LESSON 1 ... VERSE 9:

The Text we are beginning today is wonderful. Our study will last several days, the Lord willing.

God's Love for His people!

"For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings; so the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape."  Deuteronomy 32:9-14

Today we must discuss verse 9, the first verse of our Biblical paragraph. Let's immediately get started. "For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance."

This can be reworded like this, in Bagwell terminology anyway. "The most precious thing God possesses is His people! The Lord's greatest inheritance is not land or money or power, but those who call Him by Name!"

Technically, the people of Israel. Spiritually, all who have been saved by the Blood of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. God delights in us, unworthy as we are!

Today's Text again: "For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance."

The noun "portion" is "cheleq," meaning one's "share" of something. A "part, tract, parcel, territory," all are valid definitions.

God needs few things.

He owns everything!

But His "people" are different, very "special!"

He dotes over them!

He pets and pampers and sweetly cares for them, to a point nearly unimaginable.

Think of the word "favorite." 

Better yet, let's just read Malachi 3:17 where God calls us His "jewels!" Really! "And they shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels."

His jewels!

You and me and everyone who is saved!

Now let's look at the second part of the verse,  "For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance." 

The noun "lot" means "a rope," insinuating that God has "tied us up" in His great Love!  Something like Hosea 11:4 I think, if you can picture the imagery. "I drew them with bands of love." Here "drew" means "to lead along."

Wow!

Of all God's "inheritance," of His "property," the children of Jacob are His choice heirlooms!

And "Jacob" means "God is my Prince, my Ruler, My Leader!"

And we all know that if God really inherits something, He gave it to Himself! From whom else could He receive anything?

He created us and saved us and cleansed us ... as gifts to Himself!

For His Own Pleasure! "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Paul in Philippians 2:13.

Blood-washed friends, how very, very, very, very, very, secure that ought to make us feel today!

How special!

How loved!

Truly, like John asked, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us!" 1st John 3:1

Mercy!

                                                                          --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

This too.

That word "manner" I just used means "from another world!" Or as it might be explained, "Out of sight!" Oh, the Love of God!

One more time, the Text: "For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance." Deuteronomy 32:9

LESSON 2, VERSE 10:

I think it's one of the most tender verses in all the Bible. It describes God's early dealings with the Children of Israel. With His "chosen" people!

"He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye." Deuteronomy 32:10

We probably will not cover all the verse today. It's too vast, and sweet!

The verb "found" suggests that God was looking, searching for Her, for a People He could call His Own!

"Matzsa" means "to secure, to acquire, to encounter, to hit upon, to befall!" What a verb!

In the "desert" in the "midbar," a dry barren wilderness! But get this! "Midbar" comes from the verb "dabar," meaning "to speak, talk, commune, promise, pronounce!" Sounds like courting and a possible marriage in the future!

Yes, "He found him in a desert land and in the waste howling wilderness," all right.

"Waste howling wilderness" only intensifies Israel's lost condition. "Waste" is "tohu," meaning "formless, empty, nought." And "howling" is "yelel," that is a "wailing" sound! The wild winds blowing, I think. That is until the Gentle Breeze of the Holy Spirit began to blow! And brood! And incubate! And bring forth life!

Even the noun "wilderness" this time is different. Than half a verse ago! Spelled "yeshiymon," it means a place of "ruin and desolation." Once in the King James Bible it's translated "solitary." God had to get her all alone, to speak to her, to woo her, to win her heart!

Goodness!

What next?

"He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about ...."

He "led" him! It's "sabab," meaning "to turn" someone. To change their direction! To encircle them! This is a very intensive verb!

One more clause today. "He instructed him." It says this in Deuteronomy 32:10, our Text this morning.

Now the children of Jacob are in school!

God's school!

The word means "to give discernment." To impart godly understanding, to view things as God sees them.

God, being their Teacher!

