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King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]

Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024
Chapters: Deuteronomy Chapters 29-31
Message: Choose Life

Hello My Friend,

I enjoy getting into God’s Word and discovering new things that I had not seen before, I try to ask God to show me something new and remind me of something old every morning, but often fall short. Nevertheless, when I do He will either show me something new or remind me of something that I had buried somewhere. We are all guilty of this, which is why our faith is renewed each day, [2 Corinthians 4:15-16  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.  16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.]

Those who are saved and born again through their faith in Christ really do not comprehend just how important it is to have God’s Word and why God gives it to us. You do not need the Bible to know God exists and to be honest, He does not open up His Word up for everyone to understand, or I should say their heart. The reason He does this has to do with something that Jesus told the disciples who walked with Him for three and a half years yet did not perceive His words until after His passion, [John 16:12-13  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.  13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.]

During the forty years that God had spent leading the Israelites to the promise land, He made two covenants with them. The first one was His promise to be their God and give them the land of Canaan for their inheritance, as He had intended to give to Abraham, [Exodus 6:4,7-8  And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. 7  And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.  8  And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.]

The second covenant was known as the blood covenant, that was His promise to give them His Word and the atonement needed should they sin against Him, [Exodus 24:7-8  And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.  8  And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.]

God, gives the same promises to those who believe in Him, He promises those who accept His Son as their Saviour eternal life in His Kingdom and it is all under the blood of the Word of God made flesh Himself, Jesus Christ, [John 1:1,14,17  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.]

We see God’s miracles every day, a baby being born into the world, a person escaping death, a recovery, a discovery, a bill paid, an unexpected raise, unexpected groceries, but do we honestly perceive them as being miracles from God? Sometimes we do, but our heart is often hardened from the perception. As we continue in the reading of Deuteronomy, Moses, reminds them of these covenants and even though they had seen God perform some amazing miracles, they really did not understand the things that they saw.

[Deuteronomy 29:1-6  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.  2  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;  3  The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:  4  Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.  5  And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.  6  Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.]

[Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive,] In other words, they have observed and seen what God has done for them physically, but not with their minds and hearts, they have not yet learned rightly to understand the word and works of God. This is most religion and why so many lost souls and even saved souls get caught up in these false religions. Jesus, said it this way, [Matthew 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.]

[Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink:] In the forty years that God had been with them they never had to purchase anything to eat or drink, and their clothes or shoes never wore out. Except for the incident with Moab and the idol worship, they had no influence from the outside world to encourage them with the sinful lusts that come from it. At this point, God, did not give them the heart to love Him just yet, that came as they started trusting Him. God, actually prepares our heart to receive His Son well before we get saved so that we will accept Him with open arms. Moses, goes on to encourage the congregation to live by the covenant that God made with them and why it was so important.

[Deuteronomy 29:10-15  Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel,  11  Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water:  12  That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God, and into his oath, which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day:  13  That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.  14  Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath;  15  But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day:]

[But with him that standeth here with us this day] While God used the Israelites to establish His name, solely upon the promise that He made to Abraham, He did not limit anyone else from coming to Him. Anyone who was willing to cross over the Jordan would enter the same covenant. The same applies today, Jew or Gentile, all believers are under the same covenant, [Romans 2:9-10  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;  10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:]

God’s covenants are binding, meaning they cannot be broken under any circumstances, however, God, does have the authority to renounce the agreement should there be a breech in contract. Moses, goes on to explain that anyone who turns their heart from God will receive all the curses that were just written in the Law.

[Deuteronomy 29:18-20,29  Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;  19  And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:  20  The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven. 29  The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.]

[the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.] Man or woman, once a person accepts Christ as their Saviour there is no breaking that contract, that is unless the person renounces their faith in Christ. I say that with caution as someone who truly accepts Christ cannot be plucked from His hand, but I believe that someone who has not fully accepted Him and renounces their faith is not really saved to begin with. Jesus, said it this way,[Matthew 13:20-21  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;  21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.]

[but those things which are revealed belong unto us] The world and even false religion cannot perceive God or His Word and therefore He only reveals Himself ad His Word to those who truly believe in His Son, [Matthew 11:27,28  All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. 28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.]

While Jesus only reveals Himself to those who believe in Him He still gives all the opportunity to come to Him. Again, those whom have truly accepted Christ as their Saviour cannot lose their salvation, they may get caught up in sin and lose sight of Him in the process, but they still belong to Him. Therefore all they need to do to is call on Him. Moses, goes on to tell the congregation this already anticipating that they would turn on God.

[Deuteronomy 30:1-3,6  And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,  2  And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;  3  That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. 6  And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.]

[and will return and gather thee from all the nations,] Jesus said it this way, [Matthew 24:30-31  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  31  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.]

[And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart,] It is Jesus who circumcises our heart, meaning, He removes the takes away that hardness that keeps us from understanding that He is the only way to God. Believe it or not, we are given a choice, and should one come to the knowledge of God and want Him in their lives, then He will tender that heart to understand that they are a sinner and need Jesus. The Gospel is not hidden from anyone, but in order to find it they need to just open their heart.Moses, goes on to remind the congregation that the Law is not hidden from them either.

[Deuteronomy 30:11-15  For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.  12  It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?  13  Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?  14  But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.  15  See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;]

[But the word is very nigh unto thee…that thou mayest do it.] This is not rocket science, it is simple, and God has not hidden His Word from anyone, it is in every bookstore, phone, computer, and tablet app there is. You either love Him or you do not, and if you love Him, then His commands are not grievous. Moses, goes on to explain this as well. And this is actually how we know that God has the authority to renounce His covenant.

[Deuteronomy 30:16-19  In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.  17  But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;  18  I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.  19  I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:]

[that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:] Again, we are given a choice, and that choice will literally determine the life and death of our soul as well as what we would receive in this life. Moses, goes on to encourage them with the same reminder, he also goes on to introduce Joshua as his successor.

[Deuteronomy 31:2-3,6-8  And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.  3  The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said. 6  Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.  7  And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. 8  And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.]

[he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.] While he told the congregation to not be afraid to cross over, he added that Joshua need not be dismayed. The tasks that God entrusts us with can put some fear into us, but it can also overwhelm us to the point that we become weary. This happens when we attempt to do the things He called us to do on our own. We must remember that God is always with us and He would never call us to do anything without His being there to guide us, [Matthew 28:19-20  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.]

The truth is, most of the people we talk to will not be open to Jesus, in fact, many will down right reject Him. Some will go as far to accept Him in the moment and these are the ones who are quick to renounce Him. This is something that we already know, but it is hard to hear it coming from God. Well, after Moses spoke with the people He calls for both Moses and Joshua to come to the Tabernacle, and told them what would come of them.

[Deuteronomy 31:16-17,23  And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.  17  Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us? 23  And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.]

[and this people will rise up…and will forsake me, and break my covenant] Do you see what I mean about God’s binding covenants only being broken by a breech of contract? Jesus, also said this, [John 15:5-7  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.  7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.]

Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Deuteronomy 30:6  And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.]

Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for the contract of eternal life that You made with every saved, born again Christian who came to Your Son by faith. We do not need to know the Bible to understand that You are God and that You are in control. However, You did give Your Word to those who You reveal Your Son to so that we might be able to live a blessed life even with all the challenges that life brings. Lord, Lead us and guide us, open our hearts and keep them tender to Your Word and give us Your wisdom and understanding to give the Gospel to all You lay upon our heart. Let us be strong and of a good courage knowing that You will never leave nor forsake us. I pray this in Your name, Jesus, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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