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: Monday, March 11, 2024
Chapters: Deuteronomy Chapters 1-2
Message: Conforming to Christ
Hello My Friend,
Yesterday was one of those days when everything spoken from the Word of God convicts you, God pointed out many things that I really needed to hear. And I just realized that it has been almost twenty years since I received Christ as my Saviour and it will be eighteen years since I got baptized and dedicated my life to Him. As I was reading the chapters for today I could not help, but think of how much I feared God and was on fire for serving Him back then, but as life tends to takes its twists and turns that fear fluctuates. Nevertheless, we learn that is how we learn just how merciful, patient, and long suffering God is when it comes to our faith and faithfulness to Him, [Hebrews 6:10-12 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.]
Oh my goodness, I truly needed to be reminded of that passage today! When we first get saved we are babes in Christ, meaning we have little knowledge in the Bible to help us make the right judgments. As we grow in Christ and mature in our faith we become more knowledgeable in the Bible, able to discern more, and actually become the teachers to those whom we led to Christ. It works this way, [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 Book of Deuteronomy contains thirty-four chapters, the author is Moses and it was written to the Israelite’s, the timeline is about 1451BC. The purpose of the book was to remind Israel of God’s promise, and to reinstate the Law to the new generation that was given forty years ago on Mt. Sinai. What we are to learn from the book is that there is only One Law for all, and it is God’s, [Deuteronomy 10:17-18 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: 18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.]
As we begin the reading of Deuteronomy, forty years have passed since the Israelite’s were forbidden by God to cross over the Jordan and into the land that He promised them. They spent one year for each day that ten of the twelve spies gave their evil report and discouraged Israel from possessing it. Their judgment was over, the only ones alive from the first generation was Moses, Caleb, and Joshua. God, gave the okay that it was now time to go in and possess the land, with the reminder that this was the land that He promised to Abraham.
[Deuteronomy 1:1,3,5-6,8 These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab. 3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them; 5-6 On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying, 6 The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: 8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.]
[I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land] The time comes when we have tarried long enough and God says that we need to go in and get what He has promised us. I do not care what it is, land, a house, a spouse, even our salvation, God, has set it before us, but we must go in and possess it if we want it, [1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.]
Now, if we are just going to stand there and wait for God to make the first move, then we can forget about it because God does not go where He is not invited. And if we do not make the first move because we are afraid, then we can forget about it also because God only moves by faith. And if we do not make the first move because we are over burdened and overwhelmed with life, then we need to ask God for help and He will send it. We need to get out of the mentality that we need to take care of everything ourselves. This is why God brings God fearing people into our lives who are like minded in faith, He knows that we need some help. Moses, recalls how he was overburdened by the trying to attend to the cares of not only the Israelites, but those who traveled among them.
[Deuteronomy 1:9-10,15-17 And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone: 10 The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. 15 So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes. 16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. 17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.]
[I am not able to bear you myself alone:] Many hands make light work and in this case, many hands teach us the ways of Christ and how we can help bear the burdens of one another. This is why we need to not only have like minded spouses, friends, and family to turn to for help. Since most families get saved one soul at a time, we also need a church home of like minded Christians that we can turn to for help, [Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.]
[Ye shall not respect persons in judgment;] While the only one who really knows if one is true is God, we cannot pass judgment on someone for their past or even their present mishaps, but we can guide them in the right direction according to God’s Word. That is called righteous judgment and something that Jesus teaches all His disciples, and since God is not a respecter of persons we are not to be either, [John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.]
It is God who directs our path to Christ, no matter how many detours we take to get to Him, and He will get us right back on that path until we find Him and accept Him. Then once we accept Him, He directs our path to His Word, His Church, and His ways. If we are not being convicted as we learn His Word, then we have some serious thinking to do as repentance is the key to our path on this journey all the way to the promise land. Those who are just playing “church” will actually wander around until they are either convicted to repentance or the door is closed and they can no longer get in. Moses, goes on to describe what took place forty years ago when he sent the twelve spies over into Canaan and they refused to believe that God opened the door for them.
[Deuteronomy 1:22-23,25-26,31-33, And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come. 23 And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe: 25 And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us. 26 Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God: 31 And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. 32 Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God, 33 Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.]
[Notwithstanding ye would not go up,] God, gives us everything we need to go in and get the things that He promises us, but fear is not in His vocabulary unless it is Him that we fear. It is actually fear of faith that sends multitudes to hell, and this is why, they waited until God closed the door before they sought repentance. Moses, goes on to remind the Israelites how they repented only after they were not allowed to cross over, including himself because of his unbelief.
[Deuteronomy 1:37-39,41-42,45 Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither. 38 But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. 39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it. 41 Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill. 42 And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies. 45 And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.]
[but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.] Why does God close the door on those who seek forgiveness? Two reasons; One; God, knows their heart. And two; They are not sincere in their repentance. Those who truly seek forgiveness will be repentant, meaning they understand just how fatal their sin is and will sincerely confess that they are a sinner and need Jesus. Salvation, is only made possible while we have our breath in us, turn away from the belief that we can save ourselves, and turn to Jesus with all our heart, [Revelation 3:15-16,20 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.]
Let me tell you, lukewarm faith is worse than having none at all, you either trust God and make that first move to accept His Son or you do not and suffer in your own sin. Lukewarm faith is just about the worst thing that we can have, we are basically telling God that we are only trusting Him when things are going well, but when things get difficult we turn to something else. You cannot not have faith in God one minute and no faith the next, and I am not talking about those lapses of faith that we all have from time to time when we get overburdened with the cares of life. God, knows the difference and Moses, goes on to remind the Israelites how God had been with them, how He directed their path, and took care of them the whole time.
[Deuteronomy 2:2-7 And the LORD spake unto me, saying, 3 Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward. 4 And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore: 5 Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession. 6 Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink. 7 For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.]
[the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.] God, knows the journey that we take as Christians is very rough, He never promised that it would be easy, but He did promise to always be with us. If we reflect on the things that He has done for us this far we will realize that He has always been with us and while we may not always have steak, we will never lack what we need, [Philippians 4:18-19 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. 19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.]
[I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.] These were not people or nations that had no clue who God is, oh, they knew, and they also knew that God was with the Israelites. In fact, He wanted all these nations to know that they Israelites were passing through and to fear them because He was with them.
[Deuteronomy 2:8-9,14,25 And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab. 9 And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession. 14 And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the LORD sware unto them. 25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.]
[This day will I begin to put the dread of thee…upon the nations…who shall hear report of thee,] When the world sees you what do they see or rather who do they see? Do they see Jesus? Do they see the person you were before you received Christ? Those whom have sincerely received Christ as their Saviour do not look like Christ overnight, but they do become a reflection of Him over time. And here is the thing, we must understand that no one will fully have the mind of Christ no matter how long they have been saved and walked with Him, but they do improve as they walk their journey with Him. There is a reason why the Bible says that we are to die to ourselves daily, it is the only way that we can at least become some resemblance of Christ, [Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Deuteronomy 2:7 For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your mercies and grace, for loving me, and not giving up on me. You had a path for me from my mothers womb, and while I know I do my own thing from time to time, You are faithful and just to get me back on the path, after I spent some time in the wilderness to remind myself that I belong to You. Now, the path You have given me may keep me sitting on a mountain top, dwelling in a valley, or walking through a windy, crooked road, at times, but I have never lacked as You led where I was supposed to be. I praise You for that, and ask that whatever path You lead me on, remove from me impatience, doubt, and fear, only Godly fear, and trust that You alone will see me through every step that I take. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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