Dr. Willmouth writes, "These Outlines were prepared for our Sunday Evening Bible Study, as a 2 page handout (front & back), at Trinity Bible Church, Biloxi, Mississippi"

Matthew Henry states, "Moses represents the strength of the enemies they were now to encounter. This was to drive them to God, and engage their hope in him. He assures them of victory, by the presence of God with them. He cautions them not to have the least thought of their own righteousness, as if that procured this favor at God's hand. In Christ we have both righteousness and strength; in Him we must glory, not in ourselves, nor in any sufficiency of our own. It is for the wickedness of these nations that God drives them out. All whom God rejects, are rejected for their own wickedness; but none whom he accepts are accepted for their own righteousness. Thus boasting is for ever done away."

Ephesians 2:9-13 "Not of works, lest any man should boast. [10]  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. [11] Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; [12]  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: [13]  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."

Our Lord says of the self-righteous person:

Isaiah 65:5  [A People who] ... "say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day."

Self Righteousness starts in a person's life when he (1) fails to understand his own worth in the sight of God, and (2) fails to understands how miserable his own estate or being is when compared to the terrible beauty of God's holiness. God wanted to warn Israel, nay, every believer, to remember that all we have we have because of Jesus our Savior. 

C.H. Spurgeon brings self-righteousness and the trials across the Jordan into a sharper perspective when he said:

"God's great design in all His works is the manifestation of His own glory. Any aim less than this were unworthy of Himself. But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man's eye is not single, he has ever a side glance towards his own honor, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted; and this is the reason why He bringeth His people oftentimes into straits and difficulties, that, being made conscious of their own folly and weakness, they may be fitted to behold the majesty of God when He comes forth to work their deliverance. He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who "do business in great waters," these see His "wonders in the deep." Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God's greatness and lovingkindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold His glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of His glory in His wonderful dealings with you."

Do you think you can do good works before God? Then the work that you do must be accepted of Him, the Father of Lights. How do we perform work that God calls "good"? We must meet the following conditions: 

First, the work must be done in faith:

Romans 1:17 "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." 

Romans 14:23 "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." 

How can you do something "good for God"? Believe in Him. What He has said do, do! Trust His Word, and ACT like you trust His Word.

Second, the work must have the intent of glorifying God:

Romans 4:20-22 "He [Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness." 

1 Corinthians 1:31 "That, according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." 

Third, you must do the work in the name of Christ:

Philippians 2:9-11 "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name.  [11]  "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; [12]  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."" 

John 14:13 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

Matthew Henry states, "That the Israelites might have no pretense to think that God brought them to Canaan for their righteousness, Moses shows what a miracle of mercy it was, that they had not been destroyed in the wilderness. It is good for us often to remember against ourselves, with sorrow and shame, our former sins; that we may see how much we are indebted to free grace, and may humbly own that we never merited any thing but wrath and the curse at God's hand. For so strong is our propensity to pride, that it will creep in under one pretense or another. We are ready to fancy that our righteousness has got for us the special favor of the Lord, though in reality our wickedness is more plain than our weakness. But when the secret history of every man's life shall be brought forth at the day of judgment, all the world will be proved guilty before God. At present, One pleads for us before the mercy seat, who not only fasted, but died upon the cross for our sins; through whom we may approach, though self condemned sinners, and beseech for undeserved mercy and for eternal life, as the gift of God in Him. Let us refer all the victory, all the glory, and all the praise, to Him who alone bringeth salvation."

Why was God so angered at the Israelites? Because, just as He personally wrote the Tablets of the Law for them because of His great love:

FOCAL - Deuteronomy 9:9-11 "When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water: [10]  And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. [11]  And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant."

While the Great God personally served Israel, writing the Law with His finger, Israel ignored His person and hedonistically sought out their own pleasure. 

1. Those who assume the mantle of leadership over the people of God have the DUTY of rebuking sin within the congregation.

2. God will NOT forgive sin until we recognize it in our own lives and confess it before Him:

Psalms 32:5  "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah."

