Deuteronomy 11:1

Deuteronomy 11:1 says, Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.  Moses said first that the people of Israel were to love the LORD their God, which meant they must have a personal relationship with Him, and then they were to keep all His laws.  Unless we first have a personal relationship with God, we are not going to want to attempt to keep all His laws.  Verse two adds, And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm,  Moses said that he was not speaking to those who had not seen the miraculous power of God.  Some of the people there had witnessed what God did in Egypt, and Moses said that he was speaking to them.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we have first hand experience with God to rely on, and not just hypothetical facts.  By faith, we know the reality of God's power.  Verse three continues, And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;  Moses reminds them of what God did to  Pharoah of Egypt in his own land.  We need to always remember what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, which was even greater than what God did to Pharaoh in Egypt.  We may not have been there physically as some of these people had been in Egypt, but by faith we know what He did for us on the cross, and we need to never forget it.  Verse four states, And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day;  Moses said that those that he was speaking to also saw what God did to Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea.  As I have stated before, some people today say that God really didn't part the Red Sea for the people of Israel to pass over through, but that they really just passed through a marshy area.  If that were to be the case, then the army of Pharaoh all drowned in what was simply a marshy area.  That in itself would be miraculous, but we don't need to attempt to explain the miracles of God.  We simply need to accept them by faith.  Verse five adds, And what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came into this place;  Moses said that they also knew what God had done for them in the wilderness until they got to the edge of the Promised Land.  We need to remember all that God has done for us as Christians, because we are always on the edge of the Promised Land, Heaven.  Our next breathe could be our last and get us there.  Verse six continues, And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:  Moses said that they had seen what happened to those who rebelled against Him.  We may not see what happens to those who refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, but by faith we know what God's word says will happen to them, and it is much worse than simply having the earth swallow them.  Verse seven concludes, But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did.  Moses said they had seen all the great acts that God had done.  Though we as followers of Christ may not have seen the great act of redemption that He did on the cross, we must surely have seen great acts that God has done in our lives once we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. 

Deuteronomy 10:10

Deuteronomy 10:10 says, And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy thee.  Moses said he stayed on the mountain forty days and nights interceding for the people while he was there, and God listened to him and did not destroy them.  We need to be interceding for people with God today.  Verse eleven adds, And the LORD said unto me, Arise, take thy journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give unto them.  God told Moses to go and tell the people of Israel to go in and possess the land which He swore to give to their fathers.  As we today journey through life, we need to remember that we are on our way to heaven, the place that God has sworn will one day be our everlasting home.  Verse twelve continues, And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,  Just as Moses told the people of Israel, all God requires of us is that we fear, or respect God, walk in His ways, or keep His commandments, love Him, and serve Him with all out heart and soul.  In other words, give ourselves, and not just material things to Him.  Verse thirteen concludes, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good.  As just stated, Moses told them that the were to keep God's commandments and statutes as he had commanded them to do that day.  When we accept Jseus as our Savior and Lord, He commands us to keep all of His commandments and statutes.  Verse fourteen states, Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.  Moses said that all of the heavens and the earth belonged to God.  They still do, and always will.  Verse fifteen adds, Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.  Moses said that God chose the people of Israel to work through, and today He chooses to work through Christians, those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ alone.  The people of Israel were not chosen because of their superiority to other people, but because of their weakness in the eyes of the world, and we today are not chosen because of our moral superiority to other people but because we humble ourselves before God and admit our inability to save ourselves.  Verse sixteen continues, Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.  Circumcision was a sign of the people of Israel belonging to God, but now Moses told them to circumcise their hearts, and to not be a stiffnecked people.  We told are to remove everything in our heart that stands between God and us, and not to attempt to hold on to the things that do.  Verse seventeen declares, For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:  Moses said that God was the only true and all powerful God, Who didn't regard, or look to who a person was physically in order to enter into a relationship with them, nor could He be bought.  No matter who we are in the world, or where we live, none of us is any better than any other in God's eye because of that.  Verse eighteen adds, He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.  Moses said that God had mercy on the fatherless and widows and loved the stranger, those who were not a part of the nation of Israel.  Until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are strangers to God, but He still loved us enough to send Jesus Christ to die for our sins, so that we might be restored to Him by faith in Jesus Christ.  When we do accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we should help the orphans and widows around us.  Verse nineteen continues, Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.  Moses said that God expected them to love the strangers, because God had loved them when they were strangers in Egypt and had brought them out of their bondage.  We today were strangers to God until He brought us out of the bondage of sin.  Verse twenty says, Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.  Moses said that the people of Israel were to fear, or have an awesome respect for God, cleave to Him, and swear by His name.  As Christians, so must we today.  Verse twenty-one adds, He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.  Moses said that God was their God because of the great and terrible things that He did to bring them out of Egypt, and we are His because of the great and terrible thing that Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.  Verse twenty-two continues, Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.  Moses said that the people of Israel numbered seventy people when they went into Egypt, but now they were as numerous as the stars in heaven.  After the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, the number of people who followed Him was small, but now they are as numerous as the stars in heaven, and we are to be witnessing to the lost so that the number will continue to grow. 