This is an awesome verse of Scripture. And we have not even completed it yet! "He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye." Deuteronomy 32:10

God pursuing His people!

Does anyone remember Him chasing you like this?

Oh yes, we do!

Praise His Name!

The rest of the verse tomorrow, Lord willing!

Grace!

Grace!

Grace!

In the Book of Deuteronomy!

                                                                     --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Truly, God is Love!

LESSON 3, STILL VERSE 10:

It's one of the most lovely expressions in Scripture. A "simile" the teachers call it. It's pronounced sim'-mi-lee. It's a figure of speech that compares two things that are basically unalike, but have some literary connection. Similes always begin with one of two words, "like" or "as."

Now, to the Verse at hand.

This is the Lord caring for Israel, for His people. "He kept him as the apple of His eye." Deuteronomy 32:10

The verb "kept" is " natzsar," meaning "to guard, to watch over, to preserve!" What a blessing!

And God does care for His children!

Listen to Isaiah 54:17, God's protection expressed a little differently. "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." Pretty good too!

Here it is Psalm 121 style. "Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." Verses 4-8, very comforting!

That's the basic idea of Deuteronomy 32:10 too, especially our clause for today. "He keeps him as the apple of His eye."

But this "protection" is compared to a body part. Just like a person "guards" the most sensitive area of his eye, reflexively shielding it when danger comes, so does God his children! That is, "the apple of His eye."

The phrase means the "central aperture" of the eye. It's centermost point. The little back spot, perhaps the most tender area of all. And certainly one of the most critical areas.

But figuratively speaking, "the apple of one's eye" has come to mean something or someone "specially cherished" above all others!

That's the idea here!

God loves Israel a lot!

Particularly so!

But there's more.

Now we're going to the Hebrew language for some insight. The Old Testament comes to us from Hebrew.

"Apple" in "the apple of my eye" is quite an interesting word. The whole phrase "hangs" on it, in fact. It's spelled "iyshon." In the Old Testament it is once translated "black." One definition, "the deepest blackness." Again, the little "black" circle in the middle of the eye!

But still, "iyshon" is directly related, more than that, immediately derived from the noun "iysh." The connection is obvious. And "iysh" is the Bible word for "man." It's translated man 1,002 times in the King James Bible.

Look what we have now.

God keeps Israel as "the little MAN of the eye?"

Does that even make sense?

It does!

Stand close to someone. Real close. And if the light is right, you can see yourself, your face, being reflected in the other person's eyes!

You image in their eyes!

That's the idea!

God is so close to Israel, snuggling and hugging and loving and guarding, that she is seen in His very Eyes!

That's proximity!

God loves me that much?

And He even tells me so!

He let's me see it too, myself in His eyes, in His Heart, in His Mind!

Amazing!

If you ever call someone that, "the apple of you eye," you have just said something very intimate, very personal, very endearing.

"He keeps him as the apple of His eye."

Yes, God is Love!

                                                                    --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 4. VERSE 11:

It's a metaphor.

A word picture, and a fact of nature too.

God dealing with His people, with Israel. And He here compares Himself to a soaring bird, a majestic eagle!

"As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him." Deuteronomy 32:11-12

God created the eagles, little wonder they reflect some of His ways! And by the way, here is God again comparing Himself to a lady! A female bird, the mother of the little eaglets!

I believe we will study the verbs this paragraph entails. Beginning here, "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, so the Lord...."

The eagle "stirs up" her nest, with the young ones in it too! And somehow God, at times anyway, does the same to us!

The verb "stirreth up" is simply spelled "ur," but pronounced more like "oor." It means "to rouse, to awake, to incite!" In a  mild way, "to disturb!"

The scenario is this. The little eaglets have grown. They're now big enough to consider eventually leaving the nest! But they won't! They are too comfortable, too secure, too well fed, too happy! Mama bird has done everything for them.

 But they are soon going to be too big for the nest!

 Then what's the Mother eagle to do?

