How many times must they be told not to forget God? How many times must WE be told not to forget God?

Meditation Points:

• Many people will be displaced for their sakes (7:1). Does God intervene in the affairs of men today so that He might do good for His people?
• No covenants, no mercy and no marriages with the unsaved (7:2-3). Why? Because they will turn your heart away from the Lord (7:4). Have things changed so that this is not a problem today?
• Don’t tolerate that paganism (7:5). I guess they never heard about sensitivity training.
• God has chosen you to be a special people (Deuteronomy 7:6; 1 Peter 2:9-10), above all people on the face of the earth. The next time an unsaved person says that you, as a Christian, think that you are better than others, don’t deny it. It’s true!
• But remember that God didn’t choose you because He foresaw your goodness, but rather just the opposite (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).
• No fertility problems (7:14) and no foreign diseases (7:15) IF they obey (7:12).
• When your problems seem insurmountable, remember who God is and what He has already done for you (7:17-19).
• God doesn’t promise to solve all your problems at once (Deuteronomy 7:22).
• Don’t have pagan art or artifacts in your home (Deuteronomy 7:25-26).
• God allowed them to hunger so that He might feed them with bread from heaven (Deuteronomy 8:3); and that they might learn that there’s more to life than food (Matthew 4:4).
• God is able to keep your clothes from wearing out and your feet from swelling (Deuteronomy 8:4). “How am I ever going to pay the medical bills if I get sick?” If God prevents you from getting sick, you won’t have any medical bills.
• Disciplining our children is part of life; God disciplines His children, too (Deuteronomy 8:7; Hebrews 12:5-11).
• Beware (8:11), lest (8:12) you say in your heart (you’d never say it out loud!), “My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth (Deut. 8:17).”
• Remember that God gives you the ability to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
• If you forget God, you shall perish (Deuteronomy 8:19); but if you trust in Christ you shall never perish (John 3:16).

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After rehearsing a bit of history, the Lord calls Israel’s attention to the 10-commandment covenant and all of the auxiliary laws and statutes that He had already given to their ancestors.

Meditation Points:

• God’s covenant WAS the 10 commandments (5:2, 6-21).
• Knowing who is speaking is the first step in understanding the speech. The commandments were not from Moses; they were from God (5:6).
• BECAUSE God was giving the orders-that was enough reason why the people should keep the commandments.
• The people understood quite well that God was speaking; but they were afraid to pursue any further conversations with the Almighty. Instead, they requested a mediator, one who would stand between them and God and represent their cause to the Almighty (22-27). For the time, Moses served the purpose; but he eventually died. Christ, the only true mediator between God and Man (1 Timothy 2:5) lives and intercedes forever!
• O that men might fear God and keep His commandments always (Deuteronomy 5:29). This is God speaking!
• Equally binding, but not eternal, statutes follow in chapter 6 (1-3).
• God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4). Does this mean that there is only one God? Or does it mean that the God known in 3 persons is not 3 gods?
• Deuteronomy 6:5 requires loving God. Do you love God? How much?
• Remember the words of God (6:6). How much of God’s Word do you remember?
• Teach your children about God. Teach them diligently. Talk to them about God at home. Talk to them about God when you are traveling. Talk to them about God at bedtime. Talk to them about  God when they get up in the morning. Always have the word of God before you, and around your house. (Deuteronomy 6:7-9).
• Don’t let prosperity make you lose sight of God (10-12).
• Don’t tempt God by disobeying Him and getting involved with false religion (13-16).
• As you obey God, He will care for you; and your children will ask why you love God so (17-20).
• That will be a great opportunity to witness to God’s grace and mercy to you, as well as to tell your children what a mess you were in before God stepped into your life to save you (21-24).
• Don’t forget to teach your children that we are not righteous of ourselves, nor because of our good deeds; but make sure they know that God accepts our faith, as evidenced by our acts of faith, even as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.