Deuteronomy 10:1

Deuteronomy 10:1 says, At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood.  Moses said that God then directed him to hew out two tablets of stone like the first two that he broke, and to come back up the mountain and make an ark out of wood. The first tablets may have been broken, but God's law was still intact, and when He had Moses bring the tablets to be rewritten, God was showing His willingness to forgive the people of Israel.  When we break God's law, it is still intact, and we must return to Him in repentance, and He awaits ready to forgive us if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ. Verse two adds, And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.  God said that He would write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, and then Moses was to put them in tha ark.  God's law will never change no matter how many times we may break it, but we must be ready to receive it if it is to do us any good.  Verse three continues, And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand.  Moses said he made the ark and hewed the two tablets and went up the mountain.  Matthew Henry says that since the Bible says that in Exodus that Bezaleel was said to have made the ark, that either Moses made the ark of wood and Bezaleel later overlaid it with gold, or that Moses had him make it at this time while he was up on the mountain.  Verse four states, And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me.  Moses said God rewrote the ten commandments on the tablets as He had before and gave them to him once again.  Our breaking God's commandments will never change them, and if we are guilty of sin and repent, God will once again write them in our heart.  Verse five adds, And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.  Moses said he came back down the mountain and put the tablets in the ark as God had commanded him to do.  God is ready to write his law in our hearts as soon as we are ready to receive it.  He does not force us to accept it.  Verse six says, And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera: there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest’s office in his stead.  Moses said that as the people journeyed in the wilderness, that Aaron died and was buried, and that his son Eleazar took his place at God's direction.  God will always have people ready to take the place of those who are doing His work today, but it will be at His direction and not by any earthly status.  Verse seven adds, From thence they journeyed unto Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbath, a land of rivers of waters.  After Aaron was buried, the continual on their journey toward the Promised Land.  We can never allow the death of anyone to keep us from continuing on our journey of following Jesus to heaven, our Promised Land.  Verse eight states, At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.  Moses said that the tribe of Levi was separated at that time to bear the ark of the covenant.  As Christians, we are separated from the world today to carry God's truth into the world.  Verse nine adds, Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God promised him.  The tribe of Levi had no earthly inheritance, but their inheritance was in the LORD according to what God had promised.  Out inheritance as followers of Christ will never be in the things of this world, but will always be in our heavenly home according to God's word.  Until then, we are simply called to serve and obey Him.

Deuteronomy 9:18

Deuteronomy 9:18 says, And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.  Moses said he neither ate nor drank for forty days and nights, after falling down before the LORD, because of the sins of the people.  We cannot atone for the sins of others, but we can go to God on their behalf in prayer and fasting.  Verse nineteen adds, For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also.  Moses said that He did this because he was afraid of the anger that God felt toward them.  I believe God's anger was at their actions, just as it is at the actions of those who will not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord today.  Moses said God heard him at that time.  We may never know when our prayers have given someone more time to accept Jesus Christ, but we can be certain that God will hear our prayers on their behalf.  Verse twenty adds, And the LORD was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time.  Aaron, God's priest, had joined in the idol creation and worship, and Moses was afraid that God would destroy him as well.  We need to be in prayer for any preacher who strays away from God's word today, that they might recognize their error and return to preaching God's word correctly.   Verse twenty-nine continues, And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.  Moses said he took the calf which represented their sinful worship, reduced it to powder and threw the powder into the brook that descended out of the mount.  It may have been gold, but it was worthless to them now.  We need to utterly destroy anything that stands between God and us today, no matter how valuable the world may believe it to be.  Verse twenty-two states, And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibrothhattaavah, ye provoked the LORD to wrath. Even after being spared for their rebellion in worshipping the golden calf, the people again rebelled.  The sad news is that God has already forgiven everyone's sins when Jesus died on the cross, but most people continue to rebel against God by refusing to accept Him as their personal Savior and Lord, no matter how many chances God gives them to do so.  Verse twenty-three adds, Likewise when the LORD sent you from Kadeshbarnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice.  Moses said they further rebelled when God told them to go in and possess the Promised Land, because they had no faith in God.  God calls us today to come to Him by faith in Jesus Christ so that we can one day go up to live in heaven, but too many people refuse to put their faith in Him.  Verse twenty-four continues, Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.  Moses said that the people of Israel, God's chosen people, had been rebellious since the day He knew them.  Some people today, even though salvation is their's for the claiming, have always rebelled against God by not accepting it.  Verse twenty-five says, Thus I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the LORD had said he would destroy you.  Moses said he once again fell down before the LORD for forty days and nights.  We should never be to quick to give up on people that need Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.   Verse twenty-six adds, I prayed therefore unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, destroy not thy people and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand.  Moses again intervened for the people of Israel, and we need to be intervening for the lost people of the world today.  Verse twenty-seven continues, Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin:  Moses asked God to remember His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and not to look to the stubbornness of the people.  When we are saved today, it is not because of our goodness, but because of God's promise of everlasting life to those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-eight states, Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say, Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness.  Moses said that if God destroyed His chosen people that He had delivered out of Egypt before they went into the Promised Land that other people would say that He was unable to deliver them.  Verse twenty-nine adds, Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched out arm.  Moses said that they were God's people because of Who He was and not because of who they were, and so are we today as Christians. 

