Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20130127.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Deuteronomy: Moses' Great Appeal For Israel To Obey God For Blessing
Part III: The Treaty Historical Prologue, Deuteronomy 1:5-4:43
A. Sinai To Kadesh Barnea: Personal Blessing Amid Sinful Group Decline
(Deuteronomy 1:5-46)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    Last Tuesday before coming to the office to write up the first draft of this sermon, I heard radio talk show host, Brad Davis try to cheer some of his callers who feared the end of America as we know it since President Obama had been sworn-in for a second term in office!

    Such a concern over the deterioration of all sorts of institutions exists around the nation, a fact we can easily illustrate (as follows):

    (1) The USA TODAY editor in the January 21, 2013, p. 8A wrote the "Our view" article on "40 years after Roe,' foes of abortion chip away at rights" to complain: "Forty years ago this week . . . the Supreme Court made history by legalizing abortion . . . Four decades later, Roe is the leading symbol of the country's social division . . ."

    (2) The article, "Prayer service for Obama is political, religious hot potato," Ibid., p. 7A, reported: "The initial choice for the benediction prayer at Monday's swearing-in ceremony, Louie Giglio, was withdrawn after his views opposing same-sex marriage drew criticism . . . Tuesday's event will include religiously liberal clergy."

    Conservative evangelical leader "Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary," expressed concern over this matter, blogging "that any preacher who stands for historic, biblical Christianity' is now unwelcome in the public square." (Ibid.)

    Even gay rights supporter, Robb Chadwick, sent the USA TODAY editor a Facebook message venting anxiety on the issue as he wrote: "While I am a supporter of gay rights . . . I am a little concerned when any of us is singled out for a comment . . ." (Ibid., p. 9A)

    (3) In "Opinionline" on the same page was Jonathan Tobin's remarks in Commentary, p. 9A as follows: "It is more than likely that four years from now, this country will be closer to insolvency with a weak economy and a worsened security situation abroad . . ."

    (4) Then, radio talk show host Brad Davis Wednesday told how a Gallup poll found the number of Americans who are optimistic about the nation's future is as low as it was in 1979 during the Jimmy Carter administration.



    So, we ask, "When we see sinful decline in institutions around us that causes us concern, what would God suggest?!"

    Need: "It's easy for me to get depressed over seeing sin and its resulting deterioration of institutions, so, what would God suggest?!"

