Burunche’s Blog

Deuteronomy 18:15 – 22 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him. This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!” Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that that prophet speaks in My name. But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.”

You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”

EARTHQUAKES!!! FIRE!!! SMOKE!!!! THE DEAFENING SOUND OF AN ENORMOUS RAM’S HORN BEING BLOWN!!!! When the Israelites were shaking in their sandals below Mount Sinai, they had plenty of reasons. Finally, things became so terrifying that the Israelites begged God to speak to Moses and to let Moses speak to them. “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!”

God agreed with the Israelites and spoke his words through Moses; however, God also promised that He would raise up others who would speak for Him. “I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that that prophet speaks in My name.” But the Israelites were bound by oath to listen to God’s prophets and to follow what they would say.

Later in the Old Testament we realize the Israelites were much better at begging than they were at listening. Even when prophets were obviously legitimate and many of their prophecies had already come to pass, the Israelites still wanted to argue with God. Read the last several chapters of the Book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah had been prophesying for many years. Now the Babylonians had captured Israel and an assassin backed by the Ammonites had murdered Gedaliah, the military commander left in charge of the Israelites left behind. The remaining Israelites came to Jeremiah, begging for him to tell them what God wanted them to do. But they weren’t really interested in God’s Will; they already knew that they wanted to run off to Egypt and they were hoping that somehow God through Jeremiah would rubber stamp their schemes. When God through Jeremiah exposed the treachery of the remnant and warned them that they all would die if they left for Egypt, they all refused to listen and went to Egypt anyway. In this case, God did hold those people responsible and when the Babylonians invaded Egypt, they all died. Had they followed God’s instructions and remained in Judah, they would have lived.

Prophecy is a tricky business! There are many self – styled prophets; however, God has three tests for the truth of a prophecy: Does the prophecy come true? Does the prophecy line up with God’s word? In whose name is the prophecy being given?

“But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death… When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”

APPLICATION: In this age of social media, it is easier than ever before to access prophecies of various kinds. But telling the fake from the real can be a daunting challenge. God actually calls very few people to be prophets, and there are many people who claim to be prophets and prophetesses who are not.

One of the hallmarks of God’s Holy Spirit is a peace that passes understanding. When someone gives a prophecy, no matter how loudly they shout or how dramatically they speak, if the Holy Spirit Peace does not accompany those words, don’t listen.

The calling to be a prophet is a very difficult one. Read the Bible and you will see that many of the most outstanding prophets suffered a great deal during their lives and died gruesome deaths. Anyone who is unwilling to suffer for the sake of the Word of God is not a true prophet and should be ignored.

Advent season is upon us, and some of the loveliest prophecies regarding the birth of Jesus came through the prophet Isaiah. But Isaiah was ostracized by his own people and eventually was murdered by those who hated his prophecies. Nonetheless, the words of Isaiah continue to live in our hearts.

“For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth, even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for sending Your Word to advise us and to encourage us. Help us to trust You when a real prophet speaks. Help us to know when someone is faking prophecy and should be ignored. Thank You for fulfilling Your prophecies and sending Your Son Jesus to live and die as the ultimate Sacrifice for our sins. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 18:9 – 14 “When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or familiar spirit, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.

You must be blameless before the LORD your God. Though these nations, which you will dispossess, listen to conjurers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.”

Reading the accounts of how the Israelites entered the Promised Land and considering how they had behaved beforehand, one might wonder if the Israelites were really any better than the people whom they were being called to annihilate. Here God describes some of the evil practices that have brought these people to the brink of extinction. But were these people always this evil? No. Remember that when God was conversing with Abraham in Genesis 15, God mentioned that “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Abraham was actually friends with some of the Amorites and had treaties with them. (Genesis 14)

When God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 15, God already knew that these tribes that were inhabiting Canaan were going to become progressively more evil. Here Moses describes many of the despicable practices of these tribes, warning the Israelites against them.

APPLICATION: What makes magic and witchcraft so attractive? The temptation presented by any form of magic is CONTROL! Control of people, of events, of circumstances, and of one’s own destiny. Unfortunately, magic sometimes works just enough to entice people further and further onto a path that leads to self – destruction. The horrific practice of sacrificing children to Molech has its roots in the belief that children are perfect and innocent and therefore worthy sacrifices. Unfortunately, today children are aborted with all kinds of reasons being given. The means may be different but one thing has not changed: the shedding of innocent blood brings curses on a land.

