Deuteronomy: Lessons to remember as you walk to the Promised Land - Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16:

Confession: I have stressed over chapter 16. I have avoided it. I have procrastinated. Why? Because in light of God’s kingdom calendar, the festivals mentioned here are very important. While the chapter is about the Israelites and how they should worship the LORD during the required festivals, all the festivals are symbolic representations of what Jesus accomplished in his first coming, as well as what he will accomplish in his second coming. There is a lot to say, and I have prayed that I will include what you need to know in a succinct way.

Let’s start with an overview. God established 7 appointed feasts for Israel. Remember, seven is the number of completion in God’s economy, so this is a complete cycle of feasts. These feasts both recount or remember what God has done for the Israelites, and they offer worship to the LORD for His goodness and provision. There are four feasts in the spring around March and April. There are three feasts in the fall around September and October. (The Jewish calendar is a little different from our calendar.) The first four feasts are Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of First Fruits, and Pentecost.

Read about read the fist three of these feasts in Deuteronomy 16:1-8.

The end of verse 3 tells why they were to hold these feasts. What is the reason?


As a Christian, you might read about these ancient feasts and think it has nothing to do with you. But, oh, it has everything to do with you. Remember that the Israelites are a physical picture of what is happening spiritually. So, we need to look at each of these feasts through the lens of Jesus.

To begin, Passover is a spiritual picture of our bondage to sin. Just as the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and captive to the rulers, we are slaves to our sin; it is our ruler. When the time came for the Israelites to leave Egypt, God instructed them to sacrifice a perfect lamb, put the blood on their door frames, and the death angel that passed through the land that night to kill every first born would pass them over. The blood would be the sign.

Well, that is exactly what Jesus did at the time of Passover thousands of years later. Jesus was the perfect lamb sacrificed on the cross, and when his blood is symbolically applied to you, final death, which is separation from God’s blessings for all eternity, passes you over. During the Last Supper, Jesus took the broken bread and the cup of wine, and pointed out that these elements of the Passover Seder meal had foreshadowed him all along. The Israelites remembered how God led them to escape Egypt. We must remember how Jesus has redeemed us through his work on the cross.

In fact, all of the festivals foreshadowed what Jesus would accomplish spiritually for us. Take the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for example. Leaven in the bread represents sin. When Jesus died for us on the cross, our sin was removed. The New Testament church is reminded to remain unleavened.

Read 1 Corinthians 5:7-8.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread occurs after Passover. Who is the Passover lamb?

What is the significance in pointing this out?

The old leaven includes malice and wickedness. What should the new unleavened bread contain?

Isn’t this the truth? A little sin works its way through the whole thing: the whole mind, the whole heart, the whole congregation. I cannot help but think about the present state of our world, of our nation, of the Church. We are in a state of apostasy, fallen away from God’s sincerity and truth, following our own thoughts, pleasing our own hearts. Left sitting, leaven works through the whole lump of dough. Compromising God’s word leads to corruption. Paul’s words should ring in our ears. It’s time to be unleavened for the Passover sacrifice has been made!

The next feast is the Feast of First Fruits, and it came at the conclusion of the Passover week.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:20-23.


Who is the first fruit offering?

Who will be second?

Are you included in this second fruit? Why or why not?

If you aren't do you know what to do to be included? If not, leave a comment on this post so that I can help you.

Read Deuteronomy 16:9-12.

How many weeks were they to count?

What offering was to be given at this time?

This is the Feast of Pentecost. Originally, it commemorated the giving of the 10 Commandments, but later turned into a wave offering where two loaves are waved before the altar as an offering. For the New Testament believers, this feast was the day the Holy Spirit descended on the Church.

Read Acts 2:1-4.

What noise was heard?

What did the people see descend?

What effect did this have on the people?

