Deuteronomy plays a crucial role for understanding much of what happens in “Joshua: Joshua portrays the Lord as their general, the One who would lead His people in victorious battle if they would trust and obey. Joshua recounted a story of contradictions. On the one hand, God gave the land that He had promised to the nation. On the other hand, the people failed to possess the land completely, allowing some inhabitants to remain.” & “2 Kings continues the story of the nations of Israel and Judah. It is a history book, from the Old Testament of the Bible. In these history books, the Bible contains many important lessons for us today (2 Timothy 3:16 it reads: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ). 2 Kings describes how the kings of these nations refused to obey God’s law.” Throughout the book, Moses recounts much of the law he first introduced to the people at Mount Sinai. Deuteronomy 6:1-9 provides the Israelites with the unmistakable call to commit themselves to the LORD and His law with their whole being.
The ten commandments, in order, are:
1 — “I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have any strange gods before Me.“
2 — “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.“
3 — “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.“
4 — “Honor thy father and mother.“
5 — “Thou shalt not kill.“
6 — “Thou shalt not commit adultery.“
7 — “Thou shalt not steal.“
8 — “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.“
9 — “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.“
10 — “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.“
You’ll find the Ten Commandments in the Bible’s 2 books: Exodus and Deuteronomy. They are supposedly provided by God as guidance to all people. They center around ethics and worship.
“Moses’ obeyed God and did this that God asked Mose’s to do.
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there and I will give thee tablets of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them. …and Moses went up into the mount of God.“
— Exodus 24:12–13
The message of Deuteronomy is focused on the book’s strong emphasis of covenant renewal to which Moses led the new generation as they were poised on the Plains of Moab to enter the Land of Promise {See, for example, In Deuteronomy 26:15-19 it reads: Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swears unto our fathers, a land that flows with milk and honey. This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken. } {It also reads in Deuteronomy 29:1-3: These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: }
After the victory at Ai, Joshua wanted to do everything he could to walk in obedience, so he led the nation in obedience to this command in Deuteronomy 27: In this, Joshua was showing himself to be a man of the Book, and Israel a people of the Book; they would order their lives after God’s Word.
Deuteronomy chapter 29 summary starts with Moses once again. The spokesperson for the nation proclaimed the words of the covenant of God to the children of Israel. This was a separate covenant than the one made in Horeb. This one was made in the land of Moab. Moses reminded them of God’s great works in Egypt.
The Greatest Commandment
Jesus declared, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Matthew 22:37-39
The miracle of the coin found in the fish’s mouth (In Matthew 17:24-27 it reads: After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes, he does,” he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes-from their own children or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours. “This may of been among the least dramatic of Christ’s miracles, but it is certainly instructive. The context involves the paying of the Temple tax, and not surprisingly, only Matthew, the former tax collector for Rome, reports it.
I know I have told this before. I can see why Jesus just ended the life of the fig tree. When I run out of figs in the refrigerator. I am like really! Who ate the rest of the figs? God being Jesus. He can do amazingly anything He creates He can change the path. Another way of showing sin is death. We need to die to self. By showing righteousness gives us promise of eternity. May of killed the tree, but obviously didn’t kill the seed. We still have figs and their trees.
It reads in Matthew 21:18-22: Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.}”The fig tree withered from the roots.” Mark does not make it entirely clear why Jesus felt the need to kill the fig tree, but he does record this odd miracle.
In chapter 4 of Exodus this Continues and concludes God’s discourse with Moses at the bush concerning this great affair of bringing Israel out of Egypt. Moses objects the people’s unbelief in verse 1, and God answers that objection by giving him a power to work miracles,
Exodus 4:6-12
Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous, it had become as white as snow. “Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.” Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
{Lets Pray}
Father God, I really didn’t understand this chapter. I lost my voice and I remember crying and begging God for my voice back. One of the hardest things I ever had to face was listening to my voice on the inside and nothing coming out on the outside. I looked like a crazy person at times and You was the only one that understood and answered me. I thank You and praise You for Your faithfulness to me. I begin to understand that disregarding my limitations and of how limited my ability was or how boundless my breathing, unless I am led of God and speak the words God instructs, I will be ineffective in my work for Him. I will never forget that You are the one who made me as I am, and to trust You to fulfil the work that You have prepared for me to do. I believe now more than ever that I will follow in Christ’s footsteps and learn to speak only those things that I hear from You. Guide me in Your will and ways. Lead me in the paths of righteousness and may Your will and not mine be done. I thank You and praise You that You never leave us in the bad times or good times. Thank You for Your blessings and miracles that come in Your timing. Assist me in using any means to teach Your word, Your very lifestyle and Your principles to those I come in contact with. Assist me to guard the truth, stand for what is right and and proudly proclaim You as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Let me be Your light and bless all those I come in contact with today. Let them see You. I love You, thank You, praise You and give You all the honor and glory in Jesus Precious Name Amen.
{Power Verse}
The LORD said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Exodus 4:11
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