Egypt – Praying Pint

52.a. Wilderness – 16.g. “Therefore be imitators of God”

Deu 24:17-22  “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge, but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this.

Psalms 94:3-6    O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?  They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.  They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage.  They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;

Psalms 94:20-21    Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute?  They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

Jeremiah 22:3    Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

Ezekiel 22:7     Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you.

Ephesians 5:1-2   Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Isaiah 51:1     “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.

It is not hard to prove that purity, piety, justice, mercy, fair conduct, kindness to the poor and destitute, consideration for them, and generosity of spirit, are pleasing to God, and becoming in his redeemed people. The difficulty is to attend to them in our daily walk and conversation. (Henry)

It is hard for us to understand this while we live our separate lives in our ice little realm of society. We are unaffected by the homeless, fatherless, and widows. Yet, they are there if our eyes are opened and our ears listen. Our culture and society claim the unborn fatherless child as nothing more than an unwanted mass or tumor. Laws are made that give strength to this abomination. The arguments made rely on tolerance and personal rights. They will proclaim to those who do not buy into these lies as enemies of liberty and freedom and haters of others. They are very good at this.

God’s Word is clear as the noonday sun. It is wrong to treat those in need with contempt. It is wrong to turn our eyes and ears away from them. It is wrong to be silent.

Standing firm in the love of Jesus Christ. Do not be swayed by empty words spewed out by those who proclaim unrighteous acts of disobedience. Walk in the love of God, filled with the Holy Spirit, and with ears trained and seeking to know the will of God for whatever might come each day.

51.z. Wilderness – 16.e. “Doing What’s Right”

Deu 24:5-15 “When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken. “No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge. “If a man is found stealing one of his brothers of the people of Israel, and if he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. “Take care, in a case of leprous disease, to be very careful to do according to all that the Levitical priests shall direct you. As I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt. “When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not go into his house to collect his pledge. You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge. You shall restore to him the pledge as the sun sets, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you. And it shall be righteousness for you before the LORD your God. “You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), lest he cry against you to the LORD, and you be guilty of sin.

It is of great consequence that love be kept up between husband and wife; that they carefully avoid every thing which might make them strange one to another. Man-stealing was a capital crime, which could not be settled, as other thefts, by restitution. The laws concerning leprosy must be carefully observed. Thus all who feel their consciences under guilt and wrath, must not cover it, or endeavour to shake off their convictions; but by repentance, and prayer, and humble confession, take the way to peace and pardon. Some orders are given about pledges for money lent. This teaches us to consult the comfort and subsistence of others, as much as our own advantage. Let the poor debtor sleep in his own raiment, and praise God for thy kindness to him. Poor debtors ought to feel more than commonly they do, the goodness of creditors who do not take all the advantage of the law against them, nor should this ever be looked upon as weakness.

Jesus died and rose from the grave for our redemption, forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. Upon His ascension, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to indwell, fill, guide, lead, empower, instruct, convict, and give us power over sin and fleshly and worldly temptations. Fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, kindness, generosity, patience, goodness, self-control, and faithfulness. When we seek to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all of our thoughts, words, and actions we are an open vessel for which the Holy Spirit will work toward that end. When we are consumed by things of this world and the busyness of life and neglect or complacent of His Word, we are not. The Holy Spirit and God’s Word are inseparable. We do well to intentionally choose to honor Jesus Christ in all of our thoughts, words, and actions – all of the time, seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit with inner sensitivity to that quiet small voice continually speaking into our lives. Growing and maturing in this sensitivity to the Holy Spirit will affect our lives and those we come in contact with. We will see the world for what it is and have eyes and ears to be led by the Holy Spirit and be a beacon of light for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ.

51.o. Wilderness – 15.u. “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.”

Deu 20:1-4  “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’

Deu 20:8  And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.’

Deuteronomy 3:22   You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.’

Genesis 26:3     Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.

