Deuteronomy 32
Song: God is uprightverses 1-4
Give ear O you heavens – and I will speak
and hear – O earth – the words of my mouth
My doctrine shall drop as the rain
my speech shall distill as the dew
as the small rain upon the tender herb
as the showers upon the grass
BECAUSE I will publish the name of the LORD
ascribe you greatness to our God
HE is the Rock
HIS work is perfect
FOR all HIS ways are judgment
a God of truth and without iniquity
just and right is HE
Song: Children of Israel are corruptverses 5-8
They have corrupted themselves
their spot is not the spot of HIS children
they are a perverse and crooked generation
Do you thus requite the LORD – O foolish people and unwise?
Is not HE your FATHER that has brought you?
Has HE not made you and established you?
Remember the days of old – consider the years of many generations
ask your father – and he will show you
your elders – and they will tell you
When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance
when HE separated the sons of Adam
HE set the bounds of the people according to the
number of the children of Israel
Song: LORD cares for HIS peopleverses 9-14
FOR the LORD’S portion is HIS people
Jacob is the lot of HIS inheritance
HE found him in a desert land
and in the waste howling wilderness
HE led him about – HE instructed him
HE kept him as the apple of HIS eye
As an eagle stirred up her nest – flutters over her young
spread abroad her wings – takes them – bears them on her wings
so the LORD alone did lead him
and there was no strange god with HIM
HE made him ride on the high places of the earth
that he might eat the increase of the fields
HE made him to suck honey out of the rock
and oil out of the flinty rock
butter of kine – milk of sheep – with fat of lambs
and rams of the breed of Bashan – goats
with the fat of kidneys of wheat
and you did drink the pure blood of the grape
Song: LORD’S people neglected HIMverses 15-18
BUT Jeshurun waxed fat – and kicked – you art waxen fat
you are grown thick
you are covered with fatness
Then he FORSOOK God which made him
and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation
They provoked HIM to jealousy with strange gods
with abominations provoked they HIM to anger
They sacrificed to devils – not to God
to gods whom they knew not
to new gods that came newly up
whom your fathers feared not
Of the Rock that begat you you are unmindful
and have forgotten God that formed you
Song: LORD sends judgment on HIS peopleverses 19-27
When the LORD saw it – HE abhorred them
BECAUSE of the provoking of his sons
and of his daughters
AND HE said – I will hide MY face from them
I will see what their end shall be
FOR they are very forward generation
children in whom is NO faith
They have moved ME to jealousy with that which is not God
they have provoked ME to anger with their vanities
and I will move them to jealousy
with those which are not a people
I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation
FOR a fire is kindled in MINE anger – and shall burn to the lowest hell
and shall consume the earth with her increase
and set on fire the foundations of the mountains
I will heap mischiefs on them
I will spend MINE arrows on them
They shall be burnt with hunger – and devoured with burning heat
and with bitter destruction
I will also send the teeth of beasts on them
with the poison of serpents of the dust
The sword without – the terror within
shall destroy both the young man and the virgin
the suckling also with the man of gray hairs
I said – I would scatter them into corners
I would make the remembrance of them
to cease from among men
were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy
lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely
lest they should say – Our hand is high
and the LORD has not done all this
Song: LORD’S people need understandingverses 28-34
FOR they are a nation VOID of counsel
neither is there any understanding in them
O that they were wise – that they understood this
that they would consider their latter end
How should one chase a thousand
and two put ten thousand to flight
except their Rock had sold them
and the LORD had shut them up?
FOR their rock is not as our Rock
even our enemies themselves being judges
FOR their vine is of the vine of Sodom – and of the fields of Gomorrah
their grapes are grapes of gall – their clusters are bitter
their wine is the poison of dragons
and the cruel venom of asps
Is not this laid up in store with ME
and sealed up among MY treasures?
Song: LORD takes vengeance on disobedienceverses 35-42
To ME belongs vengeance and recompense
their foot shall slide in due time
FOR the day of their calamity is at hand
and the things that shall come on them make haste
FOR the LORD shall judge HIS people
and repent HIMSELF for HIS servants
when HE sees that their power is gone
and there is none shut up – or left
AND HE shall say
Where are their gods – their rock in whom they trusted
which did eat the fat of their sacrifices
and drank the wine of their drink offerings?
