Remember!: Deuteronomy 7-9 (2)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 132.13-18
For the LORD has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His dwelling place:
“This is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
I will also clothe her priests with salvation,
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
There I will make the horn of David grow;
I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed.
His enemies I will clothe with shame,
But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”

Psalm 132.13-18
(Finlandia: Be Still My Soul)
God dwells among us, and He will forever,
to meet our needs and clothe us with His grace.
He has to us sent Jesus Christ, our Savior,
and made us His eternal resting-place.
His foes are banished from His Presence ever,
but we shall reign with Him before His face.

Today’s Text: Deuteronomy 7.12-26

Preparation
1. How many different kinds of blessing does the Lord promise here?

2. Besides the promise of blessing, what else did Moses call the people to remember?

Mediation
What more could these people have wanted out of life? God promised them the blessings of His covenant and mercy, as He had sworn to their fathers (v. 12). He promised to love them and make them fruitful, as He had promised Adam and Eve (v. 13). He promised to cause their gardens and vineyards and orchards and flocks to abound, as He had planned from the beginning with the garden of Eden (v. 13). He intended to elevate them in blessings “above all peoples”, making them fruitful in every way (v. 14). He promised good health (v. 15), victory over their enemies (v. 16), and His Presence with them for deliverance and salvation (vv. 23, 24).

That covers about everything, doesn’t it?

So great and mind-boggling are the promises of God, that the people of Israel were sure to doubt that He could deliver on His promises. Moses told them to remember not just the promises yet to be realized, but all the great and powerful works God had done in the past to fulfill His promises (vv. 17-19). He had overcome the greatest nation of the day; the pagan nations of Canaan would be no match for Him.

The people must take courage and go forward in faith (v. 21). Gaining all that God promised would take time (v. 22), but God would not fail. They must persevere, refuse to compromise in any way, and resist the temptations of material and sensual indulgence they would face in the land of Canaan (vv. 25, 26). If they would remember the promises of God, all that God had promised would be theirs.

All that God has promised us is “Yes!” and “Amen!” in Jesus Christ. Remember Him crucified, resurrected, and reigning at the Father’s right hand; and go forward in faith and obedience to know God’s blessing in everything you do.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.
To remember God’s promises correctly, we need to remember them as fulfilled. Not always according to our time frame, nonetheless fulfilled. “And the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you” (Deut. 7.22). I’m sure they thought the speedier the better for their enemies to be dispatched, but God in His wisdom, knew better. It was for their good and safety that He did things the way He did them. Joseph voiced the same idea when talking to his hateful brothers: “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Gen. 50.20). Joseph probably would have preferred to do the saving without being sold as a slave and enduring all the trips to prison. Paul joins in on this thought: “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel…” (Phil. 1.12). We do well to remember as Moses, Joseph, and Paul did, that God does all things well, sometimes little by little, in His perfect timing for our good and for the furtherance of the Gospel and His Kingdom.

Reflection
1. Which of the promises of God do you most cling to day by day?

2. How can believers encourage one another to hold fast to the promises of God, and to wait on Him?

3. How can focusing more intensely and consistently on God Himself help us in laying hold on His promises?

The past saving acts of God demonstrated His nature and power. The people were to remember the details of His actions so that they could face the present moment in the light of eternity. Earl Radmacher (1931-2014), NKJV Study Bible Notes on Deuteronomy 7.17-19

Lead me into Your blessings today, O Lord; and lead me to be a blessing to others as I…

Closing Prayer: Psalm 132.1-12
Thank God for His promises to Abraham, Moses, and David. And praise Him for Jesus, our King, Who daily leads us deeper into the blessings of God!

Psalm 132.1-12
(Finlandia: Be Still My Soul)
Remember, Lord, we pray, in David’s favor,
the hardships he endured, the oath he swore,
the vow he made to Jacob’s mighty Savior:
“I shall not enter through my palace door;
I shall not sleep, nor slumber my eyes favor,
until I make a dwelling for the Lord!”

The word throughout the chosen nation spread,
to Ephrata, and in the fields of Jaar:
“Now let us go,” the faithful people said,
“and worship where our Savior’s dwellings are!
Around His footstool let our worship spread;
come, gather to Him, all from near and far!”

Arise, O Lord, come to Your resting place;
Your holy Presence meet with us in might.
Clothe us with righteousness in Jesus’ grace,
and we will shout to Your divine delight!
For David’s sake, turn not away Your face,
but look upon us in Your holy light.

Remember, Lord, the oath You swore to David;
do not turn back, do not deny Your Word:
“One of your sons, with your throne I will favor,
and He shall keep My cov’nant evermore,
and walk within My testimonies ever,
thus He shall ever rule as Israel’s Lord.”

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All quotations from Church Fathers from Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy: Ancient Christian Commentary Series III, Joseph T. Lienhard, S. J. ed. in collaboration with Ronnie J. Rombs, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001). All quotations from John Calvin from John Calvin, Commentaries on The Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Order of A Harmony, Rev. Charles William Bingham M. A., tr. and ed. (Edinburgh: The Calvin Translation Society, 1863. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).