The Fifth Book of Moses Called DEUTERONOMY
DEUTERONOMY, Moses' "Upper Desert Discourse," consists of a series of farewell messages by Isreal's 120- year-old leader. It is addressed to the new generation of destined to possess the Lord of Promise--those who survived the forty years of wilderness wandering.
Like Leviticus, Deuteronomy contains a vast amount of legal detail, but its emphasis is on the laymen rather than the priests. Moses reminds the new generation of the importance of obedience if they are to learn from the sad example of their parents.
The Hebrew title Deuteronomy is Haddebharim, "The Words," taken from the opening phrase in 1:1, "These be the words." The parting words of Moses to the new generation are given in oral and written form so that they will endure to all generations. Deuteronomy has been called "five-fifths of the Law" since it completes the five books of Moses. The Jewish people have also called it Mishneh Hattorah, "Repetition of the Law" which is translated in the Septuagint as to Deuteronomy Touto, "This Second Law." Deuteronomy, however, is not a second law but an adaptation and expansion of much of the original law given on Mount Sinai. The English title comes from the Greek title Deuteronomion, "Second Law." Deuteronomy has also been appropriately called the "Book of Remembrance." King James Version--Bible.
Day Eleven
[God] fed you in the wilderness...
that He might test you, to do good in the end.
Deuteronomy 8: 16
My grandmother grew beautiful roses. They trailed up and over a white trellis that framed the view into her vegetable garden. I can still smell those wonderful old-fashioned roses in my memory. Just two steps out Grandma's back door, the heady rose fragrance rushed up to greet you. I sometimes liked to sit beneath the trellis and attempt to count all the blooms. It seemed impossible that so many flowers could grow in one place. It was glorious!
Given my feelings about the roses, you can imagine my suprise one day in early spring when I saw Grandma heading toward the roses with pruning clippers. I watched from a safe distance. I'd never seen this side of Grandma. She loved her flowers, didn't she? I mean, this is the woman who sang to her houseplants to make sure they stayed happy. What could she be thinking of doing with those clippers?
You probably know--especially if you grow roses. Grandma's pruning helped the roses stay healthy, helped them continue to grow the way she wanted them to--up over the trellis. I was very suprised to learn from Grandma that pruning was also what caused the plants to bloom so profusely! In the end, I learned that pruning was a good thing for roses.
And not just roses either. Pruning, or testing, is good for Christians, too, especially when a loving God holds the pruning tool in His gracious hand. Pruning doesn't always seem good--especially when you're going through a difficult time of testing. What matters is that in the end, God has promised to accomplish something productive in us--a stronger faith, a change of heart, a deeper walk in our love relationship with Jesus.
Prayer suggestion. If God has brought you to a difficult time of testing, thank Him for loving you enough to guide you closer to Him and helping you to bloom even more than before! </145494> </listen>
DEUTERONOMY, Moses' "Upper Desert Discourse," consists of a series of farewell messages by Isreal's 120- year-old leader. It is addressed to the new generation of destined to possess the Lord of Promise--those who survived the forty years of wilderness wandering.
Like Leviticus, Deuteronomy contains a vast amount of legal detail, but its emphasis is on the laymen rather than the priests. Moses reminds the new generation of the importance of obedience if they are to learn from the sad example of their parents.
The Hebrew title Deuteronomy is Haddebharim, "The Words," taken from the opening phrase in 1:1, "These be the words." The parting words of Moses to the new generation are given in oral and written form so that they will endure to all generations. Deuteronomy has been called "five-fifths of the Law" since it completes the five books of Moses. The Jewish people have also called it Mishneh Hattorah, "Repetition of the Law" which is translated in the Septuagint as to Deuteronomy Touto, "This Second Law." Deuteronomy, however, is not a second law but an adaptation and expansion of much of the original law given on Mount Sinai. The English title comes from the Greek title Deuteronomion, "Second Law." Deuteronomy has also been appropriately called the "Book of Remembrance." King James Version--Bible.
Day Eleven
[God] fed you in the wilderness...
that He might test you, to do good in the end.
Deuteronomy 8: 16
My grandmother grew beautiful roses. They trailed up and over a white trellis that framed the view into her vegetable garden. I can still smell those wonderful old-fashioned roses in my memory. Just two steps out Grandma's back door, the heady rose fragrance rushed up to greet you. I sometimes liked to sit beneath the trellis and attempt to count all the blooms. It seemed impossible that so many flowers could grow in one place. It was glorious!
Given my feelings about the roses, you can imagine my suprise one day in early spring when I saw Grandma heading toward the roses with pruning clippers. I watched from a safe distance. I'd never seen this side of Grandma. She loved her flowers, didn't she? I mean, this is the woman who sang to her houseplants to make sure they stayed happy. What could she be thinking of doing with those clippers?
You probably know--especially if you grow roses. Grandma's pruning helped the roses stay healthy, helped them continue to grow the way she wanted them to--up over the trellis. I was very suprised to learn from Grandma that pruning was also what caused the plants to bloom so profusely! In the end, I learned that pruning was a good thing for roses.
And not just roses either. Pruning, or testing, is good for Christians, too, especially when a loving God holds the pruning tool in His gracious hand. Pruning doesn't always seem good--especially when you're going through a difficult time of testing. What matters is that in the end, God has promised to accomplish something productive in us--a stronger faith, a change of heart, a deeper walk in our love relationship with Jesus.
Prayer suggestion. If God has brought you to a difficult time of testing, thank Him for loving you enough to guide you closer to Him and helping you to bloom even more than before! </145494> </listen>
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