II. The Blessings Of Separation (vv.7-16).
1. Israel was not to rest on or glory in the numbers of her people, but in her Lord (vv.7-8).
A. The large number of people in the Israelite community was not the reason for the Lord's choice of them as his people (v.7).
B. The reason for Israel's preservation was God's love for them and His covenant with their forefathers (v.8).
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FOCAL - Deuteronomy
7:7-8 "The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because
ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
[8] But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the
oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out
with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from
the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."
Israel was specifically commanded to not "number their people", or count their own resources. God was their resource, their only Resource, and they needed no other. When Gideon went to fight the Midianites, God made Gideon get rid of all but 300 of 32,000 men - and the ones he kept were those who "lapped water like a dog from the river": Judges 7:7 "And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place." This wasn't even the "A Team", but the worst of the bunch - and God used them to bring provision to Israel. When King David "numbered" Israel (2 Samuel 24.10), God brought pestilence on the land for three days, killing 70,000 men. God demanded that Israel rely on Him, not on their own resources. Even so, God demands that we rely on Him, not on our resources. As Jesus said, and promised: Matthew 6:24-33 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. [25] Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? [26] Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? [27] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? [28] And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: [29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? [31] Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? [32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. [33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." |
2. The Blessings Of Obedience (vv.9-16).
A. Because the Lord is faithful and just, He brings judgment upon the nations who do not follow him (vv.9-10).
B. Israel is to keep God's commandments so that they might be blessed by Him (vv.11-16).
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Application: It's the character of God rather than any excellence in the people that accounts for the God's choice. Warren Wiersbe states that, "True biblical separation is contact without contamination." The reason why separation brought blessings to the Israelites was because it prevented contamination by the world, thus bringing obedience to God's commands. God rewards those who are faithful. Colossians 3:22, "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." (KJV)1) God would keep the Abrahamic covenant with them (i.e., land, seed and blessing; vv.11-12).2) God would make them fertile in all things (vv.13-14).
3) God would remove sickness from them (v.15).
4) God would curse their enemies and make them victorious in battle (v.16).
III. The Warning About Failing To be Separate (vv.17-26).
1. The Israelites were not to be intimidated by the pagan nations (vv.17-24).
A. If they feared their enemies it would make it impossible for them to drive them out of the land (v.17).2. Link to box, belowThe destruction of the Canaanite idols was to be complete (vv.25-26).
B. Israel was commanded not to be afraid, and are told why (vv.18-24).1) As an antidote for any fear, the Israelites were to remember what the Lord had done to Pharaoh and all Egypt (vv.18-21).A) This was not something the Israelites had heard from others, but had witnessed themselves the Power of God (v.19).2) Israel is told that God would deliver their enemies in their hands according to God's timetable (vv.22-24).
B) The Lord would do to the Canaanites what he had done to their other enemies. He would also send the "hornet" among them so that none would escape (v.20; Exod.23:28).
C) Moses reminded the people that the great and awesome Lord was among them (v.21).A) The Canaanites would be driven out little by little so that the wild animals would not multiply to Israel's detriment (v.22).B) Though the conquest was not to be immediate over the whole land, the Lord, nevertheless, would deliver the Canaanites into Israel's hand and none would be able to withstand them (vv.23-24).
A. Every part of the pagan images was detestable to the Lord, and therefore was to be destroyed by the Israelites (v.25).
B. No detestable thing was ever to be taken into an Israelite house (v.26).- Two strong words for disapprobation - "Utterly detest and abhor it"- indicate the abhorrence the people were to hold toward the idols.
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Thorns! |
FOCAL - Deuteronomy
7:23-26 "But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall
destroy them with a mighty destruction, (mhuwmah
[meh-hoo-maw'], erased, destroy, wipe out)
until they be destroyed. [24] And he shall deliver their kings into
thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under Heaven: there
shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.