Joshua 1:5     No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8    “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.  With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Psalms 118:6     The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Romans 8:31    What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

1 Corinthians 15:33    Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Deuteronomy 1:28    Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’

Israel, a small nation surrounded by great empires, was rarely in a strategically superior position. Despite the clear danger, they also had a clear command from God to not fear. Israel was commanded to not fear what any logical military man would fear: superior numbers, superior technology, and superior equipment. Yet, Israel was given a reason to not fear. God did not deny that the enemies of Israel would usually have more horses, chariots, and people than Israel. But God asked them to recognize a greater fact: That the LORD your God is with you. It was the job of the priest to encourage the soldiers to trust in God. Though the priests were not normally to go into battle. When Israel was obedient, and trusting in God, they could never lose. But when they were disobedient, or not trusting, they could never win – even if they had superior forces.

To God, the size of the army wasn’t important; the heart of the army was far more important. He didn’t want people who might be distracted from the real battle by worrying about the cares of everyday life (their home, their vineyard, their fiancée’); nor did He want people who were not really trusting Him. God could do more through a smaller army that was really committed to Him than through a bigger army that was full of compromise. (Guzik)

There is a fear that most experience – It is a “sudden fear” of when something happens. A car accident that is about to happen, waking up to smoke in your home, loud unexpected noise, or being startled by someone or something you didn’t know was there. We are just born with this. Proverbs says, do not be afraid of sudden fear. When sudden fear occurs, recognize it, and do not be afraid. You would apply brakes or swerve in an on-coming accident. You would flee a burning building. You would not try to pick up a venomous snake as it slithers by. You would be cautious, attentive, mindful, and putting things into their right place within your mind. God is there. God is sovereign. God is all-knowing. God is all-powerful. He will never leave or forsake you.

There is another type of fear that should not be in the hearts and minds of those who trust in, rely upon, and cling to Jesus Christ. It is the fear of an unknown outcome of a potential event of something in the near or distant future. How do these fears arise within us? How do they gain even a spec of space within our minds? If you spend any time reading or watching news outlets you will be told what to fear right now and what to fear in the future. They will lay out their narrative in convincing crafty words. Every news and weather outlet broadcast station is supported by income from advertising that pays certain fees depending on the number of viewers. How better to get more viewers than to incite fear? Stay tuned for more breaking news. We will keep an eye on this for you, stay tuned in. This is a developing story, stay tuned. New information has come to light, stay tuned. This could affect every single person, so stay tuned. Scientists confirm, stay tuned. Witnesses have stated, stay tuned. Researchers have just revealed, stay tuned. The more they can generate fear the masses will tune in and hopefully rely on them to make sense of the fear being generated.

In contrast, God’s Word says to “Fear Not”, “Be of this world but not partakers of it”, “Be anxious about nothing”, “Trust in the Lord your God”, “God will never leave you or forsake you”, “I am with you”, “I am your rock and refuge”, “God is all-powerful”, God is ever-present”, God is all-knowing”, “the battle is the Lords”, “nothing can separate you from the Love of God.

The biggest battle we should fear is the battle with, neglect, complacency, lukewarmness, being attracted to things of this world, lust, greed, pride, envy, jealousy, arrogance, hate, anger, self-worth, self-reliance, etc….. Paul said that by the renewing of your mind, studying yourself as a workman who doesn’t need to be afraid, be anxious about nothing, guard your heart, be strong, be steadfast in your commitment, lean not unto your own understanding, be courageous, trust in Jesus Christ, be faithful, be holy, be more than babies in the Word of God and its application in your lives, hold onto what is true, rejoice, praise, be joyful, and love, these things must come to pass but do not be afraid, etc…..

Fear has no place in the heart that trusts in God. We can place all of our concerns at His feet and fully trust in Him to be with us no matter what the concern is. He will never leave you. He is ever-present. He can do all things mighty and powerful is He.

51.k. Wilderness – 15.q. “He shall read in it all the days of his life”

Deu 17:14-20 “When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Only 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. “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

God looked forward – some 400 years forward – into Israel’s future, to the time when they would demand a king. God warned them to set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, and that person had to be an Israelite and not a foreigner. It is interesting to consider whether or not God wanted an earthly king over Israel. 1 Samuel 8:6-9, the record of Israel’s demand for king, puts the request for a king in a negative light. One might ask if God really did want Israel to never have an earthly king, and if He wanted them to recognize Him alone as king. It is a debatable issue; but consider that Israel’s history without a king (the time of the book of Judges) was not a period of national glory. Perhaps we can say that God wanted Israel to have a king, but of His choosing, and at His timing. Saul is a perfect example of a king out of God’s will, chosen by the nation and at their timing; David is a perfect example of a king chosen by God and in His timing.