The loud noise and descending fire is very similar to the experience the Israelites had in the wilderness when God descended onto Mount Sinai and spoke to them. (Exodus 19:18-25) The people were not allowed to come up to the mountain, though. Their experience with God was one from a distance. This is unlike the believers’ experience when the Holy Spirit descended. The Holy Spirit went to each person individually. Why the difference? Jesus! At Passover, when Jesus was crucified, His blood is now applied to each individual believer. It was Jesus’ work on the cross that allowed the difference. Justified sinners, cleansed by his blood, can now receive the gift of God – His Holy Spirit. This gift is in them, empowering them to go forth into all the earth with His Good News.

Without the Holy Spirit, the Church would not have grown. Jesus told the disciples before he ascended that the Holy Spirit could come. (John 14:15-31 and Acts 1:8) The Holy Spirit gave the Church power to go forward and accomplish the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching you to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Ezekiel holds a beautiful picture of what God has done for us. Read his words.

Read Ezekiel 36:26-27.

What will God remove?

What two things will He give?

Whose spirit is given to us?

How will this spirit help people?

What did believers receive at Passover and Pentecost?

This festival is now the wave offering of two loaves, which represents both the Jewish nation and the Church. The 10 Commandments. The giving of the Holy Spirit. The waving of two loaves. God is great at putting it all together.

Now read Deuteronomy 16:13-17.

The Feast of Booths or Tabernacles was designed for the Israelites to remember their time in the wilderness: how they lived in tents (or booths), how the LORD led them, how He provided for them. It is part of the fall festivals and is the last festival of the year, the seventh festival. Jesus has already fulfilled all of the spring festivals in his first coming. He will fulfill the fall festivals in his second coming. The Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled in the Rapture of the Church. The Day of Atonement will be fulfilled in Jesus’ second appearing on earth where he cleanses His people and sets up His throne. This last festival is symbolic of Jesus’ millennial reign on earth. He will rule and people will worship Him. The verses in Ezekiel that we just read have a follow-up picture for us.

Read Ezekiel 36:28.

Finally, the nation of Israel will acknowledge their savior. They too will receive a new heart and His Spirit. He will be their God and they will be His people. That’s what God has wanted all along!

Thank you for sticking with me through all of this. My prayer is that you’ve learned something today that will help you in your walk of faith. We will finish the rest of this chapter tomorrow.

Lesson to Remember: God’s plans prevail.

A Way to Walk: The festivals were a time of remembrance. Take the time to remember your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and worship Him with all your heart.

Deuteronomy: Lessons to remember as you walk to the Promised Land

CHAPTER 15:

Sundays are such a day of rest at my house. I sip coffee in the morning while I leisurely get dressed for church. Dinner is waiting for me and my family when we arrive home hungry. We eat and nap and discuss the sermon . . . and I am seriously pulling your leg. Sundays are just as crazy as every other day. Sundays are my catch-up day. The fourth command in the 10 Commandments is to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Why is it that I try to observe all the other commands to the best of my ability, but I disregard this one?

What is a Sabbath, anyway? The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew verb sabat, which means to stop, to cease, to keep. The concept of Sabbath was established in Genesis during the Creation week.

Read Genesis 2:1-3.

Seven is the number of fulfillment in God’s economy. He had created the world in six days, so on the seventh, He rested. It was finished. Of course, God didn’t need to rest, but He was establishing a pattern for us. Work for six days, rest on the seventh. This shows up in the 10 Commandments as the fourth command.

Read Exodus 20:8-11.

Who is not supposed to work on this day?

What is God’s reasoning (v. 11)?

God, in all of His wisdom, gave us a day of rest and a day to worship. We need rest. Our bodies need time to regenerate. Our minds need time to refresh. Without rest, we cannot properly function. I’m old enough to remember the days when nothing was open on Sundays. My parents actually rested. We went to church. Mom did cook Sunday dinner, which brought a pack of my brothers’ friends to eat with us. I still remember the aroma of her roast cooking as we opened the front door, home from church. After the dishes were cleaned and put away, we rested by taking a nap or just sitting around talking. People would come by and visit. Relatives. Friends. Sunday was a day to be still. No stores were open. No places to go. Just rest, worship, and catch up with friends. Why do I make my Sundays so hectic?

