Deuteronomy 8 ~ who brought you out

Deuteronomy 8

 “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. 

5 Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. 6 So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, 9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 

11 “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, 12 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. 

17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20 Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. 




There are many ways the people of Scripture have obeyed God. 

1. Abel farmed and gave to God. He prospered
2. Enoch walked with God - pleasing and drawing near to God, believing He exists, rewarding those seeking Him. He avoided death.
3. Noah acted foolishly, building for God - working towards something unseen. He had a huge ship. The whole of earth belonged to him after the flood. Today we have the fossils to prove it. We call it the Ice Age, sometimes, instead of the Great Flood. We are genius people. Although with archaeology, some faith is really building today.
4. Abraham believed and dwelled in tents with Jacob and Isaac. Abraham and Sarah were given the Nation of Israel in promise.
5. Sarah conceived because she was faithful. After she laughed in scorn.
6. Isaac married Rebekah. She worked against him as he was dying. He also inherited the Promises of God.
7. Jacob blessed all of his children, forgiving yet understanding their deeds. When it is not written the children asked to be forgiven. Jacob saw his flocks multiply and knew amazing prosperity in Egypt. Jacob lost a child.
8. Joseph married outside of his faith and his children were blessed. Enduring sexual advances, imprisonment, promises broken and betrayal. Joseph was a Chief Minister to the Pharaoh of Egypt. The top of the known world. He saw Israel become a nation again in the future.
9. The Children of Israel rejoiced to see their enemies Crushed. Only to Crush God with their faithlessness for 40 years. These people would be given vast pieces of Israel.
10. Gideon was asked by God to go to war and fight Injustice. Gideon was made very wealthy.Turning down power to have God beside Him. And not teaching the Children of Israel about relationship with the LORD.
11. Barak gave up his complete victory by demanding a woman go with him into battle. Barak wished to play it safe and lost his fame.
12. Samson cavorted and Killed and taunted. Another Warrior. A Judge over Israel.
13. Jephthah fought the present powers to establish David's offspring. Jephthah was part of the Royal family and Head Priest in the Temple doing mighty, mighty works of God. He is not remembered well enough for the remarkable things He did of God. He was longed for after his death.
14. David hired out to another country to raid and make war. The King was a for hire mercenary for a time. And cagey enough to preserve Israel. All the stories of David, except one, make the heart grow fond for him. Apple of God's eye still.
15. Samuel begged God not to have him anoint David. A messenger of God fearing the reprisal of God's change of plans. Samuel mourned Saul causing God to ask him to stop. Samuel was there for Saul's beginning. Samuel was a poor parent. And ended as a Mighty Man of the LORD. Samuel was given a fine house; people travel to see Samuel's Mountain even today.

  
All of these people did some of this: 

enforced justice, obtained promises,  Fought War, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, were tortured, hoped to rise again to a better life.  Were mocked, flogged and imprisoned.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. 

All of these actions fit into the words "Be Jesus."  

The Old Testament is not alien from the New Testament. NOT a vengeful God while Jesus was a Lamb of God in golden Sunday School garb. 

Jesus as MESSIAH did SACRIFICE.  Each day. 

How. Jesus did not accept the unacceptable. Jesus was not meek. Jesus was angry. Jesus did not accept injustice. Jesus did not cater to the people abusing the Grace of God's favor in the Temple. Jesus did not remain silent when people abused and declared God's actions to favor poor attitudes and behaviors. Jesus. did. not. accept. bad. behavior. without. trying. to. teach. Without. trying. to. improve.

Jesus Never did use meekness as a tool to get the Pharisees to want to be on His side. 

Jesus honored Love as God's path and plan. Each day. By not giving up.  

Jesus did this:

Romans 12:9 
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Jesus did not kick the remorseful. Jesus did not leave the sinner who beat his breast and apologize. Jesus did not say to the woman at the well - out. Jesus did not say to the woman caught in adultery - smart work. He said - sin no more.  Jesus did not say to the wealthy gather more wealth to yourselves and work harder. Jesus praised the people who gave of themselves to honor God. 

Jesus knew and lived the bone deep pressure of false judgment the world gave. And Jesus said no to false priorities.  All of the saints listed on this page were judged to be wrong.  

And only one on this list is Good. Jesus Christ, Son of God.

The rest of us will have to ask, daily, for the LORD to forgive us. And when we ask with true remorse. He. will. run. to. you.

This grace requires something from us. We have to ask and we have to be genuine when we ask. We have to acknowledge God's plans and look each day for gratitude and blessing and not grow weary of looking. We have to remember we are forgiven and find love inside of us to give to others. 


 Job 4:8 
As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it. 


Psalm 65:5 
You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas 


Isaiah 17:10 
You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines 


Psalm 68:19 
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah 




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