Deuteronomy 9:7

Deuteronomy 9:7 says, Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the LORD.  Moses reminded the people that even though they were God's chosen people that He had delivered out of bondage in Egypt, they had remained a rebellious people.  As followers of Christ, we can be and too often are as well.  Still, they remained His chosen people because of Who He was, and so will we if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse eight adds, Also in Horeb ye provoked the LORD to wrath, so that the LORD was angry with you to have destroyed you.  Still, there was a time when God became angry enough at their rebellious nature to destroy them, and we need to pray that we as Christians never make Him that mad.  Verse nine continues, When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:  Moses said that this occurred while he was up on the mountain receiving God's law, during which time he neither ate nor drank for forty days.  Moses represented God to them, and they hadn't seen him for forty days, so they rebelled.  If we begin to feel that God isn't with us today, we need to draw closer to Him and not rebel against Him.  Verse ten states, And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.  Moses said God delivered to him the two tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments written on them by God's finger.  Today, the Ten Commandments should be written in our hearts by God.  Verse eleven adds, And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.  Moses said at the end of the forty days that God gave him the two tablets of the covenant.  I don't believe that it took God forty days to write the Ten Commandments on the stones, but it was a time for Moses and the people of Israel to prepare themselves spiritually to receive them.  Verse twelve continues, And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.  Mose said God told him to arise and quickly get down the mountain because the people which he had led out of Egypt had corrupted themselves and made a golden image to worship.  The people of Israel may not have known what God was doing, but He knew what they were doing.  We may at times wonder where God is in a particular situation, but He always knows where we are.  Verse thirteen declares, Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:  Moses said God told him that He had seen this people and they were a stiffnecked people.  We need to make sure that as followers of Christ God never sees us the same way.  Verse fourteen adds, Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.  Though God had chosen the people of Israel to be His people, He was ready to blot them out and choose a different people to work through.  We can never believe that we are special to God simply because of where we were born whether we obey God or not.  It takes a personal relationship with God to make us special to Him, and at this time the people of Israel did not have one.  Verse fifteen says, So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.  Moses said he went down the mountain with the two tablets of stone and the mountain burned with fire.  This should have gotten the attention of the people of Israel.  I believe that God will always get our attention if we turn away from Him and start to chase after false gods.  Verse sixteen adds, And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you.  Moses said that he then saw that they has made a molten calf to worship, quickly turn away from God in spite of what all He had done for them.  We will never be able to find anything that will be able to replace God in our life, even if we don't understand what He is doing at the moment.  Verse seventeen continues, And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes.  Moses said he threw the two tablets down and broke them.  We cannot allow the actions of others to cause us to become angry and break God's law if we are followers of Christ. 

Deuteronomy 9:1

Deuteronomy 9:1 says, Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,  Moses told the people of Israel that they were to cross over the Jordan that day to go and possess a land that was full of nations greater than them and filled with cities with walls that were very high.  We as followers of Christ need to always look to God for victory in our battle with the world today and never view the world as too powerful for us to overcome.  Verse two adds, A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak!   Moses warned them that the land was full of giants, but they were not to let this dishearten them.  When we see giant obstacles in the world today as followers of Christ, we should never allow them to discourage us, but we need to simply continue to look to God for the victory,  Verse three  continues, Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.  Moses said that God would go before them to bring down all their enemies so that they could destroy them.  As Christians, Jesus Christ has gone before us to defeat all our enemies spiritually, and all we have to do is live by faith in Him.  Verse four states, Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.  Moses warned the people of Israel not to begin to think that it was because of their spiritual superiority over other nations that they were victorious.  They would be victorious because of Who their God was and not because they were inherently better than the people of other nations.  We as Christians in America can never believe that we are somehow morally superior to people in other nations simply because we were born here.  Verse five adds, Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Moses said that the people of Israel would not be successful because of their righteousness, but that they would be successful because of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  We today are not specifically successful because of our own righteousness, but are successful because of God's promise to restore mankind to Himself by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ Who paid the penalty for our sins.  Verse six continues, Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.  Moses further warned them to not think that God gave them the land because of their righteousness, because they were a stiffnecked people.  We will never have salvation because of our own righteousness, because at some point in life we were a stiffnecked person who did not put their faith in Jesus Christ.  As followers of Christ, we are simply a sinner saved by grace, no better than any other.

Merry Christmas

Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

This is why we celebrate Christmas.  It is the birth day of Jesus, the Promised Messiah, Who was born to redeem all mankind.  He was born in a place where He was a stranger, not in a palace, but in a manger.  His birth was not noted by the rich and powerful, but was announced by the angel of the Lord to a group of shepherds as they went about their everyday life.  The shepherds were told to not be afraid, because the angel brought them good news.  This good news was that unto them that day in the city of David was born to them a Savior, which was Christ the Lord.  Again, this is what we celebrate today.  The shepherds were told where they could find Jesus and how they could recognize Him.  They would find Him wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  We today find Him as the Resurrected Lord, knocking on our hearts door as God calls us to Him.  Then, a multitude of angels appeared, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  This is what we should be doing today as Christians while we celebrate Christmas, praising God and showing peace and good will toward all people.  Of course, it starts by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, and if you haven't what better day to do so than on Christmas day.  My prayer is that if you haven't, that you will do so today, then you can truly celebrate Christmas. 