The future king of Israel must not put undue trust in military might.

The future king of Israel must not put undue emphasis on physical indulgence and personal status.

The future king of Israel must not put undue emphasis on personal wealth.

Each of these issues is a matter of balance. The king had to have some military power, but not too much; one wife and certain comforts, but not too much; some personal wealth, but not too much. Such balances are often the hardest to keep. Solomon was a notorious breaker of these commands. He had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots (1 Kings 4:26), and Solomon had horses imported from Egypt (1 Kings 10:28). He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart (1 Kings 11:3). He surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches (1 Kings 10:23). et, all along, we might see Solomon knowing the commands of Deuteronomy 17, yet deceiving himself by asking the self-justifying questions, “How much is ‘multiply’? I can handle this. I haven’t gone too far.” It might seem self-evident that 700 wives and 300 concubines is multiplying wives to yourself, but one should never underestimate the ability of the human heart to deceive itself in such situations.

Each of these three areas reflects the places where many modern Christian leaders fall: In regard to power, pleasure, or money. God’s commands for leaders have not changed; and neither has the need to be on guard against the self-deception in these things which felled Solomon.

It is striking to think of the king of Israel, laboring over parchment with a pen, making a personal copy of the law of Israel. This shows how greatly God wanted the word of God to be on the hearts of His rulers; God wanted every king to also be a scribe. The word of God was to be constant companion of the king of Israel, and something he read every day. All need the word of God; but the greater our responsibilities, the greater our need to depend on the truth of God’s word. Staying in the word of God was intended to build a reverence for God and a holy life in the king.

It is striking to consider that reading a book – the Great Book, the Bible – can keep a person from sin. We may not understand all the spiritual work behind the word of God, but staying in the word will keep one from sin. It has been well written in many Bibles: “This book will keep you from sin. Sin will keep you from this book.”

Staying in the word of God would keep the king properly humble and help him to not think of himself as above those he ruled over. (Guzik)

“The Scriptures, diligently read and studied, are a powerful and probable means to keep him humble, because they show him that, though a king, he is subject to a higher Monarch, to whom he must give an account… sufficient to abate the pride of the haughtiest person in the world, if he duly consider it.” (Poole)

In all cases, God’s choice, if we can but know it, should direct, determine, and overrule ours. Laws are given for the prince that should be elected. He must carefully avoid every thing that would turn him from God and religion. Riches, honours, and pleasures, are three great hinderances of godliness, (the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life,) especially to those in high stations; against these the king is here warned. The king must carefully study the law of God, and make that his rule; and having a copy of the Scriptures of his own writing, must read therein all the days of his life. It is not enough to have Bibles, but we must use them, use them daily, as long as we live. Christ’s scholars never learn above their Bibles, but will have constant occasion for them, till they come to that world where knowledge and love will be made perfect. The king’s writing and reading were as nothing, if he did not practise what he wrote and read. And those who fear God and keep his commandments, will fare the better for it even in this world.(Henry)

51.f. Wilderness – 15.l. “And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God”

Deu 16:9-12 “You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.

Here we have the Feast of Weeks and tribute of a Freewill Offering. The Passover remembrance was commanded by God to the Israelites so that they might always remember His mighty hand, works, signs, and wonders that delivered them out of bondage. The Feast of Weeks was to remind them of God’s continual blessings.

The Passover, the sacrifice of a lamb, and the sprinkling of the blood on the doorposts of their homes was given before the exodus, or the parting of the Red Sea, or the 10 commandments were given. The sacrifice was before the commandments them all! This was all in line with the covenant God made with Israel.

