Friday, October 30, 2009

Deuteronomy 6 - 10

Deuteronomy 6


“These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord
your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you
are about to enter and occupy, and you and your children and grandchildren must *fear the Lord your God
as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will
enjoy a long life. Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well
with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk
and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.


“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul,
and all your strength.



The above is often used by Jews, Muslims and others to deny the three persons of the Godhead. The Hebrew word echod (one), however, means a compound unity. The Hebrew has another word which expresses exactly what those who reject the three persons in the Godhead. It is the word yochid; this has the meaning of a single one.


"Yahweh, our Elohim is one Yahweh" is the name of God used in this verse. It is the testimony against the polytheism (many and different gods) of the Gentiles, which surrounded Israel on all sides. And therefore, because He is the one God, and none beside Him, He must be loved with all the heart, with all the soul, with all the might. We know this Yahweh as our Redeemer, who came and died in our place. The idea in this verse is not just that Yahweh is the only God, but that He is also one unified
person.


In the mind of many Jewish people, this verse alone disqualified the
New Testament teaching that Jesus is God, and the New Testament teaching
of the Trinity - that there is one God, existing in three Persons. At
some times and places, as Jewish synagogues said the Shema together, and
when the word "one" (echad) was said, they loudly and strongly repeated
that one word for several minutes, as if it were a rebuke to Christians
who believed in the Trinity. Christians must appreciate the fact that the Lord is one,
not three, as 1 Corinthians 8:6 says. We
worship one God, existing in three persons, not three separate gods. Yet,
the statement "the Lord is one" certainly does not contradict the truth
of the Trinity. In fact, it establishes that truth. The Hebrew word for
one is echad, which speaks most literally of a compound unity, instead
of using the Hebrew word yacheed, which speaks of an absolute unity or
singularity. The very first use of echad
in the Bible is in Genesis 1:5: So the evening and the morning were the
first day. Even here, we see a unity (one day) with the idea of plurality
(made up of evening and morning). Genesis 2:24 uses echad in saying the
two shall become one flesh. Again, the idea of a unity (one flesh), making
a plurality (the two). In Exodus 26:6 and 11, the fifty gold clasps are
used to hold the curtains together so the tent would be one (echad) -
a unity (one) made up of a plurality (the many parts of the tabernacle).
In Ezekiel 37:17 the Lord tells Ezekiel to join together two sticks (prophetically
representing Ephraim and Judah) into one (echad), speaking again of a
unity (one stick) made up of a plurality (the two sticks). There is no
way that echad has the exclusive idea of an absolute singularity; the
idea of One God in Three Persons fits just fine with the term echad. In
addition, even the name of God in this line suggests the plurality of
God. The Hebrew word is Elohim and grammatically, it is a plural word
used as if it were singular - the verbs and pronouns used with it are
generally in the plural.


1 Corinthians 8:6: But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.


*fear: The "fear" of God is the respect that comes from an appreciation
of His character. The first mention of the fear of God in the Hebrew Bible is in Genesis 22:12 where Abraham is commended by God for his devotion by being so willing to serve God that he would sacrifice his son when commanded. The most common terms used in the Hebrew Bible for "fearing" God are words related to Yirah. While Yirah usually is translated as "fear," its usage suggests a meaning that might also be translated with the English word "awe." The Bible's concept of "fearing God" can be compared to the feeling of looking at the nighttime sky and being awed by the immensity of space and simultaneously terrified by the thought of our smallness in such a vast expanse. That is to say, it is the feeling of being overwhelmed by a reality greater than oneself and greater than that encountered in ordinary life. - from "How does Judaism define Fear of God?": http://judaism.about.com/od/beliefsandlaw1/f/feargod.htm



  • Genesis 22:12: “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

  • Proverbs 1:7: Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

  • Proverbs 9:10: Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.



And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that
I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you
are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and
when you are getting up.


Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.



Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.