 She must "stir up" her nest. Some sources say she begins to remove the soft feathers and leaves that have lined the nest, exposing thorns and stones and other sharp objects!

 The little fellows become less at ease, less comfortable!

 This then is a little incentive to help them fly away!

 To grow up.

 "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, so the Lord...."

 So the Lord, like the eagle?

 Yes!

 Oh, how the Lord has done this to me. More than once I think! When it was time to leave a Church, back in the pastoral days. Or when it was time to get closer to Him, in younger days.

 God knows how to stir our nests!

 For our own good!

 For our future growth!

 Hey, here's yet another ministry for the trials and tribulations and pressures of life, nest stirring!

 God may be getting me ready to "fly!"

 To soar to higher levels of spiritual growth!

 Wow!

 Anyone reading here today whose nest has been recently disturbed?

 I wonder.

 It's not a bad thing.

 It means that God, like the wise mother eagle, loves us enough to make us uncomfortable, for some greater good!

 Wow!

 "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, so the Lord...."

 Thank you, Lord.  

                                                                         --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

I'm just thinking!

God sure stirred up my nest when Sister Bagwell died!

He is now letting me learn to soar, too.

LESSON 5, VERSE 11:

There are five verbs in the clause!

Let me underline them.

"As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the LORD ...." Deuteronomy 32:11

Today I'd like us to spend a few minutes studying "fluttereth," an action particularly applicable to the eagle.

She "fluttereth" over her young.

And somehow, the Lord "flutters" over us too!

Sounds interesting.

The verb for "flutter" is "rachaph" in Hebrew. It can mean "to shake or move," but in the piel stem, a grammar thing, it means "to hover over" something or someone!

As a piel it suggests vigorously, energetically, fervently, diligently hovering! With all one's might!

But the very "root" of the "rachaph" verb presents an even more touching scenario. It means "to grow soft, to relax," those kinds of things.

Strength to hover over you!

But kind Strength, soft Strength, gentle Strength as well!

Tough, but tender!

One Preacher illustrated this way, "Strong as denim, soft as lace."

God's dealing with His children!

With you and me!

The verb as we have it here, "rachaph" or "fluttereth," in this particular form now, in the piel stem, is only found in one other place in the whole Bible. Let me show you. I'll again underline for easier identification.

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Genesis 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit hovering, fluttering over the dark, unorganized, foreboding chaos that marked the world to that point.

And His brooding, His incubating, His hovering brought forth order!

Brought forth light!

Brought forth all we know today as the firmament and earth! "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." Creation has begun, Genesis 1:3

Back to the eagle a second, she hovers over her young ones to love them and teach them and train them and discipline them, if necessary.

So the Lord is "over" us in His Love!

Encircling us, overseeing us, protecting us!

Creating us, organizing us, developing us, bringing us to maturity!

As in Song of Solomon 2:4, where the Bride says of her Lover, "His banner over me was love." Hovering up there, Perfect Love!

Love personified, kindly watching over her every move!

The Holy Spirit, God the Third Person, is still today doing that, my friends. If we are saved, He is.

Hovering over us, in Love!

Fluttering up there, caring for each step we take!

While we sleep.

As we drive.

And work.

Always!

He is "moving" on us, over us, like during creation week, making us fit into God's image for our lives!

Wow!

Here may be another way of verbalizing it. A hovering, caring, protecting, ever fluttering Lord! "I will lift up mine eyes. Because my help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." Still His hovering Presence, just described Psalm 121 style. Eyes lifted up because obviously that’s where He is!

Thank Him today that He's there, up there, over us, always watching!

"As the eagle fluttereth over her young, so does the Lord."

Amen!

                                                                    --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Cuddled!

Cherished!

Protected!

That special, you are to God Almighty!

And by the way, that’s essentially the same kind of Love Paul says men ought to have for their wives!

