BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 20

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” (Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion)

A common criticism of the bible is that the God of the Old Testament is nothing like Jesus. Like Dawkins, many skeptics see a cruel, ruthless deity that indiscriminately orders the execution of seemingly innocent men, women, and children. Such a God, the argument goes, in no way represents the loving Creator or Father figure that the New Testament offers. It’s just not consistent.

Charges of genocide are very common among the critics of God, with Israel’s charge to exterminate the inhabitants of Canaan being cited as an example: “Only in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you” (Deut. 20:16-17). To the skeptic, it seems that God is ordering the deaths of innocent people whose only crime is living in the land that He wants Israel to possess. But there’s more to this story that must be acknowledged. The fact is their expulsion was a loooong time coming. These nations had rebelled against God since the time of Abraham (Genesis 15.16). Despite not being his people, the Bible teaches that all people are accountable to God the Creator. These nations had corrupted themselves to the point they even burned their children in sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12.31). More than just being angry, this grieved God to the point of regret (see Genesis 6.6). Their way of life was no life; but worse it propagated generations destined for wrath.

I understand the challenge of accepting that a loving God would destroy men, women and children. After all he has promised mercy, forgiveness and hope. But it must be understood in the context of justice. For righteousness to be a reality, God must deal with the deliberately wicked. What we see in the destruction of the conquest was a justified consequence towards these people. But consider also that his effort was an act of mercy to keep future generations from their corruption. They would not continue in wickedness and their influence would be cut off from those trying to follow God truly. YHWH’s actions towards these nations sends a clear message to everyone: there is no future for those opposed to God.

Jesus would not let off the gas on this topic: There will be judgment on those unconcerned and unprepared to meet God (see Matthew 22.1-14). But Jesus' earthly mission was not to condemn-- that was already our reality (John 3.16-18)! -- but to offers true hope from the consequences of our opposition to God. The NT scriptures make it clear that Jesus plans to return, and there will be a clear distinction made between those with him and those opposed to God. 

It is justifiable to wrestle with Divine wrath and its place in the big scheme of things. We cannot begin to fathom the depth of God’s holiness and the actions he must take; nor can we comprehend his immeasurable mercy towards those who oppose him. But if we believe that God is the Creator, our submission, allegiance, and repentance is the only logical response.

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness?” (2 Peter 3.9-11)

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 17

“… [the king] he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.” (Deuteronomy 17.16-17)

“And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem… and Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt… Now King Solomon loved many foreign women… from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.” (1 Kings 10. 26, 28; 11.1-2)

As clear as God was, people still did what they wanted. I’m sure they thought, “what will it hurt?” or “surely this isn’t that serious”. This was especially significant for a king who was supposed to write a copy of the law for himself (Deuteronomy 17.18-20). The king wasn’t just supposed to be a leader for the people; he was to embody the law and let it lead through him. But more often than not, the king did precisely what God told them not to do, leading the people farther from God and his covenant.

Israel’s degeneration was slow but deliberate. It is sad that God would be so explicit and yet his own people would explicitly do the very things he condemned. One could cite the passing of time or the lack of present demonstrations of God’s as a reason for their regression; but as Exodus demonstrates those factors make little difference. The problem was a fundamental choice in the hearts of these people to not fear God. They were ruled by their wants, passions and pride, and so refused to believe God’s words.

God’s people must appreciate and live by God’s words. They not only prove true (Proverbs 30.5) but give us insight and context far beyond our experience. Natural wisdom rejects this notion. Even God’s people can become convinced that what we see, know and understand is the highest form of reality. But we must appreciate that God’s words are not altered by circumstances but rather create the only proper framework for understanding life’s events. When they are rejected, there is nothing but frustration, failure and condemnation. 

We are not unique in history. Our life circumstances aren’t the exception to the rule. God’s wisdom is not outdated. Modern intelligence doesn’t have better insight than those of the past. Only God’s perfect understanding will cut through the clutter and give us true direction and life.  We must seek his wisdom, adhere to his patterns and observe his warnings as a top priority. It is a matter of life and death. The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1.7). So fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole of our existence (Ecclesiastes 12.13). 

“Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4.4; cf. Deuteronomy 8.3)

“It is not the old who are wise nor the aged who understand what is right… the breath of the Almighty; that makes him understand.” (Job 32.8-9)

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 15

“…there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor in your land.’” (Deuteronomy 15.11)

YHWH intended to bless Israel richly, but that didn’t mean hardship wouldn’t happen to some. With the passing of time, some would become poor. Moses didn’t qualify the nature of the poor brother’s circumstances. But that wasn’t the point; he commanded the nation of Israel to see his brother and ‘lend him sufficient to his need, whatever it may be’ (Deuteronomy 15.8). This had nothing to do with worthiness and everything to do with honoring God’s blessing towards those who had prospered (Deuteronomy 15.10). This expectation carries through today for us as an expression of love: ‘if anyone has the world’s goods and see his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?’ (1 John 3.17)

This month we received a request from brethren in South Africa for $30,000 so they could secure food in the coming months. As you know, their conditions are desperate and if they don’t get rain, outside help is their only hope for eating. Also, this month hurricanes have devasted the east coast, leaving many people homeless. I’ve already seen several pages listing the mountain of needs our brethren have in both Florida and North Carolina. Seasons like this make us acutely aware of these circumstances; but needs like this are everywhere. Last week I spoke with an Indian missionary who runs an orphanage. He is trying to save children from the sex trade and life on the streets, but the financial burden continues to grow. He told me 50-60 kids a week show up at his compound, but he simply doesn’t have the resources to help them all. When I travel to Ethiopia, I see brethren living with little to nothing, lacking adequate drinking water and clothing. We help them as much as we can, but the needs are constant.

