Remembrance of grace

Deuteronomy 16:1-22

Three times a year, all the men of Israel, are commanded to meet as one congregation before the Lord their God in the place which he chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths. No man shall come empty-handed, but every man shall give in accordance to the blessing that the Lord God has given him. Their culture was agrarian; therefore, their meeting together centered around feasts. 

The first feast, the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread was in the month of Abib, the first month in the Jewish calendar. This commemorated the Exodus from Egypt. They were to sacrifice the Passover Lamb, in the evening, at the place that the Lord God designated among them, then eat unleavened bread for severn days. The seventh day of this feast was to be a solemn assembly to the Lord their God.

So, the first feast commemorates the Lord’s Passover of their first born in Egypt, and their Exodus from Egypt, but the next two feasts have to do with thanksgiving. The second feast, the Feast of Weeks, began seven weeks after they began cutting the grain of the field. The third feast, the Feast of Booths began seven days after they had gathered the grain of the field. Entire families celebrated these feast and they included the Levite, the stranger, the orphan and the widow in these two thanksgiving feasts. 

The Lord God was to be their King, and his commandments, their law; therefore, they were to appoint judges and officers in all their towns to judge the people with righteous judgment. They were not to distort justice or be partial, nor take a bribe. The Lord is a just God, therefore, the judges whom they appointed must make righteous judgments. They are to do as the Lord commands and not add to it the things done by the people of the land.

Christ Jesus assigned his church two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s supper. My Christian denomination is Baptist and we refer to baptism and the Lord’s supper as ordinances commanded by Christ, but other denominations refer to them as sacraments, which implies conveyance of grace. I do not believe that these convey grace, but should be understood in the same context as the three feasts commanded by the Lord to the sons of Israel. Ordinance means decree or command; therefore, I believe that baptism and the Lord’s supper were commanded by Christ, to the church, as remembrances of the grace that he has already given us.

The Remission of Debts

Deuteronomy 15:1-23

Every seven years the sons of Israel were to grant a remission of debts , not exacting what is owed from his neighbor and his brother because the Lord has given them remission. The sons of Israel were to freely give to the poor and needy without regard to the nearness of the seventh year, the year of remission, for the Lord promises a blessing if they give but considers it sin if they do not. The Lord allows poor to be in the land as a test. All Hebrew slaves are to be released from service in the seventh year and are to be provided well at their release; however, they may stay, not by coercion, but if it is their desire and an awl shall pierce their ear into the door and they shall serve that household forever. They shall not think it difficult to set a Hebrew slave free. Once a year, all the first born of the herd and flock were to be eaten before the Lord their God in the place that he chooses; however, if it has a defect, it shall not be sacrificed to the Lord but can be eaten at home.

Every seventh-day the sons of Israel were to rest from all of their labors and every seventh-year they were to release all debts and all Hebrew slaves. The sons of Israel were to have giving hearts and take care of the poor among them. The slavery in Israel was not to be a type of slavery in which a man is coerced into slavery but  a type in which he could work and eat during a difficult time. The main theme in this passage is giving; giving funds to the poor and giving work to the needy. However, debts could not be permanent, nor could slavery; this prevented evil men from abusing his neighbor and brother. 

These laws regarding the seventh-year, are thought of as civil law, by those who partition the law into moral, civil and ceremonial law. They believe that the civil and ceremonial law is done away in Christ, but the moral law is binding for the Christian. They use the words of Jesus, recorded in Matthew 5:19, as a proof text that the moral law is binding for the Christian; however, they assume that Jesus partitioned the law as they do, and meant the laws that they consider moral law, and not the civil and ceremonial laws. Here is the problem, Jesus did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets (The Old Testament) but to fulfill. (Mt 5:17) One of Jesus’ first sermons was in his hometown of Nazareth, he read Isaiah 61:1-2 in their synagogue on the Sabbath (seventh-day).

“THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,

BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.

HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,

AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,

TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,

TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” (Lk 4:18-19)

After closing the book, Jesus gave it back to the attendant and sat down (the position of a Jewish teacher) and everyone waited for him to speak. Jesus said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus came announcing the sabbatical year, but this announcement was not for the Jew only, but for the gentile also, and this enraged the people in the synagogue. (Lk 4:20-30) The law cannot be partitioned, because it is one law, and Jesus came to fulfill the whole law. “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt 7:12)

Mercy Extended

Deuteronomy 14:1-29

The sons of Israel were to be different because they are chosen as the Lord’s possession. Of the Land animals, they could only eat animals that have split hooves and chew the cud. Of the water animals, they could only eat fish that have both scales and fins. They could eat grain eating birds but could not eat meat eating birds. They could not eat anything that died of itself and they could not boil a young goat in its mothers milk to eat it. They were to take one-tenth of the produce each year and eat it together as one, at the place where the Lord chose to establish his name. They were to remember the Levite in their town and provide for the needs of the Levite. Every third year, they were to give the tithe to Levite, the alien, the orphan and the widows who live in their hometown. 

This section of Moses’ great sermon, “Deuteronomy,” reminds me of Matthew 5:21-46. This section of Jesus great sermon, “The Sermon on the Mount,” has nothing to do with food regulations like Deuteronomy 14:1-29 does, but is about being different in the way we treat people. The apostle Peter said of the Christian: 

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. (1 Pt 2:9-10)

Peter was using the language of Deuteronomy 14:2 towards gentile Christians, calling us, “A chosen race...A people for God’s own possession.”

Out of all the people on the earth, God chose the nation of Israel for his own possession. The gospel is not replacement theology but an extension of the mercy of God, to people from “every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Rv 5:10)

Today is Thursday, November 19, 2020, in one week we celebrate a national holiday in the United States of America called Thanksgiving. This holiday was first observed by Christian separatist, who fled persecution from the church of England. They had a harvest feast to the Lord as one congregation, a Thanksgiving feast. The sons of Israel were commanded by Moses to have an annual Thanksgiving feast, together, as one congregation, in the place that the Lord choose to call his name among them. However, every third year, the one-tenth of the produce eaten during the feast was given to the poor, even the alien living in their town.

Destroy Idolatry

Deuteronomy 13:1-18

If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you who gives you a sign or a wonder and the sign or wonder comes true, if he says, “Let us go after other gods and let us serve them,” do not listen to that prophet or dreamer of dreams. The Lord God is allowing him to perform signs and wonders to test you, to see if you will go after other gods. You are to love and serve the Lord your God only. This spokesmen shall be put to death because he has tried to seduce you from the way. All evil shall be purged from among you. Even if it is a friend or family member, if they try to seduce you to go after other gods and serve them, do not listen to them and they shall be put to death. If a city in Israel becomes seduced, then that city shall be destroyed and no booty shall be taken from it.

It is likely that the Sanhedrin used the law, given by Moses in Deuteronomy 13, to arrest Jesus and put him to death. Even today, the Jew believes that the Christian worships another god, a god that they have not known. However, Jesus did not try and seduce the sons of Israel to go after other gods, but claimed to be the Son of God. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” (Jn 10:30) “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” (Jn 8:19) And when Phillip asked to see the Father, Jesus said to him, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (Jn 10:9) 

Was Jesus a prophet or dreamer of dreams, that should have been put to death, because he counseled rebellion against the Lord God or is he the Son of God? Jesus performed seven miraculous sings in the gospel according to John, which testify about him, that he is the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said, “The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify of me.” (Jn 10:25) The resurrection on the third day is the greatest sign of all, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. 

John 10:17-18

“For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

Assembling Together

Deuteronomy 12:1-32

The people whom they were about to dispossess from the land worshiped their gods and the mountain tops. On these, they placed altars, sacred pillars and wooden symbols of a female deity called Asherim. Moses instructed the sons of Israel to destroy all of these things. They were to come together as a single congregation and worship the Lord their God in a place that the Lord chose from among them. They were not to do as the nations before them did; the things that they did were abominable acts which the Lord hates. 

They were to think of themselves as one community under the Lord their God. They were to not to make altars and offer up sacrifices apart from their brethren. Moses made a distinction between eating meat as a meal and the act of offering up sacrifices to God. They could eat meat at their homes but must pore out the blood on the grown because the life is in the blood. However, their sin sacrifices, free will offering, the sacrifice of the first born; all of these must be done in the place that the Lord designates from among their people. 

