Making Beneficial Choices (Deuteronomy 11: 1-32)

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Episode Notes:

Key Themes:

• Choices and Consequences:
  • Daily decisions impact our lives positively or negatively.
  • Key to beneficial decisions: loving and obeying God.
• Historical Reminder:
  • Moses reviews Israelite history, emphasizing God's discipline as moral education. Recounting miracles and judgments serves to remind of God's power and care.
• Love and Obedience:
  • Central command: Love the Lord and keep His commandments.
  • Love is shown through obedience, leading to strength and prosperity.
• Dependence on God:
  • Contrast between Egypt's manual irrigation and Promised Land's divine rain.
  • Prosperity relies on God's provision, not human effort.
• Generational Teaching:
  • Importance of teaching God's commands to children.
  • Constant engagement with Scripture ensures faithfulness.
• Blessings and Curses:
  • Obedience brings blessings; disobedience brings curses.
  • Visual representation through Mount Gerizim (blessing) and Mount Ebal (curse).

Practical Applications:

• Internalize God's Word:
  • Keep God's words in hearts and minds, visible in daily life.
  • Teach and live out biblical principles within families.
• Remember God's Acts:
  • Reflect on past experiences of God's provision and discipline.
  • Use these reflections to guide current decisions.
• Depend on Divine Provision:
  • Recognize that true prosperity comes from God's blessings.
  • Trust in God's timing and provision rather than solely on personal efforts.
• Teach Future Generations:
  • Instil biblical principles in children through daily conversations and actions.
  • Ensure the continuation of faithfulness and obedience across generations.

Conclusion:

• Loving and obeying God is the foundation for making beneficial

Transcript

Beneficial Choices.  (Deuteronomy 11: 1-32)

Full Transcript:

We make decisions and choices all the time. From the moment you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night, your day is filled with one decision after another.

What to wear, what to eat, what tasks to prioritise at work, how to handle relationships, and even how to manage money.

Some of these choices benefit us, while others, painfully, do not. 

This leads us to an important question: What decisions can we make that will truly benefit us, and how do we make them? Or to put it another way: What is the key to making choices that positively impact our lives instead of negatively?

That’s what we are going to think about this time in today’s episode of TBPDP….

As you know, we've been journeying through the book of Deuteronomy, listening to Moses' sermons. Today, we find ourselves in Chapter 11. 

Here, Moses once again reviews the Israelites' history, offering exhortation and guidance. Some of the lessons seem obvious, while others reveal deeper insights into decision-making and its benefits.

The central theme of this passage is making decisions that benefit us. Moses outlines the key to such decisions through a series of commands, starting in verse 1 and continuing through verse 12. 

For example, verse 1 commands,

"Therefore, Love the Lord your God."

This is not just a command; it is a choice we make. Moses then continues, "And keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always " 

This boils down to two fundamental actions: love and obey.

Moses emphasizes the inseparable nature of love and obedience, suggesting that the ultimate test of Israel's love for the Lord is their obedience to Him.

The command to love the Lord means choosing Him for one's most intimate relationship and expressing that choice through obedience to His will. 

This passage is we are being told is going to be all about choices—choosing to love and obey the Lord.

In verse 2, Moses continues,

"Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm;”

Here, Moses commands the Israelites to “remember and understand the Lord's discipline and mighty acts. He recounts their history: the miracles in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the provision in the wilderness, and the judgment upon those who rebelled. Moses calls this “discipline”, emphasizing that the Lord's actions were meant to train and educate them morally.

“The signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; 4 what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea[a] as they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them. 5 It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the wilderness until you arrived at this place, 6 and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. 7 But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.

(Deuteronomy 11: 3-7)

God delivered His people from Egypt and led them through the wilderness, but He did not tolerate rebellion. The discipline of the Lord involves both positive and negative experiences, serving as moral education due to the waywardness of the human heart.

As we look further into this passage, we will consider how these lessons apply to us today. How can we make decisions that align with God's will and benefit our lives? By remembering His acts, embracing His discipline, and choosing to love and obey Him wholeheartedly.

So far, Moses has instructed the Israelites to love the Lord, keep His commandments, and remember His discipline when they stray. This is the essence of God's training, akin to child-rearing, which the New Testament refers to as discipline. 

But there's more. In verse 8, Moses says, 

Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 9 and so that you may live long in the land the Lord swore to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.."

(Deuteronomy 11: 8-9)

Here, Moses returns to the theme of obedience, linking it to strength and prosperity. Keeping God's commandments will make the Israelites strong, enabling them to conquer and settle the Promised Land, thus prolonging their days.

This spiritual lesson underscores that love for God, obedience to His commandments, and remembering His past acts lead to divine protection, provision, and discipline.

Israel's past experiences were designed to teach them that they would experience either God's grace or judgment based on their behavior. 

