Show Me Your Glory. Lessons from the Life of Moses Inductive Discovery Lesson 18

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1 Show Me Your Glory Lessons from the Life of Moses Inductive Discovery Lesson 18 W hat legacy do you want to leave for your children? If you expect it to be rich when you re gone, start investing in it today. That s the counsel Moses gave Israel in one of his last speeches as their leader. Israel s tents spread far across Moab s grassy plains, but Moses wasn t looking at tents he was looking to the future. He was thinking of the children who would inherit the promise their fathers failed to claim. They were the fathers now. The inheritance was theirs but the legacy was for their children. So Moses reminded these children (some of whom were nearly sixty by now!) never to forget the lessons of the wilderness. They would settle in the Promised Land but they must not wander in their hearts. Moses charged the people with a responsibility that every believer must embrace. The greatest thing we can pass down to our children is a legacy of obedience. Background Moses wanted the people to understand what life would be like in the land flowing with milk and honey. Unlike Egypt, where land was kept rich and fertile by the Nile River, Canaan was completely dependent upon rain. The early rains, which came in the fall, were needed to make the soil workable and ready for planting. The latter rains, which came in the spring, assured that crops would grow and provide an abundant harvest. Because it was so vital to life and death in this region, the seasonal rains were never taken for granted. God promised to open the heavens for Israel if they would follow Him, heart and soul, and not turn aside to worship false gods. The Canaanites worshipped Baal, a rain/fertility god. Believing that Baal caused the rains to fall as long as he was strong and fertile, the Canaanites practiced fertility rites in cultic settings. Their beliefs and behavior was detestable to God and forbidden to Israel. For Israel, the warning was clear. Obedience would rain blessings upon their families, their livestock and their land; but waywardness would bring drought and desolation. Deuteronomy 11 Read the entire passage in one sitting. If possible, read it again from a different Bible translation. Briefly describe in your own words what is happening

2 This map is included to help you picture some of what Moses spoke about in this chapter. Later, Moses would climb Mt. Nebo where God let him see the Promised Land. Boundaries of the Promised Land (Israel never took full possession.) Mediterranean Sea What important event would take place here? Moses instructs Israel Plai ns of Moab Ammon (descendants of Lot) Moab (descendants of Lot) Edom (descendants of Esau) In Deuteronomy 11:24, Moses describes the boundaries of the Promised Land. At that time, Israel had already conquered the lands of Bashan, Gilead and Mishor (controlled by Sihon, king of Heshbon). In Deuteronomy Ch. 2, Moses recalled those battles, also God s specific instructions not to take land promised to the descendants of Esau or Lot. 2

3 Write down your OBSERVATIONS Read the section and record what you see. Use the first column to keep track of what you find in the Bible passage. (Who? What? When? Where?) Look for clues that tell you when and where the story is taking place. What events are recorded? Who is mentioned and what role do they play? What choices do they make? Do they succeed or fail? How do they respond to circumstances? What attitudes or motives do they display? Use the second column to record information you gather from other sources. Are more details of the story recorded somewhere else in the Bible? What else can you discover about the people and places mentioned? You may want to look up names and places in a Bible dictionary, map or encyclopedia. You can also use this section to jot down your own thoughts and impressions about people and events. Imagine the people, places and events you read about. Don t use your imagination to produce facts, but use it to bring those biblical facts to life. Deuteronomy 11:1-12 Facts from the passage: My Research and Personal Observations: Deuteronomy 11: v. 6: Dathan & Abiram led a revolt (see Numbers 16). They accused Moses and Aaron of claiming too much authority and bringing the people out of Egypt with false promises. Moses may have mentioned them here because they had called Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey.

4 Facts from the passage: My Research and Personal Observations: Deuteronomy 11:26-32 Facts from the passage: My Research and Personal Observations: Character Profile 4

5 Moses This section is provided so that you can get to know Moses, the man. Use the suggested areas on the chart below to track what you have observed about Moses this week. Characteristics/Personality Traits: Training/Growth: Obstacles/Challenges: Accomplishments/Failures: Attitudes/Motives: Relationship with God/With Others: INTERPRETATION What does it mean? 5