LESSON 6, STILL VERSE 11:

The verse we are studying is complex. It is verb intensive! Today we must notice three of them, verbs. Otherwise we're still going to be in Deuteronomy 32:9-14 at Thanksgiving!

The past couple days have almost been like a nature study! Of course God created the animals too. Jesus did preach about birds and flowers and farms, didn't He?

Our Text compares a mother eagle to the Lord! The eagle's skills as a parent are epic. At least for the Mother eagle.

"As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings." Deuteronomy 32:11

Watch her care for those little birds!

Much like, Moses here says, God cares for us!

She is apparently teaching them to fly!

Some science books say this description is inaccurate. Others say it is quite to-the-point. Here then I will ignore contradictory science. And believe the Word of God!

"As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings." Deuteronomy 32:11

The action at the end of the verse is surprising.

Mom Bird here seems to be placing the young eagles on her wings! She nudges them on top of those magnificent things, and looks like "off she flies!"

With some young passengers aboard!

See what you think. Here's the pertinent part of the verse. "As an eagle spreadeth abroad her wings, and taketh them (her young ones), she beareth them on her wings."

This is an example of the amazing parenting instinct God placed in the animals. It to me disproves the theory of random, chance, blind-fated evolution!

The verb "spreadth abroad" makes me want to preach on "wings!" On eagles wings, yes. But even more so, to preach about the Wings of Almighty God!

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler." Psalm 91:1-4

Wow!

Our Text again. "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings." Deuteronomy 32:11

The verb "taketh" them, "laqach" in Hebrew, pictures a little bit of force if necessary! These little birdies are afraid to leave the nest! They are not sure about this flying thing! They are scared, naturally. A little firm "help" from Mom is all that's needed!

Then she is carrying them, "bearing" them, using "nasa" as the verb. To lift up or to take away!

It might go like this, their training.

Flight one, orientation. Just seeing things from the air, that high! Overcoming some of that phobia!

Flight two, wing flapping, first experience. Mom lets the little ones fall off her wings! Oops! But really she does it on purpose! They automatically begin flying, best they can. And when they've run out of strength, or a hawk appears nearby, or they plummet too near the ground ... Mom flies under them, rescuing them, letting them plop down on her wings once again!

Flight three, repeat the process, again and again! Practice makes perfect! God does give us the same tests over and over again, you know! Until we finally get it right!

Flight four, ready to solo. Soon, because flying is their destiny, their reason for being, the little fellows are soaring on their own!

Mercy!

Back to our verses, "As the eagle, so the Lord!"

We Christians then might expect, from time to time, a little "flight training!" Perhaps in Isaiah 40:31 fashion. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

And Exodus 19:4 has God acting like that mother eagle! Getting Israel out of Egypt, freeing her from bondage! "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself."

Now these words truly apply.

Us, riding on God's awesome Wings ...

Out of sight!

In Heavenly Places, Paul might would have said.

                                                                          --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 7, VERSE 12:

The two things God wants most!

At least in the "eagle" Text we've been studying!

After God has done to us all the wonderful things the mother eagle does to her little ones, "As the eagle, so the Lord ...," we next read: "So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him." Deuteronomy 32:12

There they are, those two things.

God wants to lead us!

And God wants us to have no other allegiances! No other "gods" before Him! He must have first place in our lives! No, it's more than that. He must have the only place!

Let's study each clause.

"So the Lord alone did lead him."

The verb "did lead" is "nachah." It means "to guide, to bring, to bestow," and even once "to govern."

The adverb "alone" translates "badad," meaning "solitary." The word hints at "isolation" really!

God wants to be in control!

To direct our paths.

To be What and Who His Name implies, the LORD, the One in charge! The Supreme Commander of our lives!

Sort of echoing Paul's first words as a Christian, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Acts 9:6

Is He the Lord of your life?

And of mine?

Next God stringently wants to be the Sole Focus of our worship.