Let them rise up and help you
and be your PROTECTION
See now that I even I am HE and there is no god with ME
I kill – I make alive – I wound – I heal
neither is there any that can deliver out of MY hand
FOR I lift up MY hand to heaven and say
I live for ever
IF I whet MY glittering sword – and MINE hand take hold on judgment
I will render vengeance to MINE enemies
and will reward them that hate ME
I will make MINE arrows drunk with blood
and MY sword shall devour flesh
And that with the blood of the slain and of the captives
from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy
Song: LORD’S people will rejoice in futureverse 43
Rejoice – O you nations – with HIS people
FOR HE will avenge the blood of HIS servants
and will render vengeance to HIS adversaries
and will be MERCIFUL to HIS land
and to HIS people
Moses recites song to the peopleverse 44
And Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the
ears of the people – he – and Joshua the son of Nun
Moses warns peopleverses 45-47
And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel
and he said to them
Set your hearts to all the words which I testify among you
this day – which you shall command your children
to observe to do – all the words of this law
FOR it is not vain thing for you – BECAUSE it is your life
and through this thing you shall prolong your days
in the land – whither you go over Jordan
to possess it
Death of Moses recordedverses 48-52
And the LORD spoke to Moses that selfsame day
saying
Get you up into this mountain Abarim – to mount Nebo
which is in the land of Moab – that is over against Jericho
And behold the land of Canaan
which I give to the children of Israel for a possession
and die in the mount whither you go up
and be gathered to thy people
as Aaron your brother died in mount Hor
and was gathered to his people
BECAUSE you trespassed against ME among the
children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh
in the wilderness of Zin
BECAUSE you SANCTIFIED ME not in the midst of the
children of Israel
Yet you shall see the land before you
BUT you shall not go thither unto the land which
I give the children of Israel
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 18 Of the Rock that begat you you are UNMINDFUL, and have forgotten God that formed you. (7876 “unmindful” [shayah] means to not keep in memory, to forget, deprive, neglect, or not pay attention to)
DEVOTION: A rock is something that is stable and permanent. God is represented as SOMEONE who is stable and permanent. The New Testament refers to Christ as the Rock of the wilderness.
The children of Israel were unstable. They wandered from the LORD. The song of Moses informed them that when they got into the Promised Land they would neglect the LORD. They would follow other gods. They would make new gods. They would forget the LORD. They would forsake the LORD.
The song warned that when this happened, they would be judged of the LORD. They would lose all their blessings. They would go into captivity. However, the LORD promised that HE would not leave them there because then the nations would think that they are more powerful than HIM. HE would not let it happen.
We have a good computer. It is called our brain. We have memories of our past that sometimes are so hidden that it takes us awhile to remember things. The children of Israel were all taught about a proper relationship to God. They didn’t bring it up in their memory banks. They became fat in the wealth of the land and forgot God. HE was in the back of their minds but they never brought HIM forward to obey HIM.
The song is a reminder to them that they need to bring God to the forefront of their thinking. The song was to be taught to all the next generations to remind them of what God can do. God does not want HIS people to be forgetful of HIM. HE is our creator.
This happens in our lives. When we have things nice, we forget God. We know what God wants us to do but we do just the opposite. Our Rock is Christ and we need to follow HIM or our strength will leave us. The LORD will have to chasten us like HE did to the children of Israel.
We do not like chasten but it helps our memories to return. Once the memory returns that we need to serve the LORD, HE gives us daily strength for our battles.
What time is it in your brain? Forget time? Or remember time? HE is the one who created us to worship HIM. Most people will never worship HIM because they chose to not listen. They chose to not follow the LORD. Everyone in America has an opportunity to hear the Good News of the Gospel but neglect it.
CHALLENGE: A daily dose of the Word of God can keep our thinking right in the eyes of the LORD. Encourage others to have this daily dose of the Word of God. IF we neglect it, HE will bring us back with chastening.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 20 And he said, I will hide MY face from them, I will see what their end shall be for they are a very forward generation, children in whom is no faith. (8419 “forward” [tahpukah] means perverse things, perversity, foolishness, deceit, fraud, deceitful tongue, scheming man or confusing things)
DEVOTION: The LORD is judging HIS people because they have become a people who have no integrity or faith in HIM. They have wandered after false gods that don’t have the ability to help them.