The Israelites made upholding the Sabbath very complicated. Absolutely no work. You could only walk so many steps. Certain types of work were punishable by death. Jesus was not so legalistic about the Sabbath.

Read Matthew 12:1-8 and Mark 2:27.


What did Jesus and his disciples do that caused controversy?

What Old Testament account did Jesus remind them of?

Jesus says, “something greater than the temple is here.” What does he refer to?

What does Jesus desire in our observance of this commandment?

What does Jesus mean by the Sabbath was made for man?

Who is Lord of the Sabbath?


Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. He desires that we are loyal and compassionate, not that we restrict ourselves from lots of work. This day was made for us – a day of rest and worship. Like all the other commandments, it is a heart thing. Jesus wants our hearts, and that means that we should desire to worship Him on this day.

Deuteronomy 15 is all about the Sabbatic year, where debts are forgiven and the whole land rests.

Read Deuteronomy 15:1-6.

What does Moses instruct them to do? Why?

Read Deuteronomy 15:7-11.

How are they to give to the poor?

Read Deuteronomy 15:12-23.

If they owned a slave, how were they to set him/her free during this Sabbatic year?

This chapter reminds me of a poem title “Choose” by Carl Sandburg. It’s short, so here it is:

The single clenched fist lifted and ready,
Or the open asking hand held out and waiting.
Choose:
For we meet by one or the other.

The poem holds two contrasting images: the tightly clenched fist and the open, inviting hand. It represents people and their attitudes. It think that’s what God is saying here: we can be tight-fisted, or we can have the open hand.

Over and over, all throughout Deuteronomy, we have seen God’s open hand giving protection, giving provisions, giving forgiveness, giving and giving and giving. God is always willing to give. As God’s people, we should mirror His character. Our giving is a reflection of God’s blessing on us. We should be open-handed people, always willing to give to Him and to others. It is the Luke 6:38 principle: “Give and it will be given to you; a good measure, pressed down, and shaken together will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

You can’t out-give God! When we know this, there is no fear in opening our hearts and our hands to our Lord, first of all, then to those around us. Freely. Generously. Sufficiently. These are the adverbs that should describe our giving. The poor will always be with us . . . but so will our giving God. Love. Remember. Fear. Observe. Be blessed.

Would you consider yourself tight-fisted, open-handed, or somewhere in between?

What holds you back from giving?

What is it that God is calling you to give?

Pray and ask for His help.

Lesson to Remember: God is our giving provider.

A Way to Walk: Remember that giving is not all about money. It could include a plethora of things: time, your talents, worship to name just a few. Be giving toward your Creator and others because God has given generously to you.

Deuteronomy: Lessons to remember as we walk to the Promised Land - Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14:

I read a book on habits last year. It was all about how to break bad habits and develop the habits you want that will make your life better. Habits are built on neurological processes. Your brain uses chemicals to prompt you to do certain things in certain situations. For instance, when it is late in the afternoon and you’re feeling that slump, your body is cued to eat some chocolate to help the slump. With the help of chemicals, this cue makes you crave the chocolate. The craving triggers a response in you: get some chocolate. When you eat the chocolate, you are rewarded with chemicals that make you feel satisfied. So tomorrow, when you feel that slump again, guess what will happen: cue, craving, response, reward. You will strengthen your habit loop.

In order to build habits, you have to establish patterns of behavior that are non-negotiable. If you to start exercising, then you can’t let your feelings dictate whether or not you will exercise today. No. It is non-negotiable. You exercise even if you don’t want to exercise. If you keep this up, then eventually, your body will develop a new habit loop. Getting home from work will cue you to put on your walking shoes. Putting on your walking shoes will make you desire the fresh air and happy feeling you get from walking, so you will head outdoors. Finishing your walk will be satisfying because you know you followed through with your goal. If ever you cave to not walking, then your habit loop may take longer to grow. That’s my problem. I cave. I give myself excuses. I don’t make things non-negotiable. Moses sets up some non-negotiables about tithes and offerings to the LORD in Deuteronomy 14.

