Sunday, October 10, 2010

Face to Face: (DT 34:10-12)

"Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel." (Deuteronomy 34:10-12)
Moses enjoyed a special relationship with God, that of a friend and close confidant. "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend." (Exodus 33:11) He was not like the other prophets to whom God spoke in dreams, visions, and dark sayings. "If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so, with My servant Moses, he is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the Lord." (Numbers 12:6-8)

It would be two thousand years before another prophet would arise who would have a greater relationship with God; one whom God would be His Father. Peter understood this when, in reference to Jesus, he quoted the Old Testament prophesy. "Moses said, 'The Lord God will rise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; To Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you.'" (Acts 3:22) Jesus is "The Prophet", the one who could come like Moses and be greater than Moses. "Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house — whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end." (Hebrews 3:5-6) Jesus is greater than Moses in that He is a son and God is His Father. Moses knew God face-to-face as a servant, but Jesus, as a son. And now, through Jesus, we are His sons and, as sons, we are also called to know Him face-to-face. "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Today there is renewed interest in dreams, visions, and biblical symbolism. However we must not loose sight of the fact that God desires more in our relationship with Him. He desires us to become more than the Old Testament prophets; He desires to relate to us openly and plainly rather than through the veil of dreams and visions; He desires to know us face-to-face. He wants us to press beyond mere spiritual experiences to know Him on a personal level; to be His friends and His sons and daughters. To know Him as Moses did and even as Jesus did; openly, mouth-to-mouth, and face-to-face.

David Robison

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Saturday, October 09, 2010

Where's the body? (DT 34:1-8)

"Then the Lord said to him, 'This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, "I will give it to your descendants"; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.' So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord." (Deuteronomy 34:4-5)
It would be another two thousand years before we would see Moses again. It occurred on a day when Jesus took Peter, James, and John and ascended up on the mountain to pray.
"And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem." (Luke 9:29-31)
I have at times heard people use this scripture to justify their attempt to communicate with the dead, which is a bit funny since, in the Old Testament, God strictly forbids such behavior. "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead." (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) Nevertheless, those who use this scripture to justify their practicing necromancy fail to take note if the special circumstances surrounding the death of those two humans who now appear alive with Jesus on the mountain.

In the case of Elijah, he did not die but was gathered up into heaven while he was still alive. "As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven." (2 Kings 2:11) As for Moses, though he died, God Himself buried him. "And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day." (Deuteronomy 34:6) Along with Enoch, these were the only people who did not enter into Sheol or, as the Greeks called it "Hades", upon their death. These three people ascended directly to heaven to be with God. For Moses, this is further substantiated when Jude writes, "But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!'" (Jude 9-10)

When King David was informed that his son, the one born of adultery, had died he got up from his fasting and returned to his normal routine. Those close to him were astonished that, having mourned while the child was sick, he would now return to a normal live once the child had died. David explained, "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." (2 Samuel 12:23) David understood that death was final, at least as it related to "the land of the living". That is why I don't believe that those who claim to contact the dead are really speaking with the dead. In my opinion it is most likely a daemon or failure spirit. But for Moses and Elijah, they did reappear in the "land of the living" because they never went "the way of all the earth" and entered into Sheol. This is what made them different and allowed them to appear and converse with Jesus while He was on earth.

David Robison

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Friday, October 08, 2010

Destroy! (DT 33:27)

"The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; and He drove out the enemy from before you, and said, 'Destroy!'" (Deuteronomy 33:27)
Have you ever had times when it seemed that all you "stuff" was being exposed? Issues you had buried, sins you had hidden, and faults you didn't even know you had; everywhere you look, there they are! In times like these its tempting to blame the devil as if he is the one bringing these things before our eyes. However, it may be possible that the devil is not to blame; God is. In this part of Moses' song, the picture is of God as a hunting dog, flushing out the prey, that we may see it and killed it. God goes before us and flushes out the enemy, drivers him before us, that we may easily destroy them. These times are not times of oppression but times of opportunity; opportunity to destroy the things in our lives that hurt our relationship with God and keep us from enjoying the Promise Land. The next time you experience one of these times, instead of blaming the devil, simply rise up and "Destroy!".

David Robison

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Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Moses must die (DT 32:48-52)

"The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, 'Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession. Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.'" (Deuteronomy 32:48-52)
At first glance, God's punishment of Moses seems a bit harsh. For forty years Moses had lead a rebellious and stiff necked people faithfully before the Lord. However, on one occasion, being a single instance, Moses got angry with the people and responded in his anger and in so doing failed to fully execute what God had instructed him to do.
"Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, 'Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?' Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.'" (Numbers 20:10-12)
One blemish on an otherwise spotless life and Moses is banded from entering the Promised Land. Why was God so sever in His punishment of Moses? For two reasons. First, God had raised up Moses into a place of authority and, because of that responsibility, He expected more of Moses than the rest of the congregation.
"And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:47-48 NKJV)
Because Moses had been given much, much was expected of him. This is why James says, "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." (James 3:1) Moses' punishment was greater, in part, because he had been given a greater proportion of authority and anointing.

Secondly, his punishment was sever because his sin was not private but public; public sin requiring public punishment. This is why Paul commands concerning elders, "Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear." (1 Timothy 5:20 NKJV) Those who stand before the people have a tremendous influence over the people. Their lifestyle and behavior is an example for others to imitate, either for good or bad. When an elder or any other public person sins, they are to be rebuked openly. Their punishment must be severe enough so that other will not follow in their error but fear lest they too sin in a like manner.

