Burunche’s Blog

Deuteronomy 27:11 – 26 “On that day Moses commanded the people: “When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to deliver the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

Then the Levites shall proclaim in a loud voice to every Israelite:

‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image—an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of a craftsman—and sets it up in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary stone.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is he who lets a blind man wander in the road.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.’

And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is he who sleeps with his father’s wife, for he has violated his father’s marriage bed.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is he who lies with any animal.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is he who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is he who sleeps with his mother-in-law.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ ‘Cursed is he who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’

And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is he who does not put the words of this law into practice.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’”

At first this whole process seems very confusing. Unless you actually see a photo of the two mountains with the valley between them, you might think it impossible that anything said on one mountain would necessarily be heard on the other side. But the day God designed Israel, He was already making provision for the time when six tribes would stand on one mountain while the other six tribes would stand on the other side. The question now is this: Why Mount Ebal for curses? Why the selection of the particular tribes to pronounce these curses?

For the answers to these questions, we can refer to an excellent article entitled “The Stones Moses Prophesied To on Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim.” (MAMATHA, Oct. 9, 2018, https://livingroomtheaology.com)

This writer explains, “Ebal means bulky or stout. Something that is bulky or stout is hard to carry. Ebal possibly has the meaning of bald or bare too. Baldness throughout the Bible is a sign of mourning. Finally, Ebal comes from the same root word, awa, as Ai. So, the name Ebal carries the connotation of twisting, doing wrong, being bent, irritated, or confused.”

“The tribes that stood on Mt. Ebal for the curse were Rueben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. This is an interesting collection of tribes. Reuben was the first born while Zebulun was the sixth, the last, of Leah’s sons. All of the other tribes on Mt. Ebal came from Zilpah and Bilhah, Leah’s and Rachel’s maidservants.

It’s interesting that Leah’s firstborn was on Mt. Ebal. Throughout the Bible, the firstborn is typically passed over so that the second born (or later) son receives the blessing of the father. A few examples are Cain and Abel, Esau and Jacob, and Manasseh and Ephraim… Also, it’s interesting that Leah’s sixth son is on Mt. Ebal. The number six symbolizes work in the Bible. God finished his work of creation in six days and rested on the seventh day. In the law, Israel was told that six days they should labor, but the seventh day was a sabbath, a day of rest. So. Mt Ebal is the mount of work.”

The common threads that run through all the curses are those of the need for holiness, sexual purity, and protection of the weak, the innocent, and the vulnerable. These curses are to be pronounced by the six tribes standing on Mount Ebal; however, all the tribes are to echo the “Amen!” God wants to impress on His people in as many different ways as possible that they are to be separate and holy.

 APPLICATION: Romans 12:1-2 tells us, “Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

Nobody wakes up one morning and says, “I think I feel like copying someone selfish today!” What we actually do is to look at social media and videos and listen to podcasts. Just this morning I saw a post in which the writer was advising everyone that 2022 was going to be the year that she would be kind to herself above everything else, indulging herself, and focusing on herself. What was shocking and sad was the number of people who were agreeing with her completely. Admittedly, 2021 was a very tough year for a great number of people; yet, the poor, the vulnerable, and the disadvantaged are still out there and still need help. Those choosing to focus on themselves and their comfort will have little time or inclination to help anybody else.

When kids want to do something risky, good parents are not swayed by the argument that “everybody is doing it.” God wanted those six tribes to stand on Mount Ebal shouting out His commands so that those commands would echo down that valley and onto the slopes of Mount Gerizim where the other six tribes were standing. And God wanted ALL of the tribes to shout the “Amen!” indicating that they agreed and would obey. God wanted His people to be different from all the other tribes around them. Are we willing to be different as well?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:1 – 10 “Then Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all the commandments I am giving you today.

And on the day you cross the Jordan into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you are to set up large stones and coat them with plaster. Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you. And when you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to coat them with plaster.

Moreover, you shall build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You must not use any iron tool on them. You shall build the altar of the LORD your God with uncut stones and offer upon it burnt offerings to the LORD your God. There you are to sacrifice your peace offerings, eating them and rejoicing in the presence of the LORD your God. And you shall write distinctly upon these stones all the words of this law.”

Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel: “Be silent, O Israel, and listen! This day you have become the people of the LORD your God. You shall therefore obey the voice of the LORD your God and follow His commandments and statutes I am giving you today.”

Throughout the world, there are all kinds of altars in various places of worship, both ancient and modern. An altar serves as a focus of worship but also may be erected as a memorial to some great event. Some altars are completely plain while others are adorned with ornate carvings and images. Here God is using Moses to instruct the Israelites regarding the altar to be erected on Mount Ebal once the Israelites have crossed the Jordan River.

There are several notable things about this altar:

1. The altar is to be made of uncut stones; at no time is any iron tool to be used on them. Why the absolute proscription? The Israelites have come out of Egypt where there were elaborate temples with highly ornate altars. During the forty years of traveling in the wilderness, the Israelites may also have seen other altars. God has already ordered the Israelites to make perfectly plain altars in the past and has forbidden them from making any graven images of anything in nature. The orders for the altar to be erected on Mount Ebal are a continuation of God’s previous commands.
2. The Israelites are to erect large stones on the top of Mount Ebal. Some of these stones will be used for the altar while others will be coated with plaster (most likely lime) and the words of the law written on them. Why insist that the Israelites write out all the words of the Law? Studies have shown that students who take notes by hand, that is by writing them instead of using a computer or recording the notes, remember far more than those who use some other method. Later on, God commands that each time a new king comes to the throne, he should make a copy of the laws for himself and should continually study that copy so that he will do God’s perfect will. (Unfortunately, none of the kings did this!!!)
3. The Israelites are to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord on the Mount Ebal altar.
4.  Once again, God is reminding the Israelites and also warning them that they are now His people. As the people of God, the Israelites are to obey God’s voice and follow His commandments.

APPLICATION: Sometimes parts of the Book of Deuteronomy seem very repetitious. How many times is it really necessary for God to remind the Israelites that they are HIS people and need to obey? The problem is not that God has a poor memory and must keep reminding Himself; the problem is that God knows the human heart and the evil it can harbor.

When God delivered the Israelites from Egypt and wiped out Pharaoh’s army in the process, the news sent shock waves throughout the ancient world. Caravans spread the story, describing in minute detail the plagues, the escape, and the devastation of that huge military force. All the time the Israelites have been moving through the wilderness, the other tribes around them have witnessed the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. It might not be too much of a stretch to say that other tribes have come to fear the God of Israel more than the Israelites have.

What about us? If you are reading this devotional today, it means that God has spared you to this point. You are alive, you can breathe, you can see well enough to read and you have internet access. So many times, we take our lives for granted as if we deserved them; meanwhile, we are only alive by the grace of God. The same thing was true for the Israelites; they had become so accustomed to God’s miracles that they had become complacent and ungrateful.

This past year has been a year of loss for many of us. In 2021 we lost three close family members, plus several good friends in America and Africa. But praise God! We are alive and able to go forward into this new year.

God chose Israel to be His people to show to the world the blessings that would follow from loving Him and obeying His commands. In the fullness of time, God sent His only son Jesus to live as a man and to die for the sins of all those who would believe in Jesus and his blood sacrifice. Today each one of us has the opportunity to show those around us how God is blessing us.

“But,” you argue, “I am broke, despite working long hours each week. My roof is leaking again. My car is ten years old and is making weird noises. And my kids are acting up in school. None of this looks like a blessing to me!” Ouch! Yes. Things are tough for many people. But you do have a job and a place to live. You do have a vehicle, even if it’s past its expiration point. And you have children. Why not begin by thanking God for whatever small blessings you can see in your situation?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to praise You, even when things are difficult. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD

When you’re up against a struggle, that shatters all your dreams
And your hopes have been cruelly crushed by Satan’s manifested schemes
And you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fear
Don’t let the faith you’re standing in seem to disappear

Praise the Lord, He will work through those who praise Him
Praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise
Praise the Lord, for the chains that seem to bind you
Serve only to remind you, that they drop powerless behind you
When you praise Him