Read Deuteronomy Chapter 14:1-2.

Cutting yourself and shaving your forehead for the dead were pagan practices that God did not want the Israelites to make part of their worship. Even though they seemed innocent enough, they were not something God told them to do, therefore, they were to refrain from those practices.

Read Deuteronomy 14:3-21.

What were the two qualifications for a clean animal?

Give some examples of clean and unclean animals.

Verse 21 gives two directives. List them.

Boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk was part of a pagan fertility ritual. God forbade this sort of worship.

Read Deuteronomy 14:22-29.

What were the Israelites to tithe?
Where were the supposed to go with this tithe?

In whose presence were they to eat this tithe?

What was the “so that,” the reason for this tithe?

If the distance was too great, what were their instructions?

They were to remember the Levite in their own town? Why?

What do you remember about the inheritance of the Levite?

Who else are they called to remember?

What is the blessing given for observance of these things?

Love. Remember. Fear. Observe. Teach. Be blessed. We see this pattern God has established in these verses. He wanted them to be set apart from the other nations. He wanted them follow Him alone. This meant they were going to be different.

Being different is sometimes difficult. It is within our nature to want to be like those around us. Most people feel uncomfortable standing out. We tend to assimilate to whatever culture or sub-culture in which we are immersed. It would take intentionality for the Israelites to follow the LORD. It will take intentionality for us to follow Jesus as well. The cultural current will drown your identity in Christ. You must purposefully make decisions, develop routines, and live your life with focus.

I have a friend who is a model of intentional living for the Lord. For her, some things are non-negotiable: going to church each week, tithing, Bible study and prayer each morning, community group, giving back to her local community through outreach projects. She would have to be really, really sick or have some extreme circumstance to miss one of these activities. They are non-negotiable.

I need to be more like my friend, because sometimes I let little things get in the way. I’ve got lots of chores I didn’t finish, so I’ll skip church. I’m a little tired, so I’ll sleep in instead of getting up to do my Bible study and prayer. My list of excuses could go on. Truth be told, I’m setting myself up as my own idol when I do this. It’s what I want. I satisfy my own heart.

We don’t have a list of clean and unclean animals to eat as New Testament believers, or a list of specific tithes and specific places to give them. Read what Paul has to say in Romans.

Read Romans 14:17-19.

What pleases the Lord?

Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit are all found in Jesus.

Read Philippians 3:9.</b>

Where does our righteousness come from?

Why is it given to us?

Why do we have peace with God?

Read Romans 5:1-5.

How should this peace affect our lives?

This peace with God puts us in a place of assurance. We no longer strive to win His approval. We have it through Jesus. This frees us up to follow Him through hard times, persevering in our hope, building our character, and bringing glory to Him. Our peace is one that transcends the troubles of this world. Why? Because we know what is to come. Our inheritance awaits!
Our salvation brings great joy to the LORD. I love the words of Zephaniah 3:17: “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” What a beautiful picture of our Lord rejoicing over our salvation, singing over us in joy. This is the reason Hebrews describes Jesus’s trip to the cross in the way it does.

>Read Hebrews 12:1-2.
What was set before Jesus as he endured the cross?

Joy! It was the joy of our salvation that made Jesus go to the cross. He went to the cross knowing how terrible it would be to face the wrath of Almighty God, but He did it knowing the joy in the completed work was worth it. Can you imagine? Jesus went to the cross out of joy for our salvation! Jesus is the Mighty Warrior who saves us and rejoices over us with singing.

We do not have a list of tithes or offerings to give, but with this in mind, shouldn’t we follow the Lord out of thankfulness? Shouldn’t we have some non-negotiables in our lives that speak of our love for Him? We should never go to church or read or Bible or tithe out of obligation. No. We do it out of thankfulness and love. It is our offering to Him, our Mighty Warrior who saves. Love. Remember. Fear. Observe. Teach. Be blessed – because of Jesus!

Lesson to Remember: Our salvation comes from our Lord, Jesus Christ.

