5/9/12. Deut 27:1-26. KEEP THE LORD’S COMMANDMENTS

Wednesday, May 9, 2012        Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

Deuteronomy 27:1-26

Key Verse: 27:1

“Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all these commands that I give you today.”

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank you for your eternal love. No matter how hard and how pointless life in this world seems to be, there you are extending your arms to us and inviting us to come unto you and place all of our hope in the kingdom of God. Lord, this world is not our home. Guide us along our pilgrimage to eternal life in you Lord. Please comfort my friend in his loss. Draw him to yourself and your love. Fill his heart with hope in a hopeless time. Grant me one word of God to hold onto. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: Write Down God’s Law (1-8).

Verses 1-8 reads, “Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all these commands that I give you today.2 When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the LORD your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. 3 Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you. 4 And when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I command you today, and coat them with plaster. 5 Build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool on them. 6 Build the altar of the LORD your God with fieldstones and offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God. 7 Sacrifice fellowship offerings there, eating them and rejoicing in the presence of the LORD your God. 8 And you shall write very clearly all the words of this law on these stones you have set up.”

After Moses finished giving the people God’s laws, he and the elders seriously charged the people to obey the Lord’s commandments. First and foremost, when they entered the Promised Land, they should set up lime-coated stones listing all of God’s laws. His commands should guide them and direct them from the beginning. There are about 600 of God’s laws in the Old Testament. They were given to the Israelites around 1400 BC. Sure, there were other laws given to other people groups living in Mesopotamia in the 1700. An example of which is Hammurabi’s Laws. But the Hebrew laws were light years ahead in justice. For example other ancient laws had a lot to do with different classes of people. Higher classes were protected and those who perpetrated crimes against them were punished more harshly. Noble killers were not executed. But other people could be killed for a killer’s crime. But the Hebrew laws were classless. There was no honoring of the upper classes. There was no dying for another person’s crime. Killers were not protected, no matter what class they were from. God’s laws, given to the Hebrews were far superior because they were from God. They were a blessing to the people and promoted health, right worship, justice, charity, woman’s rights, child rights. These laws were revolutionary and life giving. They needed to be honored and upheld and never forgotten.

But how easy it is for us to forget the Law of God. It is the easiest to forget the laws of God when we are blessed and when everything is going well. When we are experiencing peace and prosperity we forget who blessed us and why we are so blessed. But it is in the time of blessing, we should not set aside God’s word, but revere it all the more. This takes focus and denying ourselves so that we may not be distracted but value our time with Jesus and his word every day. I pray for our students, though they are very busy, may they make time each day to meditate on and accept the word of God.

In times of peace and prosperity the next thing to put at the wayside is our worship. First goes the law of God and then next goes worship. But Moses let his people know that they should build an altar and offer sacrifices to the Lord, celebrating his peace and joy and keep doing so. Their wholehearted worship of God should be their top priority in the Promised Land. For if it is not, it will fall to the side. We must guard our hearts and our sincere worship of the Lord. I know what happens if I don’t guard my heart and keep sincere worship. One excuse after another creeps in until we are so busy doing and endless amount of “necessary things” that we have no time to worship God. Then we become vulnerable, spiritually, and fall into sins that we never thought we could ever fall into. I pray to make worship a top priority in my life.

I also learn that there are three things involved in coming to God. It is obeying his word, holding onto his word and worshipping him. How easy it is for us to only study the word of God and try to obey it. These three are like three legs on a stool. If you take one away, or over emphasis one over the other, it just does not work. If they are not in the right balance then strange creations are produced. May a fellowship where all three components are present in the right proportions.

Part 2. Commit Yourselves To Obeying the Lord (9-26).

In verses 9-26 there are a long list of various laws. Some are shocking. Some are interesting. I am surprised that some of the issues here are even mentioned. But I guess they were all an issue at the time, like #incest and #bestiality. (They are so bad I can’t even mention the names of these sins in a traceable way. It shows how depraved humanity had become and how far they had drifted away from the image of God. It shows how desperate they were to have the laws of God embossed on their hearts. We surely need a Savior and the word of God to save us from our sins.

After crossing the Jordan, they should hold a solemn ceremony in which five tribes stand on Mt. Gerizim and declare the blessings according to God’s law, and six tribes stand on Mt. Ebal and declare the curses. The Levites should then declare 12 curses on God’s people as a warning to them to commit themselves to obeying the Lord in the Promised Land if they want to be a blessed people. This ceremony involved the whole nation. Their complete commitment was necessary so that God would go with them and establish them in the land.

There are blessings and there are curses in this life and they are linked to our obedience. If a person wants to be blessed with the university degree they need to obey and study and focus. If a person wants to be blessed a good career job they need to obey and study and submit to the terms of working for the company. The list goes on and on. Being blessed in this life on earth is linked to our obedience to the words of God and doing what is just and right. I pray that we may have an obedient heart, desiring to obey God and the truth of God.

For a nation to be blessed their must be a consensus among the people. It seems in America that there are few opportunities for consensus. We are all becoming isolated in our own digital worlds. But, God by his Spirit, can bring us back and unite us as one in the Gospel. Great things can happen. There are examples of whole towns being changed when the people are united in the Lord. See the following video that shows several miraculous workings of God. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBvxWl7jXr0 )

Prayer: Lord, please have mercy on us to value your commands highly and follow your laws wholeheartedly as one people.

One Word: Be blessed by keeping the Lord’s commandments