Now, Satan is a liar and he wants to make us think
That we are paupers, when he knows himself we’re children of the King
So lift up the mighty shield of faith for the battle must be won
We know that Jesus Christ has risen and the work’s already done

Praise the Lord, He will work through those who praise Him
Praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise
Praise the Lord, for the chains that seem to bind you
Serve only to remind you, that they drop powerless behind you
When you praise Him

Praise the Lord, He will work through those who praise Him
Praise the Lord, for our God abides in our praise
Praise the Lord, for the chains that seem to bind you
Serve only to remind you, that they drop powerless behind you
When you praise Him

When you praise Him
When you praise Him
When you praise
When you praise, you praise the Lord
Praise the Lord

Songwriters: Elliott B. Bannister / Michael Vincent Hudson

Deuteronomy 26:16 – 19 “The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. You must be careful to follow them with all your heart and with all your soul.

Today you have proclaimed that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes and commandments and ordinances, and listen to His voice.

And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments, that He will set you high in praise and name and honor above all the nations He has made, and that you will be a holy people to the LORD your God, as He has promised.”

Who is this who calls Himself “the Lord your God?” This is the same God who cared for Joseph in his imprisonment, who lovingly provided wagons for Jacob and his family to move to Egypt to avoid a famine. This is the same God who multiplied the Israelites from a family of 70 to 600,000 men plus women and children. (Estimates are that there were 2,000,000 Israelites who left Egypt.) This is the same God who devastated the most powerful country in the world with ten plagues, the last of which killed every first – born human and animal in the kingdom. This is the same God who then led two million or more Israelites and others out of Egypt and through the Red Sea. This is the same God who destroyed the most powerful army in the world. This is the same God who has cared for the Israelites for forty years of wandering in the wilderness, providing food and water and guidance.

Much of the Book of Deuteronomy is a summary of everything that has already taken place during the forty years the Israelites have been in the wilderness. God wants to make certain that before the Israelites enter the Promised Land, they remember everything – how they got to Egypt in the first place, how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt, and all the miracles that God has done since the Israelites have left Egypt.

“The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. You must be careful to follow them with all your heart and with all your soul.”  The Lord your God COMMANDS you to follow these statutes and ordinances. A command leaves no wiggle room for manipulation or haggling. God knows His Israelites very well, and He knows that there are those who are already trying to figure out how they can get away with less than total obedience.

APPLICATION: What does it mean “to follow them with all your heart and with all your soul?”  When I was a small child, we had a kind of game we called “King’s X.” The “X” was created by crossing a middle finger over an index finger. The game was a guessing game; was the person making a statement telling the truth or not? The person making the statement would hold a hand behind the back and would cross the fingers in an “X” when telling a lie. Once someone had guessed whether or not the statement was true, the person making the statement might say, “King’s X! I didn’t mean it!” Here God wants the Israelites to understand that they can’t stand there making promises while making “King’s X’s” with their fingers. Only complete and whole – hearted obedience will be sufficient.

“Today you have proclaimed that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes and commandments and ordinances, and listen to His voice.”

In an earlier generation, men and women were honored for being people of their word. There was no higher compliment than being described as someone whose word was his/her bond. God wants the Israelites to be “people of their word.” God never says anything lightly; He means every syllable that He says. But God knows that not many years after this, the Israelites will find themselves in a mess because they really aren’t serious about this covenant agreement.

“And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments, that He will set you high in praise and name and honor above all the nations He has made, and that you will be a holy people to the LORD your God, as He has promised.” There is no dearer experience than for a child to be embraced and claimed by a father. Here God is telling the Israelites what so many of us wish our earthly fathers had been able to tell us, namely that they love us, that we are special, and that we are blessed.

Are these promises only for ancient Israel? No. Even today, God’s blessings are still working in modern Israel. But it was never God’s plan for Israel to be the only nation serving Him. God had a salvation plan for the entire world, and Israel was to showcase what God would do with any people who would serve Him whole – heartedly. God wanted the Israelites to be so holy and so pure that others would be attracted to Him.

