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: Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Chapters: Deuteronomy Chapters 5-7
Message: The Love of God Perfected
Hello My Friend,
As I was reading the chapters for today my computer mouse kept freezing up and highlighting the whole page. I could not type anything or it would erase everything. I am still having trouble with it, but think that it needed to be charged as things are going better now that I plugged it in. It is fitting that I am having this problem with what we are reading today, two reminders actually come to mind. One; God’s Word cannot be erased or altered no matter how many versions they attempt to create. And two; Because we tend to forget God’s blessings and promises when life happens, we need to be in God’s Word daily or as much as we can so that we can reconnect with God, [1 John 2:4-5 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.]
God did not, give His Word to the atheists, who do not believe in Him, nor to the agnostics who want to say they believe in a higher power. God, did not give His Word to the world to make up their own beliefs about Him nor did He give it to the religious who think they know God. God, gave His Word to those whom truly believe in Him. As we continue in the reading of Deuteronomy, Moses continues preparing the new generation of Israelites for their journey into the promise land, he reminds them of the covenant God made with them.
[Deuteronomy 5:1-6 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. 4 The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, 5 (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying, 6 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.]
[The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers,] Moses, is referring to the many generations before them who had no Law to guide them. Our ancestry can be traced all the way back to this very moment that the Law was given, we may even have relatives among them. The covenant that Jesus makes with us today is not the same covenant that He made with our ancestors before He came here in human flesh and gave His life for us. The way God deals with man may have changed over the dispensations of time, however, there is one thing that never changes and that is grace, [Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.]
[brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.] All who come to Christ willingly are free from the house of bondage and we ought to be rejoicing in that. Jesus, said this when the disciples came back boasting about all the miraculous things that they were able to do to reach the lost, [Luke 10:19-20 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.] We also ought to be rejoicing in the fact that God cares enough to show us His Word so that we can know the truth and be set free. Believe it or not, the best freedom in the world is being a servant of God, and His commands really are not grievous. Moses, reiterates the ten commandments.
[Deuteronomy 5:7-12 Thou shalt have none other gods before me. 8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: 9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, 10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. 11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.]
[And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me] God’s mercy while it is more than we realize is conditional and He will only give it to those He wants to give it to, [Romans 9:14-15 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.]
Freedom does not come free, there is always a sacrifice of some kind that was made to set one free. Thanks to Jesus, He set us free once and for all though His sacrifice on the cross. Now, while we are not subject to the Law of Moses any longer that does not mean that we ought to live our lives as we please without any direction from what is within the Law. Jesus, died for us, the least we can do is thank Him by living our lives through Him. Moses, reminds the Israelites of the importance of remembering how God had set them free.
[Deuteronomy 5:15-21 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day. 16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 17 Thou shalt not kill. 18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery. 19 Neither shalt thou steal. 20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour. 21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.]
[And remember that thou wast a servant…and that the LORD…brought thee out] Jesus, will set anyone free from the bondage of their sin, but they need to come to Him. Those who are save, we are to never forget what Jesus did for us. We are to never forget our salvation, we are to never forget the day that we were so lost when Jesus found us. We are to never forget the state we were in before Jesus found us. This is what Moses tells them to do in order to keep them from turning on God, [Deuteronomy 5:32-33 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.]
[and that ye may prolong your days in the land] God’s mercies are endless for the saved, but even they are conditional when it comes to our obedience. He will forgive us over and over again as long as we are repentant, but the key is repentance. You see, the word obedience is misguided, as soon as you hear that word all you think about is being forced to do something that you do not want to do. That really is not the case, the word obedience actually means to comply, so if we want the best life then all God asks us to comply with His Word. Does He expect us to know everything all at once? No. What He does expect is our faithfulness and willingness to learn. Moses, goes on to tell them why needed to learn, observe, and do.
[Deuteronomy 6:1-5 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: 2 That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.]
[The LORD our God is one LORD:] The LORD God Himself is one God, one LORD, in the person of Jesus Christ, and the LORD of all who accept Him as their Saviour. There is no better promise or gift than to be one of God’s people, [Romans 9:26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.]