This has not changed in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the temple of the living God. He alone is our living sacrifice. He died for our sins according to the Scriptures and he was buried and he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures and he appeared to his chosen apostles. (1 Cor 15:3-5) Jesus Christ is our Prophet better than Moses, he is our Priest better than Aaron, and he is our king better than David. We are not to forsake the assembling together; we are to come together and encourage one another, and stimulate one another to love and good deeds. The temple no longer exist in Israel. The true temple of the Lord has become flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. The church building is not a replacement temple. There are not temples dotting the landscape as on the mountain tops of Canaan. There is one temple, one sacrifice and one Lord who is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. However, we are to not forsake the assembling together. The church building is a place for us to assemble, that we may encourage one another, and stimulate one another to love and good deeds. (cf. Heb 10:19-25) 

Blessing and Curse

Deuteronomy 11:1-32

What does it say?

They whom Moses was speaking this sermon too, saw with their own eyes the great things that the Lord did in their midst. It is for their benefit to keep every commandment which Moses is commanding them in this sermon. If they keep the Lord’s commandments, then the Lord will give rain for their fields, but if they worship other gods, the Lord will not give rain to water their crops or give grass for their cattle. They should, therefore, teach the law that Moses is commanding them to their children, so the Lord will take care of them in the land and defeat their enemies. In this sermon, Moses is setting before the sons of Israel a blessing if they listen to what Moses is commanding them and a curse if they do not listen to the commandments of the Lord God. Moses commanded them to place the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal in the land of their possession. 

What does it mean?

The sons of Israel were given the choice of blessing or curse: blessing if they keep the commandments of the Lord, that Moses gave them in this sermon, or curse if they do not keep the commandments. The law of Moses is comprised of statutes, ordinances and commandments, but the law of Christ is a person, the law of Christ is Christ. Like the sons of Israel were promised blessing if they kept the law given to them by Moses and curse if they did not, we too are promised blessing and curse. However, ours is not an external law of statues, ordinances and commandments but an internal law of love. Jesus promised to return and separate the sheep from the goats; he will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. The difference between the sheep and the goats is love. The goats will go away into eternal punishment but the sheep into eternal life. (Mt. 25:31-46)

What Shall I do?

All of Jesus commandments are based on loving God and loving people. If we love God, we will love the people made in his image.  The apostle John wrote: 1 John 4:20-21

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

Jesus taught more than love of brother, more than love of neighbor but to love ones enemies and calls this kind of love perfect. (Mt 5:43-48)

Fear the Lord Your God

Deuteronomy 10:1-22

What does it say?

Moses recounts how the Lord reinstated the covenant that the sons of Israel broke. When Moses came down from the mountain and saw what the sons of Israel were doing with the golden calf, he shattered the two tablets, written on by the Lord, the Ten Commandments. The Lord commanded Moses to make an ark of acacia wood, cut out two stone tablets like the former ones and come up on the mount. The Lord wrote on the two stone tablets, “The Ten Commandments” which the Lord had spoken to them on the mountain from the midst of the fire. They were put into the ark, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, receiving instruction from the Lord. One of those instructions was regarding the Levites, set apart as servants to the Lord. Moses explains that the Lord God only requires of them loyal love, obedience and trust. The Lord God had no need of them or their fathers but he chose to love them. The Lord is God of gods and the Lord of Lords. The Lord is great and mighty and awesome. The Lord does not show partiality or take a bribe. He gives justice to the weak and he loves all people.

What does it mean?

The Lord does not require much from man but man always fails in his covenant obligations to the Lord. The Lord is a God of lovingkindness and he is a God of justice. Man’s lovingkindness is partial and man’s justice is partial. The Lord only wants us to but love him with all of our heart, mind and soul; this is demonstrated by loyalty, obedience and trust. The Lord does not show partiality; therefore, we should not show partiality. The Lord is kind to all people; therefore, we should be kind to all people. The Lord is always just; therefore, we should always be just.

What shall I do?

I shall fear the Lord Jesus Christ. I shall walk in his ways. I shall love him and serve him with all of my heart, mind and soul. I shall observe all that Jesus commanded his disciples. I shall do this, not to earn his love, but because he first loved me. “But God demonstrates his own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinning, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8) I shall be loyal to Jesus, observe his commandments and trust his word.