The Grand Story SERIES Discovering the Bible

Transcription

1 The Grand Story SERIES Discovering the Bible Luke 24:13-35 (27) NLT 13 That same day two of Jesus followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, What are you discussing so intently as you walk along? They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 18 Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days. 19 What things? Jesus asked. The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth, they said. He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. 20 But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago. 22 Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said. 25 Then Jesus said to them, You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory? 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29 but they begged him, Stay the night with us, since it is getting late. So he went home with them.

2 30 As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! 32 They said to each other, Didn t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us? 33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34 who said, The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter. 35 Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. John 5:39 NIV You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, The word Bible is derived from the Greek word Biblon which means BOOK. Main Sections of the Bible 1. Old Testament it has 39 books in it 2. New Testament it has 27 books in it The word testament means agreement. The Old Testament was an agreement based on laws. The New Testament was an agreement based on grace. John 1:17 NIV For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Sections of the Old Testament 1. Historical Section Genesis to Esther 17 books. a. Pre-Canaan 5 books b. Canaan 9 books c. Post Canaan 3 books 2. Poetic Section Job to Song of Songs 5 books. 3. Prophet Section Isaiah to Malachi 17 books a. 5 Major Isaiah to Daniel b. 12 Minor Hosea to Malachi

3 I. Genesis A. The Purpose to demonstrate that God is both the creator and controller of all things B. The Process Human History C. The Person Genesis 1:1 NLT In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 50:20 NLT You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Genesis 22 NLT 1 Some time later, God tested Abraham s faith. Abraham! God called. Yes, he replied. Here I am. 2 Take your son, your only son yes, Isaac, whom you love so much and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you. 3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Stay here with the donkey, Abraham told the servants. The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back. 6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, Father? Yes, my son? Abraham replied. We have the fire and the wood, the boy said, but where is the sheep for the burnt offering? 8 God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son, Abraham answered. And they both walked on together. 9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, Abraham! Abraham! Yes, Abraham replied. Here I am! 12 Don t lay a hand on the boy! the angel said. Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son. 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means the Lord will provide ). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. 15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed all because you have obeyed me. 19 Then they returned to the servants and traveled back to Beersheba, where Abraham continued to live. 20 Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor s wife, had borne Nahor eight sons. 21 The oldest was named Uz, the next oldest was Buz, followed by Kemuel (the ancestor of the Arameans), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. 23

4 (Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) In addition to these eight sons from Milcah, 24 Nahor had four other children from his concubine Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. II. Exodus Genesis 50:26 NLT So Joseph died at the age of 110. The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt. Exodus 1:1 NLT These are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who moved to Egypt with their father, each with his family: Genesis 15:12-21 NLT 12 As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 14 But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. 15 (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) 16 After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction. 17 After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. 18 So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River 19 the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites. A. The Purpose God is a God who delivers oppressed people from political and social oppression. Oppression is when a group in power creates laws and policies that disadvantage others because they are different. B. The Process C. The Person 1. Enslaved En route Exodus 12:1-13 NLT 1 While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the Lord gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: 2 From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. 3 Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. 4 If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat. 5 The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects. 6 Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. 7 They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses

5 where they eat the animal. 8 That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal including the head, legs, and internal organs must be roasted over a fire. 10 Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning. 11 These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord s Passover. 12 On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! 13 But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. III. Leviticus Exodus 32:19-29 NLT 19 When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf they had made and burned it. Then he ground it into powder, threw it into the water, and forced the people to drink it. 21 Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them? 22 Don t get so upset, my lord, Aaron replied. You yourself know how evil these people are. 23 They said to me, Make us gods who will lead us. We don t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt. 24 So I told them, Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off. When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire and out came this calf! 25 Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, All of you who are on the Lord s side, come here and join me. And all the Levites gathered around him. 27 Moses told them, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Kill everyone even your brothers, friends, and neighbors. 28 The Levites obeyed Moses command, and about 3,000 people died that day. 29 Then Moses told the Levites, Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Today you have earned a blessing. A. The Purpose Salvation (1-12) Separation Sanctification Deliverance without Devotion and Dedication equals Decline B. The Process C. The Person

