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OceanSide church of Christ
Read devotionals for September 2023
October 1, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:8 – Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, wither ye go to possess it.
Thought: Having reminded Israel of the works of God, Moses exhorts them to obedience once again. There is a small word in Moses’ admonition that does not need to be overlooked. It is the word “all.” “Therefore shall ye keep ALL the commandments which I command you this day.” The Israelites were not free to pick and choose the statutes they would follow. All were important. All were necessary. If they obeyed, two things followed. They would be strong. They would possess the land of Canaan.
Joshua 24:21-24
October 2, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:9 – And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
Thought: In this verse, Moses repeats the promises of God to Israel that are based on their obedience to Him. They will prolong their days in the land of Canaan. This land is not “any” land. It is “a land that floweth with milk and honey.” Sometimes God’s people get so caught up in the “need” to obey that they forget the blessings that come with heeding God’s commands. God is not a tyrant who insists on obedience soley for His own benefit. He is a loving God who abundantly blesses His faithful children.
Psalm 34:12-15
October 3, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:10 – For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs.
Thought: This is an intriguing verse to those who know little about the Egypt. It was a dry land with little rain. Instead, the Egyptians depended upon the water of the Nile to wet their farmland. They would sow their seed in the field. They would, then, water the seed with their feet. Three explanations have been given to this phrase: walking with buckets of water, trenches dug from the Nile and packed down on either side by the Egyptians, or large pumping wheels worked by the feet to draw water.
Zechariah 14:18
October 4, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:11, 12 – But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: a land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.
Thought: In this verse, Moses contrasts Egypt with the land of Canaan. One part of the verse should have been enough to convince the Israelites of the land’s superiority. It was “a land which the Lord thy God careth for.” What a statement! There are other important things noted as well. Rather than it’s being a flat desert land, it was “a land of hills and valleys.” Rather than being watered by men’s feet, it “drinketh water of the rain of heaven.” The eyes of the Lord were always upon it.
Psalm 104:10-13
October 5, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:13 – And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Thought: Again, God reminds His children of the need of obedience. There are two words that every follower of God needs to give heed to in this verse. The first is the word “diligently.” The Lord did not just hearken unto my commands. He told Israel to “hearken diligently unto my commandments.” The word diligently means “with interest,” “with understanding,” and “with attention.” The second important word is the little word “all.” God is to be loved and served with “all” of our heart and soul.
Psalm 119:4
October 6, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:14 – That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
Thought: As we read these words, we see the covenant aspect of the Law of Moses being set forth. A covenant is an agreement between two people. Each has obligations that are supposed to be fulfilled within the agreement. Israel’s obligation was to obey God. If they would fulfill their responsibility, God promise to give them rain for their land in his “due season.” All farmers understand the importance of rain falling at the right time. In essence, God was promising Israel an abundant harvest.
Leviticus 26:3-4
October 7, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:15 – And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
Thought: Another source of food for the Israelites was their cattle. The more food the cows have the more meat they would supply. God promised to “send grass in thy fields for thy cattle.” This promise was an insurance policy to God’s people. They would have plenty of beef to feed their families. This helped to insure that Israel would be strong and healthy. An interesting point can be made here. God created all things for a purpose. One of the purposes of cattle involves a food supply for mankind.
Psalm 104:14
October 8, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:16 – Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them.
Thought: It is a sobering and scary thought to think that a person’s heart can be deceived. Everyone would like to believe that what they believe, practice, and teach to others is absolute truth. This, however, is not the case. Men can be deceived. Man can believe lies. This is evidenced by the fact that individuals in the past have turned from the true and living God to serve idols and worship them. Can you imagine grown men and women bowing down to wood, stone, and iron paying homage to them?
Isaiah 44:14-20
October 9, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:17 – And then the Lord’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit, lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.
Thought: If Israel turned from God to idols, God’s wrath would be kindled against them. As a result, God would revoke the blessings He had poured out on them. There would be no rain. If there were no rain, there would be no fruit. If there were no fruit, Israel would “perish quickly from off the good land.” The lesson God is teaching is simple. If Israel obeys, they would be blessed. If they disobeyed, they would be punished. Another interesting point to be made is that God controls the weather.
I Kings 8:35-36
October 10, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:18 – Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
Thought: When individuals lay things up, they do so for safekeeping. The thing is precious. It is of utmost importance. It must not be lost or forgotten. All of this was true of God’s commandments. Thus, the Israelites were commanded to “lay up” God’s words in their heart and soul. They were also told keep them ever present in their lives. They were to be like bracelets on their wrists and frontlets between their eyes. Obedience to God’s Word is the key to man’s covenant relationship with God.
Proverbs 6:20-23
October 11, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:19 – And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou talkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Thought: One of the things that should be constantly taught to children by their parents is the Word of God. Note the four times parents are exhorted to teach their children: “…when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou talkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Teaching children God’s Word should be a constant in the home of God’s children. Some believe you can overwhelm a child with too much teaching. Not so, if it comes from a genuine, sincere parent.
