Tag Archives: Deuteronomy 3-4

Daily Bible Study

February 28, 2024 Bible Study — Moses Paid a Price for Allowing Himself to Be Provoked

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Deuteronomy 3-4.

Every year when I read this I am struck by the fact that Moses says that God refused to allow him to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land because of the rest of the Israelites.  I am struck by this because in Numbers 20, God told Moses that he would not enter the Promised Land because he struck the rock when God had told him to speak to it.  What Moses says here is not exactly wrong, because he struck the rock, rather than just speak to it, because of his frustration with the Israelite complaining.  I wasn’t sure where I was going with this as I wrote it, but I realized what an important lesson it is about controlling our anger.  Moses allowed his anger at the people to get the better of him, and he suffered the consequences.  Moses failed to faithfully follow God’s command, which meant that he was never able to enter the land of Canaan.  No matter how much we feel that we have been provoked, God will hold us accountable to faithfully follow His instructions.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

February 28,2023 Bible Study — The Lord Is God Over Heaven Above And Earth Below

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Deuteronomy 3-4.

Moses reminded the Children of Israel to be careful and make sure that they did not forget the things which they had seen.  Let us do the same.  We also need to be careful and not forget the things which we have seen.  I have seen God do many wonderful things.  I assume that most, if not all, of you who are reading this blog have done likewise.  If you have not seen God do wonderful and marvelous things, I beseech you to call out to Him and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.  God showed Himself to the Children of Israel, and to each of us, so that we might know that He alone is God and there is no other like Him.  The Lord is God in heaven above and on earth below and no other being or thing can compare.  No other being or thing can claim sovereignty over heaven or earth from Him.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

February 28, 2021 Bible Study If You Seek God With All Of Your Heart And All Of Your Soul, You Will Find Him

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Deuteronomy 3-4.

I am not quite sure where I am going to go with this, but I want to focus on a couple of contrasting phrases in today’s passage.  First, the passage says, “do not make for yourselves an idol…For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”  Then a few verses later when discussing the punishment which will come from breaking that command it says, “ if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul… For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you…”  The final quote I want to pull out from today’s passage comes a few verses later and, in my mind, explains all of this, “Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.  Keep his decrees and commands, …so that it may go well with you…”  The words I left out are also important, but I want to focus on the parts I quoted.  God is jealous because He knows that the idols we may seek to worship cannot fulfill the desires which lead us to worship, cannot satisfy the needs which we turn to them to fill.  He knows that our worship of idols can only lead to our heartbreak.  God is also a merciful God and has provided that anyone who truly seeks Him will find Him.  That final phrase reminds us that God’s commands are not arbitrary.  He made us and thus knows what we must do so that things will go well for us.   His anger at us when we violate His commands comes from His sorrow at the suffering which He knows our actions will bring us.  Once again, everyone who truly seeks God with their entire being will find Him.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

February 28, 2020 Bible Study — Moses Taught Monotheism

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Deuteronomy 3-4.

Today’s passage has Moses finish his summary of what had happened to the Israelites from the time they had left Mt Sinai until the day when he was speaking.  When Moses finishes summarizing their history, he reminds them that they had experienced some of this history and it should serve as a reminder to obey God’s commands.  In particular, Moses points out that they had seen for themselves the consequences of disobeying God when many of the people had worshiped Baal-peor.   Moses further reminded them that they had not seen God’s form when He spoke to them at Mt Sinai.  Therefore, they should not presume to create something which they present as being the image of God for worship.

I want to touch on one other thing which I come across from time to time.  Throughout the Old Testament we see that the people of Israel did indeed worship other gods and that, at least some of the time, they viewed these other gods as sharing the heavens with God.  From this, some people conclude that it was only later that the religion they followed became monotheistic.  However, if one believes, as I do, that this passage represents what Moses taught at the time this passage would have taken place one reaches the conclusion that Moses taught a monotheistic religion.  The failure of the people of Israel to live according to what Moses taught does not change what he taught anymore than the failure today of people to faithfully follow Christ’s teachings diminishes their value.

Daily Bible Study

February 28, 2019 Bible Study — Search For God With All of Your Heart and Soul and You Will Find Him

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Deuteronomy 3-4.

