Moses' Great Sermon

I have been out of Deuteronomy for a while now.  It is time to recall some of the amazing lessons learned (and being learned) in this a huge book.  Deuteronomy happens to be one of my favorites.  It might be strange to have a favorite book in the Bible but I do so love Deuteronomy and 1st and 2nd Samuel   I probably have other favorites that I have forgotten about but these are my favs at the moment.  

The setting for this book is super fantastic.  Israel has wondered in the wilderness for forty years.  There wanderings have been full of rebellion, epic battles, the law, the blue prints for the Tabernacle, the making of the Tabernacle and oh so much more. Moses is not allowed to enter the promised land.  He is to perish in the wilderness with the rest of the rebellious generation.  He gathers all of the people together (women and little ones are mentioned as being there for this very long sermon).  They are about to receive the promise that was given to Abraham.  God is going to give His people a land flowing with milk and honey.  He is going to give them a land that has fields full of produce, vines heavy with grapes that they did not plant.  They will inhabit cities that they did not build.  God is giving them what they do not deserve.  It is all grace.  It His gift to His children.  This theme is continued from the garden and continues on into the new garden, the new world that Jesus establishes by his death and resurrection.  It is all grace.  Even in the giving of the law and the temple rituals, we should grace.  God loves to bless us beyond what we deserve.  This is what grace is.  This is such a beautiful theme found in God's word and it is amazing how often we miss it!  Back to Moses and his story.  He is declaring this very truth to God's people.  He is reminding them of the grace they have received.  Reminding them of the grace that they are to receive.  But....he is also reminding them of what happens when they disobey and forget their God.  As they forget God, God does not forget them.  He remembers the vow that they have taken to follow after God and to obey all of His commands.  When they are unfaithful to their word, God stays faithful to His.  He sends them enemies to remind them of what they have forgotten.  He reminds them that false gods are just that....false liars, works of their own feeble imaginations.  This sermon is can be broken into two basic categories: if you remember Me and obey all of my commands, you will be blessed.  If you forget me and follow other god's, all of the curses and plagues of Egypt will swallow you up.  The blessings are great when we follow God and cleave to Him.  The curses are heavy and buckle anyone they fall on.  But the curses also have grace wrapped up in them.  The purpose of the curses is to administer Gods justice.  But they are also for the purpose of bringing the people back to the Lord.  And if you look at the whole book of the bible we see this again and again.  God's people disobey.  They go into exile.  They become slaves and have bitter lives.  This reminds them of when God's favor was on them.  They call out in repentance and ask God to deliver them once again.  God is the only deliverer that brings us peace and blessings.  If we think differently, we are already compromised in out minds and can be sure that an idol is being worshiped.  Find the idol, cut it off and turn to the Lord.  God is your fullness, your deliver from all things, your surety and praise.  Cleave to Him.  This is the message of Moses' sermon.

Therefore keep all the commandments....that you may be strong.  Deut. 11:8

Hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God to keep all of His commandments...to do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord.  Deut. 13:18

Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him and keep His commandments and obey his voice and ye shall serve him and cleave unto Him.  Deut  13:4

Thou shat fear the Lord thy God, him shalt thour serve and to him shalt thou cleave and swear by His name.  he is thy praise and he is thy God.  Deut.  10:22