Notice the emphasis on teaching their children!


Judaism in Jesus' time had concluded that covenant keeping was the basis for
righteousness rather than an expression of faithful devotion. But true
covenant keeping in the final analysis is a matter of faith, not merely of
works and ritual.


The point is that the Israelites were to
meditate on these words without ceasing. But, they sought to fulfill this
command with Scripture holders on their bodies (Hebrew tefillin - phylacteries) and on their doorframes (Hebrew mezuzot - mezuzahs). The
Lord Jesus later condemned their pride in these physical objects and their reliance on
them to produce godliness.
Observant Jews still often mount little holders on the frames of their front doors into
which they place a small parchment scroll. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 and the
name Shaddai appear on these papers as a sign and reminder of their faith. They call
the scroll and its holder a mezuzah (literally doorpost).


In modern Judaism, Jews place the words of the Shema in special handwriting on a tiny scroll of parchment, along with the words of the companion passage, Deuteronomy 11:13-21. On the back of the scroll, the name of God is written Shaddai. As the scroll is rolled up and placed in the case, the first letter of the Name (the letter Shin) is visible, or simply written on the outside of the case.


Matthew 23:5: “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.



Sh'ma Yis'ra'eil are the first two words of
a section of the Torah (Hebrew Bible) that is used as a centerpiece of
all morning and evening Jewish prayer services and closely echoes the
monotheistic message of Judaism. It is considered the most important prayer
in Judaism, and its twice-daily recitation is a mitzvah (religious commandment).
Its main content is loving the one and only God with all one's heart,
soul and might, and the rewards that come with this. Conversely, it also
includes an admonishment concerning failing to heed the commandments of
God lest we arouse the wrath of God. The term "Shema" is used
by extension to the whole part of the daily prayers that commences with
Shema Yisrael and comprises Deuteronomy 6:4–9,
11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37–41. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisrael.


Note the following entry in the Jewish Study Bible with regard to the
Shema: "The Shema is more than a prayer. Judaism understands its recitation
to be a binding legal act in which individuals pledge their commitment
to Torah. By reciting the Shema, the congregation in the synagogue brings
the plot of Deuteronomy to life in the present, as it enacts and renews
that oath of allegiance to God that, it believes, Israel first vowed on
the plains of Moab."


Deuteronomy 6:4-9 provides the central theme of Deuteronomy.



Sh'ma Yis'ra'eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.

Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.


Barukh sheim k'vod malkhuto l'olam va'ed.

Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever.


V'ahav'ta eit Adonai Elohekha b'khol l'vav'kha uv'khol naf'sh'kha uv'khol m'odekha.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.


V'hayu had'varim ha'eileh asher anokhi m'tzav'kha hayom al l'vavekha.

And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart.


V'shinan'tam l'vanekha v'dibar'ta bam

And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them


b'shiv't'kha b'veitekha uv'lekh't'kha vaderekh uv'shakh'b'kha uv'kumekha

when you sit at home, and when you walk along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.


Uk'shar'tam l'ot al yadekha v'hayu l'totafot bein einekha.

And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.


Ukh'tav'tam al m'zuzot beitekha uvish'arekha.

And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.



“The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore
to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You
will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards
and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this
land, be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the
land of Egypt.


You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath,
you must use only his name. “You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, for the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger
will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth.


You must not test the Lord your God as you did when you complained at
Massah. You must diligently obey the commands of the Lord your God—all
the laws and decrees he has given you. Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well
with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the Lord swore
to give your ancestors. You will drive out all the enemies living in the land, just as the Lord
said you would.


“In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the
meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God
has commanded us to obey?’ “Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves
in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand. The Lord did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying
blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people. He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn
to give our ancestors.


And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear
him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done
to this day. For we will be *counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the
Lord our God has given us.’



*counted as righteous:



  • Romans 3:20: For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

  • Romans 10:4-5: For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

    Salvation Is for Everyone For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.