The LORD says that if they want to abandon HIM HE will abandon them or hide HIS face from them. They don’t want to have fellowship with HIM. They want to go their own way and forget HIM and so HE is going to not show HIS face in their camp until they repent.
They are a generation that has twisted thinking regarding how important the one TRUE God is in their life. They think they don’t need God because they have enough food and enough fun without HIM. HE has blessed them to the point that they think they have blessed themselves by their own effort.
Now HE is going to withhold HIS blessings and see how they like truly living on their own without HIM. Captivity is coming because of their actions. Their world will be turned upside down without God but they won’t realize it until it is too late.
Does this sound like our generation too? Are there a lot of individuals who have grown up in a Christian home that have been blessed with many things? They start to think that their parents did it on their own and therefore they can do it on their own not realizing that their parents trusted in the LORD.
It didn’t take the children of a couple of generations to start worshiping false gods thinking that they didn’t need the one TRUE God of the Bible. Has it entered into your thinking that you really don’t need the one TRUE God instructing you on how you should act today?
CHALLENGE: Each generation needs to serve the LORD in spirit and in truth. Is that how you are serving the LORD today?
: 29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their later end. (995 “consider” [biyn] means to understand, see, to pay attention, to become aware through the senses, examine, perceive, or to discern)
DEVOTION: Too often we don’t understand the end result of an action we have taken. We think that it would be good to do something but find out later that it was a wrong decision.
Wisdom thinks through an action to see if it will result in something that is displeasing to the LORD. The LORD wants HIS people to think before they act. HE wants them to consider HIS standard and see if the action fits into HIS standard. If there is no stated standard regarding something a wise individual will go to the LORD in prayer and ask if it is right or wrong.
God has given enough instructions to the children of Israel for them to know what is right and wrong. HE has given us enough instructions to know if something is right or wrong.
Too often we listen to the world and let its standard be our standard. Too often we think that being politically correct is the right answer to the questions we are asking. Being politically correct is not being Biblically correct.
Those who are followers of Jesus Christ have to be Biblically correct all the time with the help of the Holy Spirit or they are committing sin. Sin can be confessed but there can be consequences to our wrong thinking even after confessing it as sin.
Sometimes people as “What would Jesus Do?” in a situation. Instead we need to remember that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our guide and we need to ask for guidance through prayer from HIM. God also gives us good spiritual guides in our local church regarding most of the issue we could face in our daily life.
CHALLENGE: Are you thinking about the future or just today? We need to make sure our plans for the future are pleasing in the eyes of the LORD!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 36 For the LORD shall judge HIS people, and repent HIMSELF for HIS servants, when HE sees that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left. (3027 “power” [yad] means possession of controlling influence conceived as in terms of the hand, control, strength, or the force and ability sufficient to accomplish a task)
DEVOTION: We find that the LORD is the one that gives us the power to do what we do. If we leave HIM out of the process we find that we can’t complete what we would like to complete in our life and ministry.
There are many people who think that they can do the LORD’S work in their own power. They think that they can just go out and do something they think needs to be done without asking the LORD for help in the process.
This is wrong thinking. Too often the children of Israel were given victories by the LORD and the next time they go to battle they don’t call on the LORD for help and they are defeated and then they wonder why they didn’t win the battle.
God has a plan for HIS people and HE is working HIS plan. What is included in HIS plan is that HIS people include the fact that they need HIS help to complete any project or fight any battle.
HIS power is the only way that HIS people can win any battle. If we don’t realize that all we do is helped by the LORD especially the battles that we fight each day against sin in our life.
God can’t bless us if we are not giving HIM the praise for all our victories. HE knows that we are weak humans without HIS help. HE knows that HE commands us to come to HIM each time we are fighting a battle.
Are we trying to win battles in our lives that we try to win without prayer and fasting? Are we trying to win battles without asking HIM for HIS help each day? Each day we face battles that need strength that only HE can give.
CHALLENGE: Realize the fact that we are not going to go far in our spiritual battle without a close relationship to the LORD.