Psalm 78:6-7
October 12, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:20 – And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates.
Thought: That which Moses commands Israel to write on their door posts and gate is the Law of Moses. This law expressed the conditions of the covenant God had made with His people. It contained commandments for the Israelites. It contains God’s promises to His faithful children. Can you imagine if God’s law were written on our door posts and gates today? First, how many would actually do it? Second, those who did would be looked upon as radical and fanatics. But, God’s law is that important.
Hebrews 8:10
October 13, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:21 – That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
Thought: The definition of a covenant is emphasized over and over as we read Deuteronomy. If Israel obeyed God’s commandments, then God would bless the nation. Here, God reminds the children of Israel of one of His promises, that is, that they would live long in the Promised Land. This land would be their kingdom. It would become a homeland to their children and children’s children. It was the fulfillment of God’s promise to the Israelites. It was a valuable and important piece of real estate.
Genesis 13:14-15
October 14, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:22 – For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to cleave unto him.
Thought: Verses often contain very important words. Here, we read these words: “if,” “diligently keep,” ”do them,” “love the Lord,” “walk”, and “cleave.” “If’ involves the conditional nature of the covenant. “Diligently keep” refers to the effort Israel was to put into obeying God’s commands. “Do” involves the implementation of God’s Word. “Love” was manifested when Israel obeyed God. “Walk” notes a lifestyle of obedience. Lastly, obedience enabled them to “cleave” to God in a holy relationship.
1 John 5:2-3
October 15, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:23 – Then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.
Thought: God continually assures Israel that He is going to assist them in conquering the land of Canaan. This assurance was needed because these seven nations were greater and mightier than the Jewish nation. There are two verbs that are important verbs found in this verse. The first verb is “will drive out.” The second is “shall possess.” The first verb involved a great deal of effort. The second involved the reward for the effort. Notice, the effort was the Lord’s. The reward was for Israel.
Exodus 34:11
October 16, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:24 – Every place whereon the souls of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.
Thought: God reveals the extent of the land Israel would possess in this verse. The interesting boundary revealed is “the river Euphrates.” This was the river Abraham crossed in order to reach the land of Canaan. It was located far north of the land divided among the twelve tribes. Why did the Lord include this in the land promise? He did do because it would ultimately come into Israel’s possession. During the reign of Solomon, the kingdom reached its zenith. God’s promise came true.
2 Chronicles 9:26
October 17, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:25 – There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the Lord your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.
Thought: The words “no man” are very potent. They include every warrior from every Canaanite nation that dwelled in the Promised Land. Not one of the would be able to stand before the children of God. Israel would be feared. Israel would be dreaded by all in Canaan. This fear and dread was not caused by the Israelites alone. It was there because the God of Israel would fight for them. He would make them victorious. All Israel needed to do is have faith in the promise of God. Could they do it?
Joshua 5:1
October 18, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:26 – Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse.
Thought: It is sobering when God sets before man two alternatives from which he must choose one. Here, God presents two things to Israel, a blessing and a curse. These two choices are bi-polar in nature. They are the direct opposites of each other. The word “blessing” involves prosperity. The word “curse” means to damn, to denounce, and to imprecate evil upon. One would think that the choice would be simple for Israel. The difficulty lies in the conditions placed upon the blessing.
Deuteronomy 30:15
October 19, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:27, 28 – A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
Thought: After having set before Israel a blessing and a curse, God revealed the conditions of both. “If ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God,” there will be blessings. “If ye will not obey,” there will be a curse. Remember, most people would rather be blessed than cursed. The problem, however, is that most would rather not obey than obey. What often happens is that people will disobey and will tell themselves that God will still bless them. They believe a lie instead of obeying the commandments.
Isaiah 1:19-20
October 20, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:29 – And it shall come to pass, when the Lord thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim and the curse upon Ebal.
Thought: In the Old Testament, God often provided the Israelites with reminders regarding His will. Two mountains were provided to remind God’s children about the concept of blessings and curses. Gerizim would represent blessings. Ebal would represent curses. When Israel saw these two peaks, they would also be reminded of the choice they had to make. They could be obedient and receive God’s blessings. Or, they could be disobedient and receive His curses. The choice was theirs.
Deuteronomy 27:11-13
October 21, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:30 – Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the champaign over against Gilgal, beside the plain of Moreh?
Thought: As we read the book of Deuteronomy, we must remember that Moses is addressing Israel before they have conquered the Promised Land. These are Moses’ last words to the nation before they cross over the Jordan River. Moses told Israel that they would “put the blessing upon mount Gerizim and the curse upon Ebal.” However, these mountains were “on the other side of the Jordan.” The words of the Law-giver are insuring Israel of victory. Gerizim and Ebal would ultimately be theirs.