When Jesus came, was crucified, died, and rose again, He was the sacrificial “Lamb of God” given before the New Covenant (The Gospel of Jesus Christ) was fully manifested through the gifts of the Holy Spirit and proclaimed by the Apostles. The old covenant was taken away and a new covenant was given. Where the Passover was remembered and celebrated once per year, the bread broken and the wine (Communion) was not limited to once per year but “as often as ye do it in remembrance of Me”. Remember your salvation, redemption, eternal life, and deliverance from the bondage of sin.

The Feast of Weeks was a freewill offering, a remembrance of God’s blessings. How many days go by where we are not thankful, grateful, and in awesome wonder of God’s blessings? Do we think they happen because of chance, or hard work, or luck? No, they are blessings from God. They are to be remembered and be thankful for. They are to be shared. They are to be a Feast with rejoicing and thankfulness. We have Thanksgiving in the US and it can be a time of thankfulness but many times if we are not in the right mindset to rejoice and be thankful it becomes a time of celebration of a family get-together without remembrance of God’s Blessings.

It is good for us to always be in the mindset of rejoicing and thankfulness to God. It keeps us grounded in our Heavenly Father. It keeps us from thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. It places all we have in the One who gave them. It reminds us of who is in control and watching over us. It keeps us desiring to honor and serve Him, not because of what He will do but because of who He is and what He has already done.

How can you taste the living Word of god and drink in the living water of Christ and not be consumed by the sense of thankfulness, worship, praise, joy, and repentance?

51.b. Wilderness – 15.h. “Obey the voice of the LORD your God”

Deu 13:12-18 “If you hear in one of your cities, which the LORD your God is giving you to dwell there, that certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you, you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall not be built again. None of the devoted things shall stick to your hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you, as he swore to your fathers, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, keeping all his commandments that I am commanding you today, and doing what is right in the sight of the LORD your God.

Jdg 2:1-2 Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’

Here is the case of a city revolting from the God of Israel, and serving other gods. The crime is supposed to be committed by one of the cities of Israel. Even when they were ordered to preserve their religion by force, yet they were not allowed to bring others to it by fire and sword. Spiritual judgments under the Christian dispensation are more terrible than the execution of criminals; we have not less cause than the Israelites had, to fear the Divine wrath. Let us then fear the spiritual idolatry of covetousness, and the love of worldly pleasure; and be careful not to countenance them in our families, by our example or by the education of our children. May the Lord write his law and truth in our hearts, there set up his throne, and shed abroad his love! (Henry)

If reports arose regarding an Israelite city given over to idolatry, there was first to be a careful investigation. This guarded against a harsh judgment; perhaps there were a few idolaters in the city who needed to be punished, but perhaps the city was not given over to idolatry. God commanded a careful investigation. If the investigation finds that the city is indeed given over to idolatry, it is then to be treated as a Canaanite city. They were to utterly destroy the city, including its property. The property was to be given to the LORD by destroying it, a form of “sacred destruction.” The destroyed town was to be left as a heap forever. The Israelites were never to regard ethnic or national bonds greater than the bonds that tied them to the LORD God; if their fellow countrymen were given over to idolatry, they were not to be spared. This chapter asks an important question: What would it take to lead you away from God? Would signs and wonders do it? What if your mate forsook God, or all of your friends? What if culture, or nationalism, or ethnic ties called you away from Jesus? We must never allow such ties to come before our bond to Jesus. We must decide, as the song says, “Though none go with me, still I will follow.” (Guzik)

“The term abominable thing is used in the Old Testament for something that is totally displeasing to God and denotes something impure, unclean, and totally devoid of holiness.” (Thompson)

The divine judgment of God is pure, righteous, and holy. We have the ability to justify and excuse and tolerate that which is not pure, unrighteous, and unholy. Little by little our understanding of what is good and bad, right and wrong, holy and unholy gets eroded away. The lines get blurred. What used to be clear is now clouded with cunning words of worldly men and women who have no thought of God or respect for His holiness. What was never allowed is now being tolerated and condoned as being right.