While most of us are not "public people," we still have people watching us to see how we will live; whether our family, neighbors, or co-workers, people are watching and the question is, what will they see? Will they see a life that honors God or one that caters to self? Will they see a life that reflects the holiness of God or one that remains stained by the excesses and sin of the world? Will our lives bring glory and honor to God or only dishonor? Will we be like those whom Paul wrote to saying, "You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For The name of God is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you.'" just as it is written." (Romans 2:23-24) Or like those whom Jesus described, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16) The choice is ours.

David Robison

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Monday, October 04, 2010

What is your life? (DT 32:44-47)

"Then Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he, with Joshua the son of Nun. When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, 'Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.'" (Deuteronomy 32:44-47)
After teaching Israel a prophetic song depicting their future history, Moses gives them this injunction, "Obey God, for it is your life." Their quality of life was directly related to their fidelity in obeying God's law. The law was their life and obeying it was the most important thing in their day to day life. Their life began with the law and ended (hopefully) in God's acceptance and blessing.

How different from life under the new covenant where our life begins and ends with Jesus. "[Jesus, the] author of their salvation." (Hebrews 2:10) "Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:2) The law is no longer our life, rather, Jesus is. Our life with God now begins with acceptance and leads to a transformed life. "Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God." (Romans 15:7) This is completely opposite of the old covenant. We start out accepted and He changes us from the inside out. He gives us life and then teaches us to live it to the fullest. The law no longer has a place in our lives, it is no longer our life, rather it has been replaced by Jesus and His grace. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Romans 10:4)

David Robison

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Sunday, October 03, 2010

God knew they would fall away (DT 31:14-18)

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, "Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?" But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods.'" (Deuteronomy 31:16-18)
Moses is about to die, but before he does, God turns to His friend and explains to him what would happen in the days to come to the people he had loved and shepherded for the past forty years. God tells Moses that in the ages to come Israel would fall away and apostasy would come upon the nation of Israel. Their sins and their worship of other gods would turn their hearts away from the true God; the God who lead them out of Egypt with signs and wonders and an out stretched arm. How disappointed and dismayed Moses must have been; to have cared for these people for forty years only to know that one day they would depart from all he taught and commanded them. As bleak of a picture God draws for Moses, this scripture shows use some wonderful truths about God.

First truth is that God is able to love us even while knowing our weakness and faults. Even knowing how the Israelites would abandon Him, God still loved them and still provided for and protected them. He was on their side even while knowing that, at times, they were not fully on His side. It reminds me of the time Jesus healed the ten lepers and yet only one came back to thank Him. "Then Jesus answered and said, 'Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine — where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?'" (Luke 17:17-18) What I find interesting is that Jesus, while knowing that not all ten would return to give thanks, still healed all ten. Jesus healed all ten because He loved all ten, not because all ten would love Him back. God loves us because we are His regardless of our righteousness, our love for Him, what we have to offer Him, or even our faithfulness to Him. He loves us because He is love. (1 John 4:16)

Secondly, God is able to achieve His will in our lives even when we fail Him. God is more committed to His purpose in our live than we are. We are fickle, sometimes we are strong in faith and our determination to go on, other times we are weak and wanting to turn back. Sometimes we exude righteousness and other times we stumble and fall in sin. However, in all these times, our highs and our lows, our good times and our bad, God remains the same and He remains committed to us and our conformance to His will. I am encourage by the story of Jonah. When commanded by God to go and preach to the Ninevites Jonah rebels and tries to run away from God and His command. Through a series of circumstances Jonah is tossed from a boat and lands in the belly of a great fish. For three days Jonah stews in the fish before he finally repents. As soon as he repents, the scripture says, "Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land." (Jonah 2:10) But this was not just any dry land, he was barfed up on the shores of Nineveh, the very place he was suppose to go. For three days while Jonah was stewing, God was rushing him to Nineveh and to His purpose for Jonah's life. Even in Jonah's rebellion and sin, God was still working His purpose in his life.

Finally, God does not need perfect people for His purposes to succeed. Consider the lineage of Jesus. There were idolaters, adulterers, prostitutes, murders, liars, sinners, and infidels. However, even with the long line of imperfect people, God still brought His Son into the world to save us from our sins. Sometimes we forget how great God is; we believe that He is limited by us and our weaknesses; but the creator of the universe is not weak nor is he limited by human frailty but He is strong and well able to perform His purpose. Let us remember how great God is; let us see Him in His greatness and not through the prism of our weaknesses and failings. God is good and God is great.

David Robison

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Monday, September 27, 2010

Never forget (DT 31:9-13)

"So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. Then Moses commanded them, saying, 'At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.'" (Deuteronomy 31:9-13)
With each successive generation it becomes increasing more difficult for a people to remember and relate to the events that lead up to the creation of their nation. The times of trials and difficulties, the individual and corporate acts of valor, their choosing to ratify themselves as a nation though the covenants and contracts they made with themselves and God; all these begin to fade from the active memory and become mere stories in a history book. When this happens, a nation is at risk of loosing touch with their past and with who they were created to be and become. The promise and potential that existed at their nations creation is in jeopardy when the people forget their past.

This is, at least in part, why God directed the nation of Israel to regularly set aside times when the people would be reminded of their laws and the covenants they made with God. It was for their protection lest they should forget who they were. The same is true today. My country is now more than two hundred years old and much of our history and purposes for existence has been lost to many of our citizens. For many, we no longer understand why we became a nation and we have forgotten the foundational principals that were the basis of our founding documents and constitution.

For a nation to endure, it must make sure that it reminds and educates each successive generation on the how and why of its creation. It must strive to pass on those principles and covenants that make it unique to each successive generation. It must pass itself on to the generations that follow.