What about ouija boards, tarot cards, seances, and other forms of divination? Divination will work to the extent that demons will gladly give answers and impress and frighten as many people as possible. But these practices are extremely dangerous, as they can lead to demon possession, depression, despair, and spiritual and physical death. One thirteen year old girl in a Sunday School class described her horror when her friends at a slumber party decided to look in a mirror and call on “Mary Worth” to give them answers. This girl was wise enough to realize the danger of that practice, and we prayed for her, breaking off any and all curses she might have gotten from that experience.

What about consulting dead relatives or some other familiar spirits? Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,” Certainly there have been recorded instances when loved ones who have died have appeared briefly to people. But the One from whom we should be seeking guidance is God and not a dead relative. Why should we think that people who have died will have any more knowledge than they did while they were alive?

1 Samuel 15:23 says, “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry.” When we attempt to control anything by means of magic or divination, we are rebelling against God and setting ourselves up in place of God. God wants to be Number One in our lives, and there should be no compromising. Despite knowing this, many of us still try to manipulate and hedge our bets by indulging in occultic practices. Jesus told his disciples that it was impossible to serve two masters, and that is still true. Only service to the One True Living God brings eternal life. Anything else or anything less leads to spiritual death.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to worship only You and to completely reject any and all forms of magic and witchcraft. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 18: 1 – 8 “The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the offerings made by fire to the LORD; that is their inheritance. Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.

This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach. You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock. For the LORD your God has chosen Levi and his sons out of all your tribes to stand and minister in His name for all time.

Now if a Levite moves from any town of residence throughout Israel and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose, then he shall serve in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who stand there before the LORD. They shall eat equal portions, even though he has received money from the sale of his father’s estate.”

It all began with a disaster that nearly forced God to wipe out the Israelites! Exodus 32:26 tells the horrible story. While Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the Israelites became impatient. Never mind that seventy of their elders had already been up on the mountain, feasting in the presence of God. The Israelites pressured Moses’ brother Aaron into creating a copy of the Egyptian god Hathor, whose worship included orgies. When the idol was complete, the party started. God ordered Moses to go down to the camp quickly because the people had perverted themselves.

“Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them run wild and become a laughingstock to their enemies. So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.

He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”

The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead. Afterward, Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for service to the LORD, since each man went against his son and his brother; so He has bestowed a blessing on you this day.” (Exodus 32:25 – 29)

That day when the Levites slaughtered all those engaged in the golden calf orgy, they were unwittingly making a choice. Moses issued a general call, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” Anybody could have answered that call, but it was the Levites who did so, and it was not even all the Levites. God ordered the Levites to slay their brothers, their friends, and their neighbors, and they did so. Some Levites might even have been forced to kill their own sons. (v. 29)

What the Levites didn’t realize was that God will be no man’s debtor. While the Levites were purging the camp from lust and perversion, God was already preparing an eternal heritage for them. Because the Levites stood for God, no matter the cost, God selected the Levites to be priests before Him forever. Any offerings, any sharing of first fruits, any good things brought to the Lord were to be shared with the Levites. In the future, wherever the Levites found themselves, they could expect help from their Israelite brothers and sisters.

APPLICATION: Inheritances! There are few experiences more wrenching than hearing a will being read and listening to the heirs arguing afterwards. One brother and sister didn’t speak to each other for nearly five years because of a dispute over their grandmother’s estate. In the end, the things these two argued over remained in boxes in storage somewhere, benefiting nobody.

The Levites could inherit whatever possessions their fathers left to them; however, they were not given large tracts of land or many cities. God wanted the Levites to focus their attention on Him and not on conducting business. God wanted the Levites to realize that their hope was in Him and that He was the One who would reward them, giving them an eternal inheritance.

One day, the Apostle Peter came to Jesus to ask him a question. ^“Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. (Mark 10:28-30)

The Levites gave up their most precious possessions – their own family members and their friends. God answered that sacrifice by giving them rewards wherever they would find themselves. God knows our needs even before we do. When we willingly choose to serve God faithfully, God will provide for us in ways we cannot even imagine.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to trust You and to worship You, knowing that You can care for us far better than we can care for ourselves. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 17:14 – 20 “When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers.