6 Sanctification (1-17) Separation (18-27) Leviticus 19:2 NLT Seven Feasts (23-24) Sacrifice (25-27) Leviticus 14:1-7 NLT 1 And the Lord said to Moses, 2 The following instructions are for those seeking ceremonial purification from a skin disease. Those who have been healed must be brought to the priest, 3 who will examine them at a place outside the camp. If the priest finds that someone has been healed of a serious skin disease, 4 he will perform a purification ceremony, using two live birds that are ceremonially clean, a stick of cedar, some scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch. 5 The priest will order that one bird be slaughtered over a clay pot filled with fresh water. 6 He will take the live bird, the cedar stick, the scarlet yarn, and the hyssop branch, and dip them into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. 7 The priest will then sprinkle the blood of the dead bird seven times on the person being purified of the skin disease. When the priest has purified the person, he will release the live bird in the open field to fly away. IV. Numbers Numbers 1 NLT 1 A year after Israel s departure from Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai. On the first day of the second month of that year he said, 2 From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their clans and families. List all the men 3 twenty years old or older who are able to go to war. You and Aaron must register the troops, 4 and you will be assisted by one family leader from each tribe. 5 These are the tribes and the names of the leaders who will assist you: Tribe Leader Reuben Elizur son of Shedeur 6 Simeon Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai 7 Judah Nahshon son of Amminadab 8 Issachar Nethanel son of Zuar 9 Zebulun Eliab son of Helon 10 Ephraim son of Joseph Elishama son of Ammihud Manasseh son of Joseph Gamaliel son of Pedahzur 11 Benjamin Abidan son of Gideoni 12 Dan Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai 13 Asher Pagiel son of Ocran 14 Gad Eliasaph son of Deuel 15 Naphtali Ahira son of Enan 16 These are the chosen leaders of the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel. 17 So Moses and Aaron called together these chosen leaders, 18 and they assembled the whole community of Israel on that very day. All the people were registered according to their ancestry by their clans and families. The men of Israel who were twenty years old or older were listed one by one, 19 just as the Lord had commanded Moses. So Moses recorded their names in the wilderness of Sinai This is the number of men twenty years old or older who were able to go to war, as their names were listed in the records of their clans and families: Tribe Number Reuben (Jacob s oldest son) 46, Simeon 59, Gad 45, Judah 74, Issachar 54, Zebulun 57, Ephraim son of Joseph 40, Manasseh son of Joseph 32, Benjamin 35, Dan 62, Asher

7 41, Naphtali 53, These were the men registered by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, all listed according to their ancestral descent. 45 They were registered by families all the men of Israel who were twenty years old or older and able to go to war. 46 The total number was 603, But this total did not include the Levites. 48 For the Lord had said to Moses, 49 Do not include the tribe of Levi in the registration; do not count them with the rest of the Israelites. 50 Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with all its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and all its furnishings as you travel, and they must take care of it and camp around it. 51 Whenever it is time for the Tabernacle to move, the Levites will take it down. And when it is time to stop, they will set it up again. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the Tabernacle must be put to death. 52 Each tribe of Israel will camp in a designated area with its own family banner. 53 But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle of the Covenant to protect the community of Israel from the Lord s anger. The Levites are responsible to stand guard around the Tabernacle. 54 So the Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Numbers 26 NLT 1 After the plague had ended, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, 2 From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their families. List all the men twenty years old or older who are able to go to war. 3 So there on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest issued these instructions to the leaders of Israel: 4 List all the men of Israel twenty years old and older, just as the Lord commanded Moses. This is the record of all the descendants of Israel who came out of Egypt. 5 These were the clans descended from the sons of Reuben, Jacob s oldest son: The Hanochite clan, named after their ancestor Hanoch. The Palluite clan, named after their ancestor Pallu. 6 The Hezronite clan, named after their ancestor Hezron. The Carmite clan, named after their ancestor Carmi. 7 These were the clans of Reuben. Their registered troops numbered 43, Pallu was the ancestor of Eliab, 9 and Eliab was the father of Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. This Dathan and Abiram are the same community leaders who conspired with Korah against Moses and Aaron, rebelling against the Lord. 10 But the earth opened up its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, and fire devoured 250 of their followers. This served as a warning to the entire nation of Israel. 11 However, the sons of Korah did not die that day. 12 These were the clans descended from the sons of Simeon: The Jemuelite clan, named after their ancestor Jemuel. The Jaminite clan, named after their ancestor Jamin. The Jakinite clan, named after their ancestor Jakin. 13 The Zoharite clan, named after their ancestor Zohar. The Shaulite clan,