Deuteronomy 8:10

Deuteronomy 8:10 says, When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.  Moses said when the people of Israel ate and were full that they were to bless, or thank, the LORD.  No matter how rich or poor we may be as followers of Christ today, we should always give thanks to God, especially if we have enough to eat and a roof over our head.  Verse eleven adds, Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:  Moses warned them against forgetting God when they were full and life was going well.  Too often today, people look to God in times of need, but forget Him in times of blessings.  Verse twelve states, Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;  Verse thirteen adds, And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;  Verses fourteen continues, Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;  This was a continuation of Moses warning the people of Israel to not forget God when He blessed them greatly with not only enough food and nice houses, but with herds and silver and gold as well, and their beginning to think that they were responsible for all the good things they had and forgetting God.  It seems today that as Christians sometimes the more God blesses us the more we take credit for it and the less the give God the credit and praise.  Verse fifteen says, Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;  Moses begins to remind the people of all thet God had done for them.  God led them through the terrible wilderness full of dangers, and even provided them water from out of a rock when there was no water.  Today, in our spiritual wilderness, God gives us Living Water if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse sixteen adds, Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;  Moses said that God also provided them with manna, bread from heaven, to eat to humble them because they had nothing to do with providing it for themselves.  We need to humbly thank God for the Bread of Life and all other riches that He brings us today.   Verse seventeen continues, And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. Moses continued to warn the people of Israel against beginning to think that they and not God were responsible for all the good things they had.  We as followers of Christ need to heed that same warning today.  Verse eighteen declares, But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.  Moses told them to remember that it was God Who blessed them with all these riches, and we need to remember that it is God Who provides us with all that we have today, whether we are rich or not.  Sometimes it seems that the less with have the easier it is to give God the glory and praise, and the more we have the easier it is to think that we are responsible and to forget God.  This should never happen though.  As Christians, we need to give God the glory for all that we have and use it for His glory.  Verse nineteen adds, And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.  Moses warned them that if they became rich in material things and forgot that God was the source of their blessings and began to worship false gods that they would perish.  We cannot serve God and material things or false idols at the same time.  Verse twenty continues,  As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.  This was a warning to the nation of Israel that if they forgot God that they would be destroyed like the nations that God had destroyed before them because of their disobedience.  We may call ourselves a Christian nation, but if we forget God and His laws, we eventually will be destroyed just like any other nation.  We are not blessed by the fact of who we are as a nation, but are a nation because of Who God is if we are indeed a Christian nation.  We should never believe that God blesses us because of where we were born.

Deuteronomy 8:1

Deuteronomy 8:1 says, All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.  Moses told the people of Israel that they were to observe, or obey, all the commandments of God that He commanded them to do that day, so that they might live, multiply and possess the land that God had promised to their fathers.  Verse two adds, And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.  Moses also told them to remember the wilderness wanderings when God had humbled them and learned what was in their hearts, whether they would obey Him by faith or not.  As Christians, we need to humble ourselves before God today so He will know what is in our hearts, and that is that we put our faith in Him alone.  Verse three continues, And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.  Moses said God allowed them to hunger in the wilderness until He fed them with manna, which they knew nothing about.  Moses said God did this to teach them that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of God's mouth.  We still need to put faith in God above physical needs and desires.  Verse four states, Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.  Moses reminded them that their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet swell during all their movements.  God will still meet the needs of His people today and enable them to physically do what He calls them to do.  Verse five adds, Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.  Moses told them that they were to understand that as a father chastised his son when he did something wrong, so would God chastise them.  If God is not chastising us today, we must be either living perfect lives in His sight, or we are not really His child.  Verse six continues, Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.  Just as Moses told the people of Israel, we as followers of Christ are to walk in His ways and obey His commandments.  Verse seven declares, For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;  Moses said the people of Israel were to keep God's commandments and walk in His ways because of all that He had given them.  God has given us something even greater, and that is everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and for that reason we are to obey His commandments and walk in His ways.  Verse eight adds, A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil, and honey;  Verse nine continues, A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.  Moses said that the land God was giving them was a land that would more than meet their needs.  One day, as followers of Christ,  we will be called home to heaven, a place that will more than meet all our needs.  Most importantly though, as with the people of Israel, it will be where God is.

Deuteronomy 7:17

Deuteronomy 7:17 says, If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them? Moses said that they might question their ability to defeat these nations that were greater than they were.  We today may sometimes feel that the world is too powerful for us to overcome as followers of Christ when we see how powerful it is.  Verse eighteen adds, Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;  Moses said if they began to feel this way that they were to remember what God did to Pharaoh and all of Egypt, which had definitely been more powerful than the people of Israel, but could not come close to standing up to God.  God is still that same powerful God.  Verse nineteen continues, The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.  Moses told them that just as God had defeated Egypt, He would defeat all their enemies in the Promised Land.  Their might was not in their own abilities, but was in their faith in God, just as ours must be today.  Verse twenty states, Moreover the LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.  Moses said that God would cause their enemies to try to hide from them and be destroyed.  Verse twenty-one adds, Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.  Just like the people of Israel, we must not be afraid of the people of this world, because we serve a mighty God that nothing or no one can ever stand up to.  Verse twenty-two continues, And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.  Moses said that instead of defeating the people of the land all at once that He would do it little by little.  Though Jesus Christ has insured the everlasting victory over sin and death, in our own life our progress to victory through our faith in Him may be slow.  Verse twenty-three declares, But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.  Moses told the people of Israel that even if their progress was slow that God would be with them until all their enemies were destroyed, and He is with us the same way today.  Victory over the world does not come by our power, but by the power of God.  Verse twenty-four adds, And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.  Moses said God would deliver the kings into the hand of the people of Israel until they were destroyed.  Though we may not physically destroy all our enemies today, if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, they have already been destroyed spiritually.  Verse twenty-five continues, The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.  Moses told them that they were to destroy the graven images with fire, and warned them to not begin to desire the silver and gold that these idols were made of.  As Christians, we must never be tempted by the things of this world that would lead us away from God, no matter how valuable they may seem.  Verse twenty-six concludes, Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.  Just as the people of Israel were warned to not bring a cursed thing into their midst but were to totally detest it, so must we today. 

