Thursday, June 26, 2008

Curses

In Deuteronomy 27 the instructions for on crossing the Jordan are that 6 tribes are to go to one mountain and pronounce the blessings. The other 6 tribes are to go to a different mountain and pronounce the curses. I skidded to a halt here- that half the tribes are going to pronounce curses? That didn't sound very life giving. But it was. The 'curses' they refer to are really just their rules for living well in community.

Family of the Unsandaled

In Deuteronomy 25 there is this interesting passage:

5 If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. 6 The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.

7 However, if a man does not want to marry his brother's wife, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and say, "My husband's brother refuses to carry on his brother's name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me." 8 Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, "I do not want to marry her," 9 his brother's widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, "This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother's family line." 10 That man's line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.


This was not an easy story to understand in todays context of life, for being called the 'family of the unsandaled' would probably not cause too much grief now, but then, it probably was a big shame. One's name and place in the tribe was probably pretty important to them in the context that they were living in.

So if you were a brother, you'd probably want to make sure your sibling married someone you liked as if he died without producing an offspring, she would become your wife. But what if you didn't like her? What if she was mean? What if you didn't have the money to support another mouth to feed? Well, then you got spit in the face and called the family of the unsandaled!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

His treasured possession

In Deuteronomy 12 Moses makes some notes about locations to sacrifice.

8 You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit...13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please.


As humans we tend to want to do what we want, where we want and when we want. For some things that is ok. When we are wandering in the desert, maybe that is ok. But there are some things that God wants to do His way.

In Deuteronomy 13:5 it states:

You must purge the evil from among you.


Now in the time it was written, it meant that any person who led people away from God had to be put to death. But what does that mean in todays context? Because in the old testament Jesus had not yet died and paid the price for our soul, that no evil can take away.

I like how it later says:

14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly


to make sure people don't jump to conclusions and make rash judgments on people's lives.

I also liked Deuteronomy 14:2

the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.


to explain why they should be careful in what they eat. To live like a child of the King, as His treasured possesion.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Choices

I read Deut. 11 tonight and found it a rich chapter and full of choices.

Moses says a couple of times something like:
2Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the LORD your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm;

Remember that your experience is not what others have experienced and you need to share what you know and have seen.

I liked this verse
8 Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess

because God knows that we need the strength to go on.

I thought this verse was a beautiful picture:
12 It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.


This
16 Be careful

is a choice. We can chose to proceed carefully with our eyes open, or we can close them and rush into things recklessly.

18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds

another choice. We can chose to dwell on God's words or not.

26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse-

And another choice, albeit it should not be much of a choice- if you have a choice between blessing and curse, when put THAT way, would you choose curse?

Friday, June 13, 2008

remember

It is good to remember where we have been and how God pulled us through. It is good to remember our mistakes so we don't keep repeating them. - these ideas seem central to the first chapters of Deuteronomy.

One thing that struck me was how applicable this is to present day:
Deut 8:17 You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.


Sometimes it is easy to remember God when things are easy and don't look so good and you don't have anywhere else to turn. But harder to remember God when things are going well and you seem to be in control and taking care of yourself.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

No form

I finished off Numbers and started Deuteronomy. Deut starts with Moses giving a review of what has gone on with the Israelites during his lifetime (I think he'll die at the end of the review!)

A sentence that stuck out to me was in Deut. 4

11 You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. 12 Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.
(emphasis mine)

It seems God is very careful to show them no form. Why? Because we humans get stuck in that. He didn't want them to make a idol out of what He looked like. The Israelites seemed to get stuck in idols quite a bit. While in our society today we probably don't have so much problem with wooden idols of different gods, there are many other options to distract us from God.