Deuteronomy 2 - 14: Rules to live by, holy destruction, and God's cherished personal treasure (You!)

- The God who listens:  "What other great nation has gods that are intimate with them the way God, our God, is with us, always ready to listen to us?" (Deuteronomy 4:7-8). God knows your name, he loves you, and he hears you.
- Rules to live by:  Practical guidelines from chapter 4 of Deuteronomy, in a sermon given by Moses to the people:

• Stay alert
• Keep close watch over yourselves
• Don't forget anything of what you've seen
• Don't let your heart wander off
• Stay vigilant as long as you live
• Teach what you've seen and heard to your children and grandchildren

- Holy destruction:  what seems like brutality to us, as God instructed the Israelites to wipe out towns and clans, was actually God getting rid of vile and wicked nations. His actions were justice for their wicked behavior. One of the most vile things they did was burn their children in idol worship. God abhorred this.
- God the gardener:  God personally tended Israel, the Promised Land. "He's the Gardener" (Deut 11:10-12). The gardeners I know are gentle but firm as they tend their plants. They study their garden and know it intimately. They protect it and guard it from anything that would want to damage it. They water and feed it. They prune it. And they look forward to the harvest. Is it any surprise that God hated the vile things going on in his personal garden? And why he wanted to uproot the people doing those things and replace them with his own chosen people?
- You are chosen:  "God chose you out of all the people on earth as his cherished personal treasure" (Deut 14:1-2). Moses said this to the people of Israel, but this verse is for us, too. Through the redemptive work of Christ, we are grafted into the tribe of Israel, adopted as part of God's chosen people. So the promises to Israel are promises to us, as well. Hold that verse close--you are chosen as God's cherished personal treasure.

Elena's verse of the day:  "Be very careful not to forget things you have seen God do...keep reminding yourselves and tell your children and grandchildren" (Deuteronomy 4:9).