A Way to Walk: Be thankful for what Jesus did for you on the cross. Take some times to set up some non-negotiables that honor the Lord and come from a heart full of joy.

Deuteronomy: Lessons to remember as we walk to the Promised Land

CHAPTER 13:

We are in the middle of a pandemic, the likes of which the world has not seen in 100 years. Schools are closed. Work places are shutting down. Grocery store shelves are empty. People are told to stay inside to escape being exposed to the deadly virus. Stop the spread and flatten the curve is the mantra of the world. God warned the Israelites of a contagious disease long ago. A disease of the heart.

Read Deuteronomy Chapter 13:1-5.

What is this passage telling the Israelites to do?

Read Deuteronomy 13:6-11.

What is this passage telling the Israelites to do?

What will be the effect of the punishment?

Read Deuteronomy 13:12-18.

What are they told to do in this passage?

What is the sin in all three scenarios presented in chapter 13?

How is this a matter of the heart?

What is God preventing with these commands?


Ouch! This is really hard to swallow. We wouldn’t do this today, of course. As New Testament believers, we are not called to do these things, but to think our God commanded this is really hard to defend in our modern world. Go against your own family and friends? Destroy a whole city? That sounds extreme to our modern ears. God is making a point, though. This kind of thinking, this kind of heart is extremely contagious. It will spread like a highly contagious virus infecting everyone if it isn’t stopped.

Imagine if no one followed the LORD, no one loved Him, and everyone worshipped some other god, or even themselves. What would the world be like then? I don’t even want to imagine the chaos and misery that would ensue. God is saying, “Stop the spread. Flatten the curve.” In the middle of this coronavirus chaos, I totally understand the concept in a way I never had before this crazy time. I’m not saying go out and destroy people who don’t follow Christ. No. I’m just saying I get it on a little different level now. Remember: the Old Testament is a physical picture of the spiritual lessons offered in the New Testament.

I think one of the hardest things to do is what God commanded in verses 6-11: call out your family members and close friends. “Don’t spare them. Don’t conceal them,” He says. I don’t know about you, but I tend to compromise when it comes to the people I love. I don’t want to hurt them. I don’t want them to think I don’t love them. I don’t want to ruin the relationship, so I often keep my mouth shut. But compromising God’s word always leads to corruption. If I make allowances for that person close to me, pretty soon I’m thinking, “Well that’s not too bad. Surely God will overlook that in everyone.” And when my viewpoint changes, then I stop reaching out with the truth, which is right where the enemy wants me to rest: blind and quiet.

Deuteronomy give us a physical picture of what is happening spiritually: the people don’t believe and are spreading their mindset. Friends, this is happening today. Apostasy, the falling away from God’s truth, is all around us. Jesus would not have us going out to kill our family or destroy an entire city physically. He would have us confronting unbelief with His truth that we are all sinners, and that He has redeemed us from our slavery to sin. Jesus would have us utterly destroying the lies that serving this world can fulfill us. We must share the Word of God with those around us, the people who don’t believe, who are stuck in sin and need His truth. We must share in love and with grace but not silence. Spiritual sickness leads to spiritual death . . . and we have the cure!

Hebrews 4:12 reveals our weapon: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Silence will spread the infection of disbelief and sin. Silence will lead to their spiritual death. We have the opportunity to stop the contagion and offer the cure found in God’s Word, but it will take effort. It will make us uncomfortable at times. Is it worth it? Yes, because sharing His truth will save lives and increase His people. It will make people spiritually healthy, and that brings honor and glory to Him. Is it worth it? Yes! Our God is worth all praise and honor and glory forever. Amen!

Who is on your mind right now? Who do you need to share God’s truth with?

Pray and ask that God will help you?

He is faithful. He will do it!

Lesson to Remember: God deserves our respect and worship.

A Way to Walk: You have the cure for the spiritually dead heart. Reach out and share God’s truth with those around you. It will bring glory and honor to Him.

