Tag: great nation

49.n. Wilderness – 13.t. “But you who held fast to the LORD your God are all alive today”

 

Deu 4:1-8  “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you. Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. But you who held fast to the LORD your God are all alive today. See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?

Moses had reminded Israel of their many rebellions against God in the wilderness. Now, as they were ready to enter into the Promised Land, he wanted them to think about their need for present obedience in light of their past rebellions. You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take anything from it: This is an important principle regarding God’s Word. We are not to add to it (in the sense of making the traditions and opinions of men equal to the law of God), nor are we to take away from it (by bad teaching or explaining away passages).  (Guzik)

Application of God’s Word is more than passively hearing it or reading it. There has to be application and manifestation in a persons life. How we think, speak, and act will display the depth of God’s Word in our lives. Being passively hearing and reading God’s Word does nothing for the soul and heart of a person. It is like knowing about a person but never personally knowing them.  You can talk about them, but never have known them in a personal way. 

Moses is reminding them that they have seen the mighty power of God leading them, instructing them, providing for them, judging them, and even in His punishment of those rebellious. Now as they are heading into the promised land he tells them to live in harmony with what they have been taught and in doing so they will display wisdom, knowledge, and understanding as a witness to the world. 

Belief, trust, reliance, reverence, understanding, knowledge, remembrance, application, and obedience, to God, God’s Word, and things of God are essential. Passively reading and applying God’s Word in your life will yield nothing more than a drop of water will in a dessert. 

Seek and desire understanding, knowledge, wisdom, and application of God’s Word in “Your Life”. Without a desire to grow in this understanding, knowledge, and application will fall short of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ.

45.r. “Wilderness” – 9.x. “every man able to go to war in Israel— all those listed were 603,550”

 

Num 1:45  So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel— all those listed were 603,550.

 Genesis 12:2    And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

 Deuteronomy 10:22   Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

 Hebrews 11:11-12     By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.  Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

 Revelation 7:9    After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

Including women, children, and old men, together with the Levites, the whole population of Israel, on the ordinary principles of computation, amounted to about 2,400,000. (Brown)

We have here the sum total. How much was required to maintain all these in the wilderness! They were all provided for by God every day. When we observe the faithfulness of God, however unlikely the performance of his promise may appear, we may take courage as to those which yet remain to be fulfilled to the church of God. (Henry)

It is hard to imagine how a small group of ~70 that came into Egypt became greater than 2,000,000 in 200+ years not to mention how these were fed and cared for in the wilderness for 40 years. If you try to math this out it is something only God’s plans, purpose, and will could accomplish. We read in Ephesians that God can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine. This is true here. Our God has more power, might, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and whatever other words of greatness the dictionary has. He is limitless in what He can do and what He does is according to His perfect plans, purposes, and will. The more we read His Word the more we see of His awesomeness. This is the God we serve and for sure we ought to serve Him worthy of who He is. Our thoughts each day should be in line with faithfulness, trust, reliance, obedience, and how we might honor and glorify Jesus Christ more today than yesterday.

15. So that we are distinct

Exodus 33:14  And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

Numbers 14:14    They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people.

Exodus 19:5-6    Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;  and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

Deuteronomy 4:7    For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?

1 Kings 8:53     For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be your heritage,

2Corinthians 6:16  What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,  and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Proverbs 9:6     Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

Acts 2:40    And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

My presence will go with you, so that we are distinct, treasured possession, separate, speak of the difference in the lives of those who live for God. 

His presence will be with them; “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”, “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love”, “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”

His people will be distinct;  “I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.” “declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” “ that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”

Fear not, do not be afraid

Genesis 15:1  After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

Genesis 26:24    Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring ”

Genesis 46:3   “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation.”

Exodus 14:13    “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today.”

Deuteronomy 31:6     “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

1 Chronicles 28:20    “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you”

Isaiah 35:4    “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Isaiah 41:10     “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:14    “I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel”.

Isaiah 43:1    “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

Isaiah 51:12     “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass,”

Daniel 10:12    “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”

Matthew 8:26     And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”

Revelation 1:17    But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,

Matthew 10:28-31     And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Luke 12:32    “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Fear has a way of robbing us joy, peace, comfort, and rest.  It creeps in through the father of lies and festers inside of us seeping poisonous thoughts into heart and mind.  Fear is cruel and unforgiving.  It attacks us at our core and cares not for the damage it causes in our lives.

I am not talking about the natural sudden fear we are born with that results in fight or flight reactions.  The fear I am talking about comes from limited faith in what God can do.  It finds the cracks in our faith and seeps through undetected.  It eats away at the mortar of faith little by little until we are left with rubble where once a solid wall stood.

Throughout scripture we are given example upon example of God’s unfailing love, unwavering purpose, awesome power and mighty deeds.  He wants us to know of them and trust in Him, cling to Him, and rely on Him.

Fear can be recognized and shut down.

When you recognize fear of doubt and uncertainty  – give it into God’s hands

When you recognize fear of purpose – trust God’s perfect purpose

When you recognize fear of plans disrupted – trust God’s perfect plan timing

When you recognize fear of finances – rely on God who all things belong

When you recognize fear of health – trust in God the healer

When you recognize fear of disappointment – rest in God the restorer

When you recognize fear of those in leadership – know that God is in control

When you recognize fear of loneliness – cling to God who will never leave or forsake you – He knows the number of hairs on your head

When you recognize fear of the darkness of the society – trust in God the light of the world

When you recognize fear of being lost – call on God who is a place of refuge

When you recognize fear of waiting – know that God is working His perfect plan and purpose for you

When you recognize fear of spiritual warfare – Call on God and trust in His power

When you recognize fear of death – know the eternal God is holding your hand and will protect and carry you through

When you recognize fear of a new challenge – trust God will equip you

Fear should not have a place but it seems to be in our lives.  Recognize it and allow it always lead you closer to God in a much stronger faith.  God can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.