Joshua 8:30-35
October 22, 2023
Deuteronomy 11:31, 32 – For ye shall pass over Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God giveth you, and ye shall possess it, and dwell therein. And ye shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments which I set before you this day.
Thought: Here, we are see the concept of covenant in the Law of Moses. God had an obligation under the Old Covenant. He promised to bless the nation of Israel. Part of that promise involved the land of Canaan. Soon God would fulfill that promise. The Jews would “pass over Jordan to go in to possess the land.” Israel’s part of the covenant involved their obedience to God. They were to “observe to do all the statutes and judgments” God set before them. Covenant equals promises based on obedience.
Joshua 3:13-17
October 23, 2023
Deuteronomy 12:1 – These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the Lord God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.
Thought: There are three things that stand out in this verse: covenant, obedience, and blessings. The statutes and judgments which God gave to Israel were the Old Covenant, or the Law of Moses. This was an agreement between Jehovah and Israel. Israel’s responsibility was to “observe,”, that is, obey the law. If they did, God would bless them. One of those blessings was the land of Canaan. As long as the covenant was fulfilled, Israel would possess the land as long as they lived on the earth.
Leviticus 20:22
October 24, 2023
Deuteronomy 12:2 – Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree.
Thought: False gods, false religions, false doctrines, false prophets, and their places of worship have a pervasive influence on God’s people. Their lies are convincing. Their practices satisfy the flesh. Their promises are appealing. God understood the lure of these gods. Therefore, He commanded Israel to “utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods.” The words “utterly” and “all” were not to be overlooked. There was danger in one being left.
2 Corinthians 6:14-17
October 25, 2023
Deuteronomy 12:3 – And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.
Thought: God gave Israel specific instructions about the destruction of the false gods that they would find in the Promised Land. Five points are mentioned in this one verse alone. The verbs used to describe their destruction are powerful: “overthrow,” “break,” “burn,” “hew down,” and “destroy.” This was not to be a remodeling process. It was to be a demolition of the old and an installation of something completely new. Again, God understood the temptation these gods were to His people.
Judges 6:25-27
October 26, 2023
Deuteronomy 12:4 – Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.
Thought: Whatever Israel was commanded to do to the false gods of the Canaanites was not to be done unto Jehovah God. Instead, He was to be exalted in all ways throughout the land. His name was to permeate the land. His tabernacle was to be set up in Israel. Sacrifices were only to be made to the God of Israel. His law was to be implemented throughout the nation. The people of God were to worship Him, and Him only. The false gods were to be forgotten. Only Jehovah was to be honored.
Deuteronomy 6:13-14
October 27, 2023
Deuteronomy 12:5 – But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come.
Thought: The when, the how, and the place of worship is not determined by man. It is God who tells man about the parameters of true worship. Once Israel entered into the Promised Land, God would choose a place from out of all the tribes to put his name there. This place would become the center of religious activities practiced by the Jews. The Israelites would not go elsewhere to worship. They had to seek “his habitation.” Attempts could be made elsewhere, but they would involve vain worship.
Psalm 78:67-69
October 28, 2023
Deuteronomy 12:6 – And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks.
Thought: Once Israel took the Promised Land, God would designate a place therein for worship. No, the Israelites were not free to worship God as they pleased. Once the site was designated, God’s people were to bring their burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, heave offerings, vows, freewill offerings, and the firstlings of their flocks and herds to that place. It needs to be emphasized that the place of worship was just as important as the acts of worship. When God authorizes something, man is to obey Him.
Ezekiel 20:40
October 29, 2023
Deuteronomy 12:7 – And there shall ye eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.
Thought: Attendance of the feast days was required of all the Jewish males. However, these celebrations were also family affairs. It was a time for all Israel to come together to eat and rejoice. They rejoiced because the Lord had blessed them abundantly. The same purpose holds true for the first day of the week gathering of Christians. The family comes together around the Lord’s Table to eat and to rejoice. God’s people rejoice because the Lord our God has blessed us, and we are thankful.
Acts 2:46-47
October 30, 2023
Deuteronomy 12:8 – Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.
Thought: The Lord issues a prohibition regarding the practice of religions once the children of Israel were settled in the Promised Land. Note the words: “Ye shall not do.” What was Israel doing? The answer is found in the verse. Every man was doing “whatsoever is right in his own eyes.” These words would have been met with major opposition in today’s society. We are bombarded with the idea: “Choose the church or religion of your choice.” My friends, we need to heed God’s choice.
Proverbs 21:2
October 31, 2023
Deuteronomy 12:9 – For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you.
Thought: Israel was encamped along the eastern banks of the Jordan River. They still had to do battle with the seven heathen nations found in the land of Canaan. God reminded them: “For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you.” Christians need to be reminded of these words as well. As long as we are living in this world, there is work and warfare in which to be engaged. Our inheritance is in the future. Our task now is to be faithful to our God.
Hebrews 4:8-11
Read devotionals for November 2023