PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Deuteronomy 7-8
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 8:11)
Moses is giving last words of advice before he leaves them.
He speaks in strong language, warning the people not to forget God.
The reason for these stern warnings is because of what is at stake.
The God of love wants the people to walk in love, not in hate, hurt and cruelty.
Israel was chosen them despite their weakness because of God’s love.
The way of love is the way of joy and peace; other ways lead to misery and death.
Sadly the history of Israel, and humanity, is that we repeatedly reject the way of love.
And the results are as devastating as Moses warns – it is NOT a good way.
I hear a father’s heart for his children in these stern words.
When we get satisfied in ourselves, we become proud and forget our need for God.
We think we can manage by the power and strength of our own hands.
The mess of our world right now shows how foolish that is, and how right Moses is.
There are consequences for not following God’s Way, the way of love.
Like Moses, Jesus lovingly and sternly pleads: remember God’s love… please!
PRAYER
Lord, as hard as it is to hear Moses’s warnings, what I see in the world today proves he is right. May I not forget the love of God that made and saves me; may I choose the way of love as I go through my day!
Stamping out temptation: “for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods”. Why – by divine appointment: “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God.” God was emphatic: “You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you.” God had judged the people who lived in the land that God marked for Israel so the God said “Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.” The land and the productiveness of the it is God’s gift: “You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth,” Lord you have blessed me – it’s all your doing and help me to be a blessing to others!
You write here that the God of love wants us to walk in love not hate or cruelty.
Yet Moses said that God orders them to kill all the men, women and children in the land! Murder everyone and then after that remember to do good and to love . . .
Would you kill a woman or a child with a sword if you thought that was what God was telling you to do?
Were the Israelites so hard hearted they did not care but then suddenly after all that killing they could change their hearts and love their families and other people?
One more time I have to say I do not understand. It makes me sick! Why would I follow that kind of God? And no one has ever explained it to me.
People say well they were all evil and would taint Israel, lead them astray….
I once more have to choose to follow what Jesus shows about Who God is.
I choose to serve Him and try to obey because I know God is good.
Sometimes it is so hard to accept that this is all the same God.
Today I read this scripture and now I will fight again to “Remember God’s love”