  • Galatians 3:12: This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”



Deuteronomy 7


“When the Lord your God brings you into the land
you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away
many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites,
Perizzites, Hivites, and *Jebusites. These seven nations
are greater and more numerous than you. When the Lord your God hands these
nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely
destroy them. Make no treaties with them and
show them no mercy. You must not intermarry with them.
Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for
they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then
the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy
you. This is what you must do. You must break down their pagan
altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut
down their **Asherah poles and burn their idols.



Seven nations are mentioned as occupying the land, which God gave to Israel. These nations were steeped in the most awful licentiousness and practiced the vilest abominations. There are different reasons to believe that Satan possessed them in a peculiar manner. God had tolerated these nations for many centuries. He waited in His mercy before the sword of justice was unsheathed. The measure of their wickedness was now full, the time for judgment had come. The Lord called Israel to be the executioner of that awful judgment. And whenever they carried out the divine judgment, not sparing any one, they had an object lesson of the holiness and righteousness of God. Their sons and daughters were not to marry any members of these doomed nations. That would result in apostasy from Him and in idolatry. All their altars, their images and their groves they were to destroy. They were a holy people.


*Jebusites held a fort, Jebus or Jerusalem.


**Asherah was a Canaanite mother goddess of the sea,
associated with Baal. The Book of Jeremiah written circa 628 BC probably refers to Asherah when it uses the title "queen of heaven" in chapters 7 and 44. The goddess, the Queen of heaven whose worship Jeremiah so vehemently opposed, may have been Asherah or possibly Astarte. Asherah was worshipped in ancient Israel as the consort of El and in Judah as the consort of Yahweh and Queen of Heaven (the Hebrews baked small cakes for her festival):



  • Jeremiah 7:17–18: Don’t you see what they are doing throughout the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? No wonder I am so angry! Watch how the children gather wood and the fathers build sacrificial fires. See how the women knead dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. And they pour out liquid offerings to their other idol gods!

  • Jeremiah 44:17: We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like—just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles!



For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. “The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.


Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him.


Therefore, you must obey all these commands, decrees, and regulations I am giving you today. “If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the Lord your God will keep his covenant of unfailing love with you, as he promised with an oath to your ancestors.


He will love you and bless you, and he will give you many children. He will give fertility to your land and your animals. When you arrive in the land he swore to give your ancestors, you will have large harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and great herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. You will be blessed above all the nations of the earth. None of your men or women will be childless, and all your livestock will bear young.


And the Lord will protect you from all sickness. He will not let
you suffer from the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict
them on all your enemies!



Just look at the guarantee given in return for Israel's obedience to
God's law:



  1. Abundant multiplication of descendants and possessions.

  2. No infertility in people or livestock.

  3. No sickness or diseases.

  4. Sickness and disease upon those who hate Israel.

  5. Victory over enemies.



“You must destroy all the nations the Lord your God hands over to you. Show them no mercy, and do not worship their gods, or they will trap you. Perhaps you will think to yourselves, ‘How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful than we are?’ But don’t be afraid of them! Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt. Remember the great terrors the Lord your God sent against them. You saw it all with your own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which he brought you out of Egypt. The Lord your God will use this same power against all the people you fear. And then the Lord your God will send terror to drive out the few survivors still hiding from you! “No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the Lord your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you. But the Lord your God will hand them over to you. He will throw them into complete confusion until they are destroyed. He will put their kings in your power, and you will erase their names from the face of the earth. No one will be able to stand against you, and you will destroy them all.


“You must burn their idols in fire, and you must not covet the silver or gold that covers them. You must not take it or it will become a trap to you, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. Do not bring any detestable objects into your home, for then you will be destroyed, just like them. You must utterly detest such things, for they are set apart for destruction.


Deuteronomy 8


“Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.


Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.



Matthew 4:4: But Jesus told him, “No! The
Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by
every word that comes from the mouth of God.’