But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’ He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.

When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes. Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.

This passage is one of the saddest ones in the Bible. Why? Because NONE of the kings of Israel or Judah EVER actually followed these instructions! God recognizes the fact that the Israelites are going to want a king and only advises them to select a fellow Israelite and not a foreigner. This king is to be the ruler of God’s choosing, not merely selected by a popularity contest. So far, so good. But now come the tough parts.

But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’ He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.

Read the accounts of King Solomon’s wealth and the number of his wives and concubines and you realize that Solomon totally blew it as far as these commands are concerned. King Solomon was actively trading in horses, including importing them from Egypt. Solomon took many wives from different nations who worshiped a host of pagan gods and these women turned Solomon’s heart away from God. Solomon accumulated so much silver and gold that silver was counted as nothing in his day.

Even though Solomon was renowned for his wisdom and composed parables and wrote on so many different subjects, there is never any record of his having made a written copy of God’s statutes. In the end, Solomon vented his boredom and his frustrations by pronouncing that all the things he had treasured most turned out to be mere vanity.

“So if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is futile.” (Ecclesiastes11:8)

Why would God order the king to write his own copy of God’s laws? It is a proven fact that when students take notes by hand, they seem to remember things better than when they use keyboards. God wanted the kings to have their own personal copies so that they could continue to study His Word and so that they would rule wisely. God also wanted the kings to remain humble and to teach their sons to honor His Word also, so that their sons would rule wisely as well. Sadly, that never happened. Even King Hezekiah, who was considered a very righteous king, was the father of King Manasseh, one of the most evil kings ever to rule Judah.

APPLICATION: It’s highly unlikely that any of us are going to become kings or queens, but we may very well find ourselves in positions of leadership. God’s pattern for leaders is that they remain humble and study His Word thoroughly and repeatedly. Godly leaders serve and do not lord it over others.

Here in Ghana, when a young person is given a position of leadership before he/she is able to handle it well, if that person begins throwing his/her weight around, people will say that person has “grown horns.” Jesus gave us a perfect example of Godly leadership; He was inspired, hard working, caring, and compassionate. But most of all, Jesus remained close to His Heavenly Father through prayer and the study of God’s Word. Those of us in leadership would do well to follow that example.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to remember Your instructions for leaders. Help us to study Your Word and to become close to You through prayer. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 17: 8 – 13 “If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose. You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and they will give you a verdict in the case.

You must abide by the verdict they give you at the place the LORD will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you, according to the terms of law they give and the verdict they proclaim. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from the decision they declare to you.

But the man who acts presumptuously, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, or to the judge, must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel. Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will no longer behave arrogantly.”

Acting on the advice of his father – in – law, Jethro, Moses had organized the Israelites into groups for settling disputes. There were mediators over tens, hundreds, and thousands. These judges were capable of handling the vast majority of the disputes. Really major problems such as bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults were referred to the Levitical priests and the judge presiding at that time. The idea behind this panel of judges was that they would come to a just and righteous decision. All those involved in the legal matter were to follow any instructions completely.

But what happened if someone refused to abide by the verdict? Anyone refusing to follow the instructions laid down by the judge and the priests was to be put to death. Why was God so harsh? God knew the hearts of the Israelites and He knew that given any opportunity at all, they would argue and attempt compromises. Such people might even engage in magic in an effort to sway the judges, to overturn their verdict, or even to retaliate in some way.

APPLICATION: When God ordained the priests and Levites and judges, He intended for them to give fair and righteous decisions. The threat of death was necessary because the Israelites wouldn’t have respected the courts otherwise. God knew that without a major penalty, the Israelites would have developed selective hearing; they would have listened if a decision seemed favorable and ignored anything that didn’t suit them. God wanted His people to respect His Words, even when those words were coming from humans.

How carefully do we listen to God? How many times do we try to bend or manipulate circumstances or people to fit our own desires? How many times do we tell ourselves half – truths? I had a fascinating experience in a Sunday School class in Ghana recently. We were discussing corruption and how Christians should handle the temptations to cheat, steal, tell half – truths, etc. One young woman gave a perfect example as she described one of her school mates who was fond of “borrowing” pencils, pens, food, etc. The class agreed that those who began in this fashion would simply become worse as they grew older and entered the work force.

