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March 16th
The Bible reading for today is in Deuteronomy chapters 14,15,16.
Moses continues his sermon to the young generation of Israelites...on the verge of crossing into Canaan for battle.
“He reminds them of “who they are.”"
Moses starts out by saying, “You are the sons of the Lord your God.” Over 250 times Moses used “the Lord your God” phrase to remind Israel of the peculiar, special relationship that they had to God.
He was the “One” that they belonged to. He was the “One God” that they would do life with. He was the One that they would go to war with...He was the “Only God” that they would worship and serve. Moses was reminding them of who they were.
Moses also reminded them of who they were not. So no wonder the strange “thou shalt not” that God adds to their identity.
“You shall not cut yourselves or make yourselves bald for the dead.” This was a custom of “mourning the dead” that foreign religions practiced. God didn't want His sons and daughters to look anything like or act in way like anyone but Him...
And no wonder Moses follows that sermon point with a list of clean and unclean animals. The reason for these dietary laws that God was setting down for this new generation of Israelites was along the same lines as the warning against copying Canaanite funeral practices. This is not who you are.
The foods that the Canaanites served were associated with the “animals that they worshipped”. God’s diet restrictions would hopefully (three or four times a day) remind the Israelis that they must not be lured into the idolatrous religion of the Canaanites.
And then we read Moses’ reminding his new charges of Who they trust. “And you shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”...another Canaanite superstition related to begging their gods for child bearing fertility and agricultural productivity.
Don't trust in the Canaanite superstitions. Trust in the Lord your God! And to teach them to “trust in the Lord their God”, especially after they took possession of the new land of promise, Moses instructed them in the Levitical tithe...
10% of the yield of the seed planted was to be brought to the priests every year...for the purpose of providing for the priests and their families...and for benevolence toward the poor.
God was teaching them to “trust in the Lord their God” for their livelihoods in the promised land....grateful for God’s supply and generous to others in need...to the glory of God.
One summer, when I was 15 years old, my dad put me on a greyhound bus for Houston and the junior Davis cup tryouts. I had never traveled to a tournament on my own before. I was excited but I was nervous. I think I teared up. Dad slipped a $20 bill in my left hand and shook my right hand with authority. Then he said, “Remember who are, son. You're Jim Mccracken’s son. Don't forget it.”
Moses couldn't shake hands with all 600,000 young Israeli soldiers that day. But I'm sure his voice was strong and his eyes were warm when he said....”Remember who you are...you're the Lord your God’s son.”
Enjoy the rest of the story.
Have a great day