Deuteronomy 7:11

Deuteronomy 7:11 says, Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.  Moses told the people of Israel, God's chosen people, that they were to keep God's commandments, statutes and judgments.  They were to keep them by doing them.  We todays as followers of Christ, God's people today, are to do the same.  Verse twelve adds, Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: Moses said that if they would listen to and keep God's judgments, or laws, that God would keep His covenant with them, but they didn't.   This is why it was necessary for Jesus Christ to come and fulfill it for  them, and us.  We are all guilty of sin at some point in our life, but by faith in Jesus Christ we can have the covenant relationship with God restored.  Verse thirteen continues, And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.  Moses said that if they kept God's laws that He would bless and multiply them.  It was by their obeying God's laws that the people of Israel received His blessings and benefitted from His love, and it is by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and living by the leadership of the Holy Spirit that we do today.  Verse fourteen states, Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.  Moses said the people of Israel were blessed above all people,  and so are we as Christians today.  Still, this is not manifested by any material thing, but simply by the fact that through faith in Jesus Christ we have everlasting life with God.  Verse fifteen adds, And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.  Moses said that if the people of Israel kept God's commandments that He they would not suffer from any of the evil diseases that He sent on the people of Egypt.  These were sent on the people of Egypt for their being unwilling to listen God.  We are not exempt from diseases as followers of Christ today, but if we suffer them, they will never be a punishment from God.  Verse sixteen continues, And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.  Though we are not to destroy all the people who do not put their faith in Jesus Christ, as the people of Israel were told to destroy all the people that did not obey God, we are not to follow after any of their gods.  As followers of Christ, we are to reach out to them with the gospel instead. 

Deuteronomy 7:1

Deuteronomy 7:1 says, When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;  Moses told the people of Israel that there were seven nations mightier than they were in the Promised Land.  Though we as followers of Christ are promised an everlasting home in heaven, we may encounter many people who are physically stronger than us who oppose us on our way there.  Verse two adds, And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:  Moses didn't say if, but when, God delivered their enemies before them that they were to utterly destroy them.  When God gives us victory over anything that stands between Him and us today, we should completely remove it from our life.  Verse three continues, Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.  Moses warned the people of Israel to not marry any of these people that stood between God and them.  We as Christians are likewise warned to not marry nonbelievers.  Verse four concludes, For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.  Moses said if they allowed their sons, or daughters for that matter, to marry any of these people that the son or daughter would be turned away from Him and worship false gods.  Though if their faith is strong enough this will not happen when a Christian marries a non Christian, it happens very often.  Verse five states, But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.  Moses told the people of Israel that they were to destroy everything associated with the worship of false gods that they found in the Promised Land.  We as followers of Christ need to do likewise in our life, and if we are to be a Christian nation, we must also do this throughout the country.  Verse six adds, For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.  Moses told the people of Israel they were to be a holy nation, one set aside from the gods of this world, because God had chosen them above all other people to be His representatives in the world.  This was not based on their superiority to other people, but simply on God's choosing to work through them.  We as Christians today are to be a holy people, set aside to follow Christ in all things, not because of we are morally superior to anyone else, but because God has called us to come to Him through putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse seven continues, The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:  Moses said God did not choose the people of Israel because they were the biggest nation, but because they were the smallest.  Whenever they were victorious, it would not be attributed to them, but to God.  We may feel small and unimportant in the world today, but if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, then our victory is assured because of Who God is.  Verse eight declares, But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.  Moses told the people of Israel because of the promise God had made to their fathers that He had brought them out of the land of Egypt.  Because of the promise that God made to all who will put their faith in Jesus Christ, He still delivers us from any and all powers in the world today.  Verse nine adds, Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;   Moses called on them to know that God is the only God Who could deliver them, and not to just think maybe He might be able to.  We have to have absolute faith that Jesus Christ can deliver us from death into everlasting life spiritually and not just hope that He might be able to.  Verse ten continues, And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.  Moses also said that God would destroy those that hated Him, and this has not changed.

Deuteronomy 6:20

Deuteronomy 6:20 says, And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?  Moses said that the next generation would ask them what the testimonies, statutes, and judgments of God meant.  Even if they don't ask us, we need to make sure that the next generation always knows Who God is and what His laws are and we need to especially teach them about Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-one adds, Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:  Moses said they were to tell their children, the next generation, about being in bondage in Egypt until God delivered them out of Egypt.  This was to be done in each coming generation.  We are to tell our children about how we were in bondage to sin until Jesus Christ delivered us from this bondage and set us free from its power.  We are to tell each coming generation the Gospel or it will not be known.  Verse twenty-two continues, And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:  Moses said they were to tell the coming generations about what God did to Pharaoh in Egypt, and we are to tell the coming generations about what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.  This is an even mightier work than what God did for the people of Israel in Egypt.  Verse twenty-three states, And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.  Moses said that they were also to tell the coming generations how God had not only brought them out of bondage in Egypt, but He had brought them into the Promised Land, just as He will one day bring us into the Promised Land called Heaven if we are followers of Christ.  Verse twenty-four adds, And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.. Moses said that they were to tell them that God commanded them to follow His statutes for their own good.  When we follow God's laws, we are not being kept from anything good, but are being guided to the best life possible.  Verse twenty-five continues, And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.  Moses said that if they obeyed all God's laws it would be counted for their righteousness, but they never could keep them all.  This is why Jesus Christ had to come and die for our sins, because He is the only One Who is righteous.  Now, we need to tell the coming generation that putting our faith in Him is the only way to be made righteous before God.  As Christians, we must never fail in this responsibility.  

