not cling to this earth. They say, when you see His face that you can’t help but sing praise songs. I know that, when the time for my ministry is over, I will be so ready to sing along. Until then, have a living hope that this is real. Praise Him in your building up. Praise Him in being built up.

Deuteronomy 2

“For Jehovah your God has blessed you in all the works of your hand. He knows your walking through this great wilderness. Jehovah your God has been with you these forty years. You have lacked nothing” (Deut 2:7).

Deuteronomy is a very cool book because it gives us a special look into the life of Moses and his relationship with the Lord. Deuteronomy means the “Second Law.” It is also a personalized letter from Moses to the rest of Israel.

If you want to know somebody, spend time with them. What they talk about typically gives you an indication of what they are all about. Moses talked about the Lord. In fact, Moses recites everything the Lord told him in this letter to the Israelites. In the last chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy it says that there was never, or will there ever be a “prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” This challenges me to ask, “How would my friends describe me?”

Deuteronomy is the last book Moses wrote. Moses had already messed up by now and would not enter into the Promised Land. Despite this, he still follows God closely. Look at our topic verse for the day. The Lord, though he might be punishing Moses and Israel, was still blessing Moses and Israel. Our verse tells us that He knows the walking through the wilderness. I love the fact that the Lord understands us. The more time I spend with Him the more I understand that He can relate to me. The less time I spend with Him the more I think that He cannot possibly know what is going on. I do not know where you are in your life. Wherever it is, use this verse to remind yourself that you have a Father in heaven who can relate to what is happening.

I think it is also important to note that, even though this was a challenging time for Israel, the Lord was with them. Jesus is with you in the hard times. Jesus is even with you during those times of punishment. I know my mind often thinks that because the Lord is punishing me, He is not there for me, where its just the opposite. He is there fore me wanting to provide for, He just needs to knock the pride out of my life. In the last devo God is telling Israel to step out in faith. In this chapter God is telling Israel to fall into Him. Fall into Jesus.

I love the words of the Phil Wickham Song:

I fall into you,
I am desperate and weak,
Call with all of my heart,
Take hold of me

Deuteronomy 1

Deuteronomy 1

Hey guys. I am sorry about the late devotions - Hector

We are now in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy means “Second Law.” If you have read the first chapter all the way through (which hopefully you have because this is a commentary and not a lesson) than you recognize that this chapter is oh too familiar. Haven’t we already gone through Joshua and Caleb? Well, Deuteronomy is the law, given to us, a second time. It also gives a more personal account of Moses’ life. You see, Deuteronomy focuses on the last days of Moses, just before the promised land. It does not proceed the story like Numbers did. Instead, it is Moses, giving the history of Israel to the new lads, those who would enter the promised land. Once Moses died, the forty years were up. They would then march in. Moses wanted to make sure they knew where they were coming from and where they were going.

Another interesting fact about Deuteronomy is that it is the book Jesus quoted most. This certainly would give us good reason to study it and good reason to memorize passages from it.

In this first chapter, Moses gives a brief overview of Israel from the time the tribal leaders were appointed until those long desert years. He goes into why Israel has not entered the land to begin with. Take a look. In verses 19-33 we hear of Israel’s refusal to enter the land when God gave it to them. Philippians 4:13 tells us “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” God has given them the go ahead, and the only people stoked about it are Joshua and Caleb. How sad. Gang, follow the Lord’s instructions. There may be giants in the way, but with the Lord, you can do anything. So often, the height and power of your God in your life is the height and power of your own faith. Just praise the Lord this is not the case with salvation. He died for us when we had lost hope and were dazed and confused. Now, He takes the smallest faith and turn into salvation.

Later in verses 42-45, the Lord tells them not to go up to battle. Guess what…they went up to battle. Of course they lost, the Jesus tells us, “Without Me, you can do nothing.” Rely on Jesus. Trust in Him. Have step by step faith, and watch Him work the impossible.

Nums 36

We have made it through the book of Nums. This closing chapter is a very appropriate summary of what has happened in this book and what will happen in the Book of Deuteronomy and Joshua.

In this chapter, Gilead approaches Moses. Gilead was the chief of the tribe of Manasseh. Gilead is concerned. He is looking at his entire family under him and the rest of the tribe and he is considering the blessing given to them by Jacob in Genesis 48 (Remember Jacob blessed each of the tribes). Gilead has found a problem. If he allows his daughters to marry anyone in Israel, what would happen to the blessing of the inheritence? It would have to be passed on to the other family in whom the daughter is marrying into. Gilead approaches Moses with this problem.

