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God reveals himself to be a jealous god! This means that he is protective of the love and loyalty owed him by his covenant people and that he is protective of those same people. He is not envious but protective. In this context, Deuteronomy 4:15-40 warns God's people to stay away from idols! He is our help and hope while idols are nothing. This calls for us to examine ourselves asking, "Have I begun to follow an idol?"
In Deuteronomy 4:1-14 Israel is told what they, as a nation, will be known for. Not wealth, power, or influence - they will be known for wisdom, righteousness, and God's presence with them! Through obeying God's commandments, they will display and experience God's goodness and wisdom in relationship with him. We, as Christians, are likewise to obey God. Like Israel, obedience for us leads to wisdom and righteousness in our living. More, as we obey, we experience the goodness of our God because his commandments are good and wise. How is he calling you to act in obedience to him this week?
In Deuteronomy 3:23-29 Moses tells the people that he is not allowed to enter the Promise Land because the Lord is angry with him on account of the people. In Numbers, we find that Moses had usurped God's place as head of the nation when he and Aaron took credit for bringing water from a rock! In doing so, Moses became identified with the rebellious generation and shared in their punishment. In the context of Deuteronomy1-3, this is a call to take God's discipline seriously and to walk in obedience! As Christians, we learn from this many lessons. Which are you focusing on this week?
Through Deuteronomy chapters two and three we saw that the Lord is sovereign over the nations including where and when they live. We saw his goodness toward undeserving people and his constant provision for his own people. We were reminded that the Lord is sovereign over our troubles and trials. God has not changed! He continues to rule this world for the good of his people. Knowing this, like the Israelites entering the Promise Land, we are invited to live with hope and courage. In the pursuit of trusting the Lord and living with hope, consider one of the four action steps suggested in response to God's sovereign goodness.
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