Moses concludes his summary of the journey which the Children of Israel took from Mt. Sinai to the eastern bank of the Jordan River by telling them what all of those events should mean to them.  There were two elements to the lesson Moses wanted the Israelites to take from the history he recited.    The story of their travels taught them the danger of breaking their covenant with God.  If they failed to keep that covenant they would not live in the land they were about to enter for very long.  The most important part of that covenant was that they should not worship any material thing, whether an object they created as representative of God, or a natural object (such as the sun) which they perceived as representing the magnificence of God. 

The other element of what they, and we, should learn from the story of their travels is that there is only one God.  The choice we make in idolatry is not which god we worship.  The choice is whether we worship God, or something He created.   Logic dictates that this is indeed the case.  If God is the Creator of the universe and everything in it, then there can be no other being which deserves our worship (simplifying the logic slightly to keep things short).  On the other hand, if God is not the Creator of the universe, then He is not deserving of our worship in the first place.  The story of the Israelites’ journey provides evidence that God is indeed the Creator.

Which brings us to something of utmost importance. Moses told the Children of Israel that they WOULD, sooner or later, break God’s covenant with them and be exiled from the land God was giving them. However, he made them a promise, a promise which God makes to every human being. If we seek God with all of our heart and soul, with all of our being, we WILL find Him. This is something I have seen again and again among those I know. An important corollary to this is that we must be willing to accept God when we find Him. I have known people who have sought God with all of their being, only to reject Him when they discovered what He was. They were unwilling, for one reason or another, to accept God when they found Him. This is the source of most, if not all, idolatry. The desire to enter into a relationship with God, but the unwillingness to accept Him for what He truly is.

Daily Bible Study

February 28, 2018 Bible Study — Obeying God Because We Remember What He Has Done

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Deuteronomy 3-4.

    Moses finished recounting the events which the people had experienced between the time they left Mt. Sinai until they arrived east of the Jordan. He expressed how deeply he desired to enter the Promised Land while explaining how God had denied him the privilege because of his reactions to the stresses the people had put him under. Which led him to remind them of the importance of obeying God’s commands. Obeying God’s commands will cause those around us to honor God. One thing which helps us to obey God’s commands is remembering the things He has done, especially our first experience with His power and glory. That first experience with God’s power and glory shaped how He taught us His commands. We must be careful not to substitute some image or object for the glory of God’s true presence.

Daily Bible Study

February 28, 2017 Bible Study — If You Seek God, You Will Find Him

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Deuteronomy 3-4.

    In today’s passage Moses concludes his summary of the events which had happened between leaving Mt Sinai and preparing to cross the Jordan River. Having finished recounting the events of their lifetimes, Moses explained to them why it was important to remember those events, and why it was important for those not yet born to learn of those events. These events showed the power of God and the suffering which would be suffered by those who rebelled against Him. This passage reminds us that the events recorded in the Bible are not there to show us how great and holy any of the people listed were. The events were recorded primarily for two purposes: to show us how great and holy God is, and to show us the consequences of obeying, or disobeying, His commands.

    If we carefully follow God’s directions, we will demonstrate to those with the eyes to see and the ears to hear that we have wisdom and understanding. Our God is always near to us so that He can hear us when we pray, and see us when we need Him. Of course, that means He can also hear us when we say sinful things and see us when we do them.
    Which leads us to the part of this passage which offers hope to anyone suffering. No matter how far you have gotten yourself from God, this is for you. No matter how much of a mess you have made of your life. If you seek God with all of your heart and all of your soul, you will find Him. The fact of the matter is that God is near to you at this very moment, even if you have cursed Him and denied Him. All you have to do is start looking for Him and you will see that He is there waiting for you. It may take time, but everyone who truly seeks God will find Him. Even those who insist in looking in all of the wrong places will inevitably find God.

Daily Bible Study

February 28, 2016 Bible Study — If You Search For God With All of Your Heart and Soul, You Will Find Him

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on Deuteronomy 3-4.

    Moses continued his summation of what had happened from Mt Sinai to this point, including God telling him that he would not enter the land. When he completed that, he reminded the children of Israel that their God was the only God and they were to worship no others. Further, they were not to worship images, not even images which were intended to be representative of God. He told them that if they, or their descendants, failed to remember these commands they would be cut off from God. However, he then said the most important thing for us to remember, something I believe applies to all people everywhere: if you search for God with all of your heart and soul, you will find Him. Anyone who truly searches for God with all of their being will find Him. Once they find Him, they need to turn to Him and listen to Him. If we turn to God and listen to Him, He will not abandon us, nor will He destroy us, for He is a merciful God.