3. Sin is an action that is against God Himself, and hurts our Maker:

Psalms 51:2-4 "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. [3]  For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. [4]  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest."

4. When we recognize our sin and confess it freely before God, we remove any Divine Discipline from our lives:

1 Corinthians 11:31-34 "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. [32]  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. [33]  Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. [34]  And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come."

1 Peter 4:17-18  "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? [18]  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

5. However, if we are His children and fall into sin, and refuse to repent, we can expect the chastening of God:

Hebrews 12:7-9 "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? [8]  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. [9]  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"

6. For this reason it is EVIL for one who is in a position of leadership over the congregation of God to ignore the condition of the flock, to justify sin, or to make excuses or compromise with sin:

2 Timothy 4:2  "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine."

Titus 2:15  "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee."

How do you treat God? People treat God in a variety of ways.

1. God as a Divine Rescuer: Just like a life guard at a swimming pool, most people want to hear nothing at all from Him. Most people totally ignore the lifeguard, unless they're drowning. Then they're interested in Him.

2. God as a moral policeman: Have you ever noticed how carefully you drive when the police are around, but at other times you just zip along without a care in the world.

3. God as Santa Claus: You'll see a lot of this on television - God's only job, it seems, is to bring good things into the lives of His people. To give immense blessing. Sure, God gives blessing, He gives a promised land to His children - but that isn't His only function.

4. God as the Old Man In The Sky: He's up there ... somewhere! He's like a Cosmic Granddad - out of touch with how things are in our day and age.

God is none of these things. Our preconceived notions of God are none of what Jesus taught us.

Illustration: A wealthy oil baron once commissioned Picasso to paint a portrait of his wife. When the work was completed, the baron was shocked to see the image that had been created. "Why that looks nothing like my wife! You should have painted her the way she really is!" Picasso took a deep breath and said, "I'm not sure what that would be." Without hesitation, the oil baron pulled out his wallet and removed a photograph of his wife saying, "There, you see, this is a picture of how she really is! Picasso, bending over, looked at it and replied, "She is rather small and flat, isn't she?"

God is not a Divine rescuer, moral policeman, Santa Claus or Old Man in the sky .... obsolete. No, God is our Father who loves us. He gave of Himself to Israel, and gave of Himself to us on the Cross of Calvary. We need to repent of our own desires, and get back on God's pathway. We need to remember who we are and who God is.

Andy Mason wrote, "I'm with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have our representatives in nearly every parliament and board room on earth. We're into motivation and behavior alteration. We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes. We care for our clients from birth to death. We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants. Our original Organizer owns all the real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking. (There's not enough money to buy it.) Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn't own a home, was misunderstood by his family, hated by enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial, and arose from the dead--I talk with him everyday."

God's re-writing of the Law was a demonstration of two things that are true in His Kingdom.  First, God can and does forgive sin in the life of the believer if we ask, repenting, and honor Him. The Bible says:

Psalms 103:8-14  "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. [9]  He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. [10]  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. [11]  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. [12]  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. [13] Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. [14]  For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust."

What a wonderful thing! When we respect God as our Father, not as Santa Claus or some old man in the sky, when we call upon the name of the Lord Jesus for forgiveness, the Scripture says that He casts our sins as far away "as the east is from the west". Imagine that. That would be an infinite line, one starting here and moving off into eternity over there, since east and west are relative to each other.  Something else, though, is shown in these verses, in our Deuteronomy passage.  In the first instance of the giving of the Law, we read:

Exodus 24:12  "And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them."

God gave Moses the Tablets of the Law the first time he ascended into the Mountain of God. However, when Moses ascends the Mountain the second time we read:

Deuteronomy 10:1 "At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first.. "

Exodus 34:1-2  "And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. [2]  And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount."

The second time God had Moses hew the stones. Why? Perhaps to emphasize to Israel, and to us, that though God forgives sin in the believer if the believer asks for that forgiveness, there is a price tag always attached to sin. Or, as the Scripture says, 

Job 4:8  "Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same."

