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.