Deuteronomy: Lessons to remember as you walk to the Promised Land - Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26:

It's that time of year again! Time to sign my annual teacher contract. Every year I must sign the contract the district offers to me in order to teach again the next year. My contract is somewhat vague. It states the school I’ll be teaching in, but then reserves the rights to move me other places if needed. It outlines some duties, but then adds the “anything else I may be asked to do in order to help the school function” clause. I’ve always felt the contract was more for the district than for me. Yes, I get my job, but the terms do not guarantee me anything other than a job.

The contract God makes with the people of Israel is not so vague or one-sided. Deuteronomy 26 ratifies the Sinaitic Covenant between the LORD and the second generation of Israel to escape Egypt. They accept the terms by acknowledging the LORD is their God and promise to obey Him and listen to His voice. In return, they will be His people, chosen above all other nations, they will receive His blessings, and will be a witness to His glory to all the other nations. Let’s see what Moses reminds them of as the outline of the laws comes to a close.

Read Deuteronomy 26:1-11.

What does the word “when” in the first verse imply? Is their entry into the land guaranteed?

What does the LORD ask them to do with the first fruits of the land?

What are they to confess in front of the LORD?

Why do you think the LORD would ask this of them?

Have you ever considered giving the first fruits of your labor to Him? Why or why not?

How often do you take the time to confess to the LORD that He is your provider and has placed you in a land of abundance in comparison to the world around you?

If the Israelites are a physical picture of our spiritual nature, what spiritual abundance have you received from Him?

Do you labor to make His name, His glory known to those around you? Why or why not?

Read Deuteronomy 26:12-15.

God makes sure which people are taken care of during the 3rd year?

Verses 13-14 are confessions to the LORD, to all He has commanded. The confession includes two important things required of them: “I have _______________ to the voice of the LORD my God”, and “I have ___________________________ that You have commanded me.”

Verse 15 asks for a blessing from the LORD. What is the blessing?

How does this verse also confess of the LORD’s faithfulness?

Read Deuteronomy 26:16-19.

How are they to do these commands?

List the things the Israelites have declared to do as their part in the contract.

List the things God has declared as His part of the contract.

Has God declared you to be His? If so, when and how?

The Israelites were acknowledging the relationship they had with the LORD. All healthy relationships have a give and take to them, and verses 16-19 clearly show this. Have you ever considered your relationship with the Lord in this way? If so, how? If not, why not?

With these things in mind, if you could change some things about how you hold up your end of your relationship with the Lord, what would you change?

Treasured possessions. Set high above all others. Praise. Fame. Honor. What more could they have wanted? This is a good deal! It is a beautiful contract between the God of the universe and His chosen people. In the beginning, God had entrusted His creation to mankind to oversee, to take care of it, to protect it. God wanted communion with mankind as His creator and giver of good gifts. If you remember, in Genesis, God would come and walk with Adam and Eve in the garden. He was their God and they were His people. This is still His desire, and we see it throughout scripture.

Read Jeremiah 24:7.

Read Jeremiah 31:33.

Read Ezekiel 11:20.

Read Ezekiel 14:11.

Read Ezekiel 37:23 and 27.

2 Corinthians 6:16.

Hebrews 8:10.

What is it that God desires?

What is preventing this from happening?

I know those verses were repetitive, but I wanted you to see how much the LORD repeats himself. Over and over we see God’s ultimate desire running throughout scripture. God wants us to be with Him. So what happened? The problem occurred when man took His eyes off of the creator and began to question His good gifts. When Eve was tempted in the garden to look at the forbidden fruit, when she questioned that God was keeping something good from her, decided that it looked fine, even though God said “Don’t,” and then ate the fruit . . . and when Adam, as protector of the land and protector of the order God had established, allowed Eve to eat without stopping her or shooing the serpent away, and then he ate of it too, the communion with God was broken. Mankind had turned from God, listened to a liar intent on destruction, and judged for themselves what they thought was right.

Honestly, it sounds a lot like today. Instead of listening to the good things God has for us in His word, we listen to the world’s distorted lies wrapped in emotionally pleasing packages, then we judge for ourselves what is good and right. We turn from God, then get mad at Him for all the bad things that happen. Like a spoiled child who wants everything their way, we can’t see the benefits of listening to the wisdom of a parent. We don’t want to follow rules. We want to do it our way, then expect to be blessed on all levels.

I can certainly look at my own life and see places where I listen to the world and my own desires more than I listen to my Lord. How I spend money is one example. Establishing a budget that includes a tithe takes thought and planning. I remember well when the Lord started working on my heart in this area. I was a young married woman. We didn’t make much money and lived pay check to pay check. I could not afford to tithe regularly. But the Lord would not let me use this as an excuse. Through scripture, He prompted my heart to give what I could until I could get my finances straight. I was encouraged by the account of the widow’s mite, though it was small, her heart for the Lord was big. That little bit of money was just as important and even more precious to the Lord than the rich man's bag of coins. So each week I would give what I could, even if it was just $5. Then I worked on paying some things off and rearranging my budget to allow for a more appropriate tithe. Here is the thing: it isn’t about the money. It’s about your heart. Is your heat for Him? That is what matters.

And it isn’t all about money and tithing. Do you honor the LORD with your time through discipling others or teaching or leading? Do you honor Him with your mind by renewing your thoughts with His truth in Bible study and prayer? Do you honor Him with your words, your attitudes, your praise. Do you honor Him with thanksgiving?

Where is the Lord prompting you to do a better job with your offerings to Him?

It’s important to stop now and pray about it. If you don’t, you might let the moment slip by and you will lose some resolve, peace of mind, or instruction the Lord wants to give you in this area.

What things can you do to be more intentional about your offerings and obedience to Him?

All of these things are offerings to the Lord. All of them are acts of obedience. They are your opportunity to give back to the Lord who has given you so much. We really need to stop looking at the things we do for the Lord as expectations or demands on His part, and start viewing them as our gifts back to Him. He has done so much for us. The least we can do is give something in return.

Truly, this world is full of distractions to draw our attention away. If we want to worship the Lord, follow Him, or even just offer back our thanks to Him, we will need to be intentional. It won’t happen automatically. One of the most important intentional things you can do is study His word. Spending time in His truth renews your mind. It give you a solid rock to stand on. It builds your strength to stand firm and be courageous. It nourishes your heart and mind to love, remember, fear, obey, and teach.

God’s promises given at the end of Deuteronomy 26 were meant to encourage the Israelites. As a Christ-follower grafted into His family tree, they can bring you encouragement as well. Along with being a treasured possession set high above, you are also “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

This world is far from the perfection God desired in the beginning, but one day He will make it perfect again. In His good time, it will happen. He will make all things new for His people. He will right the wrongs, wipe our tears, and destroy death. He will declare, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them” (Revelation 21:3). I don’t know about you, but I am longing for this day – a day when all will be perfect and I will be with my Lord. Come, Lord Jesus!

Lesson to Remember: God desires to be our God, and He is faithful in His part.

A Way to Walk: Be intentional about your gifts to the Lord. Whether it is spending time in His word, managing your finances, discipling a new Christian, being a Godly mother, something else, or all of the above, all of these things are an opportunity to give back to the Lord who has been so good to you. Do it with thanksgiving in your heart and on your lips.