Deuteronomy - a guide through the wilderness (Fowey Fellowship)

Update - You will observe as we go through Deuteronomy once again you will notice that usually each CD will commence with a news item upon which some comment is made. Some of these will appear to be dated. However, we have taken the decision to leave these in rather than omitting them. In most cases it will show how public opinion has moved on, usually for the worst! We have all heard the expression used “What’s on your heart?” In this talk today, God is enquiring and seeking to know what is on the heart of his people! God still asks me today, “What’s on your heart?” I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. Psalm 40:8 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jer. 17:9 And Jesus said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. Luke 16:15

Thou shalt not be afraid of them; but thou shalt remember what the Lord thy God did!

Be not unequally yoked! Come out.

Indeed, in the path of Your judgments, O Lord,We have waited expectantly for You; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire and deep longing of our souls. In the night my soul longs for You [O Lord], Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; For [only] when Your judgments are experienced on the earth Will the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. Though the wicked is shown compassion and favour, He does not learn righteousness; In the land of uprightness he deals unjustly, And refuses to see the majesty of the Lord. Isaiah 26. 8-10 Have I got the message yet? I must separate myself! For thou art an holy people unto the Lord Thy God.

For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Ps 96:5 How easy it is to be compromised into accepting other gods - those of the people round about us! You shall do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Your opinion as to what is right or wrong has nothing to do with it! What is right in the eyes of the Lord is the only standard.

Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, form the house of bondage.

You will notice as we go through Deuteronomy once again you will notice that usually each CD will commence with a news item upon which some comment is made. Some of these will appear to be dated. However, we have taken the decision to leave these in rather than omitting them. In most cases it will show how public opinion has moved on, usually for the worst!

.........and that Rock is Christ. Build on the Rock, the rock that ever stands, Build on the Rock, and not upon the sand, You need not fear the storm, or the earthquake's shock! You're safe for ever more - if you build on the Rock.

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.

Paul could say: For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. (Galatians 2.19) And Jesus reminded his disciples that they were not of this world.(John 17.16) We are in this world as Ambassadors for Christ. (2 Cor. 5.20) In Christ each believer is “dead to the law” - the law has no jurisdiction on a dead person! We are now ambassadors; seeking to live according to the life in the Spirit of Jesus Christ in an alien world! A world which crucified our Saviour and one in which we may also have to suffer. In fact if we are living for Him as He lived suffering is a certainty! Read Paul, writing in his second letter to young Timothy (Chapter 3 form verse 12) Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The Law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.

God had provided a wonderful plan for those innocent asylum seekers in Israel

For ye are not come to a mountain that might not be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of the trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them anymore...... but ye are come to........ to Jesus…….. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. Hebrews 12. from v18. Calvary, is the place where my burden was lifted, Calvary, is the place where I was set free, Calvary, is the place where my blind eyes were opened, Jesus, my Saviour became precious to me!

Deut 2:5 Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; As the children's hymn says: Wherever you may be, whatever you may see, That would lead you into evil, say you nay, I will not turn aside; whatever may betide, I’ll keep along the middle of the King’s highway. The meadows may be green, where bypath stile is seen, Turn aside, the little flowers seem to say; Be sure you take no heed—they’re trying to mislead— Just keep along the middle of the King’s highway. The King’s highway, the King’s highway, I’ll keep along the middle of the King’s highway; I will not turn aside; whatever may betide, I’ll keep along the middle of the King’s highway.

Sadly, Moses failed to get into the Promised Land. It was from a mountain named Pisgah, a name meaning a ‘cleft’, that God gave Moses a view of the land. It is perhaps a sombre thought: Moses struck the rock in disobedience to the command of God, the people received a blessing, the water, but Moses did not get into the Promised Land!

I'm quite happy - don't get too religious! Many Christians are content not too strive earnestly for the faith. Happy to compromise a little here and relax about a bit of doctrine there, all in order to have a pleasant life in this world and not to be contentious. However, we are commanded to be good soldiers as in a battle and have been given the Whole Armour of God to be used to withstand Satan’s attacks.

Why did God destroy men, women and children when Israel fought against Sihon, Og and others? Food for thought.

Avoid all appearance of evil! There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 14.12

Do we hold petty resentments against our families, friends or acquaintances? Caleb, Joshua and Moses, who through no fault of their own, endured the hazardous journey through the wilderness, yet never showed resentment against the generation whose sin and disobedience to God caused such a burden. There is a lesson for us all here!

Let us never presume on God’s mercy. In Noah’s day the people ignored the message from Noah: to live righteous lives before a Holy God. God warned “My Spirit shall not always strive with man”. Man continued to disobey and judgement inevitably came! Today, the world has rejected God and His Son Jesus Christ. Judgement will inevitably come. Prepare to meet thy God.

We have all met them - people who moan and groan in the background but who are sadly lacking in true moral fibre. Moses had to contend with those who "murmured " in their tents which resulted in open rebellion against the Lord.

Moses delegates to others the judging of Israel. The people are told by God to possess the Land promised to Abraham and their Fathers by the sure, unbreakable Covenant of God. A Covenant which still stands to the present day!

Afraid of the giants? - this was the reason why Israel wandered the wilderness for 40 years! Make sure we are not afraid of the giants in our lives. Romans 8. 35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The start of this amazing book. Moses their gracious leader, reminds Israel of God's dealings with them, redemption from bondage in Egypt until now they are on the border of the Promised Land - for the second time.