No Idle Words!

Scripture Readings: Deuteronomy 32-34 1 Corinthians 1:2

Bible Verse: 45 When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. 47 They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

Observation:
This is Moses' farewell sermon. He has delivered many messages from God to the people of Israel. Though he has made some mistakes and not always trusted God in every situation, like when he struck the rock in the desert disobeying God's command. No prophet has ever known The Lord face to face and done the awesome deeds that Moses did. So he ends his life urging the Israelites to take these words to heart and teach them to their children. And by them they might have life and life abundantly in the Promised Land.

Finally, Moses says "these are not idle words they are your life." This is not some "self help" sermon but the very words of God. Moses has faithfully preached them, and now they will either obey them or not. Moses could only mediate between God and the Israelites, but they needed to be faithful to make them their life. And part of making it their life, was to teach their children to obey these words. And they could not teach their children if they weren't living by them.

Application:
God's word is "living and active sharper than a double-edged sword", the author of Hebrews writes. Moses says, "these are not idle words, they are your life". God's word comes alive when we live according to it. Because we are sinful we often resist obeying God's Word, just like the Israelites did. God can give us His Word but He can't make us obey it. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can obey the Word. It is the Spirit who leads us into all truth.

God wants to bless us and give us abundant life. He revealed His Word, Jesus Christ. The bible has given us the words of eternal life. They are not idle words, they are our life! Moses was a faithful servant of God. He gave the people the Law, by which God set them apart from the nations. But the Law could not save them. It was powerless to do so. Israel's disobedience showed their need for a greater prophet than Moses. It showed us our true need which is Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

This is God's promise. It is not an idle word. Let's take it to heart and live by it and teach it to our children.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why a...
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the...
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in ...
Read more