8 named after their ancestor Shaul. 14 These were the clans of Simeon. Their registered troops numbered 22, These were the clans descended from the sons of Gad: The Zephonite clan, named after their ancestor Zephon. The Haggite clan, named after their ancestor Haggi. The Shunite clan, named after their ancestor Shuni. 16 The Oznite clan, named after their ancestor Ozni. The Erite clan, named after their ancestor Eri. 17 The Arodite clan, named after their ancestor Arodi. The Arelite clan, named after their ancestor Areli. 18 These were the clans of Gad. Their registered troops numbered 40, Judah had two sons, Er and Onan, who had died in the land of Canaan. 20 These were the clans descended from Judah s surviving sons: The Shelanite clan, named after their ancestor Shelah. The Perezite clan, named after their ancestor Perez. The Zerahite clan, named after their ancestor Zerah. 21 These were the subclans descended from the Perezites: The Hezronites, named after their ancestor Hezron. The Hamulites, named after their ancestor Hamul. 22 These were the clans of Judah. Their registered troops numbered 76, These were the clans descended from the sons of Issachar: The Tolaite clan, named after their ancestor Tola. The Puite clan, named after their ancestor Puah. 24 The Jashubite clan, named after their ancestor Jashub. The Shimronite clan, named after their ancestor Shimron. 25 These were the clans of Issachar. Their registered troops numbered 64, These were the clans descended from the sons of Zebulun: The Seredite clan, named after their ancestor Sered. The Elonite clan, named after their ancestor Elon. The Jahleelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahleel. 27 These were the clans of Zebulun. Their registered troops numbered 60, Two clans were descended from Joseph through Manasseh and Ephraim. 29 These were the clans descended from Manasseh: The Makirite clan, named after their ancestor Makir. The Gileadite clan, named after their ancestor Gilead, Makir s son. 30 These were the subclans descended from the Gileadites: The Iezerites, named after their ancestor Iezer. The Helekites, named after their ancestor Helek. 31 The Asrielites, named after their ancestor Asriel. The Shechemites, named after their ancestor Shechem. 32 The Shemidaites, named after their ancestor Shemida. The Hepherites, named after their ancestor Hepher. 33 (One of Hepher s descendants, Zelophehad, had no sons, but his daughters names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.) 34 These were the clans of Manasseh. Their registered troops numbered 52, These were the clans descended from the sons of Ephraim: The Shuthelahite clan,

9 named after their ancestor Shuthelah. The Bekerite clan, named after their ancestor Beker. The Tahanite clan, named after their ancestor Tahan. 36 This was the subclan descended from the Shuthelahites: The Eranites, named after their ancestor Eran. 37 These were the clans of Ephraim. Their registered troops numbered 32,500. These clans of Manasseh and Ephraim were all descendants of Joseph. 38 These were the clans descended from the sons of Benjamin: The Belaite clan, named after their ancestor Bela. The Ashbelite clan, named after their ancestor Ashbel. The Ahiramite clan, named after their ancestor Ahiram. 39 The Shuphamite clan, named after their ancestor Shupham. The Huphamite clan, named after their ancestor Hupham. 40 These were the subclans descended from the Belaites: The Ardites, named after their ancestor Ard. The Naamites, named after their ancestor Naaman. 41 These were the clans of Benjamin. Their registered troops numbered 45, These were the clans descended from the sons of Dan: The Shuhamite clan, named after their ancestor Shuham. 43 These were the Shuhamite clans of Dan. Their registered troops numbered 64, These were the clans descended from the sons of Asher: The Imnite clan, named after their ancestor Imnah. The Ishvite clan, named after their ancestor Ishvi. The Beriite clan, named after their ancestor Beriah. 45 These were the subclans descended from the Beriites: The Heberites, named after their ancestor Heber. The Malkielites, named after their ancestor Malkiel. 46 Asher also had a daughter named Serah. 47 These were the clans of Asher. Their registered troops numbered 53, These were the clans descended from the sons of Naphtali: The Jahzeelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahzeel. The Gunite clan, named after their ancestor Guni. 49 The Jezerite clan, named after their ancestor Jezer. The Shillemite clan, named after their ancestor Shillem. 50 These were the clans of Naphtali. Their registered troops numbered 45, In summary, the registered troops of all Israel numbered 601, Then the Lord said to Moses, 53 Divide the land among the tribes, and distribute the grants of land in proportion to the tribes populations, as indicated by the number of names on the list. 54 Give the larger tribes more land and the smaller tribes less land, each group receiving a grant in proportion to the size of its population. 55 But you must assign the land by lot, and give land to each ancestral tribe according to the number of names on the list. 56 Each grant of land must be assigned by lot among the larger and smaller tribal groups. 57 This is the record of the Levites who were counted according to their clans: The Gershonite clan, named after their ancestor Gershon. The Kohathite clan, named after their ancestor Kohath. The Merarite clan, named after their ancestor Merari. 58 The Libnites, the Hebronites, the Mahlites, the Mushites, and the Korahites were all subclans of the Levites. Now Kohath was the ancestor of Amram, 59 and Amram s wife was named Jochebed. She also was a descendant of Levi, born among the Levites in the land of Egypt. Amram and Jochebed became the parents of Aaron, Moses, and their sister, Miriam. 60 To Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 61 But Nadab and Abihu died when they burned before the Lord the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. 62 The men from the Levite clans who were one month old or older numbered 23,000. But the Levites were not included in the registration of the rest of the people of Israel because they were not given an allotment of land when it was divided among the Israelites. 63 So these are the results of the registration of the people of Israel as conducted by Moses and Eleazar the priest on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from