: 51 Because you trespassed against ME among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because you sanctified ME not in the midst of the children of Israel. (6942 “sanctified” [qadash] means hallow, dedicate, consecrate, holy, or sacred.)
DEVOTION: Moses was given an opportunity by the LORD to give all the glory to the LORD. He was given the assignment to speak to the rock and bring forth water for the people. The problem was that he was angry with the people over their grumbling. He had faced their grumbling before and they still didn’t learn from that experience. Remember that Moses did have an anger problem even back in Egypt. It showed up a few times during the travels of the children of Israel in the wilderness.
The problem was when he was angry, he claimed responsibility for producing the water instead of the LORD. It was the LORD who gave him the power to have the water come out of the rock. He forgot to honor the LORD on that occasion and he would pay the consequences of his action. It took a few years but it was stated just before they were going to enter the Promised Land that he would not lead them because of what he had done at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh.
Have there been times in your life when you claimed all the honor for something the LORD told you to do for HIS glory? It can happen just as easy for us as it did for Moses. It is sad that we have to want the praise of men over the praise of God. It is something that happens to all of us at one time or another. We claim what we shouldn’t and lose because of it.
Our responsibility is to give God all the glory and let HIM honor us when HE wants to instead of when we want it. God calls what Moses did a sin. The same is true if we do it.
CHALLENGE: Give God the glory for all the actions you do and HE will honour you when HE thinks it will help you to grow.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Lawverse 46
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant)verses 3, 6, 9, 12, 19, 27, 30, 36, 48
Name of the LORDverse 3
God – Elohim (Creator)verses 3, 4, 15, 17, 21
God of truthverse 4
Without iniquity
Just
Right
Judgeverses 4, 36, 41
Rockverses 4, 15, 18, 30, 31
Work is perfectverse 4
Fatherverses 6, 7
Redeemerverses 6, 15
Creatorverses 6, 18
Providerverses 6, 10-14
Most Highverse 8
Rock of salvationverse 15
Jealousverses 16, 21
Formed manverse 18
Abhorred manverse 19
Hid face from manverse 20
Provoked Godverse 21
Angerverse 22
Heap mischiefs on Israelverses 23-26
Spend MINE arrows on Israelverse 23
Shut Israel upverse 30
Vengeance belongs to the LORDverse 35
Recompenseverse 35
I am (only one true God)verse 39
Live foreververse 40
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Nationsverse 8
Sons of Adamverse 8
Foolish nationverse 21
World blames judgement of Israel on themselvesverse 27
Trusts in false rockverse 31
Enemiesverses 31, 41, 42
Sodom & Gomorrahverse 32
Nationsverse 43
Land of Moabverse 49
Jerichoverse 49
Land of Canaanverse 49
Waters of Meribah-Kadeshverse 51
Wilderness of Zinverse 51
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Iniquityverse 4
Corruptedverse 5
Perverse and crookedverse 5
Foolishverses 6, 21
Unwiseverse 6
Strange godverses 12, 16, 17, 37, 39
Waxed fatverse 15
Kicked against Godverse 15
Forsook Godverse 15
Provoked Godverses 16, 21
Abominationsverse 16
Sacrificed to devilsverse 17
Fear not Godverse 17
Unmindfulverse 18
Forgotten Godverse 18
Provoked Godverses 19, 21
Forward generationverse 20
No faithverse 20
Not God worshipverse 21
Vanitiesverse 21
Foolishverse 21
Void of counselverse 28
Without understandingverse 28
False rockverses 31, 37
Trust in false vineverse 32
Power is goneverse 36
Trusted in false rockverses 37, 38
Hate Godverse 41
Trespassedverse 51
Sanctified not Godverse 51
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Listenverse 1
Doctrineverse 2
Publish the name of the LORDverse 3
Ascribe greatness to Godverse 3
Separatedverse 8
Inheritanceverse 9
Instructedverse 10
Apple of God’s eyeverse 10
Leadverse 12
Salvationverse 15
Take counselverse 28
Wiseverse 29
Understandingverse 29
Consider their later endverse 29
Rejoiceverse 43
Avenge bloodverse 43
Mercifulverse 43
Set heartsverse 46
Observe to doverse 46
Lifeverse 47
Sanctifiedverse 51
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Eldersverse 7
Children of Israelverses 8, 45, 49, 51, 52
Jacobverse 9
Apple of God’s eyeverse 10
LORD alone led Israelverses 10, 12
Jeshurun (righteous one)verse 15
Fathersverse 17
Mosesverses 1-44
Joshua (Hoshea- son of Nun)verse 44
Moses: mountain Abarimverses 48, 49
Aaronverse 50
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Burn in lowest hellverse 22
Latter endverse 29
Death of Mosesverses 49, 50
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QUOTES regarding passage
5–6 The Lord’s governing of his people is on the highest moral and ethical level, but in contrast the Israelites “have acted corruptly” (v.5). Acting corruptly (as in 9:12) expresses that, while the Lord is always right in his handling of Israel, Israel has been wrong and devious in rejecting him. The idolatry of the golden calf illustrates this corruption that broke their relationship to the Lord so that they were “no longer his children”; they were “no sons.” This condition of being “no sons” was to their shame and disgrace.
