Deuteronomy 4
The same story with different words.
Does it feel softer to you?
More reflective?
Has Moses mellowed?
Or am I just starving for all this heart and soul talk
On this wild rollercoaster ride
Of life and reading and writing
Of relentlessness
And simultaneous wonderfulness.
Of keeping on moving.
Holiness.
And today….
Mercy
God, a jealous God,
Demanding obedience
Holiness
Justice
Today’s reading should take us to Ch 8
But…
A lot of what I love about this story is found in these
chapters.
So I feel like I would like to sit here and listen to
Moses for a while and take the time to unpack what is all there or not. By
doing so, this year long adventure may take a bit longer. I feel like it is so much more about the
journey and the scenery and the oasis and the manna than it is about the speed
limit.
I love the words and the expressions and the poetic
warmth. Is this from Moses pen? I assume so, and I feel like Moses heart and
view of leadership and relationship resonate with mine today.
Ch 4 I love how
Moses talks about those steadfast souls who stayed faithful to God and did not
worship Baal.
Ch 4: 4 “The LORD destroyed everyone who followed Baal…
But all of you
WHO HELD FAST
To the LORD your God
Are still alive today.”
More words and moments that leap off the page.
Like a great big “Way to go!”.
Hold fast people!!
I love how Moses softens the words of teaching the LORD’s
commands to the nation.
Israel’s following God’s command and decrees would be
what sets them apart. And Moses
encourages them to stay on that path as they enter the land to take possession
of it.
Ch 4: 5 “See, I have
taught you decrees and laws
as the Lord my God commanded me,
so that you may follow them
in the land you are entering
to take possession of it.
6 Observe them carefully,
for this will show
your wisdom and understanding
to the nations,
who will hear about all these decrees and say,
“Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding
people.”
7 What other nation is so
great as to have their gods near them
the way the Lord our God is near us
whenever we pray to him?
8 And what other nation is so
great
as to have such righteous decrees and laws
as this body of laws,
I am setting before you today?
9 Only be careful,
and watch yourselves closely
so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen
or let them fade from your heart as long as you live.
Teach them to your children
and to their children after them.”
And back to this wonderful covenant language. Fierce but wonderful.
Ch 4: 20 “But as for you,
the Lord took you
and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace,
out of Egypt,
to be the people of his inheritance,
as you now are.”
And honesty.
Ch 4: 21 he Lord was angry with me because
of you,
and he solemnly swore
that I would not cross the Jordan
and enter the good land
the Lord your God is giving you
as your inheritance.
22 I will die in this land;
I will not cross the Jordan;
but you are about to cross over
and take possession of that good land.
And a warning….
Of curses and strong consequences…
Ch 4:23 “Be careful not to forget the covenant of
the Lord your God
that he made with you;
do not make for yourselves an idol
in the form of anything the Lord your God
has forbidden.
24 For the Lord your God
is a consuming fire,
a jealous God.”
“…26You will not live there long but will certainly be
destroyed.
27 The Lord will
scatter you among the peoples,
and only a few of
you will survive among the nations
to which the Lord will drive you.
28 There you will worship man-made
gods of wood and stone,
which cannot see
or hear
or eat
or smell.”
And even from there
Words of hope and mercy
Because we all know where this story goes….
Ch 4:29 ”But if from there
you seek the Lord your God,
you will find him
if you seek him with all your heart
and with all your soul.
30 When you are in distress
and all these things have happened to you,
then in later days
you will return to the Lord your God
and obey him.
31 For the Lord your God
is a merciful God;
he will not abandon
or destroy you
or forget the covenant with your ancestors,
which he confirmed to them by oath.”
This is long.
Only half of Chapter 4!
But this is so beautiful.
Moses’ words
That don’t need my words.
God’s story
Moses’ story
Israel’s story
So easily
Our story.
And I hope we tell it to our children too.
No comments:
Post a Comment