[25] The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou
shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee,
lest thou be snared (yaqosh
[yaw-koshe']) therein: for it is an abomination
to the LORD thy God. [26] Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into
thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly
detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
1. The believer, from the time of Adam, was supposed to be separated in his life and practice from this world and totally focused on God. 2. When the believer is approached with "alternate lifestyles" via the world, he is to (mhuwmah [meh-hoo-maw']), utterly purge that lifestyle from his household, "lest thou be snared (yaqosh [yaw-koshe'], trapped) therein". Illustration: When I was a young child, I loved to go exploring in grandmother's woods. These woos were next to grandmother's house and were very dense - but also full of wild blackberries. The first time I discovered this wonderful thing I also discovered something else - blackberries have thorns! Anyway, one day I was out in grandmother's woods, eating blackberries, and as I ate I pushed deeper and deeper into the thorny hedges, following the impulses of greed. After a few minutes I discovered, to my dismay, that my greed had led to my entrapment. The blackberry branches, full of thorns, had wrapped themselves around my legs (which were uncovered). I tried carefully to pull my way free, but as I did so the thorns sank into my flesh. Crying, the only thing I could do to get free was to grit my teeth and, just like pulling an adhesive bandage off of a cut, quickly jerk myself free. I got free, but left some flesh on those thorns .... and to this day dislike blackberries! 3. When Adam lost this focus, he brought "thorns" into his life: Genesis 3:17-18 "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; [18] Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field" 4. We only have blessing in this life and a lack of "thorns", self inflicted misery, when we focus on our Lord God: Proverbs 22:4-6 "By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honor, and life. [5] Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them. [6] Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." 5. We cannot mix the Word of Life with the thorns of this life, and expect to bear fruit for God. There must be no compromise of God's Word, or our dedication to Him, while we walk this earth: Matthew 13:3-8, 22-23 "And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; [4] And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: [5] Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: [6] And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. [7] And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: [8] But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold. .... [22] He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. [23] But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty. 6. Jesus took the curse of thorns for us ... so why re-introduce the evils of this world back into our lives? Matthew 27:28-31 "And they stripped
him, and put on him a scarlet robe. [29] And when they had platted
a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand:
and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King
of the Jews! [30] And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and
smote him on the head.
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Application: It wasn't enough for the Israelites to simply obey God's command to destroy the detestable things of God, but they also had to learn to obey from their hearts. It is not a matter of our will obeying God's commands outwardly, but it is a matter of developing a heart that desires to obey God; Ephesians 6:5-6, "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eye service, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;" (KJV).
"Moses' Second Address: Remembering
God's Providential Care "
Deuteronomy 8:1-20
Lesson 9
I. Israel Was To Remember And Learn From Their Wilderness Experience (vv.1-10).
1. Tie To Box, BelowThe necessity of following every command of the Lord (vv.1-5).
A. Israel needed to be ready to enter the promised land and not make the same mistakes as the older generation had made, so they were to remember the lessons from their 40 year wilderness experience (vv.1-2a).- The word "remember" (zakar; to mark so as to be recognized, to remember, to be mindful of) is used 13 times in this book and is a common theme.B. Learning from the 40 year old school of hard knocks (vv.2b-5)1) The purpose of God's testing the Israelites was to teach them humility and to reveal to them what was really in their hearts (v.2b)A) "humble," ('anah, to humble by oppression) carries the idea of bringing them by means of distress and privation to feel their need of help and their dependence upon God.2) They were to learn to depend on God for their daily needs (vv.3-4).
B) "testing," (nacah, to put to the test, prove, try, used of God when He tries men by afflictions) this was done by placing the Israelites in such positions in life that would force them to reveal what was in their hearts.
C) God already knew what was in their hearts, but they needed to admit to themselves that their heart wasn't in obeying God's command (God didn't fail them, they failed themselves).A) They were humbled because they could not produce their own food but had to depend on God for their food and their very lives (v.3).3) They needed to learn that God would discipline (yacar, to chastise with blows or words, to instruct, chasten, correct, reprove, teach.) them like a father would his son (v.5).- Those who would obey God by gathering the Manna daily would be more likely to obey the rest of God's commandments.B) In the same way that God provided for their daily need for food, He could sustain them (v.4).
- Jesus quoted this passage (Matt.4:1-4) when He was tempted by Satan, and referred to the Word of God as the Bread of God (Matt.6:11) thus indicating that our relationship to God's Word reveals our relationship to God.- Their clothing did not wear out (balah, to fail or wear out, decay), nor did their feet swell up (batseq, to swell up, blister) during all their wanderings over the 40 years.
4) The purpose of all these lessons was to teach them to be obedient to God's commands and to respect Him (v.6).
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FOCAL - Deuteronomy
8:1-5 "All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye
observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the
land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. [2] And thou shalt remember
(The
word "remember" (zakar; [zaw-kar] to mark so as to be recognized,
to remember, to be mindful of) is used 13 times in this book {Dr. Willmouth})
all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness,
to humble (`anah [aw-naw'])
thee, and to prove (nacah
[naw-saw'], put to the test) thee, to
know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments,
or no. [3] And he humbled (`anah
[aw-naw'], to deprive so as to lead a person to realize his helpless state)
thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou
knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know
that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. [4] Thy raiment waxed
not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. [5]
Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his
son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee."