Hosea 8:7  "For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up."

Galatians 6:7  "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

There are consequences to sin in your life ... so avoid it!

FOCAL - Deuteronomy 10.3-5 " And I made an ark ('arown  [aw-rone'], Ark, Chest, Coffin) of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. [4]  And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me. [5]  And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me."

The building of the Ark of the Covenant is described in Exodus 25.10-22. 

Easton's states, "The sacred ark is designated by a Hebrew word, arown, which is the common name for a chest or coffer used for any purpose (Gen. 50:26; 2 Kings 12:9, 10). It is distinguished from all others by such titles as the "ark of God" (1 Sam. 3:3), "ark of the covenant" (Josh. 3:6; Heb. 9:4), "ark of the testimony" (Ex. 25:22). It was made of acacia or shittim wood, a cubit and a half broad and high and two cubits long, and covered all over with the purest gold. Its upper surface or lid, the mercy seat, was surrounded with a rim of gold; and on each of the two sides were two gold rings, in which were placed two gold covered poles by which the ark could be carried (Num. 7:9; 10:21; 4:5,19, 20; 1 Kings 8:3, 6). Over the ark, at the two extremities, were two cherubim (angels), with their faces turned toward each other (Lev. 16:2; Num. 7:89). Their outspread wings over the top of the ark formed the throne of God, while the ark itself was his footstool (Ex. 25:10-22; 37:1-9). The ark was deposited in the "holy of holies," and was so placed that one end of the poles by which it was carried touched the veil which separated the two apartments of the tabernacle (1 Kings 8:8). The two tables of stone which constituted the "testimony" or evidence of God's covenant with the people (Deut. 31:26), the "pot of manna" (Ex. 16:33), and "Aaron's rod that budded" (Num. 17:10), were laid up in the ark (Heb. 9:4)."

Some scholars consider the Ark of the Covenant to be a type or shadow of Jesus Christ who had yet to come and die for the sins of the world. The Ark was made of wood (humanity) and purest gold (Deity), just as Jesus is both God and man:

Colossians 2:8-9 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. [9] For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

There are five action verbs used in these verses, verbs that apply to both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament believer. We are to:
 

1. FEAR - yare' [yaw-ray'], have a reverential awe for God. 

2. WALK - yalak [yaw-lak'], live your life in, be occupied with. 

3. LOVE - 'ahab  [aw-hab'], to have deep affection for. 

4. SERVE - `abad  [aw-bad'], to be a bond slave for. 

5. KEEP - shamar  [shaw-mar'], to post a guard on.

2 Corinthians 7:1  "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Philippians 1:27  "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel"

Matthew 22:37-38  "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. [38]  This is the first and great commandment."

John 14:15  "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Says the Preacher C.H. Spurgeon, "Bounteous is Jehovah in His nature; to give is His delight. His gifts are beyond measure precious, and are as freely given as the light of the sun. He gives grace to His elect because He wills it, to His redeemed because of His covenant, to the called because of His promise, to believers because they seek it, to sinners because they need it. He gives grace abundantly, seasonably, constantly, readily, sovereignly; doubly enhancing the value of the boon by the manner of its bestowal. Grace in all its forms He freely renders to His people: comforting, preserving, sanctifying, directing, instructing, assisting grace, He generously pours into their souls without ceasing, and He always will do so, whatever may occur. Sickness may befall, but the Lord will give grace; poverty may happen to us, but grace will surely be afforded; death must cone but grace will light a candle at the darkest hour."

God could have chosen greater nations than Israel to bless, and a greater people than you and I to save. Yet it suited Him, within His Sovereign Power, within His Sovereign Grace, to sanctify or set Israel apart to be His chosen people. It suited Him, the Creator of all, to call us who are "the least of the least", or as Scripture says,

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: [27]  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; [28]  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: [29]  That no flesh should glory in his presence."

