October 8th, 2008 by Kristi Stephens

After the great Shema comes a section of Deuteronomy that I highly recommend everyone memorize. It comes to my mind frequently and is a great reminder to hold on to, no matter what the economy looks like!

“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land
of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build,
houses full of all good things, which you did not fill,
hewn-out wells which you did not dig,
vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—
when you have eaten and are full—
then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
Deuteronomy 6:10-12

This passage is always very striking for me. Remember, this comes directly after the Great Shema and the associated discussion of posting the Truth on the door frames of your houses and binding it on your hands and forehead. Moses’ warning? Once God has fulfilled His promises to you and prospered you, don’t forget Him! Don’t turn to other gods!

It is amazing how quickly we humans turn away from the Lord. In times of difficulty, we question His character and sovereignty. In times of prosperity, we forget Him.

Honestly, I have been avoiding the news like the plague for the past few weeks – there seems to be a general spirit of panic about the economic downturn everywhere we look. For me, I have found that in order to keep my eyes on the Lord and not allow a spirit of fear into my life, I have to stay away from all of the discussion. I want to generally know what’s going on, but then need to step away and give it to the Lord.

It’s amazing, though, to watch people in times like these. We fret, we worry, we watch political debates with ashen faces wondering which candidate can save us out of our peril. Guess what? Neither can! These things we are grasping onto so tightly aren’t even ours to hold – they are God’s!

“Well, I worked hard for my __________ [car, house, 401K, vacation, etc.]“

Who gave you the ability to work? Who allowed you to find your job?

“God helps those who help themselves, you know!” [Shockingly little known fact: this statement isn't from the Bible! God never said this, Benjamin Franklin did!]

Actually, the Bible is full of the theme of God’s grace to the broken, utterly dependent people. Once we feel like we have accomplished something on our own and therefore deserve something good in return, we have begun to worship ourselves, feel autonomous, entitled.

When I taught High School Bible I frequently heard the mother of several of my students quoted by other teachers. I don’t know if I ever even met her, but her words have stuck with me ever since! Anytime someone would say, “Oh, good for you – you deserve it,” or some related phrase, she would answer, “No, I don’t deserve it. I deserve hell. God gave me grace.” Amen! This wise woman understood that we are entitled to nothing except the earned punishment for our sin. Anything else is a gift.

So, as you watch the news tonight, remember: What’s the worst that could happen? What if we lost our income? Our house? Would God forget us? Is He unable to provide for us? Even in the very worst of times, God has never lost control – He is very firmly seated on the throne of the universe. His plan might look different from yours – but you can trust Him.

Over the past few months AG and I have learned about birds off and on. Obviously, the most common visitors to our little bird feeder are sparrows. I love to tell her what Jesus taught about the sparrows:

“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Luke 12:6-7

Those little birds are so common and insignificant, I sometimes wish they wouldn’t eat all the birdseed so that we could save it for more exciting visitors! But God knows each one. How much more does He know and value us, His creation, the ones He purchased out of bondage and made to be His own?

We live in an exceedingly prosperous nation. At our worst we are better off than most of the world. And we have forgotten that it is all a gift – that God, in His great mercy, has blessed us in order that we would be a blessing. That He purchased us from bondage and showered us with undeserved blessings.

Beware, lest you forget.

October 3rd, 2008 by Kristi Stephens

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is often called the Great Shema (shema is Hebrew for “hear” – because “hear” is the first word of the passage).

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
(6:4-9)

As you can see in these pictures, Orthodox Jews still follow this passage literally. They put copies of Deuteronomy 6:4-5 in small boxes on their doorframes, tie boxes with these verses on their hands, and bind them on their foreheads.

What is God trying to impress on them?

Doorframes of your house: as you go in and as you go out, your private and public life should be dominated by one theme – belief in the One True God and love for Him that consumes your heart, soul, and might. The text further elaborates saying that this should be the dominating conversation and subject of training in our households.

Bind them on your hands: every single thing you do should be dominated by this same theme- belief in the One True God and love for Him that consumes your heart, soul, and might. The New Testament emphasizes this idea as well.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Colossians 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men…

Bind them on your foreheads: for illustrative purposes, hold your fist up to your forehead – what do you see? Everything you look at is overshadowed by your hand. This idea of tying the Truth to your forehead is that everything you look at, everything you perceive, everything you think about is filtered through belief in the One True God and love for Him that consumes your heart, soul, and might.

So, while I don’t think that we need to follow this literally, it’s not a bad idea! Our love for God is supposed to be so consuming that it will affect how we live on a minute by minute basis (publicly and privately), every single thing we do, and every thought in our minds. This is no one-day-a-week religious ritual. This is consuming – love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your strength.

