Deuteronomy 22-24

I love it when God tells His people to wear the right kind of clothes. He tells the men to dress like men and the women to dress like women. I would think this would be a "no-brainer" but it seems to fit within the issues many see in our culture today. We are meant to have and hold our gender roles. God is honored when we act like the person we were created to be – the gender we were created to be. Even if we are confused or wish we were something else – it is not meant to be – and we must overcome. I am familiar with people who do not feel comfortable in their skin. They ask God, "Why make me a man or women if I feel like I should be someone else?" Some even look at genetics and say, "I am supposed to be something else" or "I am gay because I would be better as a man or woman." All of these are wrong, and this passage (and others) tell us this. We are meant to be what God has made us. Some are born with the gene that leans to alcoholism (or other things) but that does not give the excuse to follow through with it. God made us to be us – so get comfortable with who God made you to be and discover what biblical masculinity or femininity is meant to be. Might I suggest this book for help.

Deuteronomy 19-21

We live in a broken world, of this there is little or no doubt. It is messed up, very messed up. Many of us have heard and perhaps even seen how bad it really is. One of the aspects that prove the world is messed up is the judicial system. Recently you might have heard about the situation in Italy with this American girl that was found guilty of a crime she claims not to have done. A lot of times we hear of people that have been in prison for "x" amount of years and are innocent due to some new evidence or some DNA that was found.

God uses Deuteronomy 19 and part of 21 laying out the plan for fair trials. There must be more than one witness – and if you are innocent of murder you may escape to a city of refuge.

He also gives command for how to be more fair in war in chapters 20-21. He doesn't want His people to act like animals – raping and pillaging – but to treat others with respect and to actually marry the women and provide for them on a consistent basis. This is much better then how the rest of the world was handling these things – the Israelites were to be hope and light in a dark world.

Deuteronomy 16-18

What helps you to trust in God? How much are you trusting in Him? I wonder often the answers to these questions in my life. When looking at finances or the future or anything else, I sometimes get concerned about these things. I sometimes worry about what might happen to my family is something happens to me. I sometimes wonder if we will ever afford a house, etc. Yet, when I read chapter 18 and see that God does not want the Levites to have the same things as the rest of Israel, I remember that my inheritance is from Him, not this earth. I could attain great riches here and die without them. If I make enough and am able to support my family and their families as time goes on, what more could I ask for? I am resting in His inheritance, and He is a God that richly blesses – here and beyond. Therefore I should follow Him and trust.

Deuteronomy 13-15

Once again, these are some interesting laws that give us some things to think about: Why would God keep some animals from being eaten? Some have suggested that a number of the unclean animals would have caused sickness if eaten. We also see that a goat cannot be cooked in its mother's milk – this is basically to show that there are some things that are just a little wrong. You may not eat an animal that is found dead – but you may give it to someone in town that is not Jewish so they may eat it. This all may seem like God is giving weird rules – but He is changing an entire way of life for a people group and by changing some small things, big things should change as well.

Worshipping other gods is a capital offense, and something that is not carried on into today, obviously. Yet it shows the seriousness of this sin. We need to realize that He is the only one worth serving in this world and to follow Him. This also goes for releasing debts and slaves that are Jewish after 6 years. Imagine if this was the way it went in our country! Freedom is important to God – so we should keep this in mind and do what we can to work for freedom in this world!

Deuteronomy 7-9

I get the feeling that many of us like to be chosen. We want to be picked in gym class or recess (does anyone even have it anymore?). We want to be chosen by someone to become their spouse. We want to get the chance to perform and be chosen that way. We want to win the prize or gift that comes with being chosen. Often, however, we miss the real blessing of being chosen. Chapter 7 tells me this – Israel was chosen by God. However, this is not all that God wants. He chose them to have the land and drive out the evil. They were to be a light in this region – no, they were to be a light to the world. They were to live according to His ways, they were to teach everyone what it is to follow Him. They didn't do this. They missed the fact that to be blessed gives the chance to be a blessing. We are to pass it on! We are to live for Him and to show others what an amazing thing this is! We are meant to do it and remember what He has done in us. We are meant to follow Him and guide others to Him because we don't deserve Him – we don't deserve the love He gives. We don't deserve to have anything out of this relationship – but He gives it to us anyways. Yet we keep this gift to ourselves? I want you to be praying about what God is doing in you – and I want to challenge you to just start sharing your faith. The guy at the check-out or the girl at the restaurant – they need to hear it! The old woman at the library, the baby's family at the salon – we are meant to be their hope. Let's not blow it and let's believe that we really do have a gift that no one else can give but Him – the God of our fathers and the Christ of the world.

Deuteronomy 4-6

When I was young, I made a Lego cross and put it on our entertainment shelving unit, by the TV. I was praying to it when my mom came in and stopped me. I didn't understand why she was made, but I am glad now that she stopped me. I was worshipping an idol. Granted, it was not a calf or a totem pole, but it was just an object – therefore an idol. God does not want us doing this, and chapter 4 starts off reminding us of this. We are to be different, and we are to worship the real thing – not something that is fake. Also, I am glad that in my story my mom is the one who stopped me. Deuteronomy 6 is about this very thing. Our families are to be centers of worship and places where we learn to really take Him seriously and all that He offers. Some parents run their kids away by being "too religious" and some parents turn their kids off by their "hypocrisy." What our children do not always understand is that we believe in that that has changed us forever. We are different, therefore we worship. Some of us need to remember this. Some of us need our fires to be relit. Some of us need to spend some time with God alone so that we can really come to grips with ourselves and what God might be trying to say. I would hope that our parents would be good examples of this, but fear that too many of us are left wondering and wandering.

I must admit that I am not the best advocate of this in my family – so I need to grow and learn to lead just like anyone else. Sometimes more – God help me and help me to worship You and not some idol in the form of music/sermons/prestige, etc.

Deuteronomy 1-3

This and most of Deuteronomy (whose name literally means "second law" in Greek) is a review and renewal before entering the land. This is the story behind the travel. Where Numbers may catalog where the Israelites were – Deuteronomy catalogs what God has done and why He must be followed/praised.

Chapter 1 is the beginning of the story from Egypt. Then chapter 2 and 3 lay out some of the kings that are killed and how they are defeated. This is a call to the greatness and power of God. Then Moses reminds everyone that he is not allowed to enter the land because of his actions. As I read this, I am broken as I remember just how intense our mistakes can be and the consequences of our actions. This is heavy stuff – very heavy stuff.

Numbers 34-36

The nation of Israel has never actually owned all of this land. There is much debate in theological circles about whether they will. Some hold to the fact that the promises to Israel stand forever, and the land and the blessings of God are theirs to have and hold. Others see the church as the "new Israel" and the bearers of the promises and blessings God has offered. What do you think?

One of the interesting points of the claiming of the Promised Land is the concept of "cities of refuge" in Numbers 35. These were cities that the priests, or Levites, kept to be places that were protected and designed to maintain fairness in a broken world. In some ways, this is what the church should still be and many of us miss this point.