The first two lines of v.5 come from five words in Hebrew that appear to form two clauses, which have been variously translated and by some exegetes reconstructed. The Hebrew is more abrupt than the NIV and other translations. This, however, is not unusual in Hebrew poetry, which frequently makes an assertion in only one or two words. The English therefore must be construed more fully to bring out the force of the Hebrew text. The NIV follows quite closely to the words of the Hebrew text even though this requires fifteen English words to represent five Hebrew words. In their state of idolatrous corruption and their “no sons” status, the people are described further by two synonyms that speak of twisting and turning from the right path.
To drive home even more forcefully the deplorable, shameless state of the nation, two questions are asked. In these questions the Israelites are labeled as foolish and unwise—though the Lord is their Father, their Creator (v.6). The questions not only look back on the outrageous behavior of the Israelites in turning from God to idols and their consequent loss of sonship but also are preparatory to the following history of the Lord’s kind providence toward Israel and their unfortunate reaction to his blessings.
The Lord as Father appears infrequently in the OT (Isa 63:16; 64:8; Mal 2:10), but the corollary of Israel’s sonship is more common. Here the word “Father” assists in building up the idea that the formation of the nation of Israel is a creative act of God. As Father he is the progenitor and originator of the nation and is also the one who has matured and sustained them.
In v.6b three Hebrew verbs translated “Creator,” “made,” and “formed” describe aspects of the same Father-Creator relationship. The first of the three, though not commonly indicating obtaining something by purchase, sometimes carries the nuance of producing, as here and in Genesis 14:19, 22. However, buying the nation from Egyptian slavery may be an overtone of the word in this place because the act is part of bringing Israel into existence.
The second and third verbs, the making and forming (fashioning and preparing), describe the Lord’s directive process establishing the nation through the ministry of Moses in giving them the covenant-treaty with all its ramifications and in leading them by revelation through the Exodus and desert experiences.
The effect of these questions is to magnify the position of the Lord as the one who brought Israel into existence and to stigmatize Israel for her failure to recognize him in this position. (Kalland, E. S. (1992). Deuteronomy. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, pp. 201–202). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
32:5–9. In contrast with God’s faithfulness and righteousness, His people had become so warped that they bore no family resemblance to their Father. They could almost always be counted on to do wrong. The depth of the contrast was emphasized by reminding the people that the Lord (Yahweh) was their Creator (v. 6), that is, He formed the people into a nation at the Exodus (cf. v. 9).
So the people were doubly foolish in acting so corruptly (cf. 31:29). First, they flouted the grace of their God, and second, they forgot about His power. For if He could make them into a nation, He could also unmake them. If the people doubted that He was their Creator all they had to do was look back into their history (Remember the days of old, v. 7). The challenge to remember is given 16 times in Deuteronomy, starting in 4:10 and concluding here.
The elders could explain to them that God had set up the boundaries … of Israel, making Israel His people and inheritance (i.e., owning them as His), and that He was absolutely sovereign as the Most High over all nations. (Deere, J. S. (1985). Deuteronomy. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 318). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The goodness of God to His people (vv. 5–14). You would think that Israel would have exalted such a great God and counted it a privilege to know Him and serve Him, but they didn’t. Instead, they turned to idols and corrupted themselves and blemished their own name and standing. “When they act that way, are they really his children? They are a deceitful and twisted generation” (v. 5, nlt). What a way to repay their Father for all He had done for them! We expect unconverted people to be twisted and corrupt (Phil. 2:15), but not the people of God (Matt. 17:17; Luke 9:41).