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I. Obey the Law (1-13)

• Don’t change the law. Revelation 22:18-19.
• Your neighbors will be impressed (6-8)
• Take heed to yourself (9)
• Remember the mountain that burned and shook (10-12)
• God’s covenant=10 commandments written on 2 tablets of stone (13)

II. Don’t use images of God (14-24)

• God never gave you an image, nor did He command you to make one (15)
• When you attempt to make an image of God, you corrupt yourselves and make God to be like you (16).
• You should not worship creation- not the sun, not the moon, not the stars. (What about SUNday, MOONday?)
• Image and icon makers have forgotten God’s covenant; and they should be reminded that God is a consuming fire, a jealous  God (Hebrews 12:29).

III. What will happen to those who do not worship God in spirit and in truth (25-28)

• Captivity and slavery to pagans is certain for image makers and users

IV. Repentance and forgiveness (29-31)

• The sinner who seeks God with all his heart and with all his soul shall find Him.
• And the penitent one shall find God to be merciful and forgiving.

V. Favored nation status (32-40)

• Never before had God chosen a nation to be His people.
• Never before had God intervened in the lives of the unsaved for the benefit of so large a number.
• So, realize that the Lord, He alone is God; and obey Him (39-40)

VI. Refuge cities (41-43)

• Read Numbers 35.

Meditation Points:

1. Rewriting history is a fact of life. Rewriting Scripture is a sin.
2. Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
3. Many people are concerned about their physical condition; but too few are concerned about their spiritual condition.
4. In what way are the 10 Commandments a covenant?
5. Has God ever changed His mind about idols and images? (Worshiping “stars” is still bad, whether they be movie stars or sports stars.)
6. God will not allow sin to go unpunished. Even the sin of his children requires disciplinary action on His part.
7. If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
8. Is it wrong for God to have chosen one nation from among so many?
9. Are you impressed at how God moves heaven and earth for the good of His people?
10. There is only 1 God–and not everybody worships Him.

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When Giants Fell …

Recalling more of the history of the last 40 years, Moses speaks of

I. Edomites (2:1-7)

Don’t meddle with them (5).

God has blessed you; God knows where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing; God has been with you; you have lacked nothing (7).

II. Moabites (2:8-18)

Don’t distress them, nor contend with them (9).

Emim and Anakim – giants. Remember Numbers 13:33!

The men of war, who wouldn’t go to war, died without war or reward (16).

III. Ammonites (2:19-23)

Don’t distress them, nor meddle with them (19).

Zamzummim – giants. Remember Deuteronomy 2:10 and Numbers 13:33!

IV. Amorites (2:24-3:11)

Sihon, king of Heshbon (2:24-37)

    The Lord has hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate (Dt 2:30).

    Not one city was too strong for them (Dt 2:36)

Og, king of Bashan (3:1-11)

    A giant himself (Dt 3:11)

V. Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh (3:12-20)

Fight until everyone has rest (18-20)

VI. Distant sites (3:21-29)

As God has done to Sihon and Og, so shall He do to your enemies everywhere you go (21)

God’s answer to Moses’ prayer: “Speak no more to me of this matter” (Dt 3:26)

Encourage and strengthen Joshua and the others who will survive you (28)

Meditation Points:

• Don’t fight with everybody.
• God’s blessing is for Him to be with us, and that we lack nothing.
• The giants, which had seemed formidable 40 years earlier, are easily defeated by God’s grace. And this would not soon be forgotten (Joshua 2:10; 9:10; 12:2-5; 13: 10, 21, 27; Judges 11:19-21; Nehemiah 9:22; Psalm 135:11; 136:19)
• God is able to, and does, harden the hearts/spirits of men. Remember Pharaoh, and Romans 1.
• Remembering past victories should encourage us to expect God to fight for us in the future, too.
• Not every prayer, even of the best of men, receives a “yes” answer.
• Some prayers should never be repeated.
• Older and experienced saints should encourage their younger counterparts.

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