I am overwhelmed! (A middle English word meaning “turned upside down!”)

Because of one of the truly great chapters of the whole Bible, Deuteronomy 10. (Or am I just ravenously hungry this morning, in a spiritual sense?)

Everything I read in the chapter is thrilling, twenty-two verses of insight!

For example, when Moses came to receive the “Ten Commandments” a second time (his having broken the first set) … God merely wrote the same words yet again on those new slabs of stone! (Verse 2, God speaking: “I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.“ Some things, I think, bear repeating! Word for word!)

And … did you realize that Moses himself “hewed” (in Hebrew “pasal,” meaning “to cut”) the large pieces of rock to be the medium on which God would write the Commandments? What a multi-talented man, Moses! God again: “At that time the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount.” And two verses later … “And I … hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand.” Bible history! God may be the very Author of multi-tasking!)

And again this morning I was reminded that GOD HIMSELF wrote the Commandments on those tables of stone! See verse 4 of chapter 10 here. Plus a line from Exodus 31:18 … “two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” God, The Author!

Then we’re reminded that the Tribe of Levi inherited no farm land, but were to be paid from the “tithes” of Israel! And that, since they served God full-time in the things of the tabernacle and worship … “the Lord is His heritage,” verse 9. This thought amazes me because I have been preaching Psalm 16 this week in a revival. There Jesus tells His Father that God is His Inheritance! (Psalm 16:5 … “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.” Wow!) Jesus, as dedicated as a Levite? Jesus, like a Priest? Jesus, totally sold-out to His Father? OH, YES!

And verse 11 is precious, in the King James Version. God told Moses … “Arise, take thy journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give unto them.” This is Moses leading two million Jews toward the Promised Land! But his commission is personalized! “Take THY journey … BEFORE the people” … and they will follow!

In essence that’s what a Pastor does before his flock! He journeys with his Lord (personally) and they, his people, inherently will follow (publically)!

Goodness!

Folks, there’s too much in chapter 10 to write about in one morning!

So … Deuteronomy chapter 10 will be further discussed tomorrow, the Lord willing.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

Moses had been on the Mountain (Sinai), communing with God, receiving His Word. What we now call the “Ten Commandments.”

Rather suddenly … “The LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.” Deuteronomy 9:12

The people of Israel had “corrupted themselves!”

Not … “Satan has corrupted them.”

Not … “Some foreign nation has wrongly influenced them!

But … “Thy people” have fallen into sin, deliberately!

“The LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.”

The verb “to corrupt” is spelled “shachath” in Hebrew, where it means “to mar.” Or “to waste.” At times even “to spoil!” But 96 times the verb means “to destroy!” (Oh yes, it is also translated “corrupt” nearly two dozen times in the King James Version.)

The Jews had wilfully made an idol, a golden calf!

Note in the Text for today God is not calling Israel “My people,” not in their current state rebellion, anarchy! Moses, they are “thy people!” Point being: sin separates from God, breaks fellowship!

They have nearly destroyed themselves, polluted themselves!

Sin does pay “wages.”

It does have “consequences.”

HOW did they corrupt themselves?

The Text (again) is clear. Two clauses of apposition (explanation) are located right by the main accusation. “They have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.”

One … they have “turned” from God’s Word!

Two … they have “made” a golden image, a calf like the Egyptians worshipped.

The central thought, I’ve hammered it again and again today … “They corrupted themselves!”

Now to those of us living today …

Paul writes in 1st Timothy 5:22 … “Keep thyself pure!”

Then in Matthew 5:8, Jesus talking … “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

I’m figuring that a “pure” heart is the opposite of a “corrupt” heart.

Let’s consider ourselves sufficiently “warned” today … lest we (through sin) “corrupt ourselves.”

One last verse this morning, Leviticus 20:7, God speaking: “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and BE YE HOLY: for I am the LORD your God.”

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

It clearly was a miracle!

The event Deuteronomy 8:4 records. “Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.” God speaking to the Israelites!

Their clothes, in those decades of wilderness wandering, did not “wax old,” a Hebrew verb (“balah”) meaning “to wear out,” or “to be consumed!”

Neither did their feet “swell,” translating another verb, “batzseq,” meaning “to blister” as well as “to swell!”

Wow!

Do we accept these claims literally?

Did this actually happen?

YES!

YES INDEED!

Which quickly leads me to the point of today’s Lesson.

God does things for us all … regularly, perhaps often is a better word.

Maybe not as dramatic as having no “feet” issues … and our “wardrobes” do not last perpetually.

But … certainly like Psalm 68:19 describes. “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”

Daily!

“Loadeth us” seems to imply “weighing us down” with multiple blessings!

Miracles?

The strength to rise this morning?

The desire to eat nourishing food at breakfast?

The ability to engage in a job?

The hunger to study the Bible?

A long way from “shoes” and “coats,” granted.

But still evidence that … God cares for us!

Let’s stop now … and count some of the blessings of the day.

Then think back over the past forty years (if you’ve been here that long) and see what amazing things God has done for you and your loved ones!

Truly James is right. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17

Praise the Lord!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

I don’t know that God is making an open-ended promise here, in today’s Text.

But I do  know He is capable of granting good health to anyone He chooses.

God to the Jews: “And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put NONE of the evil DISEASES of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.” Deuteronomy 7:15

God controlling diseases?

Apparently so.

In fact, one of God’s very Names is “Jehovah Rapha.” According to one of His “I am” statements anyway, Exodus 15:26. “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: FOR I AM THE LORD THAT HEALETH THEE.”

Wow!

I am saying that the Creator of our bodies best knows how they “work.” And is keenly aware of how to make them “continue” working!

Now let me add this disclaimer, on the Lord’s behalf!

If I overeat, abuse my body, physically violate every rule of common sense … I need not demand of God perfect health! What one sows in that area, he will likely reap!

But I still believe the Christian’s first course of action, in health related situations, is to bring to the Lord the matter at hand. Trust Him to “touch” your body.

HE IS ABLE … even to keep us from getting sick!

And for the believer … some day … we shall live in a City, an environment, of absolutely perfect health!

In the meantime, whatever the physical problem or problems you face … rejoice that spiritually you are already made whole! Healed, cleansed from sin!

That truth, that awareness alone … will bring strength and joy … until we do wake up one day in Heaven!

Sounds like we’re winners … either way!

Praise the Lord.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

Since I only write one Lesson on weekends now, It will be tomorrow before the my next Bible Study posts. Pray with us again about the Revival, please.

The Church is located in Oolteway, Tennessee.

After the Service Friday night, folks leaving to drive home. Fellowshipping (obviously) in the process!

Have a good day in the Lord!

Which (also) means … have a godly day in the Lord!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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