Those who failed to follow the instructions of the priests and judges were to be put to death. Blessedly, we don’t have to worry about such things, but the question remains: Do we take God and His Word seriously or do we pick and choose the parts we like and ignore the rest? When we begin choosing only those things that are pleasant, we are fooling ourselves. Disobedience and witchcraft are still two sides of the same coin.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to study Your Word and to follow it, even when it seems difficult or unpleasant. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 17:1-7 “You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep with any defect or serious flaw, for that is detestable to the LORD your God.

If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His covenant and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden— and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly.

If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Israel, you must bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and stone that person to death. On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness. The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you.”

WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR PEOPLE TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS??? After 400 years of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites have escaped in one night and have then crossed a body of water on dry land with walls of water standing on either side of them. God has wiped out the largest and most powerful army in the world by sending that water back to its place. The Israelites have traveled throughout an inhospitable waste land for forty years while God has provided food, water, and even meat. During those forty years, God has guided His people by appearing as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Shoes and clothing are just as new and durable as they were at the beginning of the trip. When enemies have attacked, the Israelites have defeated them. These people have been living a forty year long miracle!

You might think that having seen the incredible power of God, the Israelites would have nothing but fear and respect for God. You might think that having seen all these wonders, the Israelites would be anxious to give God the very best sacrifices that they could, out of awe if for no other reason. But God knows the human heart better than we do, and He knows that once the first flush of enthusiasm dies away, men begin scheming to see how small a sacrifice they can get away with. God’s word on this subject is simple: DON’T COMPROMISE!

What about Israelites who become enamoured of other gods? If a report is investigated and found to be true, such people are to die! But notice something: the reports are to be thoroughly investigated and nobody can be stoned without confirmation from two or three witnesses. Again, God has no illusions about the attraction the various cults hold for His people. Among the Israelites, there may still be those who have Egyptian idols or jewelry or who are trying to preserve the worship of some of the Egyptian gods. It has been much easier to get the Israelites out of Egypt than to get Egypt out of the Israelites. The Book of Judges is a sad testimony to the results of tolerating pagan forms of worship. The last statement in the Book of Judges is a very pathetic one. “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25)

APPLICATION: We might read the accounts of the wanderings of the Israelites and feel a bit smug. After all, WE would certainly have behaved better…. or would we? When we are giving to worthy causes, are we giving sacrificially or are we giving what is convenient? If we donate to food banks or to clothing drives, do we try to see what people really need, or do we use these events as an excuse to clean out our cabinets and our closets, with little regard for the things that will actually help others?

What activities occupy our free time? Do we relegate worshiping God to a short time once a week while we play video games for hours? Are we really trusting the One True Living God, or are we trusting our jobs, our reputations, our family, our social connections? Are we frittering away opportunities for eternal blessings by being obsessed with trivialities? Psalm 90:12 tells us, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” If the recent pandemic has not taught us anything else, it should have taught us that life is precious and fragile and that we can sicken and die quickly.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to invest our days in those things that count for eternity. Help us to remember that You have already given us life, and that You have promised that those who trust in You and in Your Son Jesus’ sacrifice will have eternal life. Let us give freely to You, knowing that we can never out – give You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 16:18 – 22 “You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment. Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept any bribes, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

Pursue justice, and justice alone, so that you may live, and you may possess the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole next to the altar you will build for the LORD your God, and do not set up for yourselves a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.”

At first reading these verses, you might wonder if Moses was just lumping the issues of unjust judges together with the proscription of Asherah worship. Wrong! Corruption breeds more corruption, and the corruption from wicked fertility cults would certainly twist the minds of those who were to judge. Nothing happens in a vacuum, and the One True Living God who created men knows this better than does anyone else.