Obedience brought provision and protection, while disobedience resulted in punishment. This training should have made it clear that obeying the Lord was in their best interest.

Moses emphasizes that the Israelites' strength directly correlates with their obedience. "Keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong." Obedience and strength are inseparably linked. The Israelites' success in the Promised Land depended not on military might but on spiritual obedience.

10 The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. 11 But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. 12 It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.

(Deuteronomy 11: 10-12)

In verses 10-12, Moses contrasts the agriculture of Egypt with that of the Promised Land. In Egypt, irrigation depended on human effort, but in the Promised Land, the fields would be watered by rain from heaven, signifying dependence on God's provision. Moses' vivid portrayal emphasizes that the Israelites' prosperity would depend on their love and obedience to God, not their ingenuity or skill.

In verses 13-14, Moses reiterates the importance of loving and obeying God:

13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.

(Deuteronomy 11: 13-14)

Moses reinforces that their well-being depended on their relationship with God.

In the first 12 verses, Moses speaks plainly: if you obey, love, and serve the Lord, He will send rain from heaven. Obedience brings blessings; disobedience does not.  Moses then goes into more detail about the early and latter rains.

The early rain in Palestine falls in the autumn, around September and October, and the latter rain in the spring, around March and April. These rains bookend the crop season, essential for a good harvest. Unlike in Egypt, where irrigation was manual, the Promised Land would rely on rain from heaven, making the Israelites dependent on the Lord.

Moses reiterates this point in verse 15,

I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.

(Deuteronomy 11: 15)

Essentially, Moses is saying, "Love and obey God, and it will go well with you. Disobey, and it will not."

In verse 16, Moses then warnsthem.

Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them

The temptation to follow Canaanite gods—gods of fertility and nature—would be strong. These pagan deities promised rain and harvest but following them would mean abandoning the true God.

Moses continues,

Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you.

(Deuteronomy 11: 17)

He emphasizes the consequence of turning to other gods: God would withhold rain, leading to famine. The Lord’s anger would manifest in shutting up the heavens, bringing drought and famine, a severe form of His wrath.

Moses stresses that the Israelites’ well-being in the land depended on their obedience. 

God's wrath isn’t always about eternal punishment; often, it’s about temporal consequences like famine. As Romans 1 describes, God's wrath can be letting people go their own way, leading to deeper sin and its consequences.

In verse 18, Moses urges them y saying.

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

These commands echo Deuteronomy 6, emphasizing the need to internalize God's words and keep them visible. Binding God's words on their foreheads suggests that their actions should reflect His commandments, and between the eyes indicates that their vision and desires should align with His will.

Moses continues in verse 19.

Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Again, this mirrors Deuteronomy 6, stressing the importance of constant teaching and living out God's commandments. Teaching the next generation is crucial for maintaining faithfulness and obedience.

By reiterating these commands and their importance, Moses ensures that the Israelites understand that their prosperity in the Promised Land hinges on their relationship with God.

Their strength, success, and survival depend on loving and obeying the Lord. The message is clear: Obedience leads to blessings, and disobedience leads to severe consequences.

In the first part of this chapter, Moses reiterates the importance of obedience to the commandments, statutes, and judgments. He then elaborates on what this entails:  Keeping God's words in their hearts and souls, binding them on their hands and between their eyes, and teaching them to their children throughout their daily lives.

Essentially, the Word of God should permeate every aspect of their existence, from morning till night. This constant engagement with Scripture ensures that it remains central in their lives and households.

In verse 20, Moses instructs them to.

“Write God's commandments on the doorposts of their houses and on their gates.”

This signifies that their entire household is committed to following the Lord. By doing so,

“The days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth”

Deuteronomy 11: 21)

The Word of God should shape every area of their lives, reflecting their dedication to the Lord.

The passage begins with a decision: Will you love and obey the Lord? This is crucial because disobedience incurs God's anger, while obedience brings His blessings. 

The second part of the passage repeated the message in greater detail. Obedience must be thorough and all-encompassing, touching every aspect of life.

In the third part, starting in verse 22, Moses outlines the results of their obedience. 

“If you carefully observe all these commands, I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him— then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you.

(Deuteronomy 11: 22-23)

This emphasizes in summary: obey the Lord, and it will benefit you. This obedience will enable them to conquer nations stronger and mightier than themselves and take possession of the land. 

Verses 24 and 25 specify the land's boundaries.

Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.

(Deuteronomy 11: 24-25)

Although Solomon's reign saw partial control over this territory, the Israelites never fully possessed it as God promised Abraham. This unfulfilled promise suggests that future fulfilment will occur when the Lord returns.

Moses assures them that no one will be able to stand against them because the Lord will instil dread and fear in their enemies.

26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. 29 When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses. 