Knowing this, that God called the lesser rather than the greater, the weaker rather than the stronger, how can we possibly stand before Him in arrogance and refuse to serve Him as He asks? How dare we bring our own agenda into the Land we have been given? How dare we, having seen His power, fail to respect that power as Almighty, and perhaps fear to fail in our service to Him?

FOCAL -  Deuteronomy 10:16 "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked."

Of circumcision (muwl [mool], to circumcise or cut off the foreskin). Smith's Dictionary states, "Circumcision was peculiarly, though not exclusively, a Jewish rite. It was enjoined upon Abraham, the father of the nation, by God, at the institution and as the token of the covenant, which assured to him and his descendants the promise of the Messiah. Gen. 17. It was thus made a necessary condition of Jewish nationality. Every male child was to be circumcised when eight days old,  Lev 12:3, on pain of death." To bring this down to our level, let's put it this way. God made a covenant with Abraham because Abraham believed in Him who called him. God then asked that Abraham, as a sign of his obedience, that he be "circumcised":

Genesis 17:9-11 "And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. [10]  This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. [11]  And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you."

Now bear in mind that this action, when performed on an adult male, would be excruciatingly painful ... yet Abraham complied, and demanded that his household do the same. Circumcision the rite did not save Abraham ... faith in God was that which saved him .... but God did demand that Abraham give an outward indication (circumcision) of that inward faith. God's demand to Abraham was, "If you believe, then show Me"! Yet as the years passed by, the children of Abraham engaged in the rite of circumcision without having faith in God. They gave the outward show, but had no inward faith. Just as James said:

James 2:26  "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

If your faith in God shows no outward evidence of son ship to God, then your faith is false. If your outward actions are not the result of an inward faith toward God, then your actions are false. If you are a child of God then be obedient to Him: "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked". If you are not a child of God, do not suffer circumcision, for your actions - the rite without the faith - is useless.

Verses 18 & 19 is an echo of the "Royal Law of God" found throughout Scripture. Though the Israelites were to drive out those seven nations corrupted from the seed of Canaan because they all were involved in terrible idolatry, this "driving out" did not apply to all people. Just as Israel was a stranger in Egypt and was blessed by their association with Egypt (up until the end of their stay, that is), they were to "Love the strangers in their land", while they feared and loved God. Where else do we find this edict in Scripture? We find it in the Mosaic Laws at:

Leviticus 19:18, 34  "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD. [34]  But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God."

Our Lord Jesus Christ reiterated this Law when He stated,

Matthew 22:34-40, "But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. [35] Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, [36] Master, which is the great commandment in the law? [37] 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. [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. [40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." 

And James brought this Law of "Loving Your Neighbor" firmly in the Church Age by calling it the "Royal Law", and saying:

James 2:8-9 "If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: [9]  But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors."

The twin Laws of "Love God, Love Your Neighbor" is the supreme Law which all other Laws governing human relationship stem out of, or have root in. These precepts are the summation of the entire Law of God, and if Israel - if we reject these Laws by word or deed then we become guilty of sinning against the whole Law of God. If this is true, if, as James says, "if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.", then why does prejudice and segregation still abound in the Church? 

As Paul said, 

"I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." 1 Corinthians 9:22

Israel's commission, just like ours, was to let others know about the great God whom we serve. Spurgeon said of Paul, "He became a servant to all men, toiling for his race, feeling a woe within him if he preached not the gospel. He laid aside his preferences to prevent prejudice; he submitted his will in things indifferent, and if men would but receive the gospel, he raised no questions about forms or ceremonies: the gospel was the one all-important business with him. If he might save some he would be content. This was the crown for which he strove, the sole and sufficient reward of all his labors and self denials."

Matthew Henry: "Observe the connexion of these two; Thou shalt love the Lord, and keep his charge. Love will work in obedience, and that only is acceptable obedience which flows from a principle of love."

Or, here's another way to put it ... it's not what you SAY, but it's what you DO. If you love God, then you will obey God.

1 John 5:1-4 "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. [2]  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. [3]  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. [4]  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

If you love Jesus, you will obey Jesus!