Deuteronomy: Lessons to remember as we walk to the Promised Land

CHAPTER 12:

As soon as I stepped onto the back porch, I knew something had gone terribly wrong. I do not have a screened-in porch at my home, but our little river house has one. I love it! I enjoy sitting there watching the river, appreciating the sights and sounds of outdoors from my comfy chair. However, my porch was a mess. There were white stains everywhere, which I later discovered was bird poop. The screens had all been sliced and poked with something sharp. What in the world had gone down in here? It didn’t take long form our neighbors to come over and fill us in. An owl had gotten onto our porch and couldn’t get out. They heard it banging around and helped it escape. It took a frantic moment of flapping and shooing, but eventually, the owl found its way out the door. I’m not sure how the owl got in. Maybe we left a screen door open; we just aren’t sure. It left quite a mess – one we haven’t totally fixed yet. My screen still has some slices and holes. Sometimes we let things in to our home accidentally.

Read Deuteronomy Chapter 12:1-7.

What were the Israelites to destroy? Why?

Where were they supposed to seek the LORD?

Read Deuteronomy 12:8-12.


Moses tells them they cannot do what they’ve been doing, which was just doing what was right in their own eyes. In other words, they were being slack. He warns them to do what is right when they enter the Promised Land. They were supposed to bring their offerings and ________________ (verse 12) before the LORD. I’m not sure what they weren’t doing. Bringing the offering or rejoicing, but whatever it was, their heart was not fully committed to worshipping the LORD. This, of course, was going to bring them trouble later.

Read on to find out what they were and were not supposed to do with their offering.

Read Deuteronomy 12:13-32.

What were the 2 warnings given to them in verses 28 and 30?

What is the warning is verse 32?

Why do you think people are so easily led astray, so easily distracted?

What sorts of things distract us from the Lord today?

What is your greatest distraction?


This chapter has two messages: 1) beware of the pagan gods and avoid them; 2) worship God in the way He has established. God knew the danger of walking into a land where other worship was happening. He knew this worship would intrigue them; they would want to know more. Once seen, once learned, these ideas would make their way into the Israelite’s worship of Him, and eventually lead them far away.

Here’s the thing: once you’ve seen something, it is hard to get rid of that image, that idea. It might be gross or disturbing at first, but the more you are exposed, the more you become desensitized. This about TV. The mature scenarios that fill our screens today would have been unheard of fifty years ago. We’ve lost our innocence. And what’s worse is that those innocent scenes don’t entertain us anymore. We crave the explicit. A desensitized person with no filter will always be available for the next level. Compromise of our morals always leads to corruption.

It makes me wonder about myself. How desensitized am I? What have I compromised? What will I tolerate next? I don’t want to continue on this cultural curse. I hear God’s words directed at me: “Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God” (v. 28).

Maybe this requires a detox. You know how people do on those diets to detox their bodies? They refrain from eating most foods and they drink herbal supplements instead to help get rid of impurities in their body, or even cravings for food they don’t need. I think we need a mental detox, a heart detox. We need to go on a cultural diet, stay away from the places and things that fill our minds with ungodly ideas, unholy scenes. We need to supplement our daily thoughts with God’s word to fortify our minds and grow our spiritual selves. We need to rebuild our habits, filling our time with things that honor Him.
I can’t think of a better time than now during this pandemic stay-at-home command. It is the perfect opportunity to refocus our lives on Christ. When things reboot and the world starts moving once again, we can choose the activities to add back. We can cast away the things that have kept us from our Lord. With prayer and petition, the filter on our lives and homes can be reset. It is so easy to be unwittingly allow something into our heart and minds that is destructive. Like the owl on my porch, it can leave things in shambles. It’s time to grab hold of Jesus and never look back, “for you will be doing what is right in the sight of the LORD your God.”

Lesson to Remember: God is Lord over all.

A Way to Walk: Being lax in our worship will affect our walk with the Lord. Remember to worship by offering and rejoicing before the Lord.