For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.


“So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him.


For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.


“But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.



So often, when life is hard and full of problems, then we tend to turn to Him. When things are great, we forget who's blessed us - until we run into another crisis!



“But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your
God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you
will certainly be destroyed. Just as the Lord has destroyed other
nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey
the Lord your God.


Deuteronomy 9


“Listen, O Israel! *Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky! The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Who can stand up to the **Anakites?’ But recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised.



*Today: It is time to go through the Jordan River. The Israelites could not build a bridge. They could not go around. They had to go through the Jordan. The reason is because the Jordan River represents death. The Jordan River always represents Death in the Bible. In order to live in the promised land, in order to enter into God’s rest, in order to be born again and put on the new man, we all must cross over the Jordan River. We must die to self and sin and what we want and then rise to walk in newness of life, in the Power of the Holy Spirit. The challenge that God presents is that this inheritance, this rest can only be claimed by dying to the flesh, dying to what you want, and by living in the power of the Holy Spirit! The Jordan is a picture of the Cross. You always have to die by passing through Jordan to get to Canaan. The only way to be born again is to experience the Cross. When you are willing to die, then you are in the place where God can raise you up and use you.


**The Anakites were enormous people, some 7 to 9 feet tall. Goliath, probably a descendant of this race, was over 9 feet tall (1 Samuel 17:4-7). They are the descendants of Anak; the progeny of the second irruption of fallen angels (See Genesis 6:4 and Joshua 11:22).



  • Genesis 6:4: In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times.

  • Joshua 11:22: None of the descendants of Anak were left in all the land of Israel, though some still remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.



“After the Lord your God has done this for you, don’t
say in your hearts, ‘The Lord has given us this land
because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the
wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way.
It is not because you are so good or have such integrity
that you are about to occupy their land. The Lord your
God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of
their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to
your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You must recognize
that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land
because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn
people.


“Remember and never forget how angry you made the Lord your
God out in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until now, you
have been constantly rebelling against him. Even at Mount Sinai you made
the Lord so angry he was ready to destroy you. This happened when I was
on the mountain receiving the tablets of stone inscribed with the words
of the covenant that the Lord had made with you. I was there for forty
days and forty nights, and all that time I ate no food and drank no water.
The Lord gave me the two tablets on which God had written with his own
finger all the words he had spoken to you from the heart of the fire when
you were assembled at the mountain.


“At the end of the forty days and nights, the Lord handed me the two stone tablets inscribed with the words of the covenant. Then the Lord said to me, ‘Get up! Go down immediately, for the people you brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted gold and made an idol for themselves!’


“The Lord also said to me, ‘I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Leave me alone so I may destroy them and erase their name from under heaven. Then I will make a mighty nation of your descendants, a nation larger and more powerful than they are.’


“So while the mountain was blazing with fire I turned and came down, holding in my hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. There below me I could see that you had sinned against the Lord your God. You had melted gold and made a calf idol for yourselves. How quickly you had turned away from the path the Lord had commanded you to follow! So I took the stone tablets and threw them to the ground, smashing them before your eyes.


“Then, as before, I threw myself down before the Lord for forty days and nights. I ate no bread and drank no water because of the great sin you had committed by doing what the Lord hated, provoking him to anger. I feared that the furious anger of the Lord, which turned him against you, would drive him to destroy you. But again he listened to me. The Lord was so angry with Aaron that he wanted to destroy him, too. But I prayed for Aaron, and the Lord spared him. I took your sin—the calf you had made—and I melted it down in the fire and ground it into fine dust. Then I threw the dust into the stream that flows down the mountain.


“You also made the Lord angry at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth-hattaavah. And at Kadesh-barnea the Lord sent you out with this command: ‘Go up and take over the land I have given you.’ But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God and refused to put your trust in him or obey him. Yes, you have been rebelling against the Lord as long as I have known you.