Deuteronomy 6:10

Deuteronomy 6:10 says, And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,  Moses told them this was the fulfillment of the promise God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would give them a land full of cities not built by their hands.  As followers of Christ today, we will one day be home in Heaven, which has not been built by our hands, and we must live secure in that promise, no matter what is happening in this world.  Verse eleven adds, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full.  Moses said God had promised that the land would have enough to provide for all their needs without any work on their part, just as heaven will be filled with all we need without any effort on our part.  Of course, even though they did not work to build these cities and orchards, they would be expected to work to maintain them.  Verse twelve continues, Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from m the house of bondage.  Moses then warned them against forgetting God, Who had brought them out of Egypt and had given them all these good things.  As long as we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are forever saved, but we still cannot afford to forget Him when he richly blesses in this world.  Verse thirteen declares, Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.  Like the people of Israel with God, we as Christians must serve our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ and swear by His name.  Verse fourteen adds, Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;  Just as Moses told the people of Israel, we cannot chase after false gods and effectively serve God at the same time.  Verse fifteen continues, (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.  Moses warned them that if they went after false gods that they would be destroyed off the face of the earth because God is a jealous God.  We cannot profess to follow Christ and still worship other gods, because God still demands complete acknowledgment of Himself as the only God.  Verse sixteen states, Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.  Moses warned the people of Israel against tempting God, and that warning still stands today.  If we begin to make demands on God to prove Who He is instead of simply accepting by faith that He is Who He says He is, we are tempting God.  Verse seventeen adds, Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.  As Moses told the people of Israel then, as followers of Christ today we must diligently keep all of God's laws.  Verse eighteen continues, And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,  Verse nineteen concludes, To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.  Moses told them if they kept all of God's laws that everything would go well with them them and God would cast out all their enemies.  If we put our faith in Jesus Christ today as our Savior and Lord, we are saved forever, and because of that we need to obey the law of God.

Deuteronomy 6:1

Deuteronomy 6:1 says, Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:  Before they went into the Promised Land, Moses again told the people of Israel what God's commandments, statutes and judgments were, so that they would know to keep them.  Moses wasn't going in with them, but God was.  Though other Christians may die, God is always with those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, and we need to remember all His laws and commandments and keep them.  Verse two adds, That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.  Moses said that if the people and their dependents obeyed God that their days, I believe as a nation and even as individuals ,would be prolonged.  If we obey God today by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, our days will be prolonged to last forever.  Verse three continues, Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.  Moses called on them to not only hear, but to do, what God called on them to do that their days would be long in the land God gave them, a land flowing with milk and honey.  When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are promised an everlasting home flowing with everything we will ever need.  Verse four states, Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:  Moses called on the people of Israel to acknowledge that there was but one God, and there still is today.  If we are to spend eternity in Heaven, we must first acknowledge Who God is.  Verse five adds, And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  Just as Moses told the people of Israel then, we must love God with all that we are.  Verse six declares, And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  Moses said that the words that he taught them, God's words, needed to be written in their hearts to guide them in all that they did.  In order to serve God, His words must guide us in all that we do.  Verse seven adds, And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  Just like the people of Israel, we need to teach our children God's laws diligently and at all times.  We cannot expect them to learn all about God in just a few hours one or two days a week.  Verse eight continues, And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.  Moses told them that they needed to keep God's laws continually before them, and so must we.  Verse nine concludes, And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.  God's laws were to be written where they could be easily seen.

Deuteronomy 5:22

Deuteronomy 5:22 says, These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.  Verse twenty-three adds, And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;  Moses said that when the people of Israel heard the Voice out of the fire, all the heads of the tribes and the elders came to him.  When we hear the Voice of God calling us today, we don't have to go to someone else but can go directly to Him.  Of course, we need to pray that our leaders hear and respond to Him as well.  Verse twenty-four continues, And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.  The leaders of Israel said that they now had seen the glory of God and heard His voice, and realized that God could talk to people and they could still live.  God is not some all powerful being that we cannot approach, but He is a God of love Who desires a personal relationship with us.  Verse twenty-five asks, Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.  Though professing that they could hear the Voice of God and not die, they now questioned if they would not die if they heard God’s voice too much.  God does not call us to a personal relationship with Him and then destroy us if we call on Him too much.  He wants to hear from us and for us to hear Him at all times as followers of Christ, which is why the Holy Spirit lives within us.  Verse twenty-six adds, For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?  They then asked Moses who had heard the Voice of God out of the fire and lived.  The fact that they had heard God’s Voice and were still alive should have answered their question.  I believe they still did not truly understand the nature of God, and if we see Him as a God looking to destroy us today, neither do we.  Verse twenty-seven continues, Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.  Thay then asked Moses to go near to God, and for him to hear and speak to them what God said.  We today as Christians, or simply as someone looking to enter into a relationship with God as their personal Savior and Lord through faith in Jesus Christ, do not need anyone to stand between God and us.  We can go directly to God.  Verse twenty-eight concludes, And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.  Moses said he heard the Voice of God telling him that He had heard the voice of the people and that they had spoken well.  God chose to speak to the people of Isreal through Moses at that time and continued to speak to people through through prophets and religious leaders until Jesus Christ came, and since then we do not need anyone to go to God for us.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we have direct access to God.  Verse twenty-nine declares, O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!   God said that it would be good for the people of Israel and their descendants if they would fear, or respect Him and had a heart to keep His commandments.  I believe that we as followers of Christ should always have a great respect for God and understand how awesome He is, but I don't believe that we should ever be afraid of God.  Verse thirty adds, Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.  God told Mose to tell the people to go to their tents again.  Verse thirty-one continues, But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.  God then told Moses to stay there and He would give him all His commandments, statutes and judgments to give to the people of Israel.  Once more, we today have direct access to God, and do not need anyone else to go to God for us since Jesus Christ removed all barriers between God and us.  Verse thirty-two states, Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.  God told Moses that once He had given him His laws, that the people of Israel nor Moses himself were to deviate from them at all.  We cannot follow God and at the same time attempt to change His laws and commandments.  Verse thirty-three adds, Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.   God told Moses that if the people of Israel obeyed His laws that it would go well with them, and it still will for Christians today. 

