January 5, 2013 - Sunday

Start Time: 5:08 A.M.

End Time: 6:15 A.M.

Title: The Privileges of the Covenant

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 4:1 –

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

→ Now, Moses told the Israelites to pay attention to the statutes and ordinances that he is teaching them, so that they may live and go on to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, is giving them.  They are not to add a thing to what God commands them nor subtract from it, so that they may keep the commandment of the Lord their God that he is delivering to them.  They have witnessed what the Lord did at Baal Peor, how God eradicated from their midst everyone who followed Baal Peor (Israelites who died in the wilderness for choosing Baal), but for those who remained faithful to the Lord their God, they were still alive to that very day.  Moses told them to carry out the statutes and ordinances that he has taught them in the land they are about to enter and possess so they are to be sure to do them because this will testify of their wise understanding to the people who will learn of all these statutes and will confirm that their great nation is indeed a very wise people.

NOTES:

Ø When we were under the law, obedience to it is a must to live and enter and take possession of the land that the Lord is giving them.  The law is the law and they are not to add or subtract from it.  Those who remain faithful to it, remained alive and they are to pass those laws and follow them even when they are already inside the Promised land.  Their obedience to it will be the proof of their wisdom and other people will see and testify of their wise nation. – Clearly in the Old Testament, the law is the standard that every man must follow for right living that is acceptable to God.  It is also the basis of wisdom and the Israelites’ obedience to the law will be evident to the rest of the people of the world, which will then confirm Israel’s wisdom.

Ø God is a God who wants to give wisdom to His people.  God wants the world to know that in Him, we become wise!  That’s why, in the old days, He made the law.  His law keeps His people wise and all the more today that we are under Grace!  His grace covers us and leads us to obey the law He has set before us.  Truly God is incomparable because He has found a way many times when we fell short of His standards.  Hallelujah!

Ø The people in the Old Testament has seen the best and the worst of the Lord and He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  God is still just and does not tolerate sin even to this day and His law still exists for us to follow and obey to become wise… The great thing about Jesus in the New Covenant is that His Grace allows us to obey the law without condemning us for our inferiority to His standards because now, His Son’s righteousness covers us daily and empowers us to do His Will.

→Moses reminded the people to pay careful attention, lest they will forget the things they have seen and disregard them for the rest of their lives; instead they are to teach them to their children and grandchildren.  They stood before their Lord their God at Horeb and Moses assembled the people before God so that He can tell them His commands.  They they will learn to revere God all the days they live in the land and they will instruct their children.  God revealed to them the covenant He has commanded them to keep, the ten commandments, writing them on two stone tablets.

NOTES:

Ø Careful attention to the law is needed because as human beings we tend to forget the things we have seen and experienced and disregard them.  So God commanded us to teach the law to our children and grandchildren, not to be condemned by it but to obey it with the help of the fullness of God’s grace in us.  God wants us gathered before Him so He can reveal Himself to us and show us His Will that we may live in obedience to His words.

Ø God is a God who reveals Himself to His people.  God wants to spend time with us.  The reason why He only reveals Himself to us when we are in His presence is because His words are law and in His presence there is Grace.  For us to fully understand and obey His words (law), we need His presence where we find His Grace and Favor that will lead us to obedience.

→ God was careful to show Himself to His people in no form at Horeb because God does not want His people to corrupt themselves by making an image in the form of any kind of figure.  God clearly wrote that we are not to form any images representing Him; He even said that when we loop up to the sky, and see the sun, moon, and stars – the whole heavenly creation – we must not be seduced to worship and serve them for the Lord their God has assigned them to all the people of the world.  The Israelites did this in the wilderness and the Lord became angry with Moses because of the people so Moses was not able to enter the Promise Land.  He is not to cross the Jordan and must die without entering the Promised Land.  Moses despite of this, warned the people to always be on guard so that they do not forget the covenant of the Lord their God and that they do not make an image of any kind just as God has forbidden it.  For the Lord their God is a consuming fire; He is a jealous God!

NOTES:

Ø No image of any kind (human, animals, etc) is acceptable for an image limits who God is.  A specific form depicts a certain limitation of God and cannot portray His vastness, His greatness, etc.  God is omnipresence, omnipotent and omniscience; these 3 characteristics are limitless and when a form is made to represent the Lord, it limits the Lord’s true identity to a specific image.