1. You begin to lose an operational faith in God and our Lord Jesus when you stubbornly resist the lessons God has tried to teach you in life. The first generation of Israel, including Moses and Aaron, lost the promised land when they tried, like Frank Sinatra, to "Do it My Way" instead of God's way. Kadesh, a place of blessing, became Meribah, a place of cursing. The purpose of testing is not so God will know what's in your heart - He already knows. Instead, it is so you will learn more about yourself and God your Father, and grow by this knowledge. See Numbers 20.2-13 2. Your heart is hardened when you repeatedly reject His Word and life lessons, and you cut yourself off from blessing: Psalms 95:6-11 "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. [7] For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, [8] Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: [9] When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. [10] Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: [11] Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest." 3. True believers, believers in fellowship, shun the things of this world while seeking out God's truths in God's Word: 2 Timothy 2:15-19 "Study
to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth. [16] But shun profane and vain
babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. [17] And
their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
[18] Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection
is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. [19] Nevertheless the
foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them
that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart
from iniquity."
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2. The blessings of obedience (vv.7-10).
A. Whereas disobedience brings discipline, obedience would bring God's blessings.
B. The Israelites would lack nothing and would find satisfaction.
Application:
These verses teach us important lessons about obedience to God's Word,
and why we are tested. God already knows what's in our hearts, but
often
we fail to be honest with ourselves. When we go through trials in this
life, we need to understand that God not only wants to expose our true
nature, but also so that we will learn to trust more in Him and not ourselves.
II. The Dangers Of Forgetting Who God Is And What He Has Done (vv.11-20).
1. The exhortation not to forget the Lord (8:11-17).
A. Moses warns the Israelites to guard against forgetting Who the source was for their blessings, lest they slip into disobedience again (vv.11-13).2. The warning against rejecting God's authority (vv.18-20).1) "beware," (shamar), to hedge about (as with thorns), to guard against, take heed (v.11).B. Moses warns them that having pride in their prosperity would make them forget God, and to claim that the power and strength of their hands produced their wealth (vv.14-17).
2) "forget," (shakach) to mislay, to be oblivious of, forget, to leave something because of forgetfulness (v.11).1) "pride," (ruwm) to be lifted up, exalt self, haughty, proud, arrogant (v.14).
2) If they failed to remember that God is the source of all their blessings, their pride would make them forget (shakach, to mislay, to be oblivious of, forget, to leave something because of forgetfulness) all the lessons that they had to learn before, thus leading them back into the class room of God.
A. The Israelites were to remember that God was the source of their prosperity because of His covenant with their forefathers (v.18).- Again this was a reminder that their prosperity wasn't based upon them being special, but upon God's faithfulness to His promises.B. Moses warned the Israelites that if they forgot that God was the source of their prosperity it would lead to idolatry and to their destruction (vv.19-20).- "perish," ('abad) to wander away, lose oneself, to perish, be void of (v.19).
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FOCAL - Deuteronomy
8:11-20 "Beware (shamar [shaw-mar'],
to hedge round with thorns - this is the right kind of thorn to have in
your life, guarding God's Word) that thou
forget
(shakach [ shaw-kakh'], to handle carelessly
so as to mislay something, forget where it is)
not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments,
and his statutes, which I command thee this day: [12] Lest
when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt
therein; [13] And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy
silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
[14] Then thine heart be lifted up, (
ruwm [room], to be lifted up with pride)
and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land
of Egypt, from the house of bondage; [15] Who led thee through that
great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions,
and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out
of the rock of flint; [16] Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which
thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove
thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; [17] And thou say in thine
heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
[18] But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is
he that
giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which
he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. [19] And it shall be,
if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and
serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye
shall surely perish. [20] As the nations which the LORD destroyeth
before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient
unto the voice of the LORD your God."
1 John 2:15-17 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [17] And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." Illustration: When Antiochus invaded Egypt, the Romans delivered an ultimatum to the ambitious Syrian who would be a king. Hoping to gain time, he told the Roman tribune that he needed to think over their demands. He would give them an answer later. The tribune took swift action. He drew a circle in the sand around Antiochus and said, "Decide before you step out of that circle." |
Application: Success has a way of making us proud, and pride has a way of leading us away from the Lord. After all, who needs God when you can do everything by yourself! We all need to learn from God's classroom of life to avoid the same pitfalls that Israel kept falling into. It is always dangerous to leave God out of our lives, and it will lead us to our downfall also.