  1. The Deuteronomy 1:5-4:43 Historical Prologue of the suzerain treaty format of the book of Deuteronomy, typical of such treaty formats, tells of the Suzerain's past goodness to the vassal, that is, of God's goodness to Israel, reporting in Deuteronomy 1:5-46 of His grace amid Israel' sin and her resulting group decline.
  2. Nevertheless, this otherwise tragic Deuteronomy 1:5-46 passage offers great hope on individual blessing amid sinful group decline:
    1. Regardless of God's past goodness to her, Israel experienced national tragedy due to her sin of fearful unbelief, Deut. 1:5-35, 41-46, 37:
      1. God had shown great goodness to Israel, Deuteronomy 1:5-25:
        1. He had told Israel she had tarried long enough at Sinai, that she should travel north to enter the land He promised to her fathers, Himself being very motivated to give her the land, Deut. 1:5-8.
        2. By that time, God had so multiplied Israel as the stars of heaven in fulfillment of His Genesis 15:5 promise to Abraham that Moses had to delegate the duty of hearing most of the legal cases of the people to other men in the nation, Deut. 1:9-18.
        3. Then, Moses had even encouraged these judges not to fear the people or show partiality in judging, for the Lord would oversee their work and support their good verdicts, Deuteronomy 1:17a.
        4. As Israel then traveled away from Sinai, God provided for her needs in the harsh Wilderness of Paran so she could arrive at Kadesh Barnea on the border of the Promised Land, Deut. 1:19.
        5. There, Moses encouraged Israel to enter Canaan, but the people asked that spies be sent into the land to learn about its layout so they would know how to invade it, Deuteronomy 1:20-22.
        6. Moses heeded their request, sending the spies, and they returned with a glowing report about the land's goodness, Deut. 1:23-25.
      2. Nevertheless, the people rebelled against the Lord, Deut. 1:26-28:
        1. Not trusting in God, ten of the spies said the inhabitants of the land were too strong for Israel to defeat, Numbers 13:32-14:1.
        2. Israel thus refused to enter the land as God directed, Deut. 1:26.
      3. Moses tried to get them to heed God's will in the matter, recalling the Lord's past help to get them to Canaan's border, Deut. 1:29-33:
        1. He told Israel of God's past help in the ten great plagues of Egypt to deliver her out of Egyptian bondage, Deut. 1:29-30.
        2. Moses told Israel of God's past fatherly livelihood provisions in getting Israel through the wilderness and guiding her by His cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, Deuteronomy 1:31-33.
      4. Israel still refused to heed the Lord, so He judged that generation to die in the wilderness outside the Promised Land, Deut. 1:34-35.
      5. The people reacted to this negative news by trying to rectify their error through invading Canaan in their own power without God's sanction and help, Deuteronomy 1:41-43. This effort was defeated, and the Lord refused to show concern over it, Deut . 1:44-45.
      6. Thus, that generation was destined to waste the rest of their days in the wilderness, waiting to die off, Deut. 1:46; Num. 14:32-33.
      7. Indeed, God sentenced even Moses himself to die outside the land due to his own faithless sin at Meribah, Deut. 1:37; Num. 20:1-13.
    2. Yet, in sharp contrast to Israel's plight as a nation, two individuals, Joshua and Caleb, encouraged Israel to heed God's call to invade the land, so the Lord promised them great blessing, Deu t. 1:36, 38:
      1. Numbers 14:6-9 records how Joshua and Caleb gave the minority spies' report, claiming that not only was the Promised Land good, but that the Lord would help them defeat its inhabitants.
      2. Their faith was based on God's past record of great, good works unto Israel that Moses had reported in Deuteronomy 1:29-33.
      3. However, regardless of these truths, in fearful unbelief, the people spoke of stoning the two men for their views, Numbers 14:10a.
      4. Thus, God intervened, promising to take Joshua and Caleb into the land while judging the rest of that generation in Israel to perish in the wilderness outside Canaan, Numbers 14:11, 22-23, 30-32.
Application: May we (1) trust in Christ for salvation, John 1:11-12. (2) Then, regardless of unbelief and rebellion against God of even a MAJORITY in any GROUP we know with its resulting loss of blessing, may we INDIVIDUALLY trust and obey God, recalling His past great record, for His rich INDIVIDUAL blessings today!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 The lesson of this sermon addresses each of the issues noted in our sermon introduction (as follows):

(1) We told of the USA TODAY story about the withdrawal of Louie Giglio from giving the benediction prayer at President Obama's swearing-in ceremony due to criticism of his opposition to same-sex marriage, and that conservative evangelical leader, Albert Mohler, lamented "that any preacher who stands for historic, biblical Christianity' is now unwelcome in the public square." (Ibid.)

However, this whole matter should not even concern us: James 4:4 KJV teaches: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." Scripture at Leviticus 18:22 KJV teaches that same-gender unions are an "abomination" to God, so if the world supports such unions and the Christian adopts the Bible's view, the Christian and the world will not fellowship with each other! There is no need to lament this fact -- it is an axiomatic reality!

(2) We mentioned the editorial in the same paper that expressed frustration over the nation's continual division over abortion, Exodus 21:22-23 teaches if one causes a pregnant woman to lose her fetus, he is to be executed for murdering a person. Regardless of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision or "politically correct" views today, Biblical Christians simply cannot agree with the world on this issue!

(3) We referred to concerns over the world's future economic and political welfare, but the believer (a) reads in Philippians 4:19 in its context that God promises to supply all of his material needs while he heeds God's will, and (b) that Matthew 16:18 KJV indicates God will continue to build His true spiritual Church against the greatest efforts of the "gates of hell" to the contrary!

Well, for decades at Nepaug Church, Christ has His faithfulness to address both our financial needs and to build His true body. Thus, what will occur in the world's economies is not even to be our concern or focus as individual believers! Rather, doing God's will relative to making disciples in the world should be our main focus! That is the way to know God's blessing, for that is where GOD'S interests lie!

May we PERSONALLY heed God regardless what the world around us does, that we might PERSONALLY be BLESSED as WITNESSES of the TRUTH to the world around us!