Dear TVCC Students,
We are continually thankful to be able to worship with you all every Wednesday. We know that summertime makes it difficult for a lot of you to come on a consistent basis but we are still going to keep pushing through our study of Deuteronomy for those that are able to come. This past Wednesday, we focused on another warning that Moses was giving to the people of Israel before they headed into the promised land. Here is a recap...
Deuteronomy 4:23-40
~4:23-24: Moses had just recounted how his own disobedience to the Lord had led to his discipline and thus him not being able to enter the promised land. He then calls Israel to watch themselves to make sure that they are not ensnared by the worship of any idols as the Lord is a consuming fire, a jealous God. The Lord wants complete devotion. He would not allow Israel to worship Him along with a multitude of other false gods. If they started to do this, He would certainly discipline them FOR THEIR GOOD.
~The same is true for us. We cannot serve the Lord and be "bowing down" to other gods (Matthew 6:24). If we start to do this, we, as His children, will certainly be disciplined by Him (Hebrews 12) FOR OUR GOOD. It is not good for the Lord to let us engage in false worship without Him trying to bring us back. Just as with Israel, the Lord wants our full devotion. He wants us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Luke 10:27).
Q: We do not necessarily struggle with actually bowing down to idols but we certainly do "bow down" in a spiritual sense and give lesser things our love and devotion. What are some things that you struggle with worshipping other than the Lord Jesus? In what ways have you felt His discipline when you start to worship those things?
~4:25-28: After Moses finished warning Israel with sternness not to forsake the Lord, he adds a refreshing clause... "but when you do..." Though Moses knew that it was in Israel's best interest to have an undivided heart towards the Lord that had chosen them and led them out of slavery, he was by no means naive to the hearts and inclinations of mankind. Israel would rebel and serve false gods. This next section is an account of what would happen to Israel when they rebelled. They would succumb to worship of false gods and they would be scattered and perish from the land the Lord gave them. Israel's blessing for walking in obedience was getting to possess and enjoy the land that the Lord gave them. When they would rebel, the Lord would bring physical calamity upon them in order to bring them to repentance so that He could restore them.
~For us in Christ, our blessing is to enjoy the presence of Christ. When we start to worship false gods, we are not able to enjoy intimacy with Him. Yes, we are still His children just as Israel was still His chosen nation, but He will not allow us to walk intimately with Him while engaging in worship of something other than Himself. We are His children through Christ (1 Peter 2:9). We are called to be a people that proclaim His excellencies with our mouths and lives. When we cease to do this, we can be assured that He will allow distance to exist between us and Him in order to show us that false gods offer no real satisfaction. Just as the Lord told Israel in Judges 10 to let their false gods try and save them, the Lord will often remove His nearness so that we can see that false gods are empty. Yes, satan can deceive us into thinking that worshipping something other than the Lord will be beneficial and fulfilling but we will eventually see that all of satan's lures and promises just lead to death.
Q: Have you recently felt the presence of the Lord removed from you because you have been lured to worship gods that are false? What have you done when you noticed distance between you and the Lord?
~4:29-30: The next part of the cycle that Israel would be led into because of their sin would be returning to the Lord. This was the Lord's hope in their discipline. The cycle would involve them turning to other gods, being disciplined by the Lord, and them finally repenting and returning after seeing how empty and destitute other gods left them. Only the Lord God would satisfy, protect, and offer full peace and joy. They would return to the Lord with their whole heart just as He desired. He wouldn't settle for anything less than their full and undivided devotion.
~The same is true for us in Christ. We are often led by our sinful inclinations into a cycle of sin and rebellion. We start to worship lesser gods, are distanced from the presence of the Lord, find ourselves empty in our pursuit of worthless things, and return to the Lord broken yet ready to give Him our whole selves again knowing that He alone can satisfy! The Lord will not allow lukewarm worship (Revelation 3). He wants all of us and will give us all of Himself through the Spirit (He has already given us His whole life in Christ dying on the cross on our behalf but He gives the Spirit to His children through faith).
Q: When was the last time you experienced genuine repentance for worshipping false gods and experienced the sweet presence of Jesus as He forgave and restored you?
~4:31: The Lord is gracious and compassionate! Though we saw earlier that He is a jealous God and a consuming fire- His character does not end there. He is also full of grace and compassion to those that humbly come to Him (Psalm 51:17). His heart has always been to have His children near to Him through faith and to have them walking with Him with their whole hearts. This is His desire. When Israel repented, He was ready to forgive and restore them. The same is true for us. When we recognize our rebellion and return to Him, He overwhelms us with His presence. Christ has already paid for our sins and given us access to the Father. When we repent of false worship, He stands ready to forgive and accept us based on the work of Jesus on our behalf!
~4:32-35: Our God is so different from all other gods. History has proven time and time again that He alone is God. He alone satisfies. He alone can deliver from the power of sin and death just as He alone could deliver Israel!
~4:35-38: The Lord drew Israel to Himself. He chose that small and insignificant people to be His children; To represent His glory to the whole world. The same is true for us. The Lord chose His people through Christ Jesus. John 6:44 makes it clear that we did not chose Him. We were called by Him to receive grace through faith in Christ and now we are His children- called to proclaim His glory to the whole world. He has promised us a lasting kingdom that will never fail (1 Peter 1). We are called to live thankful lives as we live in light of all that the Lord has done to bring us to Himself and save us from the wrath that we deserved.
Q: How are you living in light of what Christ has done to purchase you? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to make so that you can represent Him well and live thankfully?
~4:39: There is NO OTHER GOD like the Lord our God! Only the Lord satisfies. All other false gods will leave us empty and wretched!
~4:40: Moses was calling Israel to meditate on these truths. The Lord alone is God. He alone satisfies. Because this is true- walk with Him in obedience. Obey Him out of love not obligation. It was for their good that they obey Him. It is for OUR GOOD that we obey Him out of love.
Dear Students,
We love you all and hope that this summer has been a time for you to really devote yourself to the Word of God and to knowing your Savior more through His Word, worship, and fellowship. We pray that the rest of the summer would be so fruitful for you and that you would be "watching yourselves" to make sure that you are not lured away to worshipping lesser things that will never satisfy. We are praying for you this week!
With hope.
~Sonny and Casi
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