3. "Be strong and courageous. It is not enough to merely read the Bible or hear a sermon. What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos / Body Piercings? Help us continue to equip Christians with knowledge, wisdom, and character. Why would God command the Israelites to destroy their enemies without mercy? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? It was a dividing wall that kept the Gentiles and Jews separated. It is out of this desire to please God that we do what he says. There is no greater privilege for humans than to know, love, obey, and serve our glorious covenant Lord. the covenant nation of God? 34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. This remind of when I was in school(primaryschool) my mum always told me if you do well at school and pass all your exams I will buy new dress and special food only for me,and those things she promised to give will entice me and I will put more effort in my study, I thought to myself the creator of heaven and earth the all knowing God, he that exists before every other thing were created promised us all these blessings, and I started thing living life without stress, depress,no sickness, etc,and said prayer asking God to give me Grace to stay under his law and commandments, my heart fill with joy and hope,..GLORY TO HE THAT NEVER FAIL. Positioned strategically at the end of the Pentateuch, concluding the incredible life and ministry of Moses, renewing and expanding the Sinai covenant for the post-wilderness generation, Deuteronomy serves as the covenant instruction (torah) for a new generation posed to enter the Promised Land. Let me see if I can simplify some very complex issues and provide a two-step process that enables Joe and the rest of us Christians to appropriate the Old Testament, especially the promises for our use as Christians in the 21st century. The two laws are completely different, so the way they apply to us are different. Gods lawsfrom both the Old Testament and New Testamentare not just arbitrary expressions of His power. But, I would rather you not attack errors with errors, especially worse ones. God doesnt change, but that does not mean the way He deals with mankind doesnt change. The Mosaic contract is no longer in force. Oh yes, I forgot to mention, I wouldn't trust any editing job on Calvin's sermons that was done by a theonomist with the specific intent of proving that Calvin himself was in fact a theonomist. Sometimes it should be recognized that exegetical and hermeneutical practice have made some good advances that have built upon the understanding of 16th/17th century methods. By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. That means that some of the promises of the Old Testament are fulfilled differently now than they were then. 10. Unfortunately, the Israelites broke their promise to God. But because they're the Ten Commandments, they don't apply to Christians, because that was part of the Old Covenant, and the writer of HebrewsHebrews 8:13says the Old Covenant is obsolete. i. They are conditional on our obedience to God. Deu 25:1-4. Israel is called to be an obedient son, yet they have failed and will fail. But even then, He is faithful to forgive us and restore us when we repent. [17] The promises of it, in like manner, show them God's approbation of obedience,and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof:[18]. 12 If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. Deuteronomy 21:10-14 gives a law about divorce. We put our confidence in Him, so we are chosen regarding salvation. The book of Judges tells how the Israelites kept rejecting the Lord and worshiping idols. We have a different covenant that applies to usthe new covenant with different obligations. He wants us to turn back to him. The Mosaic Law contained some universal moral principles that apply today because they transcend the old law, but arent applied in the same way judicially. Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers. We need to be humble before God and remember His goodness to us (v. 33-36). Its exactly like being in a separate state. In all of this instruction, Israel had the supreme privilege of learning the fear of the Lord (Deut 31:12). We should never take advantage of people in need. Rom 5:20-21; 7:13)a lesson we must never forget. 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 makes that point . I find it necessary to tell you, @Goshen360, that I actually am aware that you are attacking an erroneous teaching in the Church. The Mosaic Law was limited to a time and nation, but morality was not. Not everyone who claims to speak and act on God's behalf is truly doing so. b. The book of Psalms is the longest book in the Bible. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. On the other hand, the Israelites had promised to obey God. What does it mean that you are the head and not the tail in Deuteronomy 28:13? God granted Canaan to the Israelites and instructed them to take ownership of it. Before Moses dies he gives that same law again a second time in Deuteronomy to the new generation that is now meant to take the land and live according to this law as a nation. the name Deuteronomy means '2nd law' and is practical in application and is actually a review of the law before the Israelites enter 'the promised land'. How can we discern if warnings or promises directed towards Israel are applicable to other nations, the body of Christ in the global church, or even to ourselves as individuals? But he turned away from God after he had accumulated great wealth and built a huge army. The word 'deuteronomy means "repetition of the law" after 40 years when the people were about to enter Canaan, and Moses was reminding them of their history: although he was . We experience His peace and joy, our relationship with Him grows deeper, and we are able to impact those around us for His kingdom. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering. And here is the promise. Could Deut. All rights reserved. Deuteronomy 28 Message To All Black Christians Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: It's been a long ride for our people, the so called black man and woman in this land of America. What does it mean that the secret things belong to the Lord (Deuteronomy 29:29)? As Christians, we are called to obey Gods commands. There are some laws which had a ceremonial or civil component, which have since passed away, but retain their moral component and still apply today . What is needed is for the covenant Lord unilaterally to act and circumcise their hearts (Deut 30:6). We dont have all the laws that pertain to dietary and sacrificial things because Jesus did away with those laws. My bad -- technically he preaches on Deut 28:1-34 and 45-63. Exegesis (including that done by older Reformed writers) that does not first take fully into account the historical situation between God and Israel before jumping directly to the application of theological paradigms shouldn't be seen as exemplary. 1 Then Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people, saying, "Keep all the commandments which I command you today. And just as the LORD told the Israelites that he would notice if they did "the right thing," he notices us when we do the right thing. Tweet. In the storyline of Scripture, Israel was privileged to be in this position, not because they were better or more numerous than the nations (Deut 7:7), but solely due to Gods sovereign choice and his covenant loyalty to Abraham (Ex 19:4; Deut 7:8). We still must live with the consequences of that sin, though. (Stoning a murder is not necessary if you don't have stones nearby, you can hang him), A Model of Christian Charity --- by Gov. God's Word is powerful. Editorial: Reading Deuteronomy for Gods People Today. This is because some claim a great many of the laws given to ancient Israel still apply today while others claim none of them do and that under the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-33) believers are only responsible for fulling the "law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) or the "law of love" (Matthew 22:37-40 . They seem to be universals and are therefore in the New Testament. The Lord's careful instructions to the Israelites about making and collecting loans show how concerned he is for those who are in need. No command is incumbent upon me in virtue of being part of the law. Sometimes, when God presents us with opportunities we shrink back because we have doubts. In fact, given sins entrance into the world, Israels role in the world was not only to be the nation by which Messiah would come and reverse the effects of sin and death (see Gen 3:15; 12:1-3); they were also called to live as Adam and the entire human race was supposed to liveas obedient sons (Ex 4:22-23) and servant kingsin relationship to the Lord and the entire creation. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: a. It is a life in which we are obedient to His commands and live in accordance with His will. They wouldnt be able toescapethe blessings. Some argue that all laws related to sexual conduct carry over to the New Testament, but Leviticus also prohibits sex during a woman's menstrual period (Leviticus 18:19), which most Christians do not regard as sinful. The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous. + 2 All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, + because you keep listening to the voice of Jehovah When we live a life blessed by God, we are truly living the best possible life. PSA 89:30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. If they did, He would protect them, and if they didn't, He would forsake them (Deuteronomy 28). Exodus 22:21-24. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Our behavior reveals what we truly believe in our hearts. Fashion will change, and God does not prohibit that. Only God cannot be shaken when the earth seems to crumble beneath us. As he says when kicking off his Sermon on the Mount, he didn't come to abolish the law but to show its fullest sense. Share Improve this answer Follow answered May 24, 2022 at 21:53 conceptualinertia 1,112 10 16 Add a comment Therefore, it is important for us to be obedient to God if we want to experience His blessings in our lives. This question is answered in Deuteronomy 28:15. This passage has significant implications for our spiritual lives today. In this passage, Moses encouraged the people to make a real effort to consider their promise to God and to allow him to wash away their sins. Moses summed up his song by once again stressing to the people the importance of knowing God's Law, applying it to their lives, and teaching it to younger generations. Deuteronomy 28:9-10 promises the people that "the Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself and all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord." . Even though that generation knew the letter of the law, God instructed them to circumcise their hearts and write His laws there (10:16). And there are different ways to explain why that is, and one is to realize that in spiritual union with the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, Christians are the messianic people, the true Israel, the heirs of everything promised to the true Israel.