Here's Deuteronomy 32:12 again, the second clause. "And there was no strange god with him."

The adjective "strange" is "nekar," particularly meaning "foreign or alien." It is linked to the verb "nakar," which is defined as "recognizing, acknowledging, discerning" something or someone, especially in the sense of really "knowing" them!

Know no other gods!

The noun "god" is "el," an abbreviated form of "elohiym," Which is God's second most numerous Old Testament Name! It means "power!" Sheer, brute Might!

Look no where else for "power or strength or ability," says our Lord! I will be your sole Provider of these things!

Second Samuel 7:22 fits well here. "Wherefore Thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God beside Thee."

Wow!

He alone to be our Leader!

He alone to be our God!

God's two greatest wishes for us!

No, God's two greatest commands for us!

"So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him." Wonderful, Deuteronomy 32:12.

May these things be true in our lives as well!

                                                                         --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 8, VERSE 13:

The list is impressive, things God did for ancient Israel.

But His actions are expressed in figurative language.

Here's what I mean. "He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock." Deuteronomy 32:13

The "He" is God and the "him" is Israel.

Today we had best only consider the first half of this beautiful verse. "He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields."

The implication of "riding" the high places of the earth is militant, I think. The verb "rakab" means "to mount up" and ride, as on horseback.

Here's an army, or a soldier in his platoon anyway, going on patrol. There's a war to fight! Land to conquer! Enemies to defeat!

And God promises himself, His Presence, to help Israel, to help the advancing conqueror!

In fact, the verse has God "causing" the war party to go forth! The verb is in the "causative" stem in Hebrew, the hiphil stem.

God can help me fight the devil!

God can make me want to attack the world and its allies!

And to those who will "ride into battle" with the Lord at their side, a definite promise is made. More about that in a minute, the promise.

But why the "high places?"

"Bama" means the mountains, the ridges, the rocks above, where the enemy lurks and spies and from which he attacks!

This clearly reminds one of Paul words, fighting words too, in 2nd Corinthians 10:4-5. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

Wow!

God wants us Christians to do this too, to "take out" or "decimate" those sins which so easily beset us. The sins that constantly bombard us from above! Dropping wrong thoughts and evil suggestions and erroneous doctrines on our heads, our minds, into our thoughts.

To ride the high places of earth.

God will help us do that!

Defeat that habitual sin.

That years old habit.

Clean out the devil's high places!

But why?

Is this all that important?

Yes.

Notice the word "that," stating the purpose of riding those high places. Or the result of riding those places.

"He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields."

That he might eat!

If we do not run the enemies away, expel them, we can not sow the fields and raise the crops.

The verb "eat" is "akal," meaning "to feed upon, to devour, to consume." The verb's sense of time here is one of continual action. Eat and keep on eating, week after week, indefinitely.

The noun "increase," referring to the crops, the produce, is from a verb, spelled "nub." It means "to bring forth," but also "to be cheerful!"

Do be mindful of the fact that "the increase of the fields" also implies much work.

Clearing and plowing and planting and weeding, for starters.

Defeat the enemy!

Enjoy the crops!

And the spiritual lesson is obvious too.

Defeat Satan.

With God's help.

Then sow the crops.

Enjoy the food.

The milk and meat and honey of God's precious Word.

"He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields."

Does this make any sense?

Let's ride. Let's defeat the enemy!

Then let's enjoy the land of milk and honey!

                                                                                --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 9, STILL VERSE 13:

The Lord today uses two metaphors, two word pictures, in His description of the abundant blessings the Children of Israel will enjoy.

The metaphors are related, but not identical.

"He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock." Deuteronomy 32:13, the last half of the verse.

Surprisingly, the nouns for rock are not the same.

The "rock" with honey is spelled "sela," typifying a high, elevated rock. A strong hold to which one can flee for safety!