We need to be very diligent in our study of God’s Word and our obedience to it. We need to protect ourselves from the culture and social norms and what it teaches and proclaim as truth. We need pastors that call out the sinfulness of sin and the holiness of God. It is nice and right to hear of the grace, mercy, and love of God, but there must be an understanding of His judgment, anger, and wrath. Without this, we are lop-sided and will not walk in reverent fear of God in the light of His holiness. Johnathan Edwards preached a sermon, “in the hands of an angry God”. Look it up and read it. I was telling a pastor and their daughter about it and they both said, “There is a book, In the hands of a loving God” and that they preferred this over the other. I would tend to agree it is nicer on the heart, mind, and soul to hear of the love of God without hearing about His judgment, anger, and wrath, but it is not good for the heart, mind, and soul. John 3:16 is often quoted showing the love of God. John 3:17-18 speaks of judgment, condemnation, evil, and darkness.

Love is God’s call to a person’s heart.

Judgment is God’s warning to a person’s soul.

51.b. Wilderness – 15.h. “No longer be children, tossed to and fro”

Deu 13:6-11  “If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. And all Israel shall hear and fear and never again do any such wickedness as this among you.

Micah 7:5-7    Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms;  for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.  But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Ephesians 4:14     so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Colossians 2:4    I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

2 Peter 2:1   But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies

1 John 2:26-27    I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

Revelation 12:9     And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

This demonstrates that God never puts highest priority on family relationships; if a family member forsakes the LORD, we are never to follow them away from the LORD. Jesus always comes first, as He said in Matthew 10:37: He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. This is how seriously God regards leading someone else into idolatry. Even if a sympathetic person entices you, and even if they do it in private, enticement to idolatry is not to be tolerated. Matthew 18:6: But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Anyone who leads one of God’s people astray is greatly offending the heart of God.

Many modern researchers and pundits say that capital punishment is no deterrent to crime. God says it is a deterrent (properly practiced, of course). (Guzik)

It is the policy of Satan to try to lead us to evil by those whom we love, whom we least suspect of any ill design, and whom we are desirous to please, and apt to conform to. The enticement here is supposed to come from a brother or child, who are near by nature; from a wife or friend, who are near by choice, and are to us as our souls. But it is our duty to prefer God and religion, before the nearest and dearest friends we have in the world. We must not, to please our friends, break God’s law. Thou shalt not consent to him, nor go with him, not for company, or curiosity, not to gain his affections. (Henry)

It seems harsh to us that “put to death” penalty be commanded for a little idolatry of other gods. We live in a time and culture that exalts “tolerance” over commitment to God. We tolerate sin to the point that it is not even called out as sin, but rather a right, personal preference, or another way to the same God. God wanted the Israelites to know it was very serious and worthy of capital punishment. It was not to be tolerated or marginalized no matter who the person was.

Neglect, complacency, and lack of commitment and reverence to God’s Word and things of God cultivate a fertile ground in our hearts and minds for seeds of this world to bud and grow. The Israelites were to go into the promised land and dispose of all the idols and people. They were to be the hands of Go’d judgment on them. They were not to be enticed by what these people worshipped or what they proclaimed as a deity. What in this world has been adopted, tolerated, or followed after that is not right in the eyes of God or in any way honor and glorify Jesus Christ? If you are seeking and desiring God’s Word for the purpose of following, obeying, trusting, and relying on God so that in all things you are honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ, then the Holy Spirit will speak to your heart and mind giving you discernment to see the follies of this world. The problem is that much of what is being preached is baby food and feel good about your self dribble. The sinfulness of sin and the holiness of God are not preeminent. It is more about saving souls, baptisms, and butts in the pews. Saving souls and baptisms are critical and we are commissioned to do as such. We are also told to make disciples. That very act means we are to study, teach, encourage, and grow them in the whole every-expanding knowledge and understanding of the Word of God and things of God. We are to move on from the elementary teachings. How is this possible when the same baby food is being preached week after week. Line by line, precept by precept, here a little and there a little the Word of God is being fed over and over again. The elementary teaching that is essential to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to lost souls is not the same teaching required to grow disciples. And yet, this is what is happening and the result is baby understanding, baby commitment, baby understanding, and baby application. Over and over again Scripture tells us to study, work, meditate, so that we are firmly grounded and able to recognize the lies of Satan, enticements of this world, and things that are not right or good for the soul. If the teaching and preaching is baby food then the commitment and growth will be stunted and little sanctification will follow in the lives of those who are to be disciples.