David Robison

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Sunday, September 26, 2010

The Lord goes before us (DT 31:1-6)

"So Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. And he said to them, 'I am a hundred and twenty years old today; I am no longer able to come and go, and the Lord has said to me, "You shall not cross this Jordan." It is the Lord your God who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, just as the Lord has spoken. The Lord will do to them just as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when He destroyed them. The Lord will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.'" (Deuteronomy 31:1-6)
Much to Moses' disappointment, he would not be accompanying the children of Israel into the promised land. For forty years Moses had lead Israel though the wilderness, but now it was left to Joshua to lead the people across the Jordan and into the land of Canaan. For forty years the people had depended on Moses for their law, the dispensation of justice, leadership, and the inter-mediation between them and God, but now, on whom would the trust? While Joshua was to be their leader in Moses' place, Moses reminds them that it should not be in him or Joshua or any other leader than they should trust; their trust should be in the Lord. He reminds them that it was not Joshua or himself that was going before them, nor were they the ones to guarantee their victory in war, rather it was the Lord their God.

Moses spoke to them in a way as to encourage them not to trust in man but in God; to trust in God as their leader, protector, deliver, and provider. "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes." (Psalms 118:8-9) "Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation." (Psalm 146:3) We should ask us this question, in whom do we trust? Is our trust in our leaders and our champions or is our trust in the Lord. As in the case of Moses, if God removed our leaders would we still be able to go on? Would we be able to trust in God to lead us forward? Or would we be lost without a man (or woman) to lead and guide us? Trust in the Lord, He will go before us and lead us into victory.

David Robison

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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Choose life (DT 30:15-20)

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants." (Deuteronomy 30:19)
In saying this, Moses acknowledges that those who stood on the east side of the Jordan river had a choice to make; a choice of their own free will; a choice that would lead to either life or death. Their choosing was not by merely mentally preferring one outcome over the other, rather the outcome of their choosing would be ratified by the lifestyle they chose to embrace. Their chosen lifestyle would determine whether they would receive life or death, blessing or cursing. Life and death were not their choice but rather the outcomes of their choice, their choice was to obey or disobey God. "In that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it." (Deuteronomy 30:16)

The outcome of their life was inextricably linked to their relationship with God. In their case, this was expressed in their obedience to, or rebellion from, the law. To the degree to which the adhered to the law, so did they experience the blessings of life, but to the degree to which they rebelled from God, so they experienced cursing and death. "But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it." (Deuteronomy 30:17-18)

In the same way, the quality of our life depends on our relationship with God, not through the law, but through Jesus. "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10) If we draw near to God though Jesus then we find life, but if we draw back we find trouble, difficulty, and death. We find life "by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days." (Deuteronomy 30:20) Let us stop looking for life in every other place rather than in the one place where it can be found. Let us draw near to God, to love and obey Him, that we might receive His life. Let us choose a life with God.

David Robison

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Saturday, September 18, 2010

The accessable Gosple (DT 30:11-14)

"For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it." (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)
This scripture is best understood when placed in context with the end of the previous chapter where Moses wrote, "But the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever." (Deuteronomy 29:29) When Moses speaks of the law as "not too difficult" he is using a word that is most often translated as "wondrous" or "marvelous". This word describes something that is beyond our comprehension, beyond our ability to know and understand in full. For example, Agur the son of Jakeh wrote, "There are three things which are too wonderful for me." (Proverbs 30:18) and Job confessed, "Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know." (Job 42:3) In both cases the implication is not so much that the information was "too difficult" but rather "too hidden" for them. It was marvelous and wonderful and beyond their understanding and discovery.

In contrast, Moses was saying that the law was accessible; easy to know and understand. There were no hidden meanings, not tricks or gotchas to watch out for, it simply had to be read and obeyed. It is interesting that in the recorded history of Israel you don't see (as a rule) preachers or teachers. They had prophets who called the people back to the law and they had priest who performed the sacrifices for the people according to the law, but you don't see the people congregating regularly to hear some teacher, or man of God, teach them the law. Education in the law was a personal responsibility. Joshuah commanded the people, "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." (Joshuah 1:8) It was also the parents' responsibility to pass the law onto their children as Moses commanded them, "Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, 'Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'" (Deuteronomy 4:10) They didn't need teachers because the law was clear, easy to understand, and accessible.

Paul later takes this verse and applies it directly to us as believers under the new covenant.
"For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: 'Do not say in your heart, "Who will ascend into heaven?" (that is, to bring Christ down), or "Who will descend into the abyss?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).' But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (Romans 10:5-10)
In reflecting back on the words of Moses, Paul is making the same contrast between things that are hidden and things that are revealed. While in previous generations the message of the Gospel had been hidden, Jesus both descended from heaven and was raised form the dead that He might reveal the hidden things to us. "The mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:26-27)

The Gospel is simple, there are no hidden meanings, no hidden or obscured truths, it is simple and straight forward so that anyone who desires to know and obey it may hear and understand. We don't need to travel the world looking for the man of God to teach it to us. We don't need priests of other appointed clergy to teach it to us, it is plain enough for everyone to understand and obey. This is why John could confidently assert, "As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him." (1 John 2:27)

This is not to say that there is no place for teachers in the Body of Christ, but we are not dependent on them to understand, apply, and obey the simple truths of the Gospel. We don't need someone's "special revelation" to know and understand God. Paul echoed this when he wrote, "For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end." (2 Corinthians 1:13) The Gospel Paul delivered to the churches was simple and clear, nothing hidden or obscured, and it was accessible even to the simple.

Lets stop trying to make the Gospel difficult or complicated. Lets stop believing that we must seek out the "man of God" to teach us. Lets stop placing greater emphasis on "deep revelation" rather than on the simple truth of the Gospel. Let us return to simplicity.

