Amen=Confirming Agreement

 

Deuteronomy 27:14 And the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:
15 “‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
16 “‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
17 “‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor's landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
18 “‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
19 “‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
20 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father's wife, because he has uncovered his father's nakedness.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
21 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
22 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
23 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
24 “‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
25 “‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
26 “‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

After several more chapters reviewing the Law of God, the people get to the confirmation of the law, summarized in the statements above. Accepting the covenant meant accepting the curses of disobedience. It's like those legal documents you sign then initial every statement, then sign again at the end. It is legally binding, serious stuff. May we take our vows to God seriously.

Protecting the Defenseless.

Deuteronomy 22:25 “But if in the open country a man meets a young woman who is betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. 26 But you shall do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no offense punishable by death. For this case is like that of a man attacking and murdering his neighbor, 27 because he met her in the open country, and though the betrothed young woman cried for help there was no one to rescue her.

After repeating many of the laws found in Exodus with the wilderness wanderings, we come to this section.  After living for decades in close proximity in Egypt, and then the tent city of the wilderness wanderings, the people were going to have space and more privacy. There were many good things about that, but it also meant less accountability.  Men need to be held accountable for their actions.  Women needed the protection by society.  Whenever anyone is allowed to bully others to get what they want, society must step in and protect, or eventually all will suffer.  Added to that is the fact that the man to whom this woman was betrothed had been violated and the tendency for revenge was real. That also would disturb the society as a whole. Have we learned these lessons?

Never Too Far...

 

Deuteronomy 14:24 And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the Lord your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the Lord your God chooses, to set his name there, 25 then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses 26 and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household. 27 And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.

As soon as God begins to give us instructions, our impulse is to say: "What if...?"  God had said He would establish the place for His worship. But what if someone's part of the promised land was far away from that place?  God foresees our excuses and complaints and makes a way for them.  He knows the objections we will come up with to not worship Him: too far, no parking, hard pews, long sermons, "all they want is your money...". God knows and hears it all.  He is always here, waiting and deserving to be worshipped.  What excuses do we really have?

Worshipping God's Way

Deuteronomy 12:26 But the holy things that are due from you, and your vow offerings, you shall take, and you shall go to the place that the Lord will choose, 27 and offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, but the flesh you may eat. 28 Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

When the people entered into the land, not only were they to be picky about who or what they worshipped, but where and how they did so. They were not to worship any of the idols, and they were not to worship the way the pagan peoples had. The blood was not to be drunk or eaten, but poured out before God. God was also going to designate the place. At the present it would be at the tabernacle, and He would designate some specific cities and eventually the temple at Jerusalem, but it was not to be on every and any mountain or hill like the pagans did.  When Jesus told the woman at the well it was not so much the place as it was the way - in spirit and in truth - He was not saying God did not care about where. The place is not so important in itself as much as it is that it is where and how God wants. He wants us to worship with obedience hearts, not self-focus and self-determination. He wants us to worship with His people, not in our own little world. He deserves to be worshipped how He wants. Is worship all about you or about Him? 

The Hour of Decision...

Deuteronomy 11:26 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known... 31 For you are to cross over the Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you. And when you possess it and live in it, 32 you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the rules that I am setting before you today.

The verses that precede this last paragraph of the chapter are one long challenge to love and serve God in the promised land.  Having laid out all of the past events of the exodus and wilderness wanderings, both good and evil, God calls on them to set a course not just on their geographical goal, but their spiritual goal. As they go in, will they take seriously the covenant commitments they have made to serve Him alone? They had left behind a whole host of false gods in Egypt; a whole new set of them lie ahead in Canaan.  The temptation would not cease.  Would their obedience? Will ours? 

Not So Righteous...

Deuteronomy 9:25 “So I lay prostrate before the Lord for these forty days and forty nights, because the Lord had said he would destroy you. 26 And I prayed to the Lord, ‘O Lord God, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 27 Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not regard the stubbornness of this people, or their wickedness or their sin, 28 lest the land from which you brought us say, “Because the Lord was not able to bring them into the land that he promised them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.” 29 For they are your people and your heritage, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.’

As God continues to speak through Moses as the people prepare to enter the promised land, he reminds them that they are not to start thinking God had given them the land because they were so righteous. He pulls out one glaring example: the golden calf. It was a big one, as Moses ended up in prayer and fasting for forty days interceding for them. They had behaved far from righteous. It was the testimony of God's name that was the key point.  Moses did not want Egypt to think God had failed to deliver them into the land.  Rather, it was His grace and mercy that got them there. It's still His grace and mercy that is at work in us - not our own righteousness.

Since You Are Chosen...

Deuteronomy 7:25 The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. 26 And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.

Having reminded the people of what God had done for them, God had Moses move on into what they needed to do, and not do, when they were given the promised land. They would inherit cities and lands and whatever was left behind by the previous residents of the land. That included their idols.  They would find all kinds made up of all materials: some base, some precious metals.  Their attitude towards them was to be the same: get rid of them. Don't collect them, put them into the closet, or be enamored by their beauty. They were to be removed and destroyed. We are often oblivious to how much destruction these seemingly harmless things bring into our lives.  Since He has chosen us we do not need them and should not want them.