Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Reading the Bible in 90 Days: Day 14, Deuteronomy 9 - 23

I do love portions of Deuteronomy, that long sermon Moses preached just before the Israelites go over from the wilderness into the promised land.  I love the admonitions to remember, and not to forget, who you are and what God has done for you; I love the exhortations to tell the children the story.  I love how, in Deuteronomy's version of the ten Commandments, the Command to Keep the Sabbath is not on account of God's rest on the seventh day, but instead because the Israelites were slaves in the land of Egypt. 

Sabbath and Freedom are connected.  And your freedom is connected with freedom for other people.  (If you rest, your family and your servants and even your animals can rest.)

What I heard a lot of in reading today was this:  don't even be tempted, when you become prosperous in the land of Plenty, to forget what God has done for you, and believe that it's because you are so great that God blessed you.  You are not so great, God keeps telling them.  You're stubborn and whiny and you continually forget me and go after other gods.  But in spite of that I have chosen and blessed you.

Don't take my blessing for granted, God warns them.

Tomorrow's reading:  Deuteronomy 24 - 34

1 comment:

Jan said...

Good words! Remember to be thankful.