Deuteronomy: Lessons to remember as you walk to the Promised Land

CHAPTER 11:

I just got back from the grocery store. Armed with face masks, gloves, and alcohol spray, my husband and I faced the dangerous journey into a possible war zone. It went fairly well. I found all the things I needed except paper towels. Upon exiting, my husband alcohol sprayed us and I carefully took off my gloves in proper OSHA fashion. We made it. I guess! Actually, who knows? As we unloaded the groceries onto our kitchen floor, I couldn’t help but think, “This could be a germ factory right here on the floor.” Seriously, there is no way to know, and you can’t go through life stressing over it. You can follow all the commands of the CDC, and you can heed all the warnings, but you are not promised anything. Like our recent local news, chapter 11 of Deuteronomy is full of commands and warnings, but unlike our news, it also offers promises.

Let’s remember where we left off. Back up and read 10:20-22.

What were the Israelites to remember?

Now read Deuteronomy Chapter 11:1-7. Look for the therefore statement.

Who was Moses speaking to in this passage?

What was significantly different about these people as opposed to their children?

In one generation, the Israelites who witnessed God’s great works in the exodus from Egypt would be gone. Why would it be important to remember and teach their children about these awesome events?

What should you be teaching your children or grandchildren about God?

Read Deuteronomy 11:8-12.

How is the Promised Land described in this passage?

Read Deuteronomy 11:13-17.

This passage contains an if-then statement. The “if” contains two parts and is found in verse 13. What two things must they do?

Is this a new command or a reminder of one already given?


Why is it stated again, do you think?

What does the LORD promise to them if they love and serve Him?

What is the warning?

Read verses 18-21.

What things will they need to do to remember the LORD?

What is the promise given in verse 22?

Read verses 22-25.

What is the if-then statement given here?

Read verses 26-32.

The Israelites have two choices. What are they?

I don’t think the LORD could have made it any clearer. The Israelites had two choices: blessing or curse. He even made them physically place the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. Nothing like a physical picture of something that isn’t tangible to make you understand. He wanted them to know He was serious and this was real. Blessing. Curse. Your choice.

Obviously, God wanted to bless them. He described it and gave specific directions. It’s the same thing He has been telling them throughout Deuteronomy: love, remember, fear, observe, teach, be blessed. That’s all He’s asking. It seems so simple, and yet . . . The Israelites had lived with the presence of God visibly in front of them. The pillar of cloud had been among their camp for forty years. They had seen what God could do, and yet . . . they had a hard time obeying. How much harder would it be for them in a land full of distractions, where they wouldn’t need to depend on the Lord, and when that generation who saw the miracles was gone?

Do you remember the disciple Thomas that walked with Jesus? He was the skeptical one, doubting that Jesus had risen from the grave. He boasted that he would not believe unless he could put his finger in the place of the nails and his hand in his side (John 20:25). When Jesus appeared to the disciples again and Thomas was present, Jesus offered his wounds for inspection. Thomas believed and declared, “My LORD, my God!” Jesus responded, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (John 20:28-29).

We have not had the privilege of the Israelites in living with the pillar of cloud in which the LORD Almighty dwells. We have not had the honor of walking with Jesus or inspecting his wounds like Thomas and the other disciples. And yet . . .there is evidence of our Lord all around – in creation, in the works of the Holy Spirit, in answered prayers. I think it is most fitting to consider John’s final words in chapter 20. I am sure it is the whole point in him writing this book: “Therefore, many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20: 30-31).

Friend, these are turbulent times. Even if we follow all the commands of health officials, even if we heed every warning posted on the media, there are no guarantees. However, the promises of God are guaranteed. As promised, when we come to the end of our walk, we either have a blessing awaiting us or a curse. The choice is ours. But we must make that choice now. We cannot be like Thomas and boast that we won’t believe until we see it with our own eyes. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed! Will you place your faith in him as your able redeemer? Will you confess your sins and accept His gift of salvation? Will you follow Christ?

Lesson to Remember: God is faithful to His promises
A Way to Walk: Choose daily to walk by faith, following the Lord, for you know your blessing awaits!