John 14:15  "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Again, if YOU love JESUS you will keep His commandments:

John 15:10-12 "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. [11]  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. [12]  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."

What are the commandments that Jesus our Lord gave us? To love God, love one another, speak truth, share the Gospel message. Not to just give lip service to being a Christian, but living our lives as a testimony to Jesus, to our Lord God and Savior. Lip service is cheap - actual obedience is what God wants.

FOCAL - Deuteronomy 11:2-8 "And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm, [3]  And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land; [4]  And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day; [5]  And what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came into this place; [6]  And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel: [7]  But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did. [8]  Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it; [9]  And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey."

God gave His covenant to those who had seen His salvation, who had shared in His deliverance, who knew that God was, indeed, our Savior. These people had been through the fire with God, and should have been mature believers, able to love God. These people had experiential knowledge of God, and thus were without excuse if they failed to rely on Him. If God has made His arm visible to you in the salvation of your soul, in your physical deliverance, then you have no excuse for your faithlessness - you should know better. 

FOCAL - Deuteronomy 11:16-17 "Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; [17]  And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.

1. Believers in sin are punished because God loves them:

2. Confession of sin removes the Divine discipline:

3. Scripture tells us that there are stages of Divine discipline seen historically among the Israelites: 

Warning stage:  James 5:9  "Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door."

Intensive Stage:

Dying stage: 1 John 5:16  "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall [ask] for it."

4. Sin produces it's own punishment: 

FOCAL - Deuteronomy 11:18-24 "Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. [19]  And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. [20]  And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: [21]  That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. [22]  For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; [23]  Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. [24]  Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be. [25]  There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you."

If you want to have God's blessings overflowing in your life, then you must "lay up", (suwm  [soom], heap or store up) His Word in your heart. John Wesley stated, 

"Lay up - Let us all observe these three rules, Let our hearts be filled with the word of God.  Lay up these words in your hearts, as in a store - house, to be used upon all occasions. Let our eyes be fixed upon the word of God: Bind them for a sign upon your hand, which is always in view, and as frontlets between your eyes, which you cannot avoid the sight of."

When the believer refuses or neglects to "lay up" or store the Word of Jesus in his heart, he goes into battle daily against a prepared enemy without any weapon to call his own. The Scripture tells us:

Ephesians 6:11-17 "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [12 ]For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. [13]  Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. [14]  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; [15]  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; [16]  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. [17]  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"

FOCAL - Deuteronomy 11:26-32  "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing (Brakah  [ber-aw-kaw'], blessing, prosperity) and a curse; (qlalah  [kel-aw-law'], a vilification, curse, lack of prosperity) [27]  A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: [28]  And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known. [29]  And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal. [30]  Are they not on the other side Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the champaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh? [31]  For ye shall pass over Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God giveth you, and ye shall possess it, and dwell therein. [32]  And ye shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments which I set before you this day."

As Dr. Willmouth notes, when the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land half of them were to stand on Mount Gerizim while the priest pronounced the blessings that would follow obedience. The other half of Israel were to stand upon Mount Ebal while the priest recited the curses that would flow from disobedience. Smith's Dictionary tells us that "Gerizim [was]a limestone mountain, 2855 feet high (800 feet above the valley at its foot), in Ephraim, near Shechem (Sychar), from which the blessings were read to the Israelites on entering Canaan. [See EBAL] According to the traditions of the Samaritans it was here that Abraham sacrificed Isaac, that Melchizedek met the patriarch, that Jacob built an altar, and at its base dug a well, the ruins of which are still seen." Ebal, on the other hand, was a stony and thorny mountain, well chosen to be the place where the "curse" was read. Easton's Dictionary tells us that Ebal is "A mountain 3,076 feet above the level of the sea, and 1,200 feet above the level of the valley, on the north side of which stood the city of Shechem (q.v.). This mountain was also the site of the first great altar erected to Jehovah (Deut. 27:5-8; Josh. 8:30-35). After this the name of Ebal does not again occur in Jewish history."