“That is why I threw myself down before the Lord for forty days and nights—for the Lord said he would destroy you. I prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Sovereign Lord, do not destroy them. They are your own people. They are your special possession, whom you redeemed from Egypt by your mighty power and your strong hand. Please overlook the stubbornness and the awful sin of these people, and remember instead your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If you destroy these people, the Egyptians will say, “The Israelites died because the Lord wasn’t able to bring them to the land he had promised to give them.” Or they might say, “He destroyed them because he hated them; he deliberately took them into the wilderness to slaughter them.” But they are your people and your special possession, whom you brought out of Egypt by your great strength and powerful arm.’


Deuteronomy 10


“At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. Also make a wooden Ark—a sacred chest to store them in. Come up to me on the mountain, and I will write on the tablets the same words that were on the ones you smashed. Then place the tablets in the Ark.’


“So I made an Ark of acacia wood and cut two stone tablets like the first two. Then I went up the mountain with the tablets in my hand. Once again the Lord wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets and gave them to me. They were the same words the Lord had spoken to you from the heart of the fire on the day you were assembled at the foot of the mountain. Then I turned and came down the mountain and placed the tablets in the Ark of the Covenant, which I had made, just as the Lord commanded me. And the tablets are still there in the Ark.”



God had prepared the first tablets: Exodus 24:12. The tablets of the
law were still in the Ark about 500 years later when Solomon put it in
his newly built Temple (1 Kings 8:9). The Ark last appears in the Israelites'
history during the reign of Josiah, about 300 years after Solomon (2 Chronicles
35:3).



  • Exodus 24:12: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people.”

  • 1 Kings 8:9: Nothing was in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Mount Sinai, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel when they left the land of Egypt.

  • 2 Chronicles 35:3: He issued this order to the Levites, who were to teach all Israel and who had been set apart to serve the Lord: “Put the holy Ark in the Temple that was built by Solomon son of David, the king of Israel. You no longer need to carry it back and forth on your shoulders. Now spend your time serving the Lord your God and his people Israel.



(The people of Israel set out from the wells of the people of Jaakan and traveled to Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried. His son Eleazar ministered as high priest in his place. Then they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from there to Jotbathah, a land with many brooks and streams. At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and to stand before the Lord as his ministers, and to pronounce blessings in his name. These are their duties to this day. That is why the Levites have no share of property or possession of land among the other Israelite tribes. The Lord himself is their special possession, as the Lord your God told them.)


“As for me, I stayed on the mountain in the Lord’s presence
for forty days and nights, as I had done the first time. And once again
the Lord listened to my pleas and agreed not to destroy you. Then the
Lord said to me, ‘Get up and resume the journey, and lead the people
to the land I swore to give to their ancestors, so they
may take possession of it.’


“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you?
He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and
live in a way that pleases him, and love him
and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must
always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees
that I am giving you today for your own good.


“Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God. Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today. Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn.


“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. You must fear the Lord your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone. He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes. When your ancestors went down into Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky



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About Me

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Bible studies are held in Oakbay subdivision in Noblesville, Indiana. In-person Sunday studies have been eliminated because of COVID-19 concerns. Wednesday studies at 7:00 pm led by Don Terry via Zoom - presently studying the Book of Acts from a dispensationalist viewpoint. Bi-monthly Wednesday’s women’s studies at 7:00 pm led by Carolyn Terry via Zoom - presently studying Paul’s second letter to Timothy - and his last writing. You can see several of our present and past studies but we covered many other subjects before starting this blog. The goal of these studies is to bring each of us to know Christ better (epignosis) and then to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” as mentioned by Paul in Philippians 3:14 and to hear Jesus’ “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”. Dedicated to the memory of Don & Carolyn Terry’s daughter, DJ (Dorothy Jean) Terry, who went to be with the Lord Jesus Christ in 1999 at 20 years old.