What would cause judges to turn away from truth? Generally, nobody wakes up one morning and just decides that he/she is going to be corrupt. Corruption takes place gradually. The Apostle James described this process: “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:13-15)

What was so terrible about Asherah worship? This form of worship promoted ritual prostitution, perverting God’s gift of sex and undermining the God – given family structure. Asherah worship was supposed to ensure the fertility of the land and bountiful crops; however, the One True Living God had already promised the Israelites that if they would obey His Will and follow His commands, they would enjoy these blessings. The fertility cults preyed on people’s fears that if they didn’t go through elaborate rituals, their crops would fail and they would starve. To turn away from God to engage in fertility rites was to deny everything that God had already done for the Israelites and everything that He promised to do.

In Canaan the Asherah poles and Asherah trees were everywhere. Gregory Elder, blogging for Redlands Daily Facts, January 11, 2007, writes, “It must have been a terrifying and tempting thing to the peoples of antiquity when they saw the impressive temples of the pagan gods, the loud music, the professional priesthoods and their claims that such blood sacrifices and exotic fertility rites could make people’s lives better. The Hebrew God by comparison spent a lot of his career with a solitary ark drawn around in a cart. Later, He had but few holy places for sacrifice and in the days of Solomon these were concentrated into only one temple in Jerusalem. But the humble worship of the Hebrew God, who had no images, ritual tattoos and who rejected child sacrifice, survived.” (redlands@comredlands@dfmdev.com)

APPLICATION: When we read about some of these cults, we might think that they died out in antiquity; however, we would be wrong. As long as people exist, there will always be those who feel that they can sway the future by carrying out magic rituals. The lure of magic consists in the idea that a person can control his/her own fate by engaging in some ritual and that reliance on the God who has created that person is unnecessary.

Cults do not merely appeal to the poorly educated but also to those intellectuals who trust more in themselves than in God. St. Paul wrote describing this problem, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.” (Romans 1:18-22)

The question before us is this: Whom will you trust? If you trust yourself, remember that at any moment you can be stricken with a stroke, a heart attack, a cerebral hemorrhage, or even a fatal accident. The day you die, your hope dies with you. Only trust in the One True Living God is sufficient to deliver any of us from our sins and failures.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to trust You, our Creator, our Deliverer, and the One who knows us better than we know ourselves. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ as the ultimate blood sacrifice for our sins so that we are free from the need to engage in magic of any kind. Lord, let each person who reads this realize Your Truth for himself/herself. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 16:13 – 17 “You are to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. And you shall rejoice in your feast—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.

For seven days you shall celebrate a feast for the LORD your God in the place He will choose, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that your joy will be complete.

Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the LORD empty-handed. Everyone must appear with a gift as he is able, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you.”

The Feast of Tabernacles was one of the “fun feasts” that God gave the Israelites. God wanted to make certain that the Israelites never forgot that they had been slaves in Egypt, that they had escaped miraculously, and that they had been forced to build temporary shelters to protect themselves from the harsh conditions in the wilderness.

This feast was to be celebrated at the end of harvest when food and wine would be readily available. As with the Feast of Shavuot, the Israelites were to make sure that nobody was left out; they were to include their families, their servants, the Levites, the foreigners, and the widows and orphans. Although the feast could be celebrated back in the village, the men of the family were to travel to the temple, bringing with them whatever gifts they could donate to God. In the beginning, the temple was in Shiloh; later on, Solomon built a magnificent temple in Jerusalem and Jerusalem became the center for worship. It was at one of the three major feasts that Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, begged God for a son. After Samuel was weaned, Hannah returned with her husband to celebrate another feast and brought with her the most precious gift she could possibly give: her only son. That free gift that Hannah gave blessed innumerable people and eventually led to the anointing of David to be King over Israel.

What is amazing about this verse is the assumption that every man coming to worship will have some kind of gift to bring with him. Certainly, a poor man struggling to feed his family might wonder if he will have anything worthy of giving to the Lord. But this verse is both law and promise. God is a good Father and does not play games with His children. If God asks for men to bring gifts, then those same men can trust that God will faithfully give them what they need so that they will have no reason to be ashamed.

APPLICATION: Mark 12:41-44 ”Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” In Jesus’ time, it was common for the rich to make grand entrances into the temple, advertising their donations and gaining the approval of the admiring crowds. While some rich person was still strutting and preening, a poor widow with no means of support crept in and quietly gave everything that she had. But Jesus was there, and Jesus immediately knew that this lady was giving up eating for the next few days so that someone else who was worse off than she might be able to survive. Generally, it’s the very poor who are more generous because they have suffered more.

