January 10, 2014 - Friday

Start Time: 5:27 A.M.

End Time: 6:42 A.M.

Title: Theological Justification of the Conquest

Scriptures: Deutorenomy 9:1 - 30

God’s Messages / God’s Promises / God’s Commands:

→ Moses told the people that they are about to dispossess the nations and when they cross the Jordan, the nations they will be driving away are greater and stronger than them and they live in large cities with extremely high fortifications.  They are to understand that the Lord they God who goes before them is a devouring fire and will defeat and subdue their enemies before them.  They will destroy them quickly and dispossess them.  However they are not to think that it is because of their righteousness that the Lord has brought them to possess this land – in fact it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out ahead of them.  It is not because of the Israelites inner uprightness that they have come to possess the land because they are a stubborn people.  It is because of the wickedness of the nation that God will drive them out of their land and confirm the promise He made to their ancestors.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God who turns negative circumstance into something positive and of value.  Possession of land is important and the wickedness of other nations was turned into the fulfillment of God’s promise to His people!  What an awesome God we have!  He can use the negative situations we have and use it in fulfillment of the promises He made for us.  What a joy to hear such an amazing God who ensures all things that happened, happens and will happen in our lives serve its purpose in us!  Hallelujah!  This passage is showing that God turns the negative into positive.  Because the nations’ wickedness led God to drive them away of their land, which then allowed God to confirm His promise to the ancestors of the Israelites – Truly, all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord.

Ø God is a God who goes before us in our battle!  He is a God who drives wickedness away and blesses us in the process.  He does not tolerate wickedness and gives the wicked what they deserve and in this process of driving away, He blesses those whom He chooses!  This is the great thing about God because when He drives away sins, His people are blessed!  All the more reason that we strive to remove sins in our lives with His Grace because blessings follows after that!  Speaking of Amazing Grace unleashed and poured out!  This is the God we serve!  The God who turns our wrongs into right!

→ Moses continued by telling the people not to forget how they provoked the Lord their God in the desert, from the time they left the land of Egypt until they claim to where they are now – they were constantly rebelling against God.  The Lord gave them the two stone tablets written by the very finger of God and on them was everything He said to them at the mountain from the midst of the fire at the time of that assembly.  Because of Moses’ anger, he grabbed the two tablets, threw them down and shattered them before their very eyes then Moses fell down before the Lord for 40 days and nights – Moses ate and drank nothing for 40 days and nights because of all the sins they had committed, enraging the Lord.  Moses was terrified at the Lord’s intense anger that threatened to destroy the Israelites but God listened to Moses.  The Lord was angry enough to kill Aaron but Moses prayed for Aaron at that time too.  Still the people continued to provoke the Lord at TAberah, Massah and Kibroth-Hattaavah and when God told them to possess the land He gave them, they rebelled against the Lord their God and would neither believe nor obey Him.  They have been rebelling against God from the very first day Moses knew them.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God of Love and Grace!  He is merciful and compassionate to His chosen people.  How majestic His love is?  In this passage, Moses clearly indicated the rebellious acts of the Israelites since the beginning.  Moses said that they have been provoking the Lord since the day he met them.  They provoked Him enough to destroy them in Horeb but our God is abounding in love and grace at all times.  Despite of His anger and right to bring punishment to His people, His mercy and Grace abound that He did not annihilate or wipe them out completely.    He continually rescues and preserves them despite of the actions of His people!  Talking about incredible love and mercy!  Who is like the Lord who has such huge and unbelievable love?  None!  No one is like our Lord God!  Praise His Name forever because of His extraordinary love and grace bestowed upon us, His children!

→ Moses pleaded with God for 40 days and nights so He would not destroy His people.  Moses said to God to remember His servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to ignore the stubbornness, wickedness, and sin of their generation for His Name’s sake.  Moses said to God not to allow people to say that He is unable to bring His people to the land He has promised and because of His hatred for them, He has brought them out to kill them in the desert.    Moses reminded God that these are His people, His valued property whom He brought out with great strength and power.

NOTES:

Ø God is a Sovereign God who does not break His identity, promise and Honor!  His love abounds for us primarily because of His words, His being and His honor!  If God will just look at us as the source of His love, then He has all the right to break His words and promises because we can never be worthy of the promises He made for us.  We have defiled, violated and ruined our part of the covenant but God because of His Being, His Name, His honor, His Sovereignty; turn things around to fulfill His words and promises to His people. 

Application / Realization:

Ø God is a God who turns bad into something that will work for our own good!  He drives away sins from our lives so that blessings can then overflows in our lives.  God’s blessings are constant!  It is already there and it is set to pour out for us.  True – we don’t need to do anything to be blessed for God blesses us no matter what our performance is.  His blessings are not based on our standards or performace.  His blessings for us are based on His capability and standard.  We can’t do anything to receive it and that is why, God, Himself does what need to be done for us to receive it!  He is the one driving away sins from us so we received the blessings He has for us since the beginning of time!  What a remarkable God HE is?  I don’t know but I say, God is pretty amazing  - truly mind blowing and astounding!  What do I need to do?  Nothing!  For His Grace will drive away sins so I will be blessed!  This is what Moses is saying to the Israelites – telling them never to think that it is because of their own righteousness or uprighteousness that God has blessed them.  It is truly not by my own effort!  That’s why all things work together for our good because God makes sure it does!  Incredible!

Ø God is a God of Amazing Love and Grace!  Despite of our stubbornness, of us being hard headed and provoking God in every way, He remains strong in love to us.  His compassion and mercy supersede the anger and rebellious act we do against Him!  What a patient God He is to all of us!  Truly, we are undeserving of everything we receive from Him every day yet He continues to do so as a testament to His Sovereignty and Words!

Ø God is Sovereign God and He upholds His identity and Honor!  He is a God who acts according to His character and identity and He made sure to use His standards as the measurement of His words and promises so no one and nothing can break them!  Only He can break them yet HE doesn’t because He is full of Truth!  Amazing!  Who is like Him?  Again, I say NONE! 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Sovereign God, Almighty Father and King!  I am truly privilege to be chosen as part of Your children.  I am well aware of my unworthiness of this honor and I know that I can do nothing to earn this privilege on my own.  I am forever grateful and amazed of Your love for us.  David was right to ask, what is man that You are mindful of him?  For it is true, we do not have anything to be deserving of such love but it is because of Your standard, of Your Sovereignty, of Your Identity, of Your Words… ultimately because of who You are – that You do all these things!  You specifically choose to make all these promises based on You because You know that if it is based on us, it will never suffice!  It will fall short and we will end up punished and judged!  We are dead even before we can live!  But You are all-knowing and You have seen this coming!  That’s why Your words are based on Your identity and Your Grace and not our own!  Thank You Lord!  Thank You Father!  Thank You Jesus!  Holy Spirit, show me Your Sovereignty every day and Your grace working that I may always remember that it is not of my own that I am blessed.  It is not of my own effort that I am rewarded!  It is not of my own righteousness that I am experiencing You.  It is all because of You!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!