Oh that God’s Word was hungered and thirsted for with a desire to grow in understanding and knowledge of Him so that in all things we think, say, and do Jesus Christ is both honored and glorified.

51.a. Wilderness – 15.g. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God”

Deu 13:1-5  “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

1 Kings 13:18     And he said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him.

Jeremiah 6:13    “For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.

Jeremiah 23:11    “Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil, declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 13:2-3     “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’  Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Matthew 24:11     And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

Luke 6:26  “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

2 Peter 2:1  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

1 John 4:1    Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Dreams can be from God (as in Numbers 12:6, or in Genesis 37:5-11), or they can be false prophesies (as in Jeremiah 23:25-26). We must be careful to not put too much stock in dreams, and instead allow God to bring confirmation to any dream we believe brings a message from Him. It would be very unusual for God to speak alone through a dream, without other confirmation. Moses warned the people that there may arise from among them prophets or workers of signs who could also produce a sign or a wonder. This sobering fact is ignored by many Christians in our age which neglects discernment. The fact is that signs and wonders can never be the evidence of truth or God’s hand. Those who are immediately convinced at the sight of supernatural power or reality are in danger of great deception. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 reminds us that the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.

Godly discernment will always carefully examine the message of a spiritual leader, instead of the spiritual experiences which may surround him or her. One of God’s reasons in allowing such deceivers to exist among His people – to allow the hearts of His people to be tested and proven, to see if they really love the God of truth or are merely seeking a spiritual sign or experience. Israel was first instructed to not let a deceiver succeed in leading them astray. No matter how attractive the deception, they were to keep focused on a faithful walk with God according to His truth. (Guzik)

“And particularly there are many signs, yea, such as men may think to be wonders, which may be wrought by evil spirits, God so permitting it for divers wise and just reasons, not only for the trial of the good, as it here follows, but also for the punishment of ungodly men, who would not receive Divine truths, though attested by many evident and unquestionable miracles, and therefore are most justly exposed to these temptations to believe lies.” (Poole)

Satan is the father of all lies and able to perform signs and wonders that could lead believers away and keep those who are searching for God looking in the wrong way. We need to be mindful of Satan’s attacks which will come very subtlety. Having Holy Spirit discernment and understanding are needed to insulate yourself from false teachings. Living for Jesus and honoring and glorifying Him does not revolve around signs and wonders. He is all in all, and in Him, we find purpose and meaning while we await our eternal life in our heavenly promised home.

51. Wilderness – 15.f. “Take care that you be not ensnared to follow them”

Deu 12:29-32  “When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, 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. “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.

Leviticus 18:3    You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes.

Psalms 106:34-38   They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them,  but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.  They served their idols, which became a snare to them.  They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;  they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.

Judges 2:2-3   and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done?  So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”

Romans 12:2    Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Israel was commanded to guard itself against a sinful curiosity. Ungodly curiosity has also killed many spiritual lives. God would not accept just any offering of worship. He had to be worshipped in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24)

They burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods: This referred to the practice of Molech worship, where Canaanites offered up their children by placing them alive on a burning hot metal statue of Molech, while drum beats drowned out the screams of the tortured infants.

. Israel had a tragic history of following after this horrible god Molech.

· At the least, Solomon sanctioned the worship of Molech, building a temple to this idol (1 Kings 11:7).

· King Ahaz of Judah gave his own son to Molech (2 Kings 16:3).

· One of the great crimes of the northern tribes of Israel was their worship of Molech, leading to the Assyrian captivity (2 Kings 17:17).

· King Manasseh of Judah gave his son to Molech (2 Kings 21:6).

· Up to the days of King Josiah of Judah, Molech worship continued, because he destroyed a place of worship to that idol (2 Kings 23:10).

The standard for worship was reflected in God’s Word – not in human preference or opinion. (Guzik)

When the Lord had cut off the nations of Canaan from before the Israelites, they were to take heed that they did not get into the snare behind them, i.e., into the sin of idolatry, which had plunged the Canaanites into destruction. (Keil_

We might not sacrifice our children on a fire or even think of doing it, but in a way, our culture has fallen away from God and turned their backs to Him, His Word, and His ways. We might not see an idol but there are certainly things that are cherished and worshipped in place of God. God’s Word is clear on being influenced by the world and what it deems important and worthy of our time, thoughts, and actions. We are to live in it but separate from its influences.

