Monday, March 19, 2012

Bible Reading Challenge Week 12 Day 1

Our reading challenge for the day is Deuteronomy 6-10. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Deuteronomy 6 - Verse 2 tells us the reason for teaching God’s commands. It’s so we will be able to fear the Lord. So often we focus on the portion of the chapter that talks about how we pass God’s commands on to our family. But while that is important, we want to keep the goal in mind. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We learn God’s word so that we will know what God is like. This magnifies our understanding of our need for a savior.

Deuteronomy 7 - God commands his people to cast out the people he is displacing before them. This is for the protection of those who love and trust our Lord, as the customs of the other peoples will ensnare them to their destruction. Why do we tolerate the views of our world at large rather than looking to our Lord and his Word for safety and comfort?

Deuteronomy 8 - God reminds his people of the land he is bringing them into, a land of comfort and plenty. In the New Testament we see many promises about our heavenly home. Do we look forward to the way our Lord will provide for us and give us all we need?

Deuteronomy 9 - The Lord does not save people because they are good. We all deserve his condemnation. He saves people because he is good. This both gives us hope and leads us to repentance.

Deuteronomy 10 - God graciously made a covenant with his people and placed that covenant in their midst. He tells his people then to trust him and love him, following him with all their hearts. In these last days, Jesus has shed his blood, a new covenant, a covenant of forgiveness and life, at the expense of his own death on our behalf. Receiving the covenant blood of our Lord in communion is very serious. It is one of the ways he keeps his redeeming presence right in front of us.

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