There are many of us whose earthly fathers may have been a disappointment. Some fathers felt their main roles to be providing for a family but who could not express affection. Some fathers may have struggled with chronic depression. Some fathers may not even deserve the term “father,” having only served as sperm donors. As you read these verses, hear the heart of your Heavenly Father, the One who created you and who knows you better than anyone else does. Your Heavenly Father wants you to know that you also are His special treasure, that you are unique.

He Knows My Name

Tommy Walker

I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands

He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call

I have a Father
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He’ll never leave me
No matter where I go

He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call

He knows me, He knows my name
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call

He knows your name
He knows your every thought
He sees all those tear that falls
And He hears you when you call

Songwriters: Tommy Walker

He Knows My Name lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

 PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us! Please be the Father that all of us need. Enter hurting hearts and heal them. Cause everyone who reads this to hear You telling them that they ARE Your special treasure! In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 26:10b – 15 “Then you are to place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before Him. So you shall rejoice—you, the Levite, and the foreigner dwelling among you—in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.

When you have finished laying aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you are to give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat and be filled within your gates.

Then you shall declare in the presence of the LORD your God, “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all the commandments You have given me. I have not transgressed or forgotten Your commandments. I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while in mourning, or removed any of it while unclean, or offered any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done everything You commanded me. Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land You have given us, as You swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

The land of Egypt was full of cults devoted to various gods, but a common theme was the importance of the dead and preparation for the afterlife. The tribes surrounding the Israelites also had elaborate rituals to honor the dead, including offering choice foods to the dead and burying important people with jars containing food for the after life.

Throughout the Old Testament, God continually emphasizes that He brings life and not death. Those touching dead bodies are considered ritually unclean until sundown and must bathe and change clothes before returning to be with others. God forbids cutting hair or beards or scarification of the living for the dead. God wants a clear demarcation between that which is sacred and that which is unclean. At the same time, God wants the Israelites to make certain that they have not tried to manipulate His commandments by eating any of the sacred portion or handling it while they were unclean.

Why is it so important to keep the sacred portion completely sacred? God sees everything and everyone and God knows the intentions of our hearts. If an Israelite has mishandled the sacred portion, then he cannot make the final affirmation: “I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done everything You commanded me. Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land You have given us, as You swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

God will bless Israel ONLY if the Israelites will follow His commands. Failure to follow God’s commands can bring curses rather than blessings. The milk and honey can dry up. The land can refuse to yield.

APPLICATION: Do these blessings and curses really work? Yes. The Sentinel Organization has a video portraying the phenomenal change in a community in Guatemala when believers began to come together to pray for their community. Eventually all four of the jails closed. Farmers who previously had barely scraped a living out of the soil were now seeing vegetables of enormous size. Families riddled with alcohol and drug abuse were being healed and becoming prosperous – all because people prayed and God transformed their community.

God is the One who gives good weather, good soil, and good growing conditions. God is the One who can bless a land. But when the inhabitants of a land refuse to honor God, they bring curses on themselves and on their land.

Do you want God to bless you? Then honor God by offering Him the best that you have and allowing Him to use that offering as He wishes.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to honor You by giving you the best that we have. Help us not to hold back but to realize that you can multiply blessings to us beyond our wildest dreams or imaginations. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

When I was a kid growing up on a farm in the Middle West, we owned a red IH Farmall H tractor and a 1949 GMC pickup truck. Dad had actually begun farming during World War II using horses; however, as soon as tractors became available, he got one. The pickup in the photo looks very much like the one we owned; the paint was such a dark green that it was nearly black. I loved riding in that pickup, and to this day I can easily recollect the smells inside – part grease, part gasoline, part straw, and part leather from the seats. But it was the sound of the pickup that made it special.

For reasons we never completely understood, the pickup truck made a funny jingling noise when someone would downshift. Mechanically, there was nothing wrong; the truck just made its own noises. When Dad would begin to slow down as he was entering town and passing the grade school, the transmission jingle would ring out clearly.