Deuteronomy: lessons to remember as you walk to the Promised Land

CHAPTER 10:

My mom passed away almost 3 years ago at the time I’m writing this. She didn’t have much to leave her children: some household items we wanted, pictures, books, a little money in a bank account. My inheritance was not grand if you measure it by tangible items. But my mom did leave a legacy of other things: traditions, a sense of family, a spirit of adventure, and some really great mottos to live by. Such sayings included, “Everything should have a place . . . and it should be there” and “If it is to be, it’s up to me.” But the thing I am most grateful to have inherited from my mother is faith in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Despite all of her short-comings, my mom loved Jesus, and she wanted all of her kids to love Jesus as well.

Read Deuteronomy Chapter 10:1-9.

What event does Moses recall for the Israelites in verses 1-5?

Which tribe was set apart and what was their job?

The Levites will not receive any land as an inheritance in the Promised Land. What do they receive instead?

Inheritance. What does that mean? Webster’s defines inheritance as “the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations.” The Israelites would not acquire any land, but instead would acquire the LORD. Like the Levites, there is nothing in this world that is our inheritance. Despite the fact that we may be left some possessions from a relative or even some quirky sayings, our spiritual inheritance is not bound to this earth. No. We have a different inheritance.

Read 1Peter 1:3-5.

Who has secured this inheritance for you?

What words describe this inheritance?

Where is your inheritance located?

Our inheritance is secured by Christ, granted to us by faith, and protected by God. It is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is a living hope given to us in great mercy. Our inheritance isn’t land or money or castles or anything like that. Our inheritance is our heavenly Father. We get Him! I can’t even imagine what that will be like, but just look around you. Look at the beautiful land and sky, the flowers and trees. Think about the forces of nature that keep our universe moving in perfect order. Consider the love and grace He extends to wretched sinners. It is all a reflection of Him, a reflection of our inheritance. When we leave this fading earth, we will be walking into a glorious inheritance beyond our imagining.

Read Romans 8:14-17.

Whose children are we?

Who are we co-heirs with?

Read Colossians 1:9-12.

Verse 12 says that believers have been “qualified” to this inheritance. The previous verses list things that we should do because of this great gift. What are some things we should do?


Our inheritance should put a spirit of gratitude in our hearts. It should cause to desire Him more and grow in our knowledge of Him through study and prayer. We should want to reach out to others with the good news of the gospel. Thankfulness should fill our hearts. That is the attitude we should hold about our inheritance.

Have you considered God as your inheritance? Why or why not?

What holds you back from growing in your knowledge of Him?

What holds you back from sharing Him with others?

Read Deuteronomy 10: 10-22.

What does Moses tell he Israelites to do in verse 16?

Why are they to do this? (Look in verse 17.)


I remember reading this verse with my mom one day. Her take on circumcising your heart? “That hurts!” she said. Mom was right. Cutting the things away that hold our heart back from the Lord does hurt. It requires that we take the time to survey our life, to dig deep at what is rooted in our hearts, and remove the things that don’t belong. And if digging deep isn’t hurtful enough, then you must break those habits and form new God-honoring ones. Cue. Craving. Response. Reward. You must rebuild your habit loop. That takes time, but I can say this: daily time studying scripture, filling your mind with Christ,and prayer can all seriously impact your habit loop. God can and will help you. You will find Him if you search for Him. And who knows, maybe circumcising your heart and rebuilding your habit loop is all a walk in the wilderness meant to bring you closer to the Lord, closer to your inheritance.

This circumcising your heart process is called sanctification. It is the act of making you more holy than you were. If you are continually seeking the LORD in this life, you will be continually in this process. There will always be something the LORD is working on in your heart. “Sanctify me through and through” is the plea of 1 Thessalonians 5:23. It should be our plea too. Walk on, my friend, and be sanctified, for that is God’s will for you.

Lesson to Remember: God is your inheritance.

A Way to Walk: Allow yourself to be sanctified by circumcising your heart and rebuilding your habit loop with God-honoring activities.