Moses comes up with a solution. He commands all the families to have their young ladies marry within the tribe to preserve the inheritence. I believe this is an excellent summary of Numbers for multiple reasons.

In Numbers, God is giving Israel identity. He numbers them to give them unity. He identifies the different parts of the Levitical priesthood. He is making Israel one nation, broken into distinct groups, all under Jehovah God. Therefore, what does Satan attempt to do in this book? He attempts to bring division. We remember back when Miriam rebelled. We remember Korah's rebellion. We remember when Balaam gave evil advice and Israel was joined to the Midianites. This all caused division.

We can also look into the future! Here is Israel marching into the Promised Land in the Book of Joshua. If they are going to fight in battle they must have order and unity. Once again Satan is going to attempt to cause division.

Now we return back to our text. God is leading each one of us today. We can either give Him our hearts and allow Him to preserve us or we can fall into the traps of the world. Who are you marrying today? Are you being joined to the world? Are you giving your all the Jesus? Dear friend, God has a plan for you that He is not slack in keeping. Trust in Him. Satan divides and conquers. Jesus Christ restores and gives and everlasting inheritence. That inheritence is heaven. When we are the bride of Christ, we receive the great inheritence with Him. What a friend we have in Jesus!

Numbers 35

In this chapter we are reminded that the Levites received no inheritance in the Promised Land, for the Lord was their inheritance. Instead they got “land on loan” from the other tribes, a total of 48 cities. 42 of these cities were normal cities, but 6 played the special role of being “cities of refuge”. These were places where people who had accidentally killed someone could seek refuge from those who would want to avenge them, a place of mercy where they were protected from vengeance.

This creates a unique picture for us, the church. We are called “a holy priesthood” in the New Testament, and like the Levites our inheritance is the LORD. Anything we have in this world is really “on loan” from Him, we are nothing more than stewards taking care of what has been entrusted to us. We shouldn’t hold on to anything in this world tightly, instead we should be storing up our treasure in heaven.

As the church our focus should be on people not possessions. This was true of the Levites. They were to be focused on the people, representing God to them, and them to God. In the same manner we should be showing Jesus to the lost around us. We should be treating them the way Jesus would treat them, showing them grace and mercy. The cities of refuge provided a place of rest from the judgment that pursued an individual. In the same way we should be a refuge that people can come to find the grace and mercy of God, a place where they can learn of the forgiveness of sin, and lose their burden of guilt. Ask your self this question today: Is my life a city of refuge, providing grace and mercy? Or, am I an exactor of judgment, making sure people pay for what they have done? We have been shown great mercy, Jesus is our city of refuge… let’s show that same mercy!

Numbers 34

In this chapter we learn that God had a plan for how the land was to be divided up. He tells the children of Israel the basic layout of the land, what the borders would be, but he DOES NOT tell them who is to live where. He makes it clear that only 9 ½ tribes would be a part of this “dividing up” process, Ruben, Gad, and half of Manasseh had exempted themselves from enjoying the promised land by choosing to take land on the outside.

Instead of telling them who gets what, God chose 2 men, Eleazar the priest, and Joshua, Israel’s future leader. These two men, who we know were full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit, were appointed to the task of deciding who would get what land.

Eleazar literally means “the help of God”, and Joshua means “the savior or deliverer”. I think these are very appropriate names for the guys that God had decided were going to divide up the land. It was something that couldn’t be done properly without the Lord’s involvement; they were going to need the help of God. It was Joshua who would lead them into that land; driving the enemies out ahead of them… he would deliver them from the wilderness, hooking them up with a sweet new pad in Canaan.

Under these two men, a representative was chosen from each of the 9 ½ tribes. Together these men were to determine what the Lord’s will was concerning the land. They would decide who would get what, and how much of it they would get.

The Lord works in similar ways in our lives sometimes… He gives us the general directions, but then we need the Holy Spirit, “the help of God” to make the details clear. It was only as the Israelites submitted to Eleazar and Joshua that they were able to determine God’s will. Likewise, when you and I submit to the Holy Spirit, and are truly following Jesus, the will of God will be made clear. Let Jesus lead you into the land of promise, and allow the Holy Spirit to show you the specific things that you are to be doing with your life.