As I attended primary school in our small town, I never knew when I would hear Dad passing through. Dad might be on his way to the grain elevator or in to drink a cup of coffee at the café or even passing through to the next small town down the road where the implement parts dealers were located. In wintertime with the school windows closed, I couldn’t hear the truck, but I could hear it clearly when windows were open or if we were out on the playground.

There was something very comforting about that transmission jingle. When I heard that sound, I felt safe because I knew my strong handsome father was nearby. Even though Dad never stopped at the school, I always felt that if necessary, someone could have gotten a message to him had I needed him.

I had lots of adventures in that pickup, and I think it was also the first vehicle I drove apart from the tractors. Typical for a farm kid, I learned to drive tractors at age ten. Eventually we sold that pickup, and there were several others that succeeded it; however, none of them had the personality of the GMC.

There are times in everyone’s life when he or she feels isolated and alone, cut off from relatives and friends. This Christmas was a difficult one for many of our friends and family, and we also grieved even as we worshiped.

I think what each of us needs to do is to listen for the transmission jingles. Oh, you won’t hear the same sounds that old GMC pickup made, but if you listen with your heart, you may hear reassuring sounds of love from your Heavenly Father. “I am here. I am always with you. I will never leave you or forsake you!”

For some people, the sight of cardinals reminds them of God’s love. For others, it might be particular flowers or music. Some people find coins on the ground. The exact sights and sounds will differ from person to person, but the message is still the same: “I am here. You are safe.”

PRAYER: Father God, there are so many people who are hurting and lonely. Please send them tokens of Your love so that they will remember that You are always with them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 26:1 – 15 “When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and settle in it,you are to take some of the first fruits of all your produce from the soil of the land that the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name, to the priest who is serving at that time, and say to him, “I declare today to the LORD your God that I have entered the land that the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.”

Then the priest shall take the basket from your hands and place it before the altar of the LORD your God, and you are to declare before the LORD your God, “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt few in number and lived there and became a great nation, mighty and numerous. 6But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor. So we called out to the LORD, the God of our fathers; and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, toil, and oppression. Then the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, signs, and wonders. And He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land that You, O LORD, have given me.”

Then you are to place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before Him. So you shall rejoice—you, the Levite, and the foreigner dwelling among you—in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.

When you have finished laying aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you are to give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat and be filled within your gates.

Then you shall declare in the presence of the LORD your God, “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all the commandments You have given me. I have not transgressed or forgotten Your commandments. I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while in mourning, or removed any of it while unclean, or offered any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done everything You commanded me. Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land You have given us, as You swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

The first of anything is always a gamble. If I dedicate this son to the Lord, will there be more? If I dedicate this animal to the Lord, will there be more?

God has already described the year of the tithe, and now He reinforces that idea. The Israelites were to lay aside the first fruits, whether or not they were good. In addition, the Israelites were to lay aside a tenth of all their produce in the third year, the year of the tithe. Once set aside, the first fruits and the tithes belonged to God and no man could touch them. In addition, as the Israelites were offering their tithes and first fruits, they also had to swear that they had not diverted or consumed any of those offerings themselves. Here God is promising that if the Israelites will be faithful, He too will also be faithful.

Does tithing really work? Yes! Several years ago, I was at a midweek church service when God asked me to empty my bank account by writing a check for the outstanding balance. Shrugging my shoulders, I obeyed and wondered what would happen next. Suddenly friends were inviting me over for meals and leaving vegetables on my door step. I had no problems making it to the next pay day.

God has never asked me to do precisely that again. (Whew!) But if we really are serving God and not ourselves, we must recognize that God owns everything we call ours. Why not ask God how He wants you to bless others and see what He says. But be ready! You might find yourself emptying your checking account.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to remember that everything we have really belongs to You and that it is only a loan. Help us to trust that if You ask us to do something, You will do miracles to fulfill Your perfect Will. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 25: 13 – 19 “You shall not have two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and one light. You shall not have two differing measures in your house, one large and one small. You must maintain accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. For everyone who behaves dishonestly in regard to these things is detestable to the LORD your God.