David Robison

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Thursday, September 16, 2010

A circumcised heart (DT 30:6)

"Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live." (Deuteronomy 30:6)
Forgiveness existed long before the new covenant was established through Jesus' blood. A large portion of the law, and its prescribed pattern of worship, was meant explicitly to provide for forgiveness.
"He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first that which is for the sin offering and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but he shall not sever it. He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar: it is a sin offering. The second he shall then prepare as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him." (Leviticus 5:8-10)
So if forgiveness was available under the old covenant, why did Jesus have to come and die for our sins, and why was there a need for a new covenant? The key is to understand the nature of sin. Sin is not primarily transactional; it not based primarily on what we do; rather sin is a condition of the heart. John said, "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3:4) He did not say that sin was the transgression of the law but rather that sin was lawlessness; it was not an act but was a condition of the heart. While we may from time to time commit sinful acts, we are always sinners. Even when we sleep we are sinners because hour heart is sinful, even if for the moment we are not doing something specifically sinful.

Paul, writing to believers, reminded them, "When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions." (Colossians 2:13) Notice we are dead spiritually because of our transgressions and the uncircumcision of our heart. It is not enough just to have our transgressions forgiven but we need to have our heart renewed. We need to be circumcised in our hearts as Moses prophesied so long ago. That is why Paul reminds us, "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (Hebrews 10:4) The blood of bulls and goats can provide forgiveness but it can never heal a sinful heart. Without the circumcision of our heart, we may be forgiven, but we will forever remain slaves of sin.

That is why we need Jesus. Not only for the forgiveness of our sins but also for the redemption of our heart; for the putting to death of our sinful nature; for the obtaining of a new heart that is able to obey God. We need more than forgiveness, we need freedom. This is why the Father sent Jesus to die for us. "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4) Jesus came to free us from our sin; from a sinful heart; to reconcile us back to God and to enable us to serve God with our whole heart; a clean and renewed heart. This is why we need Jesus and this is why He came.
"But now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him." (Hebrews 9:26-28)
David Robison

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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Obeying Revelation (DT 29:29)

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law." (Deuteronomy 29:29)
Mark Twain is reported to have said, "Its not what I don't understand about the bible that bothers me, its what I do understand." There is a lot about God we do not know; much of His nature, character, and thoughts are hidden from our understanding. While it is good to desire to probe and search out the deeper things of God, our present reality and responsibility have to do with those things we already know; with what God has already revealed about Himself and His kingdom. We are not responsible for what we do not know about God, but we are responsible for how we respond to what we do know. Paul put it this way, "Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained." (Philippians 3:15-16) Paul is saying that we need not concern ourselves with what we do not understand about God and His kingdom; even if we are wrong about some belief God is able to correct us and lead us to a better understanding. Instead, we need to apply ourselves to that measure of revelation we have received; not just to believe it but also to obey it.

Presently, there is a great interest in "revelation", both inside and outside of the church. What is key to this scripture is the purpose of that revelation, "that we may observe all the words of this law." Revelation is not given to be believed but obeyed. Revelation is not given for information but rather to move us to action. Revelation without obedience leads us into deception.
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:22-25 NKJV)
James says that when we are a hearer but not a doer then we enter into a form of self deception and we end up forgetting what it was that God was trying to reveal to us. To really grasp and understand God's revelation we must obey it and put it into practice. It is as Jesus said, "Go and learn what this means..." (Matthew 9:13)

David Robison

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Sunday, September 12, 2010

Oblivious of God (DT 29:1-9)

"And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, 'You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants and all his land; the great trials which your eyes have seen, those great signs and wonders. Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.'" (Deuteronomy 29:2-4)
Moses recounts some of the blessings and victories the Israelites received over their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Specifically he recalls:
  • They were delivered and lead out of Egypt as a result of God's mighty wonders and signs.
  • For forty years they had no need of clothes for their clothes did not wear out.
  • They eat food from heaven without sowing and reaping.
  • They won battles against nation mightier and more experienced in war than they.
  • They had already begun to receive an inheritance of lands, houses, and possessions.
Israel's forty years in the wilderness were forty years of the goodness and grace of God, yet for all the things He did for them, they somehow failed to perceive it; they failed to see God in all they received; they had become oblivious of God. Even today, we can find ourselves going through life oblivious of God and His hand of grace working in our lives. We move from day to day, believing in God, but failing to see Him when He interacts with us and our lives on a daily basis.

There are many reasons why we loose sight of God even in the face of His abundant grace and blessing. One reason is rebellion. "Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house." (Ezekiel 12:2) Even after God delivered them from Egypt, the Israelites carried with them their false gods from Egypt. "Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves." (Amos 5:25-26) In the wilderness, the Israelites did have God but they also had their idols and false gods. This rebellion dulled their eyes from the reality of God in their daily lives. While we may not have wooden idols we carry around with us, when we allow other things and activities to take the place in our hearts that belongs to God, we begin to loose sight of His working in our lives and our eyes grow dim.

Another reason we fail to perceive God is simple pride. "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants." (Matthew 11:25) As we mature and become stayed in our knowledge, understanding, and beliefs, we can become deaf to the surprises of God. We can become so satisfied with what we already know that we turn a deaf ear to the new things God wants to show and teach us. We become prideful in our knowledge and understanding and leave behind a childlike wonder of the world in all its beauty, wonder, and amazement. Paul encountered some Jews who, when Paul shared the Gospel with them, simply refused to believe because it did not fit with their nice packaged religion. "Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe. And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, 'The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, "Go to this people and say, 'You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive.'"'" (Acts 28:24-26)

Finally, God can fade from our view when we allow ourselves to become dull; when we loose our edge; when we settle for a life of mediocrity and the status quo. When the disciples asked Jesus why he always spoke to the crowds in parables He said:
"To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; you will keep on seeing but will not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear." (Matthew 13:11-16)
As for those outside, they had become dull and their eyes had grown dim. This dullness and blindness does not happen over night but is the long term result of neglect; neglect of our relationship with Jesus.

