SEARCH THE SCRIPTURE by Pastor Kumuyi of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry for today is here. Digest the word of the lord and pray believing.
YOUTH STS LESSON 131:
TOPIC: SUNDRY
WARNINGS AND EXHORTATIONS
MEMORY VERSE: “Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments,
and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do
them" (Deuteronomy 7:3,4).
TEXT: Deuteronomy 7:1-26; 8:1-20; 9:1-29; 10:1-22; 11:1-32
As Moses continued in his farewell message to Israel, he charged, counselled
and gave commandments of the Lord to them. As a father, a leader and a
shepherd, his concern was how the children of Israel would get to the Promised
Land. His passionate desire was how they would dispossess the inhabitants,
inherit the land and preserve it for their descendants through holy living. He
warned them of the danger of compromise with its grave consequences. The love
of God for the children of Israel was expressed in His plan and purpose. From
our text, God stated reasons for giving them His commandments. He, therefore,
expected that the benefits expressed in His word should motivate them to obey
all the commandments given to them by Moses the man of God. These benefits
include preservation, protection and provision (Deuteronomy 8: 4-13).
Question 1: State the commandment we must first obey, in order to serve God
acceptably?
The commandment we need to obey, which will further enable us to obey other
commandments acceptably is the command to repent (Acts 17:30). Repentance means
turning away from sins. It involves a change of mind, direction and attitude
towards sins. This is necessary to receive salvation in Christ by faith. This
divine change brings grace into our heart and helps us to obey God's
commandments. Unlike the children of Israel who rebelled against the word of
God, attitudes of godly youths should be that of obedience. In our text, Moses
reminds the children of Israel of God's promise to give them victories in
various battles ahead of them. He did not want them to claim the glory for the
victories neither did he want them to ascribe it to their righteousness. He
encouraged them to always remember God and His Word. He did not want them to
repeat what they did in Horeb that brought God's wrath upon them. Then, Moses
prayed for them and for Aaron who should have died. Despite their rebellion,
God practically demonstrated His longsuffering toward His people.
1. THE DANGER OF EVIL ASSOCIATION (Deuteronomy 7:1- 26; 2 Corinthians
6:17,18; Proverbs 1:7-15; 1 Corinthians 15:33).
"Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not
give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will
turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will
the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly"
(Deuteronomy 7:3, 4). Moses warned the Israelites against compromise,
irregularity and deviation in their walk with God. He realised that they were
often unstable in nature. Therefore, he cautioned them against the temptation
to go into compromise in marriage. He did not only warn them; he made them know
what the reaction of God would be if they get involved in evil association.
Question 2: What are the major areas of evil association Moses warned the
children of Israel against?
The two areas Moses warned them against were: marriage (verse 3, 4) and
idolatry (verse 25, 26). They were warned not to get involved in marriages with
their ungodly neighbours. This is because "they will turn away thy son
from following [God], that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the
LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly" (verse 4).
Question 3: In what ways are Christian youths warned against evil
association today?
"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not" (Proverbs
1:10). God is interested in the progress of youths and wants all unsaved youths
to be saved and thereafter desist from evil associations. However, some youths
are still engaged in evil enticement, murder, immoral friendship, robbery,
smoking, drunkenness, gangsterism, cultism, etc. God's command is: "Be ye
not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:" (2 Corinthians 6:14).
Friendship with corrupt youths will "corrupt good manners" (1
Corinthians 15:33). The command of God is: "...Be ye separate, saith the
Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a
Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:17,18). The Israelites did not understand that
what made them peculiar, precious and special people than other nations is the
law of God they had. Ignorance of this fact brought chastisement, rejection and
dejection anytime they forsook God's law. To obtain and retain God's love and
favour, youths must surrender and submit to His commands.
2. OUR DECISION TO LOVE AND OBEY THE WORD OF GOD (Deuteronomy 8:1-20;
11:1-32; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:4-6,61,86,115,128,172; Ephesians 6:1-3;
Deuteronomy 30:6;Numbers 14:1-12; 16:1-31; 25:1-9; Hebrew 2:1-3).
"All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to
do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the
LORD sware unto your fathers" (Deuteronomy 8:1). The word of God is a
spiritual food that strengthens, satisfies, stabilises, sanctifies and
activates conviction, commitment and consecration which builds our spiritual
lives (verse 3). Therefore, we are to obey this word. The Lord called the children
of Israel to obey all the commandments He gave them. Simply, the whole Bible
contains the commandments of God. We should pray for grace to obey its contents
because the "commandment is exceeding broad" (Psalm 119:96). The Lord
also wanted the children of Israel to remember that all that happened to them
during the forty years of wandering were to prove their obedience and humility.
"And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with
manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make
thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live" (Deuteronomy 8:3).
The goodness of the Lord was great towards the children of Israel. He fed them
for forty years with manna (angels' food) (Psalm 78:24,25). However, He wanted
them to know that as physical body requires physical food, the soul also
requires spiritual food. This spiritual food is the word of God that nourishes
the soul. We should desire and study it. "Neither have I gone back from
the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than
my necessary food" (Job 23:12). It is our responsibility to read, study,
hear, accept, meditate, believe and practise the word regularly. In summary,
youths should always recognise God in their pursuit of prosperity in order not
to deviate from Him.
Question 4: What are the consequences of forgetting God?
Individuals or a group of people who forget God end up being consumed by
God (Deuteronomy 4:9,23,24), living without hope in God (Job 8:11-14), in
eternal punishment in hell (Psalm 9:17), being destroyed by God (Psalm 50:22),
lacking provision and satisfaction (Isaiah 65:11-14), being forgotten, forsaken
and reproached (Jeremiah 23:39,40) and being rejected by God (Hosea 4:6). The
Lord said as He punished those nations that lived in the land before them, so
will He do to those who forget Him and disobey His word. They were implored to
remember the faithfulness of God to the promise made to their fathers. Moses
reminded Israel of the severity of the judgment of God on the disobedient
(Deuteronomy 11: 2-7). His aim was not to scare them but to remind them that,
despite God's love for His children, He still does not tolerate disobedience
(Proverbs 11:22).
3. DIVINE PLAN DESPITE ISRAEL'S SETBACK (Deuteronomy 9:1-6; 10:1-22;
Genesis 17:1-8; Psalm 78:32-39;Exodus 32: 1-23; 17: 1-7; Numbers 11: 1-3; 13:
28-32)
Moses rehearsed to the children of Israel the challenges facing them from the
enemy who they were to dispossess as they took over the Promised Land. The
enemies, at this time, were the children of Anak and the nations surrounding
them. They were described as "A people great and tall, the children of the
Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand
before the children of Anak!" (Deuteronomy 9:2).
Question 5: Why did God still fulfil His promise of giving the children of
Israel the Promised Land despite their failures?
"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he
should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and
shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). God keeps His promises if the
conditions attached to them are met by man. God had promised Abraham the land (Genesis
17: 1, 2, 8). The children of Israel possessing the land was, therefore, in
fulfilment of the promise God gave to Abraham. Abraham fulfilled his own part
(Hebrews 11:8). God, therefore, needed to fulfil His part of giving Israel the
land of Canaan and its environs as a possession. Moses explained this to the
children of Israel, so that they would not think they were given the land
because of their righteousness. This plea and pardon did not stop Israel as
they coveted the things they had left behind in Egypt. This made God decided
that none of those who came out of Egypt from twenty years old and above, with
the exception of Joshua and Caleb, would see the Promised Land.
