January 14, 2014 - Tuesday

Start Time: 5:26 A.M.

End Time: 6:11 A.M.

Title: Idolatry and False Prophets

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 13:1 – 18  

God’s Message / God’s Promises / God’s Commands:

→ Moses then spoke about a prophet or one who foretells by dreams who should appear among them and show them sign or wonder and the sign or wonder should come to pass concerning what he said to them, (false prophets convincing them to serve and follow other gods whom they have not previously known).  Moses told them not to listen to the words of the prophet or dreamer, for the Lord their God will be testing them to see if they love Him with all their mind and being.  They must follow the Lord their God and revere only Him; and they must observe His commandments, obey Him, serve Him and remain loyal to Him.  As for the prophet or dreamer, he must be executed because he encouraged rebellion against the Lord their God who brought them from the land of Egypt redeeming them from that place of slavery and because he has tried to entice them from the way the Lord their God has commanded them to go.  In this way, they must purge out evil from within.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God who does not tolerate sin and does not allow it to destroy His people!  God’s love for us is so strong that He even warned us ahead of time of what the enemy will do and instructed us how to deal with the enemy when he tries to entice us to follow other gods. 

Ø God is a holy God and sin cannot stand in His presence and vice versa!  God cannot stand when sin is around that’s why He makes sure that sin is purge out from within us.  His goodness and love will lead the washing out or cleansing out of our sins from within.  Hallelujah!  Thank You Jesus!

→ Moses continued by saying supposed their own brother, son, daughter, beloved wife or their closest friend should seduce them secretly and encourage them to go and serve other gods that neither them nor their ancestors previously known.  They must not give in to the gods of the surrounding people, whether near them or far from them.  They are not to listen to these false prophets and dreamers; do not feel sympathy for him or spare him or cover up for him.  Instead, they must kill him without fail!  Their own hand must be the first to strike him, and then the hands of the whole community.  They must stone him to death because he tried to entice them away from the Lord their God who delivered them from the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.  Thus all Israel will hear and be afraid; no longer will they continue to do evil like this among them.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God of Righteousness!  Because He is a Righteous God, He cannot compromise His standards!  He gives what each one deserves and for those who are false prophets and dreamers, their fate is sealed!  They are sentenced to humiliation and death.  God understands the importance of keeping oneself’s pure and allowing a simple sin or a small lie to dwell in one’s self means, allowing your whole self to be corrupted!  That’s why God is firm with His decisions to kill these false prophets!  Again, this is for our own good.  Our minds may be seeing just what is now so we feel sympathy towards evil but God sees ahead and He sees that our compassion or sympathy towards sin will leads to our destruction!

Ø God is a God who gives us the power and authority to defeat and subdue our enemy!  God said that our own hands must be the first to strike the enemy and then the hands of the whole community!  This means that God has given us the power to overcome and defeat sin!  As we do so, the whole people of God will be our support as we overcome sin after sin or trial after trial in our lives!  Praise God!  Thank You Lord for giving me the power and authority!

→ Suppose they should hear in one of their cities, which the Lord their God gave them a place to live that some evil people have departed from among them to entice the inhabitants of their cities to serve other gods.  They must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully.  If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among them, they must by all means slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword; annihilate with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock.  They must gather all of its plunder into the middle of the plaza and burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord their God.  It will be an abandoned ruin forever – it must never be built again.  They must not take for themselves anything that has been placed under judgment.  Then the Lord will relent from His intense anger, show them compassion, have mercy on them, and multiply them as He promised their ancestors.  Thus they must obey the Lord their God, keeping all His commandments and doing what is right before Him.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God who rewards us!  Moses said that when the people do what is right, which is slaughter the inhabitants of the city where evil dwells and must not take for themselves anything from that place, then the Lord will relent His intense anger, show them compassion, have mercy on them, and multiple them as promised!  God is a God who does not only bless us without conditions but He also rewards us when we obey and follow His commands!  Amazing Lord! 

Ø God is a God whose anger is directed towards sin and never towards His people!  Time and time again, it is written that God hates sin but always, He gives His people who committed sin chance to get out.  Even before they commit sin, He already told them about it so that they won’t be enticed and end up sinning.  That’s how great God’s love is for us!

Realization / Application:

Ø God is a God who is Righteous and does not tolerate sin.  Sin cannot stand in His presence and vice versa!  God’s judgment is always towards sin but His love and grace is abounding that He is able to warn us beforehand or give us a way out so we won’t sin and end up being away from Him.  He loves us so much and wants to be with us closely so He reiterated the importance of following His commands because if we do, we are not tempted to choose sin.  Yet if we do, His Grace is still sufficient and abounding that it gives us chance after chance to repent and go back to Him.  What a Wonderful God we serve!

Ø God is a rewarder!  He does not only bless us, He also rewards us!  Aside from His overflowing blessings every day, He has set rewards for us when we do His will or commands.  So why settle for just being blessed?  Why not aim to be rewarded as well?

Ø God’s love is always greater than His anger so He always find a way to show His compassion instead of His wrath towards us for the things we did against Him!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Your love amazes me everyday!  It never fails to draw me closer to You.  You are a Righteous God and I am forever grateful that You gave me Your righteousness so I may be worthy and boldly come before You.  Father, thank You for Your amazing love and grace that is upon me every day of my life.  I cannot imagine life without it.  I know it will be a total waste and a total wreck.  But Your favor, grace and love has surrounded me and has kept me thru the challenges of life here on earth.  Holy Spirit, thank You because You are not only a blesser but a rewarder as well.  Thank You because You know me more than I know myself and You know my heart’s desires.  Lord help me to always remember and be under Your wings wherever I go, wherever I am, and whatever I do.  Let Your Amazing Love, Abundance of Grace and Favor, continue to shower upon me daily.  I love You Lord.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!