When we find ourselves having grown oblivious to the goodness of God in our lives, the only solution is to press into God. Jesus encouraged some of the early churches to, "buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see." (Revelation 3:18) We must buy from Him eye salve that we might once again see; see His abiding presence and work in our day-to-day lives. In Isaiah God put it this way, "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost." (Isaiah 55:1) The key here is the word "come". We must return to the Lord, come daily into his presence, spend time "buying" what we need from Him. If we will learn to be with Him, in His presence, then we will once again become everywhere aware of His presence, blessings, and provisions in our lives.

David Robison

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Wednesday, September 08, 2010

A Nation by Covenant (DT 29:1)

"These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He had made with them at Horeb." (Deuteronomy 29:1)
The nation of Israel came into existence as the result of a covenant made between God and the Israelites. The very foundations of Israel's existence were built upon covenant. This was not just a covenant between that generation and God, but between every successive generation and God. The covenant they made with God that day was passed down from generation to generation. Each generation not needing to renew or decide again on the founding covenant of their nation, rather they received the nation and their participation in the covenant as an inheritance from this original generation. The covenant once made was in force for all generations after.

What is important to understand is that a nation, once conceived by covenant, is gifted from one generation to another as an inheritance. For my country, that covenant is expressed primarily in our Declaration of Independence and in our constitution. Having received our nation and covenants by inheritance, it is up to us to preserve them and to pass them on to the next generation.

Whether we like it or not, we have been made participants in the covenants made by our forefathers. While from time to time certain adjustments or changes may be necessary to the structure of a nation, we must always seek to make them in light of the founding covenants and principals set down by those who founded our nation. We do not have, nor should we suppose to have, the luxury of re-negotiating the founding covenants with each successive generation; our role is to preserve what we receive not to try and remake it into our own image.

One of the things that concerns me greatly about the times we live in in my country is that there seems to be a concerted effort to make wholesale changes in our government, our economy, and our culture. Laws and policies are being put advanced that are, in many cases, in direct opposition to our constitution. There appears to be little regard to the constitution and founding principles by those who are pursuing this course of change. It makes me wonder what we will have left to pass on to the next generation.

Change may be inevitable, but we must never change in a way, or to a degree, to violate or abandon the covenants that created us as a nation. To do so is revolution.

David Robison

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Monday, September 06, 2010

The Price of Apostacy (DT 28:15-68)

"But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you..." (Deuteronomy 28:15)
God outlines to the nation of Israel the consequences of her apostasy. God enumerates with great specificity and detail the variety and severity of the punishments and curses that would be hers should she fail to keep her covenant with God. So great would be her punishment that she would be reduced to committing the vilest of sins. Consider the following curse on Israel's apostasy.
"Then you shall eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters whom the Lord your God has given you, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you. The man who is refined and very delicate among you shall be hostile toward his brother and toward the wife he cherishes and toward the rest of his children who remain, so that he will not give even one of them any of the flesh of his children which he will eat, since he has nothing else left, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you in all your towns." (Deuteronomy 28:53-55)
What is important to understand is that, each and everyone of these curses prophesied by God eventually came upon the nation of Israel. Even the most sever punishment leading to the most disgusting of actions on Israel's part came to pass. Israel forgot God, forsook her covenant with Him, turned away from the law, and brought upon herself all that was written in this scripture.

Reading this, it makes me thankful that we live under a different covenant and in a different dispensation; one of grace not of judgment. It is written of Jesus:
"For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.' Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, 'The righteous man shall live by faith' However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, 'He who practices them shall live by them' Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us — for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree' — in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:10-14)
Thanks be to God that Jesus freely became a curse for us that we might know the forgiveness, blessing, and love of God!

David Robison

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Holy people (DT 28:9-10)

"The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you." (Deuteronomy 28:9-10)
Under God's previous covenant, instituted through Moses, His promise to the Israelites that they would be "holy people" was dependent upon their keeping the commandments and the covenants they made with God. Contrast this with our calling as holy people under God's present covenant, instituted through Jesus. In this new covenant all believers are call "saints".
"Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours" (1 Corintheans 1:1-2)

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 1:1)

"Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:1)

"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father." (Colossians 1:1-2)
In each case, the believers in total are referred to as "the saints". This particular Greek word is the same word used as an adjective to describe God's Spirit that He was to send to all believers.
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." (John 14:26)
The term "Holy Spirit" could equally be translated "Saintly Spirit"; the word for "Holy" and for "Saint" are the same Greek word. The point is this: while under the old covenant holiness was dependent upon keeping the law, under the new covenant we are automatically made holy through our faith in Jesus Christ, independent of the law. Under the new covenant we don't become holy rather we are born holy when we are born again through the Spirit of God. We are holy because we are children of God not as the result of works. We are holy because we are His!

David Robison

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Sunday, August 29, 2010

Above all nations (DT 28:1-14)

"Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God... The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them." (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 13-14)
The greatness of a nation is not determined solely by the quality and composition of its government, laws, institutions, or history. While these things are important, they alone are not what exalts a nation. A nation's greatness, prosperity, longevity, and position in the world is determined primary by the character of its people. When God created the nation Israel He gave it everything it needed to succeed. However, ultimately their success as a nation would be determined by how the people lived; especially in direct relation to their God and to each other.

