STAY TRUE TO GOD

Love God with all of your Heart

Deuteronomy 10-11

11/12/06

Jerry A Collins

SCC

v Do you love the Lord your God with all your heart?

v How deep must your commitment be to God?

v What are the rewards for obedience?

What is the difference between a chicken and a pig at a bacon and egg breakfast? In a bacon and egg breakfast, the chicken is involved, while the pig makes a total commitment! Nothing more threatening or challenging than a need for total commitment and evidence of a lack thereof. George Washington was constantly taunted and dogged by the less than total commitment of Thomas Jefferson in his cabinet. Jefferson worked behind the scenes to disparage Washington and diminish his influence and derail his policies until Jefferson finally resigned from the cabinet, unable to alter Washington’s policies, at the beginning of Washington’s second term, continuing his onslaught thru surrogates while he was retired to Monticello the next four years. In contrast, Alexander Hamilton won the affection and loyalty of Washington because of Hamilton’s unequivocal allegiance to Washington’s leadership forged since their days in the revolution. Now Israel must decide to be totally devoted to their Lord and God as they prepare to enter the land of Promise. God is demanding nothing less than total allegiance and unqualified commitment to Him, His commands, His expectations for them so it will go well for them. A commitment they must have to avoid wavering and faltering in their obedience which would jeopardize their favor with God and invite judgment instead.

1. OUR DEVOTION TO GOD IS EXPRESSED BY OUR FULL COMPLIANCE TO HIM 10:12ff

The only courtesy God asks for is complete loyalty and devotion. So God calls on Israel to commit to Him with full devotion.

Summary of Israel’s responsibility 12-13 In view of God’s past grace toward them God would require five things as they enter their new destiny. First, that they fear Him—becoming so acutely aware of God’s moral purity and omnipotence that you are genuinely afraid to disobey Him. Second, to walk in all His ways—to not change or alter these. Third, to love Him—a full devotion and affection that motivates you to please Him. Fourth, to serve Him with all heart and soul—a consuming passion to fulfill His expectations. Fifth, to keep commands and statutes—obey His Word completely. Such commitment was for their own good 4:40—that it mite go well with you.

Rationale for this responsibility 14-19 First, God initiated a relationship with them 14-15. There is not a part of creation that God is not sovereign over 14. He has no rivals! So He could set His affection on your fathers and love them, choose to serve their best interests, and chose the same for their descendents, ahead of everyone else even now 15. This all began according to Eze 16:1-15 simply because God stumbled upon them, saw they were vulnerable and decided to show them favor. Second, the only proper response is full compliance to Him 16-19. That means ‘circumcise’ your heart—that is quit hardening your will against God’s commands and expectations—as they had been doing since leaving Egypt 16. They have a lot of their parents within them. Then, stop stiffening—that is quit persisting in obstinate resistance—rebellion that constantly needs God’s correction. Your relationship with God does not need to be like that! Notice the extrapolation of God’s character to reinforce their need to comply because of the kind of God they belong to 17-18. God of gods, Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the awesome God, just God! No one like Him. So they are warned that only full compliance will do with Him—nothing else satisfies His expectations since He shows no partiality nor takes bribes that might motivate Him to change His thinking about this 17. Even His treatment of orphans and widows—those in need of others help—illustrate His absolute just character and highlights His requirement for Israel to show the same regard for strangers 18-19.

God’s worthiness of full compliance seen in promises already being fulfilled 20-22 They are already numerous a partial fulfillment of promise to Abe—like stars of heaven Gen 15:5. So have no hesitation in your God. He is able. He is worthy. Take that with you all of the way thru the land when you settle there.

2. WE CAN CONFIDENTLY COMPLY SINCE GOD IS ABLE

Our devotion is not baseless because our God is able to perform powerful deeds to serve our need.

Evidence of God’s powerful acts 1-7 First, He reminds these who were under 20 at the time of Exodus of the miracles performed then 1-4. These were object lessons to teach and discipline this generation about their God and His need to correct them when they rebelled. God’s power displayed in Egypt, with Egypt’s army, with waters of Red Sea, engulfing of Egypt’s army complete destruction. They should ‘go to school’ on this info and respond in vs 1 with confident devotion to god, His commands and demands. Second, He reminds them of the wilderness 5-7 where He also ‘took them to school’ at rebellion of Dathan and Abiram. They were eye- witnesses and should be instructed accordingly 7. Learn from your past!

Motivated to comply by these powerful deeds 8-16 First, their strength depended upon their obedience 8-9. They could only prosper there and possess what God gives them by obedience. So strength, possession, and victory is solely a matter of moral compass not military prowess. Second, Prosperity in the land based on compliance 10-12. In Egypt the land depended upon irrigation vs 10 while in Canaan dependent upon rain from heaven vs 11. So no human ingenuity involved just rain God gave as result of Israel’s compliance with God. Rain would irrigate the land as the people obeyed, and followed, and served God. Third, the land would be productive as long as they were not enticed by idols 13-16. God stipulates that confident devotion 13 is a prelude for early and latter rains—rains that began and ended the rainy seasons necessary for the crops to flourish in fertile soil 14-15. However, if enticed to say idols did this, deceived and turn away from true source of rain, God’s anger will shut up the heavens like in Elijah’s day. Famine and hunger will follow and is a reason why even today Israel is mostly barren! Don’t forget.

God’s Word must invade every area of life 18-24 Like 6:7-9 the Word of God must be visibly, physically present in your life understanding it’s content to shape the moral and spiritual character of the family. (The reality of Jesus in your home.) Possessing your position in life is dependent upon full compliance and for your kids too. The only way to drive out the sin in your life and possess what God has given you. If Israel had fully complied her boundaries would have been enlarged 24-25. You cannot fully possess your position in life without fully obeying God.

So when in the land a ceremony of full dedication 25-32 This ceremony would repeat and reinforce Moses instructions and solidify nee for compliance when they entered. (1) We must make a commitment to be fully devoted to Christ every single day. Take up our cross daily and follow Him 10:12-13. (2) That devotion can only be displayed through obedience to His commands, expectations—His Word applied directly to our lives 10:12-13; 11:1, 13, 22. (3) Motivation for compliance comes not from trying to muster emotional feelings for God but by reflection upon God’s faithful display of power in the past 11:1-7. (4) Our children will tend to follow what parents live and what they are reminded of daily by their surroundings 11:18-19.