Remember what the Amalekites did to you along your way from Egypt, how they met you on your journey when you were tired and weary, and they attacked all your stragglers; they had no fear of God.

When the LORD your God gives you rest from the enemies around you in the land that He is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you are to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!”

It’s been a common scene in street markets for thousands of years. There are the venders whom everyone knows to be honest, and then there are those who cheat on their measures and who put rotten vegetables at the bottom of a container in hopes that an unwary buyer will be tricked into paying for some worthless things. Well, God doesn’t like cheaters and He wants that to be perfectly clear! Notice there are no footnotes stating that it’s OK to cheat foreigners or to cheat someone who doesn’t pay good attention. God hates cheating, period. Cheaters are detestable to the Lord. In the beginning, the Israelites were careful to make sure that they dealt honestly; however, later on as things deteriorated morally, so did business practices.

Ezekiel 45:9-10 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Enough, you princes of Israel; put away violence and destruction, and practice justice and righteousness. Stop your expropriations from My people,” declares the Lord God. “You shall have just balances, a just ephah and a just bath.“

Amos 8:4-6 “Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land, saying, “When will the new moon be over, so that we may sell grain, and the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, to make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, and to cheat with dishonest scales, so as to buy the helpless for money and the needy for a pair of sandals, and that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?”

Hosea 12:7-8 “A merchant, in whose hands are false balances, he loves to oppress. And Ephraim said, “Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself; in all my labors they will find in me no iniquity, which would be sin.”

Micah 6:10-14 “Is there yet a man in the wicked house, along with treasures of wickedness and a short measure that is cursed? “Can I justify wicked scales and a bag of deceptive weights? “For the rich men of the city are full of violence. Her residents speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.”

Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Weights-And-Measures,-Laws

What was so important about the Amalekites? Amalek came to represent pure evil, those who had no fear of God. Eventually Israel did annihilate the Amalekites; however, it took a long time. It was King Saul’s failure to completely wipe out the Amalekites that lost him a kingdom. God rejected Saul because of Saul’s disobedience. (1 Samuel 15)

APPLICATION: The theme here is righteousness and justice. Those doing business must realize that God sees everything they are doing. In recent times, numerous companies have failed when Ponzi schemes and other forms of financial manipulation have come to light.

Notice what God says: “You must maintain accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. For everyone who behaves dishonestly in regard to these things is detestable to the LORD your God.” The unstated implication is that if you cheat in your business deals, you will NOT live long in the land the Lord God gives you.

At this point we might be scratching our heads. Many of us can name someone whose business practices are shady; yet, this person is still alive. What has made the difference? Calvary and Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary. Between the time when these commands were given and the present day, Jesus made the ultimate blood sacrifice by freely giving up his life for the sins of the world. When Jesus was dying on that cross, he was dying for every sinner who would come to believe on his name. Many times God allows those who have indulged in shady business deals or have cheated in some form to live so that they have time to repent.  

What of the Amalekites? Evidently this tribe was so evil that they dedicated their children to demons from the womb. God knew that if the Amalekites were not completely destroyed, they would continue to exert a terrible influence on the Israelites.

Many times, we may hear someone say that God sends people to hell. This statement is completely wrong! God does NOT send people to hell; people choose hell for themselves when they refuse to follow God and to accept the reality of the blood sacrifice that Jesus paid for all who would believe.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Thank You that Jesus Christ has made a way for all of us, even though we are sinners, if we will believe in what Jesus has done for us. We turn our lives over to You and ask that You lead us and guide us forever. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 25:1 – 4 “If there is a dispute between men, they are to go to court to be judged, so that the innocent may be acquitted and the guilty condemned.

If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall have him lie down and be flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime deserves. He may receive no more than forty lashes, lest your brother be beaten any more than that and be degraded in your sight.

Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”

This time Shmuel had really done it! For months, Shmuel’s neighbor Abram had suspected that Shmuel was stealing from him. This time Abram caught Shmuel red handed as Shmuel tried to steal grain. Now Shmuel stood before the judge. When found guilty, Shmuel was flogged 30 times in the courtroom. Shmuel was fortunate because Abram was angry enough to have beaten Shmuel to a bloody pulp. Those in the courtroom witnessed Shmuel’s punishment and the ensuing embarrassment; they were also witnesses to protect Shmuel from Abram’s wrath.

Pity any ox whose owner would muzzle it as it treaded grain to thresh it! The ox would spend the entire day smelling the grain but being unable to eat any of it! Here God’s compassion even extends to oxen as He orders the Israelites to allow the ox to eat some of the grain it is threshing. Why should God care so much about a dumb animal?

Those who fail to care for animals will also fail to care for humans. Police profilers know that any child who tortures animals or insects is likely to graduate to torturing or killing humans later.

Yet another reason for not muzzling an ox while it is working is this: How is the ox supposed to drink water with that muzzle on? If the ox is working in strong sunlight in the heat of the day without any water, the ox may collapse and die. No. Muzzling an ox is false economy.

Deuteronomy 25:5 – 10 “When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her. The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, she is to go to the elders at the city gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.”

Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak with him. If he persists and says, “I do not want to marry her,” his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal, spit in his face, and declare, “This is what is done to the man who will not maintain his brother’s line.” And his family name in Israel will be called “The House of the Unsandaled.”

Land inheritance was critically important, so important that if a man died without a son to inherit from him, the widow was to marry the man’s brother so that the brother could father a child on behalf of his dead brother. Any man unwilling to do this kindness for his dead brother would find the term “Unsandaled” added to his family name!

Some tribes in Ghana have similar customs; however, such arrangements may be very dangerous. In one case, a man who was to marry his late brother’s wife tried to kill her by smashing a large cooking pot into her head. The lady survived, and we counseled her to leave this dangerous situation. Unfortunately, the father – in – law was a local chief who was more worried about his standing in the community than in anything else. The father – in – law insisted that the women return to her brother – in – law. One week later, the brother – in – law killed the woman and attempted to murder other members of her family as well. The shame the old chief suffered from these acts was far worse than that he would have suffered had he allowed the woman to leave his household. And the son was tried and hanged for murder.

Deuteronomy 25:11 – 12 “If two men are fighting, and the wife of one steps in to rescue her husband from the one striking him, and she reaches out her hand and grabs his genitals, you are to cut off her hand. You must show her no pity.” In this case, the woman is threatening to emasculate her husband’s opponent, thereby making it impossible for him to father children. (This lady is probably attempting to rip out the testicles, not merely to touch them.) This punishment seems unduly harsh; however, the underlying principle is that of protecting the ability of a man to continue his line.  

APPLICATION: Throughout these verses run the twin themes of justice and compassion. Wrong – doers are only to receive the punishment that fits the crime. Oxen are allowed to take small amounts of grain while treading the grain. Brothers are to ensure that the name of a late relative does not die out in Israel. And women are not to attempt to rescue their husbands by tearing out the testicles of their husband’s opponent in a fight. While cutting off the woman’s hand might seem excessive, it is likely that any lesser penalty might encourage some women to go ahead and complete an orchidectomy without anesthesia.

As we begin a new year, let us begin by being compassionate to those around us. Let us also forgive those who have wronged us, rather than seeking ways and means of punishing them. Remember that when you harbor unforgiveness in your heart and mind, you are only hurting yourself and not anyone else.

PRAYER:  Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to follow You as closely as possible this year. Help us to forgive those who have hurt us, so that we are not dragging resentment behind us. And help us to have compassion for all those around us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 24:16 – 22 “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. Do not deny justice to the foreigner or the fatherless, and do not take a widow’s cloak as security. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from that place. Therefore, I am commanding you to do this.

If you are harvesting in your field and forget a sheaf there, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

When you beat the olives from your trees, you must not go over the branches again. What remains will be for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow.

When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you must not go over the vines again. What remains will be for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. Therefore, I am commanding you to do this.“

Fathers of grown children are not to die for the sins of their children; neither are grown children to die for the sins of the fathers. What of the times when God wiped out entire families? There must have been some agreement within the grown members of the families to rebel against God’s commands.

