The passage I read was Deuteronomy 7:1-11
You can find that passage here:
My summary of the passage is this:
God is about to give land to his children and he
instructs them how to take hold of it.
He tells them to completely destroy and drive out the nations in the way
there and he is very specific in telling his children not to become one with
those nations or in any way accept them and their pagan rituals. He makes it clear that if they end up letting
their sons marry the daughters of those nations or vice versa, that it will
result in pagan worship and that God would then need to punish His children out
of anger. He is not only specific as to
what not to do, but He also tells them exactly what to do. Burn down carved wooden gods, break down
alters, etc. He then goes on to explain
that He didn’t set apart the people of God because they were special in and of
themselves. Matter of fact is that they
were almost nothing when they were found.
Instead, the reason that God saved them was 2 fold. 1 because He loved them. 2 because He keeps His covenants and is
loyal. He had made a covenant with the
forefathers of this generation and was now keeping it. This passage is wrapped up with a final
reminder that even though he is loyal to those who love him, he is also quick
to pay the wages of death to those who hate him. The passage stops at verse 11 saying to “take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you
today.”
As I reflect:
This week’s bible studies are supposed to in one way or
another reflect God’s faithfulness. I
decided a few weeks ago not to let what the bible studies or “supposed” to be
about effect what I might take away from the Word if given the openness to
receiving directly from God what is meant to be given to me in that
passage. It is no different in this passage. Instead of focusing on God’s faithfulness, I
am left looking at the passage as a whole and waiting on a message that I can
and will apply to my life.
Here are some things that kinda stick out:
Do not be unequally yoked
Do not accept evil
We are a treasured possession of God
We weren’t chosen because of our own greatness.
We were chosen because of love
God is faithful to His word
Take care to follow the commands and decrees and laws of God
As I came across the second to last point that stands out
there, I got my reflection. God is faithful
to his word, yes, but He also has a condition set in verse 9. He said Know therefore that the LORD your God
is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand
generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Notice the last part of that verse states the condition of
the covenant… It is to those who love Him and keep his commandments. That idea is kind of reflected in the first
couple verses too as the Lord discusses the specifics of what to do as he
brings them into the land. There are
conditions that we are asked to meet in our walk with Christ. I’m not saying that these conditions
necessarily are the basis of our salvation, but they are certainly things that
we need to remember on the daily.
Looking at my own salvation for example, I know that I am saved from
hell. I know that I am saved from my own
sin’s condemnation. But the only reason
I know that is because I walk in a different law. The law of the Spirit through life in Christ
Jesus, and this affects my ability to be free from such condemnation. Promise = freedom from condemnation,
condition = walk in the law of the Spirit.
Promise = all things work together for the good, condition = love God
and be called according to His purpose. Promise
= eternal life with Christ Jesus, condition = confess with your lips and
believe in your heart (which WILL affect how you live) that Jesus is Lord over
your entire life. There are many other
conditional offers that exceed just being saved from eternity in hell. There is still more to a Christian walk. There are characteristics and fruits offered
when we meet the required conditions of seeking after Him fervently and making
our request known properly. That being
said, this study did indeed come back to God’s faithfulness. It’s quite clear now just how this passage
applies in that light. The conditions or
part of the equation sometimes. Like God
is faithful to forgive us (promise) if we will repent (turn away from) and
confess our sins (condition of our heart).
My response to the Lord:
Lord, so far beyond our poor ability to grasp is the depth
of the plans you have made for us. That
you have so perfectly set up every little intricate detail is amazing to
me. Even the rules by which we live and
die, you have plainly given to us to either receive and follow, or ignore and
fall. Thank you for putting thought into
me Lord. Thank you for giving us the
opportunities to improve and grow as we seek after you. May I daily be reminded of who I am in you
and reflect it in my walk, talk, and thought.
Thank you for your faithfulness Lord.
I can rely on you to do what you said you will do, if I will do what you
have asked me to do. And I thank you for
your unconditional love and blessings undeserved that despite my failures, you
continue to offer me and my family. I
truly love you Father.
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