The flinty "rock" is "tzsur," a rock that's shaped like a wall. Maybe even two side by side walls. Forming a place into which a person can squeeze to be secure and out of harm's way!

Often in Scripture, as you  know, "Jesus" is pictured as such a Rock! Here's Paul in 1st Corinthians 10:4, talking about the children of Israel as they traveled through the wilderness. "They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."

Jesus is that high Rock of Safety!

My Fortress!

Jesus is the Wall of Protection too. Often I've squeezed into His mighty Arms, there never to be harassed by Satan.

My Refuge!

And Jesus, as the "Rock," does deliver to me abundant supplies of "honey" and "oil!" Just like our Text implies. "He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock."

The "honey" must be picturing the sweet places and times of life. Or maybe even the sweet Texts of God's Word.

And the "oil" is perhaps indicating the soothing Ministry of the Holy Spirit, especially in how non-abrasive He is, and His practicality too.

Yes, Jesus is the greatest Gift the Jews ever gave the world!

And yes, Jesus is also the greatest Saviour, the only One really, that Israel will ever know.

Her Son will become her Redeemer!

Some day our Text will be  more obviously fulfilled, but still through Jesus Christ our Lord! That's for sure.

                                                                           --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Oh, one more quick thought.

"He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock." Still Deuteronomy 32:13.

Both pictures imply some effort in extracting the blessings!

The verb "suck" is "yanaq" and involves effort! No searching, no honey! That's true of God's Word, its sweet places. No doubt about that! And, to some degree about Jesus too!

And to get oil from a rock? Petroleum companies today have not yet devised a cost effective way of doing this! Work surely must be involved then! The adjective "flinty" might mean "hard." But the lexicons often say it has a background meaning "to dream!" Maybe godly imaginations and cogitations and meditations about Jesus or about the Bible, will yield loads of "oil," Holy Spirit insight!

Yes, honey and oil need to be discovered and extracted!

At some risk too.

Bee stings come to mind with the honey!

Ultimately the question might be "How intensely do we want these things? These blessings from God?"

"Honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock."

Go get them!

LESSON 10, VERSE 14:

The last verse of our Text, Deuteronomy 32:9-14, is unusual.

It looks like a grocery list really!

God's provisions for Israel.

God's care for His people!

"Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape." Deuteronomy 32:14

The noun "kine" merely means "cattle." Notice that God provides butter, not margarine!

The other dairy product listed is "milk," though the word can mean "cheese" as well.

And the "fat" was back then considered the one of the best parts of an animal! Gourmet dining! Lambs were always grown either for clothing, from their wool, or for food.

The rams are mentioned, I suspect, to emphasize their pedigree. "Bashan" was an area east of Jordan that was particularly well known for its superior livestock.

The "kidneys of wheat" picture the whole grain, the kernel itself, the pure wheat germ.

Then something to drink, here I'll call it grape juice.

"Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape." 

What a menu!

Dairy products, a good meat selection, the finest of grains, and pure grape juice too! Everything one might need for a healthy diet!

Here's a similar list.

Solomon's daily food supply. "And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallow deer, and fatted fowl." 1st Kings 4:22-23

Can God provide, or what?

And what about God feeding two million Jews in the Arabian wilderness for forty years? Psalm 78:19 asks, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" Yes, He can! He did in fact!

God can serve such feasts on-the-go too? Here's King David, abdicating the throne, fleeing Jerusalem for his very life, His Son Absalom attempting a takeover! Still, God sends Barzillai. "And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse, and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat. For they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness." A feast, 2nd Samuel 17:27-29

The point of today's Lesson?

Love God.

Serve Him intently.

And He will provide your needs.

And He can do so lavishly!

He will do so sufficiently.

For example, and it's a promise. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts."

Wow!

Good food, from the Hand of the Lord.

                                                                                 --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

I can only say this.

He has fed this Preacher very well through the years.

What about you?

Let's all thank Him today for His ample provision.

What a great God we serve!