“Who will give ten thousand Ghana cedis? Who will give five thousand Ghana cedis?” We were attending a function and one man had been tasked to handle fund raising. But impassioned appeals to the crowd were falling flat. Finally when the way opened for general donations, the crowd surged forward and gave. None of us felt comfortable having our donations announced.

God gives us all kinds of gifts and many of the most important ones are not monetary. Many people have talents that allow them to help others, and donations of time and energy are just as important as any other donation.

God has given us life and all that goes with it. We should be willing to give back to God out of sheer gratitude for His goodness. We can trust that whatever we give to God will be multiplied and that it will bless far more people than we can possibly imagine.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to trust You and to freely give back whatever you ask from us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Feast of Weeks/Shavuot/Pentecost (Numbers 28:26-31)

Deuteronomy 16:9 – 12 “You are to count off seven weeks from the time you first put the sickle to the standing grain. And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with a freewill offering that you give in proportion to how the LORD your God has blessed you, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and carefully follow these statutes.”

The feast being described here is the Feast of Weeks, also known as the Feast of Pentecost because it is to be celebrated 50 days from the time the grain harvest begins. Traditionally, it marked the beginning of the wheat harvest. This was one of the most joyous festivals God ordained. Unlike the celebration of the Passover, there was no ritual sacrifice connected with this festival; instead, it was a feast of first fruits – offerings that were to be brought to the temple in Jerusalem. Everyone in the community was included in this feast, every family member, all the servants, the Levites who did not farm themselves, the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Nobody was to be left out at this feast! This feast was a celebration of freedom from slavery and of the goodness of God and the abundance of His mercy and grace.

APPLICATION: Acts 2:1-4 begins with these words: “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them  divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The group referred to here was the group of Jesus’ disciples, along with Mary, the mother of Jesus, the brothers of Jesus, and the women who had followed Jesus, about 120 people. All of them were gathered in the Upper Room in which the disciples had celebrated the Passover with Jesus on the night before He was crucified. As observant Jews, Jesus’ followers were celebrating Shavuot/Pentecost. It was no mistake that the Holy Spirit descended as they were praying and celebrating the goodness of God. Psalm 22:3 tells us,”But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.” When we praise God and celebrate His goodness, His Holy Spirit comes to be with us and to help us to praise even more.

Does the Holy Spirit still move in this fashion? Yes! The Sentinel Group (http://www.sentinelgroup.org) headed by George Otis Junior has videos demonstrating how communities have been transformed when their members have come together to pray for revival in their community. The Sentinel Group was recording a video in an Eskimo community when the Holy Spirit began to shake the place. Even though all the sound systems were turned off, the sight and sound of the Holy Spirit descending on this group of believers were clearly recorded and preserved.

“But,” you might ask, “Shavuot was an agricultural festival and I am not a farmer. Can I still celebrate anyway?” Once Jesus Christ came and shed His Blood on the cross at Calvary, He made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. We can celebrate the goodness of God as frequently as possible, making sure to include all those around us who might otherwise go without those things necessary for such a celebration.

What can we offer as first fruits? Recently a friend described to me his experiences in volunteering for an organization that collected food, clothing, and furniture for the needy. One dear lady parceled her donation nicely – the clothing was practically new and there were no rips, no tears, no stains, no missing buttons. This lady had obviously taken these clothes right out of her closet, and they were quite attractive. Then there was the family who had left a sofa out in the Illinois weather for several months but who were trying to demand a tax credit for their donation. When the group refused this execrable object, the man involved angrily huffed, “It’s good enough for poor people, isn’t it?” The team walked away, leaving the man to dispose of his junk on his own.

