Bible In One Year-Day 86 (Thursday, March 27, 2014)
Commentary: Deut29-31. From Deut29:1, we could see that two covenants were in place; that of Mount Sinai and the Plain of Moab. To every covenant, regulations are attached. The first covenant had the laws that virtually eliminated the whole nation. This covenant was to see them through the wilderness where there were many distractions; idols, seductions, immorality, murmurings, root of bitterness, etc. The regulations given then were to warn them against these distractions. Such distractions are still the challenges of Christians going through the wilderness experience nowadays. These distractions are the satanic signboards that divert Christians, especially the ministers, from the genuine course to the Promised Land. One basic means of falling victim of these distractions is in Deut29:19 “… saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination (i.e. dictates) of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:”
The rule which many Christians are following in this present dispensation is the dictates of the heart and not of God as revealed in the vision. What is the state of the heart as dictated by the scripture?
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
The greatest enemy of a Christian’s testimony through difficult journey to the Promised Land is unregenerate (uncircumcised) heart. Such heart defends its shortcomings rather than deal with it. Such heart is always right in the face of taking wrong actions;
Proverbs 3:7 “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”
Such hearts conform to this world rather than being transformed through renewing processes. Is there bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, envy, jealousy, malice, diary of offenses etc, they kill and not make alive; therefore, you must deal with these. The Promised Land does not accept such.
The second covenant was given in the Plain of Moab, just before entering into the Promised Land. This carried the smell of grace, Deut30:2-5. This covenant allowed repentance, and repentance comes only from a regenerated and circumcised heart;
Deuteronomy 30:6 “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”
In essence, a repentant heart, love for God and His ordinances and total yield to His Spirit are the immunities against attacks in the Promised Land, Deut30:17-18. God knew the hearts of the Israelites and that is why He instructed Moses to call heaven and earth to witness against them as he presented life and death before them, blessing and cursing with a profound advice to choose life;
Deuteronomy 31:20 “For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.”
Unfortunately, this is what is happening now. God will not force anyone to heaven and the devil will not force anyone to hell, IT IS A MATTER OF CHOICE. What is the choice in your heart? We are rounding up the book of Deuteronomy today by reading Deut32-34. Keep the fire burning and alive.