Good morning EVERYONE! Deuteronomy chapter 17.
The words that come to my mind are BE CAREFUL! BE AWARE!
It's too easy to be led astray. So we have to be careful. We have to be aware of our surroundings. We have to be aware of our decisions. It's too easy for satan to capture our attention through deception so that we focus on other things or people which take our energy and time and becomes our god.
Be careful and be aware because something becomes our god when:
1. It consumes our time and energy.
2. It becomes less and less for the glory of God and more and more for fulfilling our selfish desires.
3. Our Time becomes less and less with our God and more and more with our god.
The Lord did not accept imperfect sacrifices from the Israelites. He will not tolerate us offering our lives to him while serving another god.
Be careful and be aware of how you present yourself to your authorities. We are to have upmost respect for our authorities. Be careful and be aware to ensure that you don't think more highly of yourselves than you should. Once we think we are better than others, including our authorities, we lose humility and we become arrogant. We are less apt to submit to authority if we think we are above them. We must respect our authority and obey them. In the New testament it says we are to serve them as if we're actually serving the Lord. Can you see how differently we would treat our authority if we looked at them as the Lord? We would be the best worker! Our boss would be amazed at our work ethic and our obedience! What a testimony that would be for the Lord!
Be careful and be aware!
God knew that Israel would want an earthly king and He established guidelines beforehand. It’s somewhat sad to read these, knowing that it’s not always going to be followed and that there will be consequences for Israel because of this. As I’m thinking today about what we read in chapter 17, I’m also reminded of 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
May we be careful and aware! May we choose to take the way of escape provided for us when temptation comes our way.
Thank you Blair and Jim! Jim I really love that corinthians verse you shared…. the words “with most of them, God was NOT pleased” stood out to me. Our cultural Christianity wants to allow sin to run rampant in our lives and let us think God is OK with it. He IS NOT OK with it. We will be overthrown in the wilderness if we cannot rid our lives of sinful ways.
This verse stood out to me in Deuteronomy 17… “You are not to go back that way again.” 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.”
We are not to go back to our sin. 2 other huge warnings- do not take many wives… we live in a society that has a 50% divorce rate. Adultery is rampant and we continue to give ourselves glory and pleasure instead of remembering to stay faithful and give glory to God.
The second one, must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold… how many of us covet to be wealthier than we are? Or pay attention to celebrities or watch TV shows that glorify the wealthiest among us. I know I do at times. I have so much debt in college loans and on more than one occasion Ive wished to have more money than I do, or have lots and lots of money. A big huge house, fancy cars, expensive things…
With MOST of them, God was NOT pleased.
I pray we remember who we are trying to please. Not ourselves, but God!