In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus uses this passage to answer the question, “Master, what is the greatest commandment?” He says that on this law (and on the command to love your neighbor as yourself) hang all the Law and the Prophets. What did He mean?

Why isn’t “have no other gods before me” the greatest commandment? Because if I love the Lord with all that I am, I will not serve other gods. Why isn’t “thou shalt not kill” the greatest commandment? Because if I love the Lord with all that I am, I will not degrade and seek to take the lives of those He created and loves.

Remember our previous posts about the law – the law was not a means to salvation by works. Following the law evidenced true faith – true relationship. If a person truly loves the Lord their God with ALL their heart, with ALL their soul, and with ALL their strength, the rest of the law falls into line! Relationship comes FIRST, obedience comes second.

This same idea shows up in first John:

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. (1 John 2:3-5)

Have you ever wondered if you really are saved? You are not saved by the things that you do. If you think to yourself, “of course I am saved – I’m a good person,” then you probably are relying on your own good works to earn your salvation rather than being dependent on Christ Jesus alone. However, if you are aware of your sin and your utter dependence on the work of Christ to save you, and have truly confessed that sin to the Lord and asked for His redemption, you will want to obey Him. It will disturb you to fail Him. (and you will – we all do.) And the pattern of your life will be a desire to know and obey your Lord.

And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
1 John 2:28-29

September 29th, 2008 by Kristi Stephens

Chapter five gets into some familiar territory – part of the “hot topics” of recent national conversation!

Deuteronomy 5:6-21 (abbreviated)

“I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image…
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…
Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you…
Honor your father and your mother…
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife…or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Yes, the 10 commandments. Now, right off the bat, many people are uncomfortable with the word “commandment.” Sounds restrictive, therefore we don’t like it. I think vague familiarity with the 10 commandments may be why most people have a negative view of the Old Testament – it’s just a bunch of rules and regulations. Not so! Guess what? Even the 10 commandments are based on God’s personal relationship with His people!

Let’s think about it this way: God’s relationship with Israel is often, in His own wording, compared with a marriage. So, look at the first four commandments with this in mind: how would these be reworded to apply to a marriage?

You shall have no other gods before Me.
No other men/ women should infringe on our relationship!

You shall not make for yourself a carved image…
Get rid of your ex-girlfriend/boyfriend’s pictures; “oh be careful little eyes what you see!”

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…
Don’t talk bad about me! Treat me with respect!

Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you…
Set time aside to spend with me – make our relationship a priority!

I think it’s fairly obvious that if a man or woman would not abide by the previous “restrictions” for marriage, they should not get married! In the same way, these are very basic, relationship-based commands for God’s covenant with Israel. God is not being harsh and controlling – He is forming a relationship with them.

Along with that, let’s touch on a phrase found in Deut. 5:9 – “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” This is not jealousy in an improper context. Just like I, as a wife in a covenant relationship with my husband, should take issue with other women who might infringe on my relationship with my husband [wouldn't it be odd to say, "Go ahead, honey. Have an affair - I love you that much."], God is completely in the right to demand His people’s singular allegiance! He is the Lord! He created them, chose them, redeemed them, formed them into a nation, made a covenant with them… He is the only true God! To say, “Serve me and only me” is utterly appropriate. The fact that we rebel against that is a statement about sinful human nature, not about a blemish in the character of our God.

The rest of the commands go hand in hand with what we discussed in “Be Holy as I am Holy” – they are moral commands based on the character and nature of God. If He truly is their God, if they believe Him and are set apart for Him, it is logical that they would act like Him.

Just in case you think this is all a little fishy, take a look at the rest of the chapter and ask yourself: is this a vengeful, controlling God looking to restrict His people, or is this a God who loves His people and wants them to obey in order that they would prosper in a healthy relationship with Him?

“‘Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!’…
You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.”
(Deuteronomy 5:29,33)

Now, I want to briefly touch on the debate in the US courts regarding the 10 commandments. Two questions for you: 1 -What are people ultimately upset about? 2- What should this compel us (as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ) to do?

1- What are people ultimately upset about?
I, like many others, find it ironic that the courts will rule to take the 10 commandments out of the schools and then simultaneously be upset about murder, sexual promiscuity, stealing and cheating, lying, etc. So, why are people so adamant to get rid of them?

The 10 commandments inherently imply that there is a God who has authority to make such rules. We wouldn’t want to step on anyone’s toes by saying that they should obey them – they might not believe in God! I think most believers are probably aware of the worldview issues that make this a hot topic.

I want to tilt the discussion slightly, however, with my 2nd question.

2- What should this compel us to do?
For a while now, the Christian community has responded en mass by wanting everyone to protest, write their senators, hire lobbyists, etc. Thankfully, we live in a country where we have the freedom to do this. It’s not wrong to address the issue from this side, so knock yourself out.