I can remember a discussion with the first pastor I learned from after I was saved, Pastor McClunn. In or around 1980 we were talking and he said, “I have seen something that is troubling. Whatever the world is doing right now and the church recognizes it as not good or right in the eyes of God or does not bring honor and glory to Him, the church will adopt within 10 to 15 years.” He is probably not the first person to say something like this. It has stuck with me for 44 years.

Thoughts about what is right and wrong, good and bad, or true and false are being eroded away little by little. When the Word of God used to be studied and people met regularly for bible study and worship and fellowship there was discernment. Now the study of the Word of God is watered down to a verse per day or some devotional pamphlet that has a nice short story tied to a verse. I might be generous here. There might not even be a daily look into God’s Word. More than likely it might just be once per week at church. Churches try to entice “bible study” by developing a plan of reading. This is not wrong but to read and not study is. New plans to engage are developed every year. New music is sung. New classes are taught. New sermons are preached. All in an effort to do what? To what end are we trying to achieve?

If there is no personal conviction to repentance, no discernment between what is worldly and what is Godly, no recognition of the influences of the world, no desire to know God more and more, no continual growth in understanding the Holiness of God, no discernment of the sinfulness of sin, no means by which to gage maturity in God’s Word and things of God, then people will do what seems right in their own eyes and soon will adopt things of this world into the church. In Revelations 3:20 Jesus was speaking to the church in Laodicea and said; “behold I stand at the door and knock”. Jesus wanted them to know that they had wandered away so far that he wanted to be allowed back into the church. How sad is this? How relevant is this today? If Paul and the writer of Hebrews commented on the state of mind of the believers in the churches the letters were sent, calling them infants, eating baby food, and not able to digest solid food, what would he say now?

The influences of this world are real and they will not be discerned by babies. Babies will put anything into their mouths and not know if it is good or bad for them. Likewise, babies in the Word of God and things of God, believers will put things of this world into their lives not knowing if it is good or bad.

50.u. Wilderness – 15. “If you will indeed obey”

Deu 11:8-15 “You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their offspring, a land flowing with milk and honey. For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables. But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, a land that the LORD your God cares for. The eyes of the LORD your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. “And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.

Remembering what God did in history should lead Israel to greater obedience and enable them to take the Promised Land. The sacrifices in obedience were well worth it for Israel. They had the promise of a land which was far superior to Egypt, which did not need to be artificially irrigated, but was watered by rains which God would send upon the obedient nation. God simply promised to provide for Israel if they chose to obey Him and put Him first. As Jesus said: seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. The promise of the blessing of rain was important, because one of the attractive Canaanite gods was Baal – the god who was said to control the weather and rain. Perhaps the Israelites would be tempted to think, “well, we are in Canaan, and if we want rain, we should worship the Canaanite god of rain.” But the LORD makes it clear that if they would worship and obey Him, He would supply abundant rain. God declared His special care for the land of Israel, both then and now. (Guzik)

Moses sets before them, for the future, life and death, the blessing and the curse, according as they did or did not keep God’s commandment. Sin tends to shorten the days of all men, and to shorten the days of a people’s prosperity. God will bless them with an abundance of all good things, if they would love him and serve him. Godliness has the promise of the life that now is; but the favour of God shall put gladness into the heart, more than the increase of corn, and wine, and oil. Revolt from God to idols would certainly be their ruin. Take heed that your hearts be not deceived. All who forsake God to set their affection upon any creature, will find themselves wretchedly deceived, to their own destruction; and this will make it worse, that it was for want of taking heed. (Henry)

“You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong”.

What is it that nourishes the mind and strengthens the soul? Paul and Peter both have said in their letters to Christian churches that many of them in these churches were like infants and only eating baby food. They were not growing. They were just surviving – barely, and they were satisfied being babies in both their understanding of scripture and its application in their lives. Let this not be said of you. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”