Daily Notes & Observations is a 365-part series that follows a chronological daily Bible reading schedule and contains a short article based on something found in the text for each day. This material is also available in paperback.
Thought from today’s Bible reading from Deuteronomy 28-29.
“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).
This verse comes after Moses reviewed the law and the covenant with the people. Many commands and instructions were handed down, yet God did not reveal everything in His mind to man. He revealed enough for man to be faithful to Him.
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Deuteronomy 24-27.
The Israelites, by the help of God, were preparing to enter Canaan and dispossess the current inhabitants of the land (Deuteronomy 9:1-3). But God singles out Amalek in particular as being worthy of punishment.
“Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out from Egypt, how he met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God.
“Therefore it shall come about when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget” (Deuteronomy 25:17-19).
There are a couple of lessons to be learned from God’s condemnation of the nation of Amalek.
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Deuteronomy 21-23.
“A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 22:5).
Thought from today’s Bible reading from Deuteronomy 17-20.
God knew the nation of Israel would one day be ruled by kings. Even though God saw this as a rejection of His sovereignty over the people (1 Samuel 8:7), He gave instructions here in the law for these future kings.
“Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’ He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.
“Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel” (Deuteronomy 17:16-20).
Notice briefly some of the rules God established for one in this position of civil authority:
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Deuteronomy 14-16.
“Also you shall not neglect the Levite who is in your town, for he has no portion or inheritance among you” (Deuteronomy 14:27).
The tribe of Levi was unique in the nation of Israel. Unlike the other tribes, the Levites did not receive a possession when the promised land was divided among the tribes. The reason for this had to do with the specific duty God gave to the Levites.
“To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting. […] Only the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel they shall have no inheritance. For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, ‘They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel’” (Numbers 18:21-24).
The Levites were devoted to a spiritual work. Therefore, God made this provision for them. Though they had no inheritance in the land, they would receive their livelihood from the tithes given by the people.
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Deuteronomy 8-10.
Before entering Canaan, Moses issued a warning to the people of Israel of a certain danger they would face once they had begun to enjoy the blessings of the promised land.
“Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 8:11-14).
Material blessings and prosperity, especially when they are had in abundance, can easily distract one from serving the Lord. Jesus made this point in His parable of the sower:
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What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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