Here God continues to elaborate His commands regarding kindness to foreigners, orphans, and widows. But why is it so necessary for God to spell things out? God knows the human heart and the wickedness humans can do. Humans love to argue and to split hairs. If God gives the misers among the Israelites any wiggle room, they will immediately find a way of mistreating these vulnerable groups.

Throughout the wanderings of the Israelites, they have had to find food and water. Some surrounding tribes may have helped while others refused. In the end, God has ordered the Israelites to annihilate those tribes that refused to help and to deny any descendants of those tribes political power within Israel.

One of the constant themes that runs throughout the entire Book of Deuteronomy is the phrase “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt!” God doesn’t want the Israelites forgetting that reality. The day the Israelites lose sight of the reality of slavery and of what God has done for them, they are headed for disaster.

APPLICATION: Today is New Year’s Eve. Many people will spend tonight in church services while others will attend parties. But no matter how we spend this evening, we must REMEMBER!

We must REMEMBER how God has preserved us throughout the year.

We must REMEMBER how God has provided for us, sometimes miraculously.

We must REMEMBER those friends and loved ones whom we have lost this year and pray for those who are still sick and suffering.

We must REMEMBER that it is God who will lead us and guide us into a prosperous and peaceful New Year. God will be our refuge and strength. God will be our helper. Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they who build it labor in vain.”

Here in Ghana, we have the Gye Nyame Adinkra symbol, a symbol of reliance on God. As we enter the New Year, let us look to God and to no one else!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us throughout this year. As we enter a new year, let us enter it following hard after You and You alone. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

 

Deuteronomy 24: 6 – 15 “Do not take a pair of millstones or even an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that would be taking one’s livelihood as security.

If a man is caught kidnapping one of his Israelite brothers, whether he treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from among you.

In cases of infectious skin diseases, be careful to diligently follow everything the Levitical priests instruct you. Be careful to do as I have commanded them. Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the journey after you had left Egypt.

When you lend anything to your neighbor, do not enter his house to collect security. You are to stand outside while the man to whom you are lending brings the security out to you. If he is a poor man, you must not go to sleep with the security in your possession; be sure to return it to him by sunset, so that he may sleep in his own cloak and bless you, and this will be credited to you as righteousness before the LORD your God.

Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise, he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

When God was giving these commands, He knew how wicked the human heart could be. God knew that there would be people who leant money to others and that some of these people would truly be skinflints!

A money lender was not allowed to take the upper (moveable) grindstone as collateral because nobody could run a grinding mill without it. If a money lender came to collect the collateral, he was forbidden to enter a poor man’s house to look for the collateral. Even if a poor man had to give up his cloak for collateral, the money lender had to return it at night so that man would not freeze in the cold of the night.

Hired hands were to be paid regularly and on time; failure to do so could lead to the workers crying out against the unfair master.

While a poor man might sell himself or a child as a hired servant, nobody was to kidnap a fellow Israelite, either to treat him as a slave or to sell him. Kidnapping was punishable by death.

What about the injunction regarding skin diseases? There were elaborate rituals the priests were to employ to determine if a disease was infectious or not and whether or not it had burned out. The story regarding Moses’ sister Miriam was told in Numbers 12. Miriam and Aaron chose to rebel against Moses, with Miriam possibly taking the lead. Aaron really was a follower and not a leader. God Himself confronted Miriam and Aaron and caused Miriam to break out in leprosy, requiring her to be set outside the camp for a week. God healed Miriam but warned Aaron and her that Moses was God’s chosen vessel and not them.  

APPLICATION: The themes throughout these verses are regard for the poor and helpless and justice and righteousness. God wants His people to be holy in all their dealings, not just when they are offering sacrifices at the temple. If God is not Lord of everything in the lives of the Israelites, then they are not behaving as His people.

What is the basis for our behavior? Is God Lord of our lives, or are we living according to any other standards? As 2021 draws to a close, we need to stop and ask ourselves how have we honored God in our lives this year?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to honor You in every area of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.