However, I don’t think it’s going to work, and it’s not surprising to me that by and large, it hasn’t.

If we’re only looking at this politically, we have completely missed the point. I could care less if the 10 commandments are hanging in my local courthouse if no one inside gives a rip about God and His authority. Hanging a plaque on the wall with Deuteronomy 5:17 is not going to make a serial killer or abortion provider reconsider their actions.

Remember the precept, principle, person of God discussion? (also from the “Be Holy as I am Holy” post) We live in a culture that has no understanding of the character of God anymore. All we’re doing is standing along the side screaming precepts at them, and it doesn’t make sense to them anymore! “The Bible says not to kill/lie/have an affair” is just not an effective argument to someone who A- doesn’t know who God is, B- doesn’t know a thing about the Bible, and C- sees no problem with murder/lying/adultery and finds that it has benefited them in some superficial way.

So, what do we do?

Remember back to Exodus 5:1-2,

Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”

Pharaoh found God’s command completely uncompelling because he did not know Yahweh. Why should he obey Him? (It brings to mind a kid yelling to their babysitter, “you’re not my mom…” – under whose authority can you tell me what to do?) How did God respond to this? (you can review “King of kings and Lord of lords.”) He introduced Himself. In a big way! He showed Himself to be the One true God, the Lord of all, Yahweh.

Here is my proposal. Stop getting so hot under the collar that the courts don’t want the 10 commandments in public, and fall on your face before Him. We have an entire culture that has forgotten who He is. How would they bow the knee to a God they don’t know? Stop protesting and start sharing Truth with the people around you.

I recently had a discussion about this with one of the pastors at our church. What would happen if each and every follower of Christ had even one authentic relationship with a non-Christian? What if each one of us invested the time to share with them not only the “Romans Road,” but went past that – what if we taught them WHO GOD IS?

I’m not against the Romans Road. But looking someone in the eye and saying, “Jesus died for your sins” just doesn’t make sense if they don’t believe that there is a sovereign God who created the world and has a universal standard of what is true and right. What is “sin?” Who are you to say that I’m a “sinner?” Why on earth does it matter that Jesus died if there was nothing He needed to die for?

Just a note for further study: I love the contrast in Acts 17 between how Paul shares the gospel with Jews and how he shares it with the pagan philosophers. In 17:3, he shares with the Jews by starting with the Scriptures and prophecies of Jesus (17:3 …explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.’) However, when addressing the philosophers he starts from their own culture, and then goes back to creation! (17:24 “God, who made the world and everything in it…”) Why? God’s Word has no authority and Jesus’ death and resurrection have no meaning if God is not the Sovereign Creator and Lord of everything.

We’re not talking to a synagogue anymore, folks. We’re in a pagan culture. We have to start with who God is before the 10 commandments will make a lick of sense. Remember: the 10 commandments were all about relationship! We obey them because of relationship!! Without a relationship, they make no sense. Are they still true? Absolutely. Are they compelling to a person without an authentic relationship with God? Not at all. And ultimately, if I love that person I’m sharing the Truth with, I should be more concerned with if they really know the one True God rather than if they are really good and can follow the 10 commandments.

“…so that they should seek the Lord,
in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him,
though He is not far from each one of us;
for in Him we live and move and have our being…”
Acts 17:27-28

*Picture from http://www.biblepicturegallery.com

September 26th, 2008 by Kristi Stephens

As mentioned in the “Suzerain/Vassal” discussion, the first four chapters of Deuteronomy summarize the history of the nation. The first three chapters are a summary of the 40 years in the desert.

What I would like to focus on today is chapter four. As mentioned before, Deuteronomy is a whole lot more than a list of rules. Chapter four is a great look at God’s heart – there are three repeated themes that I want to highlight. Moses emphasizes obedience – watch yourselves and be careful to obey! Don’t fall into idolatry!

Deuteronomy 4:6
“Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’”

Deuteronomy 4:14-19
“And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.
“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure… And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.”

Secondly, throughout this beginning section of Deuteronomy he emphasizes that they must be careful not to forget. Teach your children! Rehearse what God has done and what He requires of you!

Deuteronomy 4:9-10
“Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

Deuteronomy 4:23
“Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you.”

Thirdly, he looks at their unique relationship with God. Yahweh is utterly unique, and His relationship with His people is unparalleled!

Deuteronomy 4:7-8
“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?”

Deuteronomy 4:20
“But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day.”

Deuteronomy 4:25-26, 29-40 [this is long, I know... but it's good!]

