Scripture: “And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— for the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.
“You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised.
“When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the LORD our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son, We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.’
Deuteronomy 6:10-25 ESV
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Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Moses seeks to inculcate the saving grace of obedience to God’s law in his people. After reviewing the wilderness years and the consequences of disobedience in the first five chapters, in chapter 6, Moses presents a new approach to promoting obedience to God’s statutes for this and future generations: hearing (obeying), reflecting (loving), and teaching (modeling) its core aspects. Expressly, Moses proclaims to his people that the Lord is one, love him wholeheartedly, safeguard his laws in your minds, and teach them to the next generation in all aspects of life.
In today’s reading, Moses shifts his focus to the future: when the Lord brings Israel into the Promised Land. He confidently extols what awaits them: well-supplied homes, fortified cities, wells, vineyards, and groves (vv.10-11). Thus, Moses urges them not to forget the Lord and, otherwise, pursue pagan gods because the Lord is jealous of their love (vv12-15). Equally perilous, Moses next exhorts them not to put Yahweh to the test as they did at Massah (a/k/a Meribah, Exodus 17:1-17) but diligently keep his commandments.
Takeaway: First, regarding jealousy, as mentioned periodically in our devotions, jealousy, as applies to God, is a positive attribute, for he is unwilling to share Israel’s affections with lifeless idols and humanly contrived religions that will corrupt them and draw them away from a loving relationship with him.
Second, regarding testing, the first generation of wilderness wanderers further questioned Moses’ intent (Exodus 17:3) and impertinently “tested the Lord by saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not'” (Exodus 17:7 ESV). As such, as theologian Earl Kalland contends, Israel implicitly denied Yawheh’s “efficacious presence” (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, p.67).
Denying the presence and work of God may carry eternal consequences. Consider Mark’s conflict between Jesus and the scribes over casting out demons (Mark 3:22-30). Jealous of Jesus’ growing popularity, they were looking for any reason to condemn him to the death sentence. So they accuse the Son of God of performing this miracle by the power of Beelzebul (i.e., the devil). Christ responds with a parable-like question of whether a divided house can stand and adds that the Lord will forgive all sins except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. To do so denies the presence of God at work, which is tantamount to being devoid of faith.
Our takeaway? Of course, Jesus does not say there is no opportunity to repent and receive forgiveness if we deny the presence of God. Forgiveness is the heart of our Gospel. Jesus addressed a couple of scribes who had hardened their hearts against God. And Moses is not saying that if Israel tests God, it’s over for them. But both imply it will not go well for us to deny God’s presence because we will further drift from him—making it less likely to repent and receive forgiveness. And if this pattern persists, our hearts may also harden against our loving God, who is jealous of our affections.
Our part? How do we avoid testing God? As always, it begins by submitting to the Holy Spirit, who will lead us into the wildernesses of life, where we encounter testing that matures our faith and love for our Creator. Indeed, Matthew tells us that this is how Jesus’ ministry began (Matthew 4:1-11). Additionally, like Jesus’ disciples who faced testing when spreading the Gospel, we need to lean on a godly community of believers for support and encouragement—and accountability when we verge on testing God.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son who rose above Satan’s tests to seek your will in all matters of life and mission so that we might receive his sacrifice as our means of salvation. Still, we sometimes take his immeasurable sacrifice for granted. So, please help us lean on the support of a community of believers and submit to your Holy Spirit when he orchestrates the testing of our faith so that we might be fully aware of your presence, rise above our temptations, and grow in our love and affection for you. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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