AUGUST 8, 2023 Deuteronomy 33:6 Let Reuben live, and not die, nor let his men be few. Though much of Moses’ blessing for the people was directed to the entire nation, he also was very specific with each of the tribes. If the overall nation was going to succeed in what God called them to do, it […]
AUGUST 7, 2023 Deuteronomy 33:4 Moses commanded a law for us, a heritage of the congregation of Jacob. In the previous devotion, we discussed the importance of a heritage and how it is distinguished from an inheritance. What has been entrusted to God’s people is for all time and cannot be discarded on a whim but […]
AUGUST 6, 2023 Deuteronomy 33:4 Moses commanded a law for us, a heritage of the congregation of Jacob. In these few words much can be understood about the devotion our Jewish friends show toward the Torah. First of all, the words delivered to Moses by the mouth of God were not a passing fad — they […]
AUGUST 4, 2023 Deuteronomy 33:2 The Lord came from Sinai …. From His right hand came a fiery law for them. When God presented the covenant to Israel, it was amidst a display of fire, lightning and thundering. It was so overwhelming that the people, standing at the foot of the mountain, began to tremble. From the midst […]
AUGUST 3, 2023 Deuteronomy 33:2 The Lord came from Sinai .. From His right hand came a fiery law for them. As far as the revelation given to Israel in regard to their call as a nation, Mount Sinai was the starting point. It was here that precepts and principles that had been practiced by […]
AUGUST 2, 2023 Deuteronomy 33:1 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. In this verse, Moses is called “the man of God.” This is the first time in Scripture that this term is used in reference to anyone, but it is not the last time […]
AUGUST 1, 2023 Deuteronomy 33:1 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. As this chapter begins, it describes what happened on the very last day of Moses’ life. After all of the hardship, frustration and disappointment he had experienced on behalf of these people, he […]
JULY 30, 2023 Deuteronomy 32:35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them. Even though this song given to Moses addressed the issues that plagued Israel, God made certain to address the other nations of the world, as […]
Before God can entrust us with great things, we must prove faithful with the little things. Yeshua says, “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much” (Luke 16:10). God tested the children of Israel for forty years in the wilderness before bringing them into the Promised Land to humble them and to see if they would remain faithful to His Torah.
“Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)
During the forty years that the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, God provided for their every need. He fed them manna from heaven and water from a rock. He miraculously preserved their clothing and shoes so that they would not wear out. Through these daily miracles, the children of Israel learned to trust in God for all their physical needs. They learned that “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3).
All of that was about to change. The children of Israel were about to enter the land of promise and enjoy its produce and bounty. They would no longer need to depend on the daily bread from heaven.
God brought Israel through the hardships and trials of the wilderness years in order to train them. “Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son” (Deuteronomy 8:5), Moses told them.
This can be compared to a wealthy man who bequeathed a large inheritance to his son. However, he knew that if he simply gave the money to his son, the young man would forfeit many important life lessons. So the man put the money into a trust and did not tell his son about it. He let his son get a job, acquire a skill, struggle to raise a family, juggle bills, learn to budget and to handle his resources with thrift. When his son asked for financial assistance, the father would give him only a small sum sufficient for the day. When the father was satisfied that the young man had learned to conduct his affairs responsibly, he gave him the inheritance. He said, “Well done, good and faithful son. You were faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Only do not forget the lessons you have learned.”
For forty years in the wilderness, Israel learned to rely on God as the source of their provision and sustenance. They were then ready to enter the land of milk and honey. But Moses warned them not to forget the lessons they learned in the wilderness.
Ekev – עקב : “Because” Torah : Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25 Haftarah : Isaiah 49:14-51:3 Gospels : John 13:31-15:27