Deuteronomy 5:7

Deuteronomy 5:7 says, Thou shalt have none other gods before me.  Moses then started listing the ten commandments, beginning once more with the fact that the people of Israel were to have no gods before God, their God and the only real God there is.  This always has and always will be true for God's people.  Verse eight adds, Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:  Moses then repeated the second commandment, warning the people not to create any graven images, or idols to worship.  We need to be careful that we don't allow idols into our lives today, and they don't have to be graven images.  Verse nine continues, Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,  Moses said that God had said this was true because God was a jealous God.  Our sins may only affect us individually spiritually, but they can have effects on the next generation as well.  Still, we alone bear the punishment for our sins, unless we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse ten concludes, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.  Just as God punishes those who do not believe in or put their faith in Him, He shows mercy to any and all who do.  God does not limit the number of people who can be saved.  Verse eleven states, Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.  This does not refer to profanity, but to using God's name without any real faith in Him or any real calling out to Him by faith.  Verse twelve adds, Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.  We now as followers of Christ set Sunday, the Lord’s Day, aside to worship God, but we too often let other things get in the way.  Verse thirteen continues, Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:  We have really reduced this to five days laboring, but still often do not have time to set aside the one day to worship God.  Verse fourteen continues, But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.  Moses reminded them that no one was to work on the Sabbath, the day set aside to worship Him, which for us is the Lord’s Day.  We may pride ourselves on not working on the Lord’s Day, but at the same time expect others to do so.  Verse fifteen concludes, And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.  Moses reminded them of the fact that God by His power had brought them out of bondage in Egypt and if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, God has brought us out of spiritual slavery today.  For this reason, we are to set one day aside to worship Him.  Verse sixteen says, Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.  The people of Israel were reminded to honor their father and mother, so that their days might be prolonged.  This does not say we are to do so if we think they are worth honoring.  Verse  seventeen adds, Thou shalt not kill.  This really means that we should not commit murder.  Verse eighteen continues, Neither shalt thou commit adultery.  Right after not killing we have the command to not commit adultery.  Verse nineteen continues, Neither shalt thou steal.  Anytime we attempt to take what belongs to others without their approval, we are guilty of stealing from them, and I believe that anytime we do not use our time under God's guidance we are guilty of stealing from Him.  Verse twenty states, Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.  There is a lot of this going on in the world today, but we as Christians should never be guilty of doing so.  Verse twenty-one adds, Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.  We have God's commandment to not covet anything that belongs to another.  As long as we are content with what God provides for us, we should never have a problem with coveting what belongs to someone else.

Deuteronomy 5:1

Deuteronomy 5:1 says, And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.  Moses called all the people of Israel together and asked them to hear the statutes and judgments that he would tell them that day, so that they could learn and keep them.  When we gather as God's people today, we need to hear God's laws so that we can learn and keep them.  Just knowing them was not enough then, nor is it now.  We must also keep them.  Verse two adds, The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.  Moses reminded them that God made a covenant with them at Horeb, just as He made a covenant with us when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse three continues, The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.  Just as Moses told the people of Israel, God's covenant was not with just one generation of the people of Israel, but is with every current generation.  God's law will never die.  Verse four states, The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,  Moses said God talked to them face to face, or personally, out of the fire.  God continues to speak to the followers of Christ personally today through the Holy Spirit.  Verse five adds, I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying, Moses said He stood between the people and God then because they were afraid because of the fire that God spoke out of and would not go up the mountain.  We have no reason to fear God today as Christians, nor do we need anyone to stand between Him and us, because Jesus Christ already does that.  Verse six continues, I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.  God then reminded them of Who He is.  He is the God Who brought the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, and He is the God Who brings all those who put their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord out of the bondage of sin today. 

Deuteronomy 4:40

Deuteronomy 4:40 says, Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.  Moses told the people of Israel to keep God's commandments so that things might go well with them and their descendants forever.  There is no expiration date on God's commandments.  Verse forty-one adds, Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;  Verse forty-two continues, That the slayer might flee thither, which should kill his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live:  Moses then set aside three cities on this side of the Jordan as sanctuary cities, where those who had accidentally killed someone could go to escape the revenge of the relatives of the one who was killed.  Verse forty-three concludes, Namely, Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, of the Manassites.  There was one sanctuary city in the land each of the two and a half tribes that remained this side of the Jordan.  We all have equal access to the sanctuary from the death penalty of sin if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, even if we have deliberately committed sins.  Verse forty-four states, And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel:  Though Moses presented the law to the people of Israel, it was God's law given to him by God Himself.   Today, the Bible presents God's law to us, but it is God's law just as surely as if He Himself were speaking to us, and the Holy Spirit helps us to understand what the Bible says.  Verse forty-five adds, These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spake unto the children of Israel, after they came forth out of Egypt,  These were the laws given to Moses when the people of Israel came out of Egypt.  Since most of those people who would have heard them at that time were dead, they needed to be restated.  As followers of Christ, we need to teach God's commandments to each new generation.  Verse forty-six says, On this side Jordan, in the valley over against Bethpeor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, after they were come forth out of Egypt:  This was done on this side of the Jordan after the people of Israel defeated Sihon, the king of the Amorites.  It had to be done on this side of the Jordan since Moses was not going to be allowed to go into the Promised Land.  Verse forty-seven adds, And they possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, which were on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;  It was then stated that they possessed the land of Og king of Bashan and that of two kings of the Amorites on this side of the Jordan.  Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we have been given the victory over all the powers of the world, whomever or wherever they may be.  Verse forty-eight continues, From Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, even unto mount Sion, which is Hermon,  Verse forty-nine concludes, And all the plain on this side Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah.  Moses then gave a description of the boundaries of the land.  As God's people today, there are no boundaries to where we are to be a part of His kingdom. 

