10:15 - How cool is this? God created everything, is above everything, holds everything together, lives in heaven with creatures of beauty and power beyond our wildest imagination...and He chose to fall in love with us! His love is so amazing!
10:16 - Even in the OT, there was a clear picture of what the circumcision is really all about. It isn't about flesh...it is about the sinful, rebellious part of us being cut away to live in God's service. It is like baptism...baptism is not about some sort of magical water that cleanses your sins - it is a sacred act that signifies putting your old life to death and being resurrected into a new life in Christ.
11:16 - How many times has Moses warned the people about this. He says to stay on guard so that you do not get distracted by the things of this world and turn away from God. Its like Moses knows this is a problem with human beings or something. Luckily we are well beyond this kind of temptation today, right? Oh...wait...
11:27-28 - Your life will be truly blessed if you follow God and truly cursed if you do not. And buy blessings, don't let your mind go immediately to wealth from human perspective...the blessings are so much more incredible than something that temporary. Th blessings are eternal and life-changing. Look around and you can see the truth of this statement from Moses lived out. You can see people all around you living under a curse because they have rejected God...i is heartbreaking.
12:2-3 - It is clear from the NT that we as Christians do not need to be running into the secular world bringing destruction and hatred, but think it is clear that when Christians enter into the world we should bring positive change! We should bring healing and light. Yet so often it is the opposite that takes place. We enter into the culture and allow ourselves to be changed...we allow ourselves to look more like the culture than Christ. Don't let that happen!
12:8 - How cool is that? Moses is addressing moral relativism thousands of years ago - MORAL RELATIVISM! Even then, the followers of God could recognize the danger involved when each person simply follows his/her own way, and creates his/her own truth. Yeah, the OT is real irrelevant (dripping with sarcasm).
12:30 - In the NT Jesus encourages us to live out our faith among the lost - the secular peoples of the world, but we have to beware of our motivations as we enter into the cultures of the world. Are we really looking to bring truth and change? Are we looking o live out our faith? Or our we looking to see what the other side lives like? Are we looking to see if they really have it better - if that life is more satisfying? Are we trying to find out how they serve their "gods"? Don't belittle your faith in God by tempting yourself with the false "gods" of this world that offer you nothing but death and emptiness.
3 comments:
Good thoughts Brando,
One thing that caught my attention and i didn't really understand was 10:8; the Levi's were to carry the ark (thats fine) to stand before the LORD (thats fine) but what does it mean "to minister to him and to bless in his name (ESV)?" Maybe I'm reading it wrong but how does one minister to the LORD?
(10:12) this is a cool verse that gets recycled in Micah 6:8, and still is applicable today. What is it that God wants from us? Fear God, walk in his ways, to love him, and to serve him with all of our hearts souls minds, and keep his commandments...
I liked what Brando said about God choosing to Dwell in our hearts and the circumcision of our hearts (10:15-16).
It seems like the author of Deut really goes over board on the reminders to "keep the commandments," but being a human i think he has it just right. Say the one thing you really want to get across to your audience and pray that they "Get it." As humans we really do need a ton of reminders to "Do" what were are supposed to.
12:31 really struck me as crazy. The warning to not burn your children up as an offering to God, (Really! people of other nations/religions really burned their own children on the altars to their "gods" ... Thats insane. "Thanks Mom and Dad").
I noticed that nowhere when Moses went up on the mountain that there was any negotiting about what would be written on the tablet. Keeping our end of the covenant that Brandon mentions is not based on being happy with negoitiating our half (which is what happens in our world) but it is soley in recognition that God is almighty, he is pure love, and any negotiating we might want would diminish what he has promised.
I'm with you Johnny, how do we minister ot the Lord? Brandon please educate?
Ch. 11. As I read through this there was a lot of emphasis that there children did not witness the might works of God. It seems that God is placing a tremendous responsibiltiy on the parents to make sure their children know God. What better way of teaching than living your life they way you say you should, following the laws. Wow, I really messed that one up.
I guess blessing to them in their time would also mean big families and unified famlies. Therefore a lot of emphais on teaching so that the blessing they have received will continue for their children.
Ch 12:2ff What if we took that attitude in our own homes (lives) where we go in and destroy those things that are not God? What would go?
12:31. Obvioulsy I was not burned as a child comletely. I do remember some times where my butt was so hot I was jumping around. And as a good father I carried down the butt burning to my boys.
The explanation to 10:8 is probably way less cool then what you were looking for...I looked in the Jewish Torah commentary and they explained it pretty well. What Moses is talking about is the tasks of the Levites. They take care of the temple...the high priest goes into the holiest of holies and takes care of it. They ADMINISTER care to the tabernacle...so they take care of it - that's what minister means at its basest level. They watch over the tabernacle. To bless His name is a reference to the priestly benediction that they bring forward to God. They were responsible for bringing the sacrifices and blessings of the people to God. Not as cool as what you were hoping for probably.
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