10 Jericho. 64 Not one person on this list had been among those listed in the previous registration taken by Moses and Aaron in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the Lord had said of them, They will all die in the wilderness. Not one of them survived except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. A. The Purpose either be accountable to the group or be a casualty B. The Process Chapters Old Generation set aside Chapters New generation set apart Numbers 14:26-29 NLT 26 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 27 How long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me. 28 Now tell them this: As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. 29 You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die. C. The Person Numbers 17:1-8 NLT 1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel s ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader s name on his staff. 3 Inscribe Aaron s name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe. 4 Place these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant, where I meet with you. 5 Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people s murmuring and complaining against you. 6 So Moses gave the instructions to the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron, brought Moses a staff. 7 Moses placed the staffs in the Lord s presence in the Tabernacle of the Covenant. 8 When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron s staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds! V. Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 1:1-4 NLT 1 These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. They were camped in the Jordan Valley near Suph, between Paran on one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab on the other. 2 Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir. 3 But forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them everything the Lord had commanded him to say. 4 This took place after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who had ruled in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, who had ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei.

11 Deutero means second Nomy means law A. The Purpose to warn the people about the danger of forgetting when you get prosperous Deuteronomy 6: The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. 11 The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, 12 be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 13 You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name. 14 You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, 15 for the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth. 16 You must not test the Lord your God as you did when you complained at Massah. 17 You must diligently obey the commands of the Lord your God all the laws and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 19 You will drive out all the enemies living in the land, just as the Lord said you would. 20 In the future your children will ask you, What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God has commanded us to obey? 21 Then you must tell them, We were Pharaoh s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand. 22 The Lord did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people. 23 He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors. 24 And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. 25 For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us. Deuteronomy 8: Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn t wear out, and your feet didn t blister or swell. 5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good. 6 So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys

12 and hills. 8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. 9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. 10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 15 Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! 16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy. 18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath. 19 But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. B. The Process The Backward look (1-11) The Forward look (12-30) The Upward look (31-34) C. The Person Deuteronomy 34 NLT 1 Then Moses went up to Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab and climbed Pisgah Peak, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him the whole land, from Gilead as far as Dan; 2 all the land of Naphtali; the land of Ephraim and Manasseh; all the land of Judah, extending to the Mediterranean Sea; 3 the Negev; the Jordan Valley with Jericho the city of palms as far as Zoar. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, I will give it to your descendants. I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land. 5 So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, just as the Lord had said. 6 The Lord buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place. 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. 8 The people of Israel mourned for Moses on the plains of Moab for thirty days, until the customary period of mourning was over. 9 Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 10 There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. 11 The Lord sent him to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of

13 Egypt against Pharaoh, and all his servants, and his entire land. 12 With mighty power, Moses performed terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel. John 1:17 NIV For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.