Deuteronomy 4:30

Deuteronomy 4:30 says, When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;  Moses called on the people of Israel to remember God and to be obedient to Him in times of tribulation, especially in the latter days.  This still holds true for us today as followers of Christ.  Verse thirty-one adds, (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.  We, like the people of Israel, can trust God because He is a merciful God and will never fail to keep His word.  God will never forget His covenant with anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Verse thirty-two asks, For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?  Moses told them to ask themselves if since God had created mankind there had ever been anything else done that was as great as what God did for them or if they had even heard of anything.  We as Christians have now heard of something greater than God's delivering the people of Israel out of Egypt, and that is His delivering anyone who will put their faith in Jesus Christ, Who died to deliver us, from the death penalty of sin.  Verse thirty-three adds, Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?  Moses asked if any other people had heard God’s voice speaking out of the midst of the fire and lived.  We today as followers of Christ may not have physically heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, but we have spiritually heard the voice of God calling us to Him, and the only way to everlasting life is to say yes to His call to salvation.  Verse thirty-four continues, Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?   Moses asked the people of Israel if they had ever heard of any god doing all that the one and only true God had done for the people of Israel to attain their release from Egypt.  Most of the people there had only heard about it, because the generation that had experienced it were dead.  We did not personally experience the greater act of deliverance that Jesus Christ provided on the cross, but we must put our faith in Him if we are to be saved, and we must tell our children about the great salvation that He offers everyone.  Verse thirty-five states, Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.  Moses said that what God did fot Israel in Egypt was done so that they might know that He is God and there is none other beside Him.  I am not sure why God chose the people of Israel to be the ones who would proclaim Him to the world, but He did.  I am not sure why God chose to allow His only begotten Son to die in my place, but He did.  Verse thirty-six adds, Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.  Moses said that out of heaven God made His voice heard to them so that He might instruct them, and that He also showed them the great fire that they heard His voice from.  We today as Christians hear the voice of God calling us to salvation and then to faithfulness to Him.  We may not hear an actual voice speaking out loud, but we must hear the voice of God speaking to us spiritually in order to be saved.  Verse thirty-seven continues, And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt;  Moses said that because God loved the fathers of the people of Israel that He brought them out of Egypt.  God had established His covenant with their forefathers before they went into Egypt, and God still honored that covenant relationship with them.  Once we enter into a covenant relationship with God by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, God will never go back on His covenant with us, even if we fail to live up to our part by not always putting Him first.  Verse thirty-eight says, To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.  Moses said that God drove out nations greater than the people of Israel and gave them the land of those who had been driven out.  We can still rely on God to provide for our needs today, even in difficult situations as long as we remain faithful to Him.  Verse thirty-nine adds, Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.  This is the decision that every person has to make at some point in their life.  God is the only God in heaven and in the earth, and the only way to salvation is through faith in the fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins to bring us salvation if we put our faith in Him.

Deuteronomy 4:21

Deuteronomy 4:21 says, Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance:  Moses said that God was angry with him because of the attitude and actions of the people of Israel and would not allow him to go into the Promised Land, but I believe it was more Moses's attitude and actions on one occasion that caused this.  We can be certain if we are not allowed into heaven it will be because of our actions alone.  Verse twenty-two adds, But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good land.  Moses said that even though he would die on this side of the Jordan, the people of Israel must go in and possess that good land.  Still, even though Moses never got into the earthly Promised Land, he is in heaven today.  We will all die on this side of Heaven, unless Jesus Christ returns first, but we will all get to Heaven if we put our faith in Him as our Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty-three continues, Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.  Moses warned them against being unfaithful to God and starting to worship idols when they were settled in the Promised Land.  Simply being in the Promised Land did not mean that everyone would have a personal relationship with God, no more then simply declaring oneself  Christian means that we do today.  Verse twenty-four declares, For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.  Moses told the people then that God was a consuming fire and a jealous God, and He still is.  We cannot be a child of God and still worship other gods.  Verse twenty-five adds, When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:  Moses warned them that if they started to worship false gods and idols after they had been in the Promised Land for several years, they would anger God.  We need to be careful that we do not allow allow ourselves as followers of Christ to be influenced by any false gods today as well.  Verse twenty-six continues, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.  Moses called on heaven and earth to be a witness that if the people of Israel turned away from God in the Promised Land that they would be utterly destroyed.  Though we are saved forever when we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, if we have not truly done so, but have only claimed to do so for material reasons, we one day will be sent away to everlasting punishment.  Verse twenty-seven states, And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.  Moses continued to warn them against turning from God to worship idols, stating that they would be scattered and their numbers few if they did.  Only those who were faithful to God would remain, and even they might be scattered from the Promised Land.  Simply going into or being born in the Promised Land did not assure the people of Israel that they were a part of God's everlasting Kingdom, just as where we are born or the family we are born into doesn't assure us that we are a part of God's everlasting Kingdom.  We must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to be a part of God's everlasting Kingdom.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.  Moses said that if they turned away from God that they would serve idols made by man and that these idols would be worthless.  Any idols that people worship today are worthless in bringing people everlasting life with God.  Verse twenty-nine continues, But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.  Moses then gave them the good news that if they sought the LORD their God, they would find Him, no matter where they were,and so will anyone who seeks Him today.  God is already seeking the lost, so all we have to do is respond to His call.