Often times we look to our government for solutions to the problems facing our nation. We expect "them" to step in and solve our problems and to guarantee our present and future prosperity. In our economy, security, and basic needs we look to our government as our savior. However, far too often what we really need is not more or better government but a revival of citizenship amongst our people. We need a fresh awakening to our individual responsibilities as they relate to our fellow citizens and especially as they relate to our God.

No nation, no matter how great and perfect its government, can prosper long when its citizens live a life style that is secular and separated from God. Great nations are built upon great people, and great people exalt great nations.
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." (Proverbs 14:34)
David Robison

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Cursed! (DT 27:15-26)

"'Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'" (Deuteronomy 27:26)
The law is transactional, if you do A then you get B. If you obey the law then you get its blessings. If you don't obey then you receive its curse. The law instituted by God through Moses was a contract between God and man. It stipulated how the Israelites were to live and how God would, in turn, behave towards them. At the heart of the law was its curse; its curse for disobedience. While the law itself was good and holy, mankind was whole unable to keep the law and thus all mankind fell under the curse of the law. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)

However, though the law be transactional, God's grace towards us is exactly the opposite. Instead of saying, "If you do A you will get B", the grace of God says, "Since you have B then do A". The grace of God says, since we have received the blessings and favor of God, then we should should to walk in a manor that pleases Him. Paul put it this way,
"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:1-3)
Paul did not say that we should walk in a certain way that we might become worthy, rather since we have already become worthy and received a holy calling from God then we should walk in a manor that is consistent with what we have received. We no longer keep the law to become acceptable to God, rather because we have already become acceptable we seek to do what He commands; out of a response to His goodness rather than out of fear of punishment.

Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15) He did not say that if we keep His commandments then He would love us, for He loves us whether or not we do what He asks. Rather, He desires that having received His love and choosing to love Him in return, that our response would be obedience to the things He ask and commands us to do. This is a new way of living, not out of fear of the curse of the law but out of the response of a loving heart to the blessings and grace He has so freely bestowed upon us.

David Robison

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Monday, August 09, 2010

Who do you belong to? (DT 27:9-10)

"Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, 'Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for the Lord your God. You shall therefore obey the Lord your God, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command you today.'" (Deuteronomy 27:9-10)
True religion is not based upon beliefs but upon relationship. The question is not, what do you believe but rather who do you belong to. The work of God is not to conform us to a common set of beliefs, rather to unite us to Himself as His people; His own possession. "Our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." (Titus 2:13-14) Jesus came not to correct our theology but to make us His; that we might become his people.

Our response to being owned is obedience. Notice that Moses' exhortation to obedience was not based upon Israel's believe system but upon their new relationship with God in that they had become "people for the Lord". Jesus similarly said, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46) If we are His then we own Him our obedience, not out of fear as when we were under the law, but out of our relationship to Him as His sons and daughters. "Who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood." (1 Peter 1:1-2) If we are His then we should obey Him.

There are many people who believe in God, and many even believe in Jesus and His work on the cross. However, the question is not whether or not we have believed in Him but whether or not we have become His; have we become His people; do we now belong to Him? Believing is good but we must go beyond believing to belonging, and having become His, to obedience.

David Robison

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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Uncut stones (DT 27:5-7)

"Moreover, you shall build there an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones; you shall not wield an iron tool on them. You shall build the altar of the Lord your God of uncut stones, and you shall offer on it burnt offerings to the Lord your God; and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and eat there, and rejoice before the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 27:5-7)
If I were to build an altar to God I would want to build something grand and majestic. I would spare no cost or effort to make it beautiful and to adorn it it in a way to reflect both the God to whom it was built and the gratitude of the one who built it. However, when God commanded the Israelites to build Him an altar He insisted it be made of "uncut stones". God is not concerned with appearances nor is He impressed with the efforts of our labors. We want something grand, yet God is content with something simple, personal, and intimate.

When David sought to build a grand temple to God, God's response was, "For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, 'Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?'" (2 Samuel 7:6-7) God was content with a tent when David wanted to build Him a house.

God does not need much to relate to His people, but we too often try to shroud our relationship with God in buildings, activities, and programs of our own imagination. We want to have services that are polished and professional and to meet in buildings that are grand and expansive. We expend great effort to build and do things for God when what He wants most of all is to be with us. Our works and efforts actually serves to insulate us from an intimate relationship with God.

When King David sought to bring the Arc of the Covenant back into Jerusalem, they conceived a grand way to bring in the presence of God.
"David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, the Lord who is enthroned above the cherubim, where His name is called. They carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, even with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals and with trumpets." (1 Chronicles 13:6-8)
This approach seamed good; they had worship, praise, and a new cart to carry the arc. However, the end result was death.
"When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, because the oxen nearly upset it. The anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, so He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark; and he died there before God." (1 Chronicles 13:9-10)
Their intentions were good, but they relied on their own estimations and inventions to usher in the presence of God and the end result was disaster. God did not want their "new cart", He wanted them. Finally, after seeking the Lord, David discovered what God really wanted and safely brought the present of the Lord back into Jerusalem.
"Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab, and said to them, 'You are the heads of the fathers' households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not carry it at the first, the Lord our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.' So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. The sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord." (1 Chronicles 15:11-15)
God's presence is not to be born upon the engines of our imagination but rather upon the shoulders of His worshipers. God does not want our latest program or latest idea to woo His presence, He wants us. He is not impressed with our outward appearances and work but desires most of all a relationship with us that is simple, personal, and intimate. "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)

David Robison

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Sunday, July 18, 2010

The law, written in stone (DT 27:1-8)