There is one key to being faithful to God and that is fearing Him. Fearing God, means to love Him, respect Him, honor Him, acknowledging Him in all His goodness, and following His commands, not because we have to, but because we love Him. Fearing God also leads others to Christ as we teach them His ways, in fact, we are called to teach our family so that they too can learn God’s ways. Moses, goes on to tell the Israelites how they were to teach their children.
[Deuteronomy 6:7-9,13-16 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. 13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. 14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; 15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. 16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.]
[and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.] Every time we close our eyes we ought to have God on our minds, whether it is praying, reflecting, or thinking about something that He said. I do not know where all the Scriptures are and I cannot every single verse, but I can tell you this is what God says. I actually do this with my husband quite often, he is always telling me to stop answering questions with something I learned from the Bible, but that is who we ought to be, [1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:]
We may not be under the same law as the Jews, but that does not mean that His commandments do not stand, the same things that He called an abomination when He gave the Law, are still an abomination to Him today. God does not change His stance on what are moral evils, meaning, what we are capable of doing in our flesh. Nor does He take to kindly to those who tempt Him. Our salvation was bought with a price, therefore, we need to respect Him and never forget what He did. Moses, reminds the Israelites that they were to never forget that they were under bondage and to make sure to tell their children that.
[Deuteronomy 6:21-25 Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: 22 And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: 23 And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. 24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. 25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.]
[And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments] Remember, our own righteousness cannot save us, and they knew that too, it was their faith and faithfulness that was counted as their righteousness, and why they too can stand before Jesus and live, [Galatians 3:5-6 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.]
We do not have to earn our salvation, it is given to us freely, by grace through our faith in Christ alone. Our faithfulness to God is what blesses us beyond our salvation. We are not some ordinary people, we are not Jews or Gentiles, we are a holy people, set apart just for Him, and when we are faithful to Him He is faithful to us. Moses reminds Israel that they are a holy people who God has chosen for Himself.
[Deuteronomy 7:1-4 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; 2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: 3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.]
[For they will turn away thy son from following me,] It is very hard to convert someone who worships a false religion over to Christ, but sadly it is easy to convert a Christian over to a false religion. The reason being is that most Christians are halfhearted in their faith and often guided by sight, the temptation to follow false religions comes when they are given things they need to them. Jesus, knows the difference, [Matthew 15:8-9 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.]
We are not perfect by a long shot, and we do not have to be because we are only righteous through our faith in Christ, but we do need to be more proactive in our walk with Him, and make more of an effort to follow His commands. Why? Because we belong to Him. Moses reminds the Israelites of why they are God’s chosen.
[Deuteronomy 7:6-10 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.]
[God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself,] We are the most blessed and most powerful on the earth because we belong to Jesus and that makes us special to Him, [1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:]
I am not going to lie, I have had my ups and downs just like every saved, born again Christian, I feared God and followed Him with great zeal at times, then there were times when I hung on by a thread, but there is one thing that has always been consistent since dedicating my life to Him, is my love for Him. Those who love God are not without sin, but they are repentant and faithful, even when He chastens them. We truly are blessed to have God in our lives and this is what Moses basically tells the Israelites.
[Deuteronomy 7:12-15,21 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: 13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 14 Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. 15 And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee. 21 Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.]
[Thou shalt be blessed above all people:] Do you understand that out of all the people on the earth that have come and gone since God created man, that we are the fewest in number? Nevertheless, we are saved because of the oath that God made to save all who put their faith and trust in His Son to save them. True love is what keeps God faithful to us, even when we are not faithful to Him, but it is also what keeps us faithful to Him, we love Him because He first love us, [1 John 4:15-19 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Deuteronomy 5:5-6 (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying, 6 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.]
Today’s Prayer: God, How amazing it is that You form a covenant with us the second we believe in and accept Your Son as our Saviour. It is Your desire that we stay faithful to You, not only in constant repentance, but obedience to Your commands as well. Lord, Lead me and guide me, remove from me any desire to go against Your commands, they are not grievous, but for my own welfare. You make it simple, love You with all my heart and love others as I love myself. It is only by studying Your Word, and applying its truths to my life that I might remain an example of Christ living in me. I ask this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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