FBC Daily Devotional – July 9, 2021

Well, a good Friday to you. Here we are the end of this shorter work week probably for most of us anyway and finishing up the first full week of July and Looking forward to the weekend. I trust you are.

I as I've mentioned many times I always look forward to the Lord's Day, you know gathering together with God's people and sharing the word together. Singing together worshiping the Lord together. It's a highlight of the week and so something to look forward to hope you are on this Friday.

The Coming Lord’s Day and Church Gatherings

Just a couple of days before we gather together and encourage you to do that this Sunday having Bible study at 930 and been looking in the adult study in our church at the subject of holiness and You know sanctification.

What is that? What is it? And why should I be concerned about it? We're dealing with that and then in the Sunday morning service I've been preaching through the book of Judges and After guest speaker last Sunday be getting back into the book of Judges this week and Judges chapter 3 and then in Sunday evening Evening service.

I've been in the gospel of Mark. So if you can make it for those services in person encourage you to do so something providentially keeps you from it. Now you can always watch online and so that's available for you as well.

Deuteronomy as Moses Rehearses the Law

Well in the book of Deuteronomy, I think I mentioned this to you before but the book of Deuteronomy came about as Moses is rehearsing to the Pete the children of Israel the law God's law, that's what the name Deuteronomy means second law and It's it's a re it's a rehearsal of what was given on Mount Sinai.

About 40 years late 30 some years 38 years later. The children of Israel are on the east side of the Jordan River. They're about to cross Over. Moses is going to die before that happens and before he dies and before the people go into the land God wants Moses to give this law again.

Blessings and Curses on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal

Just a reminder of all that he's asked and expects of them and in that giving of the law here in chapter 28 We read for today Is an interesting exercise that the people are supposed to do they're gonna get into the land and they're going to find this geographical feature with two mountains and I mountains I guess if you were grew up in Colorado with the Rocky Mountains or in the northeast with the Green Mountains in Vermont.

You know, we were familiar with These would qualify more as like huge huge hills perhaps. Well anyway there were two of these Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebel and they stood opposite one another with a valley in between and the Lord said divide people up and put half the people on Mount Gerizim and half the people on Mount Ebel and The the people on Mount Gerizim.

They're supposed to pronounce blessing the people on Mount Geek on Mount Ebel. They're supposed to Pronounce curses and and here was the idea. The the one group is going to announce blessings for obedience.

The other group is going to pronounce curses for disobedience and and the point of this exercise is to remind God's people that there are consequences to how we live there are whether or not I obey the commandments of the Lord and You know, we don't have all of the Mosaic law that we have to obey you know the the sacrifices and the civil law that was required for the governance of the nation of Israel but the moral law Is still incumbent upon us and so many principles of God's commandments are Incumbent upon us and there are consequences as to whether or not I live that way.

Obedience as a Loving Response to God's Grace

God Declares from one mountainside the blessings of obedience. Obedience is blessed as My response to God's grace and that's what it is. My response to God's grace is One of loving submission to his Word.

Now God doesn't want our obedience to earn his grace to earn his favor. He has been gracious to us with those of us who know Christ as our Savior. He has been gracious to us and as a response to that grace He wants our obedience and the same was true was true with the Old Testament Israelites.

He didn't he didn't want them to Fulfill this these commandments obey these commandments In order to earn God's favor. They were the recipients of God's favor. These commandments are the ways to live in That will please him and out of gratitude for God's grace.

They should want to do so just as we should want to do. So well God promises blessing for that kind of obedience. As I respond to his word with loving submission Respond to his grace with loving submission to his word.

The Warning Against Willful Disobedience

The Lord blesses that kind of love love-based obedience and we see that in verses 1 to 14 of chapter 28. But then the rest of chapter 28 It's a it's a warning really if I Spurn the love of God. I thumb my nose at it.

I disregard his wondrous grace. I Abuse it by you know willful Stubborn disobedience. Disregarding his word saying things like I know God's Word says that but I want to do this. This will give me pleasure rather than what God says.

I'm gonna do what I want to do well, if I do that I Can expect heartache. I can expect hardship. That's going to come from it. This is the point of chapter Chapter 28 verses 15 and following the Lord warrants his people.

I can expect I can expect a measure of bondage and not the freedom that I think I'm getting. I Crave that freedom from having to do what God wants me to do, right? That's why I disobey. That's why I thumb my nose at his at his Requirements because I want my freedom.

Well, I pursue that and I find out I end up in bondage when I go off doing my own thing. I can expect With that kind of an attitude I can afflict expect affliction and I can express expect distress and misery.

Because you know if I'm really one of God's people He's not going to allow me to enjoy a life of Willful disobedience. He's not gonna do it and Really if I'm one of God's people I'm really one of God's people.

I won't be able to pursue that kind of path of disobedience and Enjoy it. I'm gonna happen. It's not gonna happen so my friend If you have snubbed your nose at God's Word and you don't care anything about it You're doing your own thing thinking you're getting freedom by it and you feel like I'm I'm perfectly fine.

I'm doing just fine I don't have a worry in the world. I I'm enjoying my life of sin and whatever then the likelihood is you're not really a child of God and I would implore you Turn in repentance to Christ and trust him.

If you are a child of Christ, then, you know, you know what distress that Decision to this disobey God, you know what it brings upon you, you know that you know the heartache of it so repent of it and turn up turn from it and Don't don't go there.

This was the warning that This little exercise was to was to communicate in the land of Israel Great blessings for obedience and not so much if you snub your nose at God's Word. So, let's be encouraged to obey by this today Thank you father for your word and thank you for its encouragement to Find out what you are like and what you like and to respond in love To you by living accordingly may we do so this we pray in Jesus name.

Amen. All right, well have a good rest of your Friday and a wonderful weekend and I trust especially God will bless you as You gather with his people on the Lord's Day. Good day.