"So it shall be on the day when you cross the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God gives you, that you shall set up for yourself large stones and coat them with lime and write on them all the words of this law... So it shall be when you cross the Jordan, you shall set up on Mount Ebal, these stones, as I am commanding you today, and you shall coat them with lime... You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very distinctly." (Deuteronomy 27:2-8)
What is evident about the law is that it is external to man. It is an external imposition upon a man which he is to obey out of his own will, ability, and alacrity. The law cares little about the inward notions of a man but seeks primarily to establish an outward conformance of behavior that is fitting to righteousness. Because the law is external to man, and often contrary to his nature, it is important that he be reminded of it often. This is why God instructed it to be written down, taught daily, and meditated on night and day.
"You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:7-9)
The Israelites' greatest danger was that they would forget the law of Moses and depart from what is right and, in their sin, they would be separated from the love, presence, and grace of God. Remembrance of the law was essential for their keeping the law. "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." (Joshua 1:8-9)

Unfortunately, as we have previously seen, mankind was unable to keep the external law of God. The perfect law of God is beyond the abilities of man to keep in that mankind has been enslaved by a sinful nature driving them from sin to greater sin. "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh..." (Romans 8:3) Fortunately, God has a plan. It is to write His laws upon the hearts of man, that those laws may be internal not external, that they may change the inside of a man and thus change his outward behavior.
"'Behold, days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,' declares the Lord. 'But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,' declares the Lord, 'I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "Know the Lord," for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,' declares the Lord, 'for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.'" (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
Today God is about writing His laws "very distinctly," but not on tablets of stone but rather on the tablets of our hearts. "Being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." (2 Corinthians 3:3) When we receive and obey that word God is writing onto our hearts then we are changed and our change is not some mere outward obedience to some external law but a true and genuine change on the inside and, when one has been truly changed on the inside, for certain their outward behaviors will, in time, change to come into conformance with who they have become on the inside.

David Robison

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Thursday, July 15, 2010

So what happened? (DT 26:16-19)

"This day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have today declared the Lord to be your God, and that you would walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and listen to His voice. The Lord has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession, as He promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments; and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, for praise, fame, and honor; and that you shall be a consecrated people to the Lord your God, as He has spoken." (Deuteronomy 26:16-19)
The Mosaic covenant was a covenant between God and the Jewish people that, if they would obey His commandments and live according to all of His laws, then He would be their God and they His people and He would make them a nation to be desired and praised. They would be above all other nations; the head and not the tail; and they would be the joy of the whole earth. Unfortunately, while Israel did experience times of greatness, her end was in dispersion and captivity. In the end, God divorced His nation Israel and terminated His covenant with them. "I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce." (Jeremiah 3:8)

So what happened? How is it that a nation founded on so great promises made by a covenant keeping God would fail to obtain all the benefits and blessing of that covenant and instead fail all together? The problem was not in the promises or with the God who made those promises, the problem was with the people. Joshua understood the problem when he told the people, "You will not be able to serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you." (Joshua 24:19-20) The truth is that, no matter how great the promises or righteous the laws, in our hearts we are unable to keep and observe what God commands us. Unregenerate man, with his sinful nature, cannot and will not obey God. "Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Romans 8:7-8)

Trying to keep the law is a dead end. Paul reminds us that, "by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight." (Romans 3:20) No matter how hard we try to keep the law we will never be able to live sin free; we will never achieve the level of righteous required to inherit the promises and blessings of God. Trying to obtain righteousness via the law will never work. What we need is another way to achieve righteousness. Fortunately, God has made just such a provision. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Romans 10:4) God has made provision through His Son that, for those who believe and live in Him, they will fulfill all righteousness and will inherit the promises and blessings of God. "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:21-23) Let us stop trying to establish our own righteousness by attempting to keep the law and, instead, let us find true righteousness though faith in Christ Jesus.
"What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works." (Romans 9:30-32)
David Robison

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Monday, July 12, 2010

Tithing in the third year (DT 26:12-15)

"When you have finished paying all the tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and to the widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied." (Deuteronomy 26:12)
There are several things of interest in this passage of scripture. First, benevolence was to be undertaken by the individual and not the church or state. It was the individual's responsibility to "Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce" (Proverbs 3:9) in giving to the poor, needy, and the Levites. Today, we are more accustomed to looking to the government to provide for the welfare of the needy among us. We expect the government to use our taxes (or more preferably the taxes of the rich) to provide for those in need, but this was never what God intended. God intended that the poor and needy were to be provided for out of the abundance and generosity of others. This approach to benevolence was echoed by Paul when he said,
"For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality — at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; as it is written, 'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack.'" (2 Corinthians 8:12-15)
God appoints that equity should flow out of the voluntarily generosity of people's hearts, not as compulsion mandated by the government and extracted through taxes.

Secondly, the Old Testament practice of tithing was very different from our modern notions. "I have not eaten of it while mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor offered any of it to the dead." (Deuteronomy 26:14) It is interesting that, in a scripture focused primarily on using the tithe to provide for those in need, the giver is to confess before the Lord, "I have not eaten of it while morning." His confession is not that he has not eaten of the tithe but merely that he has not eaten of it while morning. Presently, in most western churches, tithing is interpreted as bringing your money to the church for them to do with as they see fit. We would never consider spending a portion of the tithe on our selves, nor presume to stipulate how it should be used, but in this scripture it is at the discretion of the giver how they should offer that tithe so long as it is done with the knowledge that the tithe is seen as holy by the Lord.

Lastly, there is a promise for the land that is generous. "Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the ground which You have given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers." (Deuteronomy 26:14) There is a blessing on the generous. "There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered." (Proverbs 11:24-25) However, this blessing is not limited to individuals, but the nation that is generous will also be bless. This scripture speaks of not an individual blessing but a blessing on the ground and a blessing on the nation.

