In conjunction with our three year, through-the-Bible reading program, Trinity International Baptist Church of Athens, Greece meets twice a week to discuss (in English) the portions of scripture that we have read since our most recent discussion. These notes should not be seen as an exhaustive commentary, but rather a seed or two that, prayerfully, might grow into extended meditation and conversation and holy living.

Meditation Points gleaned from today’s reading:

1. God makes covenants (agreements) with men. God will certainly be faithful to His promises; but He expects men to obey him.
2. If God doesn’t change a man’s nature, that man cannot understand spiritual truth (Deuteronomy 29:4; John 3:3, 5)
3. The promises of God are for believers, and for those who will believe (Deuteronomy 29:15).
4. Many is the person who denies his debt to God (Deuteronomy 29:19).
5. Rarely do men see difficulties in life as the result of sin (Deuteronomy 29:22-28).
6. There is much about God that we do not know; but those things that we do know should guide us in our lives for Him (Deuteronomy 29:29).
7. Circumcision of the heart, which makes a man love and obey God, is more important than circumcision of the flesh or any other physical ritual (Deuteronomy 30:6).
8. What God expects of us is not a secret (Deuteronomy 30:11-14).
9. Your relationship to God is a matter of life or death (Deuteronomy 30:15, 19-20; Romans 3:23).

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Read this chapter with a pencil and paper at hand; and jot down the many aspects of life that are affected by one’s obedience or disobedience to God.

Here are a few thoughts to get you started:

• Does your life depend upon the weather? What if God were to constantly deliver conditions adverse to your purposes?
• Does your life depend upon plant and animal growth? What if God were to cause sterility in all animals and plant rot in all fruits and vegetables?
• Does your life depend upon other people? What if God were to cause others to hate you and to plot your downfall?
• Does your life revolve around your children? What if God were to allow them to be taken captive and carried away?
• Does your life consist of your accumulated wealth? What if the banks fail, the housing market collapses, and nations go to war?
• Does your life seem tolerable as long as you have your health? What if that, too, is taken away from you?

And there are many more…

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Meditation Points:

1. In Acts 1:8 Jesus said that His disciples would be witnesses unto Him. Have you ever considered what kind of witness you are, or have you ever been a witness of God’s saving grace? In 26:1-7 of today’s reading, there is a basic outline for such a testimony.
   • Who I am.
   • Where I’ve come from.
   • How I got to where I am today.
   • To God be the glory.
2. While the sinner should never profess faith in Christ because of the expectation of blessing, it is unlikely that anyone would turn from his sins without such expectation (26:12-15).
3. The relationship between a man and God is two-way: the man acknowledges God and His commandments, and God acknowledges the man and his needs (26:16-19)
4. Men build monuments for many reasons. Is there a better reason than to remind humanity of God’s salvation (27:1-10)?
5. “Cursed be” occurs 12 times in Deuteronomy 27:15-26. Perhaps you’d be interested to learn what behavior attracts the curse of God.

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Meditation Points:

1. Divorce and no remarriage (24:1-4).
2. Draft exemption for new husbands (24:5-5).
3. Taking a man’s livelihood (24:6).
4. Kidnapping (24:7).
5. Leprosy (24:8-10).
6. Lending to your brother (24:11-13).
7. Human rights (24:14-15).
8. Accountability (24:16).
9. Justice for all (24:17-18).
10. Gleaning (24:19-22).
11. The fullest extent of the law (25:1-3).
12. Kindness to animals (25:4).
13. The brother’s widow (25:5-10).
14. A fair fight (25:11-12)
15. Honesty in business (25:13-16).
16. Forget about it…(25:17-19).

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