And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which He sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage(Deut. 6:10-12).
The Lord had chosen Israel to be His special possession. Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine: And ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel (Ex. 19:5-6). The bitter humiliation of Egyptian slavery, the miraculous release from Pharaoh, the long wanderings in the wilderness, and the marvelous victories over kings and countries were all designed to temper this fledgling nation. By allowing them to face obstacles, endure hardships, and witness His miracles, God opened the way for the Israelites to develop a deeper love and loyalty for their Sovereign Lord. If they had been willing to give themselves completely to Him, they would have emerged with an ironclad faith and would have happily lived in steadfast obedience to His Word.
This describes what God WANTED and PLANNED for His people. He had chosen Israel to stand as an example to the world, to display for all to see the blessings that God bestows on those who live faithful to the One True God. Yet, while God is perfect and infallible, His world is not. He knows that human beings are vulnerable to a wide range of temptations that can lead them away from His perfect plan. Through Moses, he warned them of the dangers that prosperity could bring once they inherited the Promised Land. As Israel enjoyed the blessings of freedom and wealth, they would be tempted to gratify their worldly desires, ignoring God in the process.
These dangers are just as real for those of us in the world today. Prosperity is deceptive. The more we have, the more we forget our dependence upon God and, in pride, assume ourselves to be self-sufficient. Faith in God gives way to conceit in our own accomplishments. We lose our humility and grow arrogant, reveling in our power and good fortune. To prevent this from happening to us and to keep our egos in check, we need to heed the advice that Moses gave to the Israelites: Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve Him, and shalt swear by His name (Deut. 6:13).
No matter whether we live in prosperity or poverty, if we keep the words of Moses in the forefront of our minds, we will not stray far from the will of God. Fear (revere) the Lord thy God. Remember Him in all things as your Creator and your Savior. Serve Him. Follow His prompts in your daily life. Don’t consider any day a successful day unless a good part of it has been spent actively participating in the furthering of God’s kingdom. Swear by His name. Whatever you do, do it in the name and for the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him(Col. 3:12).
Thought for Today: Earthly fortune can raise us above the daily concern for home and sustenance, but only God can raise us into heaven.
Christ Revealed:Through the land flowing with milk and honey (Deut. 6:3). This pictures Christ who bountifully provides for our needs. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt. 6:33).
Word Studies:5:1 judgments = laws; 5:2 covenant = binding agreement with qualifications given by God; 6:21 bondmen = slaves; 6:22 sore = terrible; 7:6 above = out of; 7:13 fruit = children; fruit = crops.
Pray For Staff:Judy McCrary • Government Officials: Rep. David Schweikert (AZ), Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI), Rep. Tom Emmer (MN), (Rep.) Bryan Stei (WI), Rep. Mike Gallagher (WI) • Country: Suriname (573,311) Northeastern South America • Major Languages: Dutch, English • Religious Freedom • 27.4% Hindu; 25.2% Protestant; 22.8% Roman Catholic; 19.6% Muslim; 5% Indigenous Beliefs • Prayer Suggestion: Pray for the Lord to give you the right words to share Christ with others (Matt. 10:18-20).
Optional Reading Luke 18