“When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed… But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.
For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard. Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live?
Or did God ever try to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.
Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire.
And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power, driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day. Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

I am always moved by the repetition of God’s call to His people to not forget. It’s easy to look back at Israel and think, “Come on, guys, get it together.” The nation had been supernaturally created, given amazing promises, and guided directly to a land that God hand picked for them. God had revealed Himself in amazing miraculous ways! How could they forget? How could they turn to idolatry?

I am convinced that a key part of this is the command to teach their children. Back in Genesis, we looked at this some in “Memory Loss.” When parents fail to train the next generation, in very short order the entire society will turn away from God. In Judges 2:10, the Scripture states, “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.” Thus began a shocking downward spiral that ends with some incredibly debase, shocking, sickening accounts.

Here is my challenge to the parents and grandparents out there: we must teach our children the Truth! Assuming they will “absorb” it somehow in Sunday school (or Christian school) or from our family culture is not enough. Be intentional! I’m sure that all of these generations grew up going to the tabernacle, celebrating feasts, etc. However, their parents apparently failed to instill in them a deep understanding of God’s character, His ways, and His Word.

How do we do that? [I would love some experienced parents out there to post their thoughts, by the way.] Joshua 3 and 4 records the momentous crossing of the Jordan river. God was fulfilling His promises! They were entering the land! Joshua commands them to do something very interesting:

“‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight…that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”
Joshua 4:2-3, 6-7

I love this picture of setting up memorial stones. They purposely put them in a place where the people would frequently pass them, setting up an opportunity for conversation with their children about God’s great faithfulness.

All of us who have walked with the Lord for any length of time have stories to tell about God’s faithfulness, answered prayer, miraculous intervention, clear leading, etc. How are you memorializing God’s faithfulness?

Several years ago my husband and I went through a very difficult time – he had lost his job, I was a stay-at-home mother, and God was stretching us in a variety of ways! During this time my dad sent us a letter. He called it his “pile of rocks,” referring to this custom of memorial stones, and in it he shared major times of my parents’ marriage when God taught them, provided for them, led them. Many of these stories sounded familiar – I grew up hearing them during family devotions and over the dinner table. Having them written down during that time was very encouraging and solidifying for us! I am so grateful for parents who recognize God’s working and purposely share it with their children!

Ironically, although I love to write, I have never been able to consistently journal. One thing that has meant a lot to me for the past 10-12 years or so is a little wooden box packed away in a drawer upstairs. It is filled (actually, I need a bigger one because I’ve run out of room!) with small items from times in my life when God has taught me meaningful things. It would look like a box of junk to anyone else, but I know the story behind each trinket. [You can read more about my box here.]

There are the small cloth straps I’ve had since I was 15 (writing this still brings tears to my eyes). I was on a missions trip to Haiti. We were miraculously able to get paperwork pushed through to enable us to take some malnourished and dying children out of the “Abandoned Children’s Ward” in the Port au Prince general hospital and move them to a Christian orphanage. In the hospital these children are not fed, held, comforted. They are left to die. Those cloth straps were tied around the wrists and ankles of a little 2 or 3 year old girl we affectionately named “Jump” (she had a lot of energy!) – as I physically untied her from a bed where she surely would have taken her last breath and carried her into the sunlight to life and freedom, God impressed on me the deep meaning of “…then you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.” I, too, had been imprisoned and dying in the dark of sin – I was utterly helpless to save myself. Only God in His mercy could save me. It was not by works, but by grace that I had been saved.

Also in that box is a hospital bracelet from my dad’s hospitalization from a heart attack while I was in college. It was then that I faced head on the question, “Is God still good if He chooses to take my Dad? Will I still trust Him no matter what?”

There are programs from funerals I’ve attended and sat wrestling with why God allows innocent babies and children to suffer and die, or why He didn’t answer fervent prayers for a faithful believer’s healing.

There is a sticker from the front of an alarm clock my grandmother sent me while I was a camp counselor. I woke up one morning and my alarm clock was broken. It was a small, annoying problem (I had a cabin of 12 campers with me 24 hours a day and no way to get a new alarm clock until the weekend) that I didn’t even mention to anyone. Later that same day, I checked the mail counter and was surprised to see a box from my grandmother. She is a Jehovah’s Witness, and since they don’t celebrate birthdays or Christmas, getting a card, let alone a gift, from her has not been a common occurrence in my life. Imagine my surprise when I opened it to find an alarm clock, complete with batteries! I shook and cried and laughed as I held that weird gift, knowing that my amazing, faithful, personal Jehovah Jireh had so orchestrated the details of that day to provide for my insignificant need in a very personal and meaningful way.

That is my pile of rocks. I have been able to pull that box out at various times in my life to share about the goodness of my God, or remind myself that nothing is out of His hands. I am looking forward to sharing those stories with my children, just as my parents shared with us.

You have a unique story to tell because you serve a God like no other. Obey Him. Trust Him. And remember what He has done.