(Deuteronomy 11: 26-29)

Verse 26 highlights the choice before them: a blessing if they obey and a curse if they disobey. This principle is clear: obedience brings blessings, while disobedience brings curses.

The passage underscores that the Israelites' success and prosperity in the Promised Land depend on their obedience to God. If they follow His commands, they will experience His blessings and protection. If they turn aside to other gods, they will face His wrath and curses. The Lord will put dread in the hearts of their enemies, ensuring their victory and possession of the land.

Moses' message up to this point is clear and repetitive for emphasis: Obey the Lord, and you will be blessed. Disobey, and you will be cursed. 

The decision is crucial for their future in the land God promised to their ancestors. Obedience is not just a matter of following rules but a wholehearted commitment to loving and serving the Lord in every aspect of their lives.

When the Israelites enter the Promised Land, a remarkable confirmation of God's promise occurs through Rahab, the prostitute who sheltered the spies. 

In Joshua 2:9, Rahab says,

"I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us."

This statement exemplifies God's fulfilment of His promise to instil dread in the hearts of the Canaanites, aiding the Israelites in their conquest. 

This fear among the Canaanites, as God had promised, significantly contributed to the Israelites' success.

Moses then instructs the Israelites about a symbolic act they must perform upon entering the land. He tells them to go to Shechem, where they will encounter two mountains: Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Moses instructs them to pronounce blessings from Mount Gerizim and curses from Mount Ebal, providing a visual representation of the consequences of their obedience or disobedience.

Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal stand approximately 3,000 feet high. To give a sense of scale, this is comparable to Snowden the highest Mountain in Wales and a little higher than Scafell Pike the highest mountain in England. For the Americans among us listening I researched, and I believe this it equivalent. Mount Wilson in Southern California. Imagine a valley flanked by two mountains like these.

Interestingly, these mountains are dramatically different in appearance. Mount Gerizim, associated with blessing, lies to the south and is fertile and green, symbolizing good fortune and prosperity. 

Conversely, Mount Ebal, associated with cursing, lies to the north and is barren and rocky, symbolizing misfortune and desolation.

This stark contrast is meant to serves as a powerful visual aid for the Israelites, illustrating the consequences of their choices: obedience brings prosperity and blessings, while disobedience brings desolation and curses.

The Israelites would stand in this valley, with the lush, fruitful Mount Gerizim on one side and the barren Mount Ebal on the other. This vivid imagery underscores Moses' message: obey the Lord, and you will thrive; disobey, and you will suffer. 

In essence, Moses is driving home the point that the Israelites' fate hinges on their commitment to God's commandments. By associating these mountains with such clear outcomes, Moses ensures that the Israelites understand the gravity of their choices in their new land.

In the remaining verses of this passage, Moses reiterates and reassures the Israelites about the promises and instructions he has already given. In verse 30, he mentions that they are not yet on the other side of the Jordan, where the setting sun is, but they are in the plain opposite Gilgal. Then in verse 31, he emphasizes that once they cross the Jordan and enter the land they are to possess, God will give it to them. He concludes in verse 32 by urging them, be be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today.

These vivid visuals serve to reinforce the dramatic lesson Moses has been imparting. 

The primary takeaway from this passage is clear: if we love the Lord and obey His word, we will be more capable of making choices that benefit us. This principle is emphasized repeatedly throughout the Bible.

Consider the Ten Commandments: refraining from murder, theft, and lying will clearly leads to a more harmonious and just society for us all.

Proverbs offers similar wisdom; for instance, managing money wisely or seeking both sides of a story before making a judgment leads to better outcomes. These teachings illustrate that adhering to God's word results in practical, positive benefits in our lives.

The New Testament echoes this message with its emphasis on love, forgiveness, and mercy. Loving others, forgiving them, and showing mercy to everyone leads to a better, more fulfilling life. The overarching message of this chapter is that loving the Lord and obeying His word leads to blessings and a better life.

Moses stresses that the word of God should permeate every aspect of their lives. It should be in their hearts, minds, mouths, on their doorposts, and in their daily conversations from morning till night. The more they saturate themselves with God's word, the better prepared they will be to obey it, leading to a better life.

Only by letting God's word invade every area of their lives and homes and by diligently teaching it to our own children can our families and our nations hope to escape the seduction of false worship and gain permanent prosperity in the land of promise promised by the Lord to us.

The principle still applies to Christians today; commitment to know and obey the scriptures keeps believers from the contemporary forms of false worship. That is what Paul in the New Testament also encourages all Christians to 'let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,' because if you do, you will be better off in every way."

I hope today’s passage from Deuteronomy stand as a simple yet dramatic reminder of one of the most basic principles and truths in all of scripture. And when we remember this principle, we are immediately reminded that we can be deceived and that we can easily wander away. So we can be thankful of this timely reminder and of his grace in giving us a strategy whereby we can stay on the right path.