One more time, Moses invited the people to remember what God had done for them in “the days of old.” The younger ones could ask the older people what they remembered, because it’s the responsibility of older believers to teach the younger (Ps. 78:5–8; Titus 2:1–8). The Lord is the God of history and geography; He divided the nations (Gen. 10) and put them on the earth where He wanted them (Acts 17:26). But He had a special plan for Israel, for they were His own people; and He made sure that they had a land adequate for them. The drama of salvation would be enacted in the land of Israel, so that land was very special to the Lord.
The Lord delivered Israel from Egypt and then came to them in the wilderness at Sinai. They were a helpless people and He claimed them for Himself. They were “the apple of his eye,” referring to the pupil of the eye (Ps. 17:8; Prov. 7:2; Zech. 2:8). Moses used the image of the eagle to illustrate God’s care for His people (Deut. 32:11–13a). At a certain stage in the lives of the young, the parents destroy the nest and force the young to fly. To make sure the young don’t fall, the adult birds stay close to the young as they “try their wings,” flying beneath them and even carrying them in their strong claws. It’s a beautiful picture of the difficult process of maturity that God put all of us through just as He did the nation of Israel. Israel was made to “fly on the high places” (v. 13) and not grovel in the mire like the pagans. Every experience they had during their wilderness journey was another opportunity for them to grow up, but too often they regressed and acted like babies. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be equipped (pp. 183–184). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
32:6 your Father. The foolishness and stupidity of Israel would be seen in the fact that they would rebel against God who as a Father had brought them forth and formed them into a nation. As Father, He was the progenitor and originator of the nation and the One who had matured and sustained it. This idea of God as Father of the nation is emphasized in the OT (cf. 1Ch 29:10; Is 63:16; 64:8; Mal 2:10) while the idea of God as Father of individual believers is developed in the NT (cf. Ro 8:15; Gal 4:6). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Dt 32:6). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 6. Do you thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise, &c.] This is also a proper character of the Jews in the times of Christ, who are often by him called fools, Matt. 23:17, 19. being very ignorant of the Scriptures, and of the prophecies in them respecting him, setting up their own traditions on a level with the word of God, or above it; they were ignorant of the law of God, and the meaning of it; of the righteousness of God, of the righteousness of his nature, and of what the law required, as well as of the righteousness of Christ, and of him as a spiritual Redeemer, and of salvation by him; and a most egregious instance of their folly, and of want of wisdom, was their ingratitude to him, in disesteeming and rejecting him; which is what is here referred to and meant by ill-requiting him, though not expressed till ver. 15 and a most sad requital of him it was indeed, that he should come to them, his own, in so kind and gracious a manner, and yet be rejected by them; that he should become man, and yet for that reason be charged with blasphemy for making himself God; horrid ingratitude, to infer the one from the other! and because he appeared as a servant, disowned him as the son of God; and because he came in the likeness of sinful flesh to take away sin, they traduced him as a sinner: is not he thy father, that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee? Moses, in order to aggravate this their ingratitude, rehearses the various instances of divine goodness to them, from the beginning of them as nation; it was the Lord that was the founder of them as a nation, whose son, when sent unto them, was rejected by them; it was he that bought them, or redeemed them from Egyptian bondage, that made or formed them into a body politic, or civil commonwealth, that established and settled them in the land of Canaan: this is expressed in general terms; particular instances of the goodness of God to them are after enumerated: or if this is to be understood of Christ himself, who was rejected by them, it is true of some among them, in a spiritual and evangelic sense, and so, by a figure, the whole is put for a part, as sometimes the part is for the whole: Christ, the everlasting Father of the world to come, had many children in the Jewish nation, for whose sake he became incarnate, and whom he came to seek and to save; and whom he bought with his precious blood, and whom, by his spirit and grace, he made new creatures, the children of God, kings and priests unto God; and established them in the faith of him, and upon him, the sure foundation; or whom he fashioned, beautified, and adorned with his righteousness, and with the graces of his spirit. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 147). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
1 John 2
If we keep His commandments and love our brothers, we walk in fellowship.