Why not prayerfully go through your house and ask God if there are things that He wants you to share with others? But be prepared! God may ask you to give up something very special. In 1997 we were preparing to move out of our apartment in New Orleans and to leave for a missionary training program. The antique upright piano on which I had learned to play went to one family. Most of our furniture went to another family who had just returned from the mission field and who had virtually nothing. But the greatest story concerned our Christmas tree. We had a small artificial tree that we had used for several years. That year God told me to decorate the tree with nothing but candy canes, small lights, and red velvet bows, leaving my breakable ornaments in storage. As the volunteers from our church were loading our furniture in a van to send it across town, I suddenly had a nudge to add the Christmas tree to the load. Meanwhile, our friends who had just returned from South America were sitting in their empty apartment waiting for our furniture. “Mary” (not her real name) was in tears because it was Christmas time and she had no Christmas decorations, not even a tree. In addition Mary had just sprained her ankle and was stuck sitting with her foot elevated with an ice pack on it. When the van arrived, the very first item the men removed was that decorated Christmas tree! Now Mary was still crying but her tears were tears of joy! God knew Mary NEEDED that Christmas tree!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us so much that You have ordered us to celebrate and to include all those around us in the celebrations. This Christmas, help us to be generous and to listen to Your Holy Spirit, knowing that untold blessings will follow our obedience. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Deuteronomy 16:1 – 8

The Feast of the Passover (Exodus 12:14-28; Leviticus 23:4-8; Numbers 28:16-25)

“Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.

You are to offer to the LORD your God the Passover sacrifice from the herd or flock in the place the LORD will choose as a dwelling for His Name. You must not eat leavened bread with it; for seven days you are to eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left the land of Egypt in haste—so that you may remember for the rest of your life the day you left the land of Egypt.

No leaven is to be found in all your land for seven days, and none of the meat you sacrifice in the evening of the first day shall remain until morning.

You are not to sacrifice the Passover animal in any of the towns that the LORD your God is giving you. You must only offer the Passover sacrifice at the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name. Do this in the evening as the sun sets, at the same time you departed from Egypt. And you shall roast and eat it in the place the LORD your God will choose, and in the morning you shall return to your tents.

For six days you must eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day you shall hold a solemn assembly to the LORD your God, and you must not do any work.”

In this chapter, Moses describes three major feasts ordained by God: Passover, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles. Why would God institute these feasts and what is their purpose?

Celebrations are vitally important! Celebrations bring families and friends together and create a sense of community. When we celebrate and share love, we are also glorifying God. God is pro – family and wants His children to come together in joyful worship. When we celebrate, we also remind ourselves of the reason for our celebrations. If we forget why we are celebrating, our actions become meaningless.

God instituted Passover to be mark the beginning of the year. Passover celebrates the night on which God delivered the Israelites from slavery and brought them out of Egypt carrying all the precious things their Egyptian neighbors could give them. On the night of Passover, the Angel of Death visited Egypt, killing all the first born children and animals. The only protection for the Israelites was the blood of the sacrificial lamb that they smeared on their doorposts. The Passover lamb that shed its blood was a foreshadowing of the sacrifice Jesus Christ was to make on the cross at Calvary.

God wanted the Israelites to realize that they had been delivered from slavery to freedom and from death to life. The Passover was to mark the beginning of a new way of life for the Israelites as they turned away from the death – centered Egyptian gods to the One True Living God. To mark this holiday, God wanted the Israelites to refrain from work and to eat unleavened bread for seven days. Leaven was used in brewing, an industry that was invented by the Egyptians; hence, leaven was a symbol of everything the Israelites were leaving behind. The eating of unleavened bread was to remind the Israelites that their ancestors had to leave Egypt so urgently that they couldn’t wait for bread to rise, so they baked it without leaven.

APPLICATION: Ask anyone who has had to work away from his/her family for extended periods of time and they will tell you that one of the biggest hardships is being unable to share in family celebrations. Birthdays, holidays, weddings, even funerals – those of us working long distances from our families miss all of these special days. It’s not the food that we miss so much, but the fellowship and love that flows freely at these celebrations. When we look at the photos later, we are the ones who are NOT there, the ones whose faces never appear.

God wanted His people to pursue an entirely new way of life, turning away from everything they had experienced in Egypt. The national feasts were one means of taking a group of slaves and solidifying the Israelites into a nation.

As people move around for work these days and as the threat of COVID continues to loom, family celebrations are becoming more endangered. One good thing is the advent of Zoom meetings and other on-line forms of connection. But make no mistake; there is no substitute for being able to physically hug people and to just be with them!

May we all celebrate the goodness of God and the love we share with family and friends.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to celebrate You as the Source of all goodness and love. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.