I believe that this blessing on generosity is in part what has made my country such a prosperous country. Our generosity has led to America's greatness and has been at the foundation of American exceptionalism. Americas prosperity is not solely the result of individual industry but also of the blessing of God poured out on her because of the generosity of her people.

David Robison

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Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Then it shall be in that day (DT 26:1-11) Part 4

"and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name... You shall answer and say before the Lord your God... and you shall set it down before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 26:2, 5, 10)
The ceremonial laws pertaining to the offerings, sacrifices, and festivals were all constructed so that the people would not merely remember God but that they would also periodically appear before him. Speaking of the festivals, God commands, "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord God." (Exodus 23:17) And speaking of the burnt offerings He says. "Be careful that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every cultic place you see, but in the place which the Lord chooses in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you." (Deuteronomy 12:13-14) What made the place of the Lord's choosing a special place was that it was where the presence of the Lord dwelt; in the Holy of Holies, above the mercy seat, and between the cherubim the very presence and glory of God rested. God's demands that they appear before Him regularly was not because He needed their sacrifices and offerings, but rather because He desired to be with them. God desires to be with His people; it was true then and it is still true today.

Even from the very beginning, from the first creation of man and woman, God has a desire to be with, and to fellowship with, His creation. After Adam and Eve sinned, its says that "They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day." (Genesis 3:8) How did they know what that sound was? Because they had heard it before. God regularly walked and talked with them in the garden, in the cool of the day. God created them and God was with them because He desired them. The same is true for us. When we offer our sacrifices and offerings in worship, it is not what we offer that is most important to God, it is us! More than anything we might have to offer Him, God desires time with us; for us to be in His presence and He in ours. In this sense, worship is not about giving but about coming; coming into His presence. Let us never forget to offer to God what He desires most of all: ourselves, our presence, and our time.

David Robison

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Monday, July 05, 2010

Then it shall be in that day (DT 26:1-11) Part 3

"'Now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, O Lord have given me.' And you shall set it down before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God; and you and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household." (Deuteronomy 26:10-11)
Today, as Christians, we no longer have to journey to a physical place to bring our offerings to God. Under His new covenant, God has chosen to abide in each believer rather than in a physical temple or some single location. "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands." (Acts 17:24) "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16)

Similarly, today our offerings most often do not consist of physical items such as produce or sacrificial animals. Speaking of the coming of the Christ, David says, "Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; my ears You have opened; burnt offering and sin offering You have not required." (Psalms 40:6) Under His new covenant, God has not asked us to offer up such physical items in our worship, but there is something He does ask us to bring in our worship. "Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name." (Hebrews 13:15) God is not interested in our physical possessions as much as He is in the gratitude of our hearts as expressed through our praise and worship.

David exhorts us to "Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy." (Psalms 33:3) Fortunately he goes on to say what he means by a "new song." "He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord." (Psalms 40:3) The "new song" David is talking about is a song of praise; a song that is new, not because if was previously unknown, but because it is new in the context of our praise. When we sing to God a song of praise that is born out of something new God has done in our lives, even if it is an old song, it can be a new song of praise unto God; it is new because of the new thing God has done in our heart.

As God is continually moving and working in our lives, there are continual opportunities to worship God with a "new song". While it is good to recall and thank God for what He has done in ages past, our worship should never be solely focused in the past, rather our praise must be contemporary and filled with the reality of what God is doing presently. We must not allow our worship to become stale; singing the same old songs we used to sing ten or twenty years ago. Rather our worship should always be fresh and new; born out of our daily life and experiences with God. Let us take the advice of David to heart and daily find new reasons to worship God with a new song.

David Robison

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Sunday, July 04, 2010

Then it shall be in that day (DT 26:1-11) Part 2

"You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, 'I declare this day to the Lord my God that I have entered the land which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.'" (Deuteronomy 26:3)
Confession. Most often, when we think of confession, we think of either the confession of our sins or the confession of what we desire, in the traditional "name it and claim it" style of confession. However, here Moses is referring to the confession of what God has already done. In this case, we are not confessing what we have done, nor what we wish God would do, but rather what God has already done for us. Confession of the past works of God is important in pursuing our futures. Consider David, when he was about to face Goliath he recited to King Saul the previous time God had come to his aid. It was in his remembrance of God's past faithfulness that David had hope in God's future deliverance of him before Goliath.
"But David said to Saul, 'Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.' And David said, 'The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.'" (1 Samuel 17:34-37)
By confessing our past victories with God, our hope and faith in God's future victories is built up and strengthened. Paul says that, "faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17) Sometimes we need to hear the word of God spoken from our own mouths rather than from another. When we hear our confession of God's word, and especially the fulfillment of God's word in our lives, our faith is increased and we grow in our faith towards God.

When we confess the work of God in our lives we magnify God over and against our problems. David says to, "magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together." (Psalms 34:3) Unfortunately we far too often magnify our problems; our problems seem huge while our God seems small. When we have big problems and a small God we are in trouble. We need to magnify our God and minimize our problems, which, in truth, is the reality of our every situation.

Asaph understood this principal. There was a time when he was disquieted by the enormity of his problems. He wrote, "Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence; for I have been stricken all day long and chastened every morning... When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight" (Psalms 73:13-14. 16) Yet when he started to consider and confess who God was and what He had done, his faith was buoyed.
"Until I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form. When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. with Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory." (Psalms 73:17-24)
It was only after Asaph entered into the sanctuary, remembered who His God really was, and confessed the truth about God and what He had done in the past that his heart was strengthened and he was able to go forward in his life. They say that confession is good for the soul, but it is also good for our faith.

David Robison

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