The fact is negative circumstances exist in this life and often affect the people of God. We may not be able to help them all, but like God instructed Israel, we must have a mind and heart to ‘open wide our hands.’

We are incredibly blessed in our nation and our comforts can blind us to the daily struggles many face. But worse it can obscure the purposes we have been given such abundance. Frankly speaking, many things we consider necessary are frivolous to most of the world. But the struggle does not only manifest in abundance. Our hearts selfishly desire to maintain what belongs to us. That’s why Moses would warn Israel not to have ‘unworthy thoughts’ (Deuteronomy 15.9) that kept them from helping others in need. I’m not suggesting we should feel badly about our wealth or choose to live destitute, but God always gives with expectation. If we are to be holy as God is holy, we must train our mind to seek first the good of others with what God has given to us.

I was proud to see the gifts many of you made for our brethren in South Africa, and I would encourage you to develop and grow in this practice of serving others. It is an expression of holiness to think about and serve the needs of others in their distress. There will always be poor among us; and it is a Divine blessing to have opportunity to serve them in their needs.

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3.18)

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 12

Upon entering the land, Israel’s top priority was to eradicate objects and opportunities for idol worship. “Destroy all the places where the nations served their gods… tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire… chop down the carved images and destroy their name out of that place. You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way” (Deuteronomy 12.2-4). It was to be intentional and total. The presence of other gods was an affront to YHWH and dangerous to the future of his people. “Take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? —that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods” (Deuteronomy 12.30-31)

There has always been a temptation for God’s people to assimilate and align with those around them. It can seem courteous and merciful because it is a method to engage others in meaningful ways. But God was not calling his people to be master marketers; he was calling them to holiness and obedience. Their conformity to the practices of the nations diluted the reality of God’s righteous ways. To maintain their special relationship with YHWH, they needed to worship him with intentional obedience—in his way. Unfortunately, Israel failed, and it proved devastating for them (Judges 2.11-15; Psalm 106.34-ff). If YHWH was not honored in his way as their God, they would not be protected as his people.

Every culture has its nuance that impacts the practice of faith and the logistics of worship. But these nuances do not supersede the fundamental premise of faithful practice: to worship God in his way. I’m not saying we should staunchly reject every culturally attractive practice. But we must be careful that it is not the deciding factor in our practice of faith or in our worship.

To maintain purity in our practice of faith, we must take the same steps God commanded Israel: We must actively eliminate the presence of other gods. In our lives we must not have sacred spaces that receive our best affection and attention. We must refuse apathy and anything that opposes the righteousness from God. Like Israel, it is not enough to put the gods in the closet or coexist with those who promote ungodly agendas. Sadly, many Christians today invite the ways of the world into their living rooms via cell phones, TV and other devices. We must appreciate that our mission and calling is not simply to live as God’s people, but to assault the forces of evil that wage war on us and others. We are soldiers, not civilians in our faith and we must be deliberate in our activity. As Paul would say, “we destroy arguments, and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ…” (2 Corinthians 10.5). Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against evil forces of darkness waging war for our mind and the minds of those around us (Ephesians 6.10-13). We are called to action. We must be vigilant and deliberate to destroy the influence of other gods in our lives and thus sanctify God with our lives.

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 11

“…if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the LORD your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you.” (Deuteronomy 11.22-23)

As my girls are learning new skills, they often lack finesse. Crayons get broken, papers torn, and other objects get damaged as they learn to handle them. In our parenting, we often encourage them to, “Be careful.” For instance, when they were learning to use scissors, I didn’t want them to cut themselves or hurt others. The admonition was for their safety and protection. Other times this admonition was towards better focus. When they put together LEGO sets, they sometimes pushed too hard and broke what they had made. They needed to think about how their action would affect what they really wanted. The counsel to ‘be careful’ is really a call to pay attention, to handle thoughtfully and to act with purpose.

In Deuteronomy, Moses spoke to Israel like his children. As such, he was repetitive but deliberate. ‘Listen’…‘Obey’… ‘Remember’… ‘Be careful’ (Deuteronomy 2.4; 4.15; 5.1, 32; 6.3, 25; 7.11; 8.1; 11.22, 32; 12.1, 28, 32; 15.5; 16.12; 17.10; 19.9; 23.23; 24.8; 26.16; 28.1. 13, 15, 58; 31.12; 32.46). He gave them specifics to follow, but he knew their big issue would not be information. It would be action and focus. They needed to ground themselves with intentionality and be careful to do what YHWH commanded them. Without obedience there was no life or future for these people (5.31-33; 6.24-25; 8.1). Of course, they had an object lesson from the previous generation; but this new generation was just as susceptible to disobey. It’s no wonder every section in this law seems to begin and end with the warning to ‘be careful.’ God’s people tend to forget, neglect or just become lazy over time.

It’s no surprise Paul would issue us the same warning: “Look carefully how you walk” (Ephesians 5.15). The discerning mind can see the folly of our world, but the draw is still strong. Our adversary the devil is a master at twisting what is good into something divisive and ungodly. Like Paul, we must call this world what it is: a place of darkness and temporary pleasure that lulls many to ‘sleep’. We must wake up (Ephesians 5.14), be wise and be warned (Psalm 2.10) and be careful to devote ourselves to good works (Titus 3.8). As we mentioned last week, obedience is the critical role we play in our covenant with Jesus. But it is practical in protecting us from deception. We are prone to conformity and comfort. But the admonition of scripture is to not be satisfied with the status quo or even just above it. God’s people should be diligent, purposeful and daily renewed to present ourselves to God. To do so, we must be careful and “make the best use of our time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5.16).