Let s Try This Again December 19, 2013 God s Grace He Really Does Love You Deuteronomy 10 Page 1 God Said Do What? Moses has just reminded the nation of how they blew it, not once different times He just related that God made an offer to Moses the people and get him some new ones to lead around Moses reflected the of God to the people, and did so appropriately Now, he is reflecting the of God Deuteronomy 10:1 2 At that time the LORD said to me, Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself. I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered, and you shall put them in the ark. In the Old Testament, under the law, we continue to see the grace of God time and time again David was one recipient Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 51:title 13 For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You. Jesus personified it
Page 2 John 1:14 18 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me. For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. If you want to know what God s grace looks like, all you have to do is look to Jesus Everything He does personifies God s grace G R A C E Romans 3:21 26 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. (NLT) Just as the nation experienced this, we also are allowed to experience the grace of God Just as the nation blew it time after time, and continued to receive grace, there came a time where it yielded to judgment, and even that was an act of grace Romans 6:15 Well then, since God s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! (NLT)
Page 3 1 Corinthians 11:28 3 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world. (NLT) From Chapter 8 Remember and obey Deuteronomy 10:3 5 So I made an ark of acacia wood and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. He wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them to me. Then I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the LORD commanded me. Moses takes God s Word Written in A picture of the The fact it will not go away Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Philippians 1:14 and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.
Page 4 Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Ephesians 6:17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The Word of God is: Eternal with Personified in Is the power of Defeats Is Is the weapon of for you and me for spiritual warfare And store it in an ark which is covered by the The law is perfect, but it is covered by God s mercy and that is where He meets us It is covered with the Completely and totally covered by Jesus Christ John 20:11 13 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him. Down at the cross where my Savior died, down where for cleansing from sin I cried, there to my heart was the blood applied; glory to His Name! Glory to His Name, Glory to His Name: there to my heart was the blood applied; Glory to His Name! Elisha A. Hoffman In verses 6 9 we see that only Levi is qualified to minister Why? Exodus 32:26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Whoever is for the LORD, come to me! And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. The call has not changed since then God continually is looking for those who are on His side
Page 5 Ezekiel 3:17 Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. Romans 10:12 17 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS! However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Where do you stand? What is your calling? Are you willing to stand up for Him? Deuteronomy 10:10 11 I, moreover, stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights like the first time, and the LORD listened to me that time also; the LORD was not willing to destroy you. Then the LORD said to me, Arise, proceed on your journey ahead of the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Moses interceded for the people So since God has spared the people, what is His expectation? God has also spared us through the blood of Jesus Christ, is the expectation any different? Deuteronomy 10:11 13 Then the LORD said to me, Arise, proceed on your journey ahead of the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? Simple right? Fear the Lord Walk in His ways Love Him Serve Him Keep His commandments and His statutes
Page 6 The demand for fear, love, and reverence towards the Lord, is no doubt very hard for the natural man to fulfil, and all the harder the deeper it goes into the heart; but after such manifestations of the love and grace of God, it only follows as a matter of course. Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 1 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), 898. 1 John 4:19 We love, because He first loved us. What is the one thing God demanded of His people in Deuteronomy 6:5? What is it He demands of us today? Luke 10:27 And he answered, YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. The fear of the Lord, which springs from the knowledge of one s own unholiness in the presence of the holy God, ought to form the one leading emotion in the heart prompting to walk in all the ways of the Lord, and to maintain morality of conduct in its strictest form. This fear, which first enables us to comprehend the mercy of God, awakens love, the fruit of which is manifested in serving God with all the heart and all the soul Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 1 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), 898 899. Galatians 5:22 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Deuteronomy 10:14 16 Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day. So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer. Ephesians 1:3 6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
Page 7 Don t be stubborn God has chosen you to be His From before Genesis 1:1 Who is this God you ask? Remember, Pharaoh asked the same question Exodus 5:2 But Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go. God showed Pharaoh who He is and at the same time displayed who He is to Israel Deuteronomy 10:17 22 For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. He is: God of gods Lord of lords Bob Utley, Deuteronomy, Study Guide Commentary Series (Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International, 2008), 138. In response to Him and who He is and what He has done for us we are to the Lord the Lord the Lord by His Name
Page 8 Does it seem to you as if, though you have been a believer for years, you were never in a worse state than now, while others are rejoicing? Then ask yourself Do you fear the Lord still? Is your soul humbled in the presence of His majesty, and have you a desire for His glory? C. H. Spurgeon, Teachings of Nature in the Kingdom of Grace (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 219 220. Would you rather spend time with Him or would you rather Past teachings, study notes and slides of Through the Bible with Pastor Ken Brown are available at: www.calvaryword.com/bible