Ø God is a God who is a consuming fire; He is limitless and is not contain on a specific form.  God remains at large and cannot be contain at a certain height, a certain width, weight, etc.  God is also a jealous God and having any image would require our attention focus on something that is visible to our eyes. 

Ø Moses despite of what the people did that resulted to him not entering the Promised land, still warned the people to be on guard of themselves because as human beings we are forgetful and we easily neglect the work of the Lord in our lives so we need to be reminded all the time.  That’s the reason why we are to teach God to the children because in teaching, both the teacher and the students are learning.

→ If the people becomes corrupt and make an image of any kind and do other evil things before the Lord their God that will enrage Him, these people who do such things will be surely and swiftly be removed from the land they are about to cross the Jordan to possess.  They will not last long there because they will be annihiliated.  The Lord will then scatter them among the peoples and there will be very few of you among the nations where the Lord will drive them.  But if they seek the Lord their God from there, they will find Him, with all their heart and soul.  In their distress when all these things happen, if they return to the Lord their God and obey Him; He will not let them down or destroy them, for He cannot forget the covenant with their ancestors that He confirmed by oath to them.

NOTES:

Ø People corrupt themselves by making images of any kind which enrages God and the punishment is to remove them from the Promised Land, scatter them to other nations, and annihilate them.  This is the law but even in the old days, you will find that God is merciful and gracious for He always listens and hears His people when they return and cry out to Him.  All they need to do is call upon Him and He will come running to save them once again, no matter how many times they turn their backs on God when they return to Him, His arms are open wide for them.

Ø God is a God who is merciful and gracious.  He is also true to His covenant and does not forget His promises.  He does not keep a record of the wrong doings of His people even in the old days for He always open His arms to those who call upon Him. 

→ Moses continued by telling the people how unique God is from all other gods.  In truth, there is no one like Him and Moses spoke of His greatness, His compassion, His Mercy, His Grace, His love, etc.  Moses said, today realize and carefully consider that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth below – these is no other!  Moses told the people to keep His statures and commandments that it may go well with them and their descendants and that they may enjoy longevity in the land that the Lord their God is gives them for permanent possession.

NOTES:

Ø Even in the last words of Moses, he made sure the people knew that their God is no other!  Clearly, Moses had a deep and intimate relationship with the Lord to be able to describe Him as such.  He made sure that the people heard that God is a God who is none like any other gods and that He is God in heaven above and on earth below.  This identity of the Lord was clearly revealed by Him to Moses

Ø God is a God no other!  The Lord of Heaven above and earth below.  He is the Only One and no one can be compare to His greatness, His Grace, His love, His Compassion, His power, His authority, etc.  It is important that we understand this truth and hold on to this reality to live a life in full faith in Him just as Moses did.

Realization / Applications:

Ø God wants to give wisdom to His people; His law is wisdom yet in our own flesh, we cannot obey the Law.  But with God’s grace, it will empower us to obey and follow His words!

Ø God wants to reveal Himself to us; His presence provides us His grace which we need to understand and obey His words which is the Law

Ø God is limitless and cannot be contain in a specific image or form.  The reason why God does not allow an image of Him is because He is vast and at large.  His greatness is not contained in a specific form or image.  When there’s an image visible to our eyes, faith is no longer seen. 

Ø God is merciful and Gracious; He is true to His covenant with us and does not forget His promises to us.  Though we fail and fall short, God’s fulfillment of His promises and covenant is dependent on Him!  Praise God!  His promises are not depended on us or our performance, or our ability to obey but it is purely dependent on His word, His character, His ability!  Amazing God!

Ø God is a God no other! The God of heaven above and the God on earth below.  We serve an amazing and wonderful Lord, His grace, His love, His compassion is abounding for us and we are to fully understand God’s vastness to operate and live in faith every day of our lives.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for You are truly a God no other!  The only One and Unique Lord.  No one can be compared to You Father.  I am grateful that I served a God who is the God of Heaven and Earth.  Lord Thank You because Your words are wisdom and it is law but more importantly, thank You because Your grace will allow me to obey and follow these laws.  Thank You because You have shown me that You are vast and at large.  You are limitless and cannot be contain in a specific image.  Thank You because You want us to walk in faith and not in sight and to do that, we must not contain Your persona in a specific form now should we limit Your identity because You are limitless!  Holy Spirit, help me to experience Your grace every day as You give me wisdom to deal with my every day battles in life.  Lord, let Your grace and favor abound in me today and show me the works of Your hands that I may give Praise to You always.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!