When reading the Bible, it is a joy when God connects what is being read in the Old Testament with theology from the New Testament. The book of Deuteronomy is a summation of all Israel went through, good, bad, and ugly. Aaron and Moses are in their last days, reminding the people of all God dealt with in their stubbornness. They also encouraged those who patiently resisted the evil they were inundated with as they went through the wilderness for 40 years. At the end of every seven years, it was set for the priest to read the law before "all Israel in their hearing." This was for a grave reason; God wanted the people to hear His law so that they may "may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law."
Israel needed to remember all God has done, that He is faithful. Therefore, they can submit to God in their daily lives. They'd be among unholy people and be tempted to fall in line with all that surrounded them daily. Resisting the temptation to become complacent would be difficult if they chose not to stay alert. It would be nice if they fully got the people out of the land, but later we will read they did not fully obey God in this endeavor. Unfortunately, the ways of other nations would be lived out right in front of Israel.
Knowing how little they'd resist the temptation to look like other nations, God warned them that keeping His law would not be difficult. Instead, it would simply be their choice not to submit but to give in to the longings of their flesh and excuse it by blaming God for the complications of following His law. But here's what is said before any excuses can be made, Deuteronomy 30:11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it."
I'm sure I don't need to tell you how this fits our lives today, but I will. We have the choice to give into our flesh, and Paul says, "anyone who walks according to the flesh cannot please God." It is impossible, according to Romans 8. We have been warned through the lives of those we read about in the Old Testament. Not just there but also in the New Testament. 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Just like God knew Israel would become complacent and lackadaisical in the gift of life and the land He promised them. He always had a remnant of those who'd stay on the alert and would submit to Him and resist the evil that surrounded them. For most, the losing was set before them, though it was unnecessary. In Deuteronomy 31, Moses called out the majority of the people, "this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods... and forsake me (God) and break my covenant..." This was not a fatalistic conclusion, they'd still have the opportunity to choose to submit to God, but most would not. Who would be in the "this people" group was up to each person.
Today as I write this, it is December 2022, and so much is happening to destroy the moral fabric of America. Transgender madness is so blatant in its indoctrination of our children. Child pornography seems protected by our media; if Conservatives speak against it, others hold to the necessity to be silent. So they don't have to side with those who are their political adversaries. Many mainstream corporations either agree with these trends or are just exhausted fighting against the mob and not choosing to take a stand for what is morally favorable. Staying alert of the evil roaming around us is to find ourselves in a position we have not found ourselves in before, especially as parents and grandparents.
Now that ideology antithetical to God's Word meets us everywhere we go and in places, we shop, what are we called to do?
We can adopt the same warning God gave Israel through Moses, Deuteronomy 30:19... "I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life and... live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life..." No one can tell you how to walk circumspectly in each battle you may face. Each choice between "life or death" is an internal battle. Our heart grows stronger towards the LORD or colder towards Him through each choice. Israel heard God's law read to them at the end of every seven years so they'd stay faithful to Him. Most of us have a Bible or two in our homes or phones. Imagine what reading and studying would do for us? I'm sure we can get into its pages more often than every seven years. Remember what you read. God wants us to hear and become doers of all He commanded.
Here's the most remarkable thing, Moses told Israel obeying would not be difficult, but we are told the same thing by John, the disciple Jesus loved. 1 John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And HIs commandments are not burdensome." Jesus says this about himself in Matthew 11:30, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." We choose to make it more difficult. We simply want what we want. We find obeying to go against our fleshly lust or desires. We make excuses about being human.
When we do any of those things, we are saying that God's Word is not true. The Bible states many times obeying is not difficult. We must choose between walking in the flesh, fulfilling the lust of it leading to death, or walking in the spirit, where life and grace are poured into us from God's Spirit.
For both groups, Israel in the Old Testament and for God's holy children today, all of it sums up to this, "Submit to God; Resist the devil." It can be done, or it would not have been proposed or would now not be expected.
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