Thursday, July 30, 2015

Deuteronomy 29: One Way Or Another

The message of Deuteronomy 29 is that God will make Israel a sign to the nations - one way or another.

One way that Israel is be a sign of God's power and providence is the care that He gives them and the protection that He affords them.  Verses 2-8 describe the miracles of deliverance that Israel has already witnessed.  Their existence is a sign to the nations of God's power because of 1) the plagues poured out on Egypt; 2) the durability of their good and clothing throughout their 40 years in the wilderness; 3) the provision of manna and quail to sustain them; 4) the military defeat of their enemies; and 5) the acquisition of land east of the Jordan for two and a half tribes.  If Israel obeys, their blessing will continue to be a message to the world of the favor God bestows upon His faithful people.

However, another way that Israel may serve as a sign to the nations is through their utter destruction if they fail to obey the terms of their covenant with the Lord.  In that case, the sign will be one of God's power and vengeance upon an unfaithful people.  "They and indeed all the nations will wonder, 'Why has the Lord done thus to the land?  What caused this great display of anger?'  They will conclude, 'It is because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt'" (vs. 24-25).

One way or another, Israel is going to be God's sign to the world.

If God were going to make you into a sign for others - which way would you like it to be?  Showing evidence of God's fruitful work in your life, or revealing what happens when one turns his or her back on God?

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