Deuteronomy 8-10 (Psalm 73)

These chapters of Deuteronomy are written by Moses who is communing and receiving word from the LORD for the Israelites as they begin to enter the promised land after the 40 years. As I read through chapter 9 today I was understanding some interesting similarity to the way God speaks and views the righteousness and unrighteousness of mankind. 

Deuteronomy 9:5-6 (NKJV) "It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people."

This is interesting to me because it levels the playing field for man by God asserting that it's not because of mankind's goodness or righteousness that God provides, rather God provides because it is His sovereign will and authority discretion to do so. Again, I hearken back to the musings of God's mind throughout the book of Job during or before the time of Abraham: "What is mankind that you make so much of them, that you give them so much attention" "Can you fathom the mysteries of God?" "Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest?" "God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding" "God comes in awesome majesty. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness he does not oppress." (excerpts from NIV). We must learn not to measure God's ways and operations by our own judgement, His ways and purposes are higher than ours. This is where yesterday's reading in chapter 7 fits in nicely relating to God's chosen people:

Deuteronomy 7:6-8 (NKJV) "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. the LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."

All-in-all Jesus makes God's character clear when he speaks to Nicodemus in John 3 demonstrating God's love and mercy for all mankind to choose life abundantly through faith in Christ alone! There's no partiality in the kingdom of God - He desires all men to believe and to abide relationally with Himself. God demonstrates His love for us in that he loves the least and imperfect people because He sent His son to pay the price of our sin through His death. What a savior! 

Romans 5:8 (NKJV) "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

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