INSIGHT
It is sometimes difficult to know if we are in fellowship with the Lord. We erroneously tend to rely on our feelings to gauge our relationship with Him. If we “feel” spiritual one day, we think we are in fellowship with Him. If on another day we do not “feel” spiritual, we assume we are not in fellowship. John helps us with this dilemma; he describes fellowship for us. If we are keeping the Lords commandments and loving others, we are in fellowship whether we “feel” in fellowship or not. Do not let your feelings deceive you and encourage you to sin. (Quiet Walk)
I was on Facebook, arguing. Bad move. What made me think I was obligated to “correct” a stranger on a hot topic—especially a divisive one? The results were heated words, hurt feelings (on my part anyway), and a broken opportunity to witness well for Jesus. That’s the sum outcome of “internet anger.” It’s the term for the harsh words flung daily across the blogosphere. As one ethics expert explained, people wrongly conclude that rage “is how public ideas are talked about.”
Paul’s wise advice to Timothy gave the same caution. “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone” (2 Timothy 2:23-24).
Paul’s good counsel, written to Timothy from a Roman prison, was sent to prepare the young pastor for teaching God’s truth. The apostle’s advice is just as timely for us today, especially when the conversation turns to our faith. “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” (v. 25).
Speaking kindly to others is part of this challenge, but not just for pastors. For all who love God and seek to tell others about Him, may we speak His truth in love. With every word, the Holy Spirit will help us. (By Patricia Raybon, Our Daily Bread)
THE WITNESS
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. 1 John 5:10
First I am to receive the witness of God, and only after that am I likely to have the evidence and the witness within myself. The Lord Himself said, “If any man will do his [God’s] will, he shall know of the doctrine” (John 7:17). So if you want to be certain, believe first, and then you will be certain.
So this question of order is a vitally important one. Believe God, and then have the belief within yourself. To reverse the order would be insulting to God. Someone may say, “Well, I will only believe if I have proof.” But God says, “I ask you to believe because I am speaking”; so not to believe is dishonoring to Him. To try to insist that you must have proof is to detract from His glory. So first I must believe because God is the witness; and if I do, then I shall have the witness of the Spirit within myself.
The other practical thing, of course, is just to learn exactly what believing His evidence means, and here John puts it in a very few words: “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.” Oh, what important words these are; what an important word is that little word “on”! John does not mean us to say, “Well, on the whole I am satisfied with the evidence, and I am prepared to believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God.”
That is not it! “He that believeth on the Son of God…” Such a person has abandoned himself to Him. He has surrendered to Him. You may not realize the full implications of the statement, but you hand over your whole life into the strong arms of the Son of God. And you will very soon have the witness. You will know who He is, and all your uncertainties will have gone. Jesus is not only the Christ—He is the Son of God, the Messiah, the deliverer of the world.
A Thought to Ponder: First I must believe because God is the witness; then I shall have the witness of the Spirit within myself.
(From Life in God, pp. 88-89, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
The Urgency of Salvation
“For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Perhaps the most deadly sin of the unbeliever is that of procrastination. Satisfied with his current life, he neglects his spiritual need. Even if he understands the gospel and realizes his need of salvation, he still puts off a decision.
But it is always dangerous to count too strongly on tomorrow. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). The sin of procrastination may easily become the sin of negligence, then of indifference, and finally the unforgivable sin of irrevocable rejection and unbelief. “My spirit shall not always strive with man” (Genesis 6:3). This warning was true in the antediluvian world and it is certainly as true today, when we have far more knowledge and evidence of God’s truth and His will than people did in the days of Noah.
“To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart” (Psalm 95:7-8). This warning of the psalmist was considered so important that the writer of Hebrews quoted it three times (Hebrews 3:7-8, 15; 4:7). Such an emphasis suggests there is indeed great danger in resisting God’s call to salvation. There may be another opportunity, but it is presumptuous and dangerous to impose too long on God’s patient mercy.
Today is the day of salvation. The accepted time is now! “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?…It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:29, 31).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
David writes (VA): Never fear that injustices will forever be evaded. “Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.” (Ecclesiastes 3:16–17)
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