6 Look for a spiritual lesson. Be careful not to read into the Bible an idea that is not there. Examine each verse in light of the verses around it. To help you find a spiritual lesson, ask questions such as, Is there a command to obey? A promise to claim? A condition to that promise? Is there a warning to heed? An example to follow or avoid? Looking at a character, ask questions such as, How did God deal with this person? How did they respond to their circumstances? What strengths or talents are revealed? What faults are exposed? Did they learn from their failures? Who did they depend on? How did they influence others? What did they accomplish? State the lesson in one simple sentence. APPLICATION How does it apply to me? We don t study the Bible just to gather information we want to spiritually grow. Our heart needs to be open to change. The only way to move truth off the pages of your Bible and into your life is to put it into action. To apply a spiritual lesson, we must examine ourselves and take deliberate steps to do something with what we have learned. Ask yourself: Is this a new lesson, or does it reinforce what I already know? What does it challenge me to do? Does it point out error in my attitude or actions? What changes does it require? Think of how the lesson relates to you and what specific course of action you will take. Write your application in the form of a question to make it personal. Deuteronomy 11:1-12 Lesson: Application: Deuteronomy 11:13-25 Lesson: Application: Deuteronomy 11:26-32 Lesson: Application: 6

7 Summary Write a simple sentence that summarizes what the passage is about. Give a title to the chapter that will help you personally to remember it. Take a Closer Look Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them. Deuteronomy 11:16 Through Moses, God repeatedly warned Israel not to worship other gods when they came into the Promised Land. The pressure to conform to the beliefs and practices of the Canaanites would be hard to resist, especially Baal worship. To our 21 st century minds, Canaanite behavior seems primitive but the prevailing wisdom of their day said, do this and you will be secure and prosperous. Times and customs change, but human nature remains the same. We still want to be secure and prosperous in life and the world still has its own ideas about how to make that happen. But look closer. Take God s timeless warning to heart and consider how to guard against the things that compete for your devotion. God s Word or Worldly Wisdom? Israel did not always heed Moses warning; in sad fact, the generation after Joshua s death became practicing Canaanites! (See Judges 2:8-11) At first they tried to serve God and Baal, as a way to cover their bases just in case Canaan s god did influence the weather. But partial obedience is disobedience. Just as Moses feared, they soon forgot God and allowed themselves to be deceived by worldly wisdom. (Note that the word for deceived literally means open, as in open mind. ) It is not always easy to stand firm in your convictions when it sets you apart from the crowd especially if it appears that others are getting ahead, getting more, or simply getting along just fine without the effort or discipline of obedience. What did Canaanites believe? The people of Canaan like all of Israel s ancient neighbors believed the forces of nature were gods. Baal was the god of rain/fertility. In the long dry season, they believed the god of barrenness (Mot) had overcome his enemy, Baal. In order to bring Baal back to virility so that he could water the earth, the Canaanites performed ritual acts of intercourse (a practice known as the Fertility Cult). In essence, their religion was a bad mixture of limited science and rampant superstition. When the rains came in due season, their beliefs were proved true. It was compelling evidence for anyone who did not know the God of Israel. As a nation set apart from all others, Israel was to worship the only true God and trust Him for the blessings of rain. 7

8 According to the culture we live in, what does the world say you need in order to have a secure and prosperous life? List what you think of. What rites must be performed in order to achieve these things? According to God s Word, how will we have true success and blessings in life? Here is just a sampling of God s promises to ponder! Briefly share what you find. Psalm 1:1-3 Proverbs 3:3-4 Proverbs 3:5-6 Proverbs 3:7-8 Proverbs 3:9-10 Matthew 6:33 Finish the following sentence. The way to be truly secure and prosperous in life is Share what you can do to guard against being deceived by worldly wisdom. What Competes for our Devotion? Moses warned the people not to forget God once they were in the land, enjoying the blessings and reaping the benefits (see Deuteronomy 8:11-18). He cautioned them not to turn away (get sidetracked) and serve (become enslaved by) other gods. 8

9 What competes for our devotion to God? Make your answers as specific as possible. 1 John 2:15 Galatians 5:17 Proverbs 21:17 Matthew 6:19-21, 24 Isaiah 5:21 List anything else that comes to mind. Finish the following sentence. My devotion to God is sometimes divided by What are you willing to do so that God will be first in this area? Write your answer in the form of a prayer to the Lord. Be practical and specific. 9

10 Something to Think About... The dearest idol I have known, whate er that idol be, Help me to tear it from its throne, and worship only Thee. - William Cowper - God s Word Bearing Fruit For you, personally, what has been the most important lesson from this study? How will you put what you have discovered into practice? 10

11 Message Notes: 11

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