Daily Bible Reading for March 20, 2020

Today my Bible reading plan covered chapters 28-29 of Deuteronomy.

In Chapter 28, Moses presents two paths, the path of obedience to God which results in blessings upon blessings, or the path of disobedience which results in curses upon curses.

A key verse for the path of obedience is found in verse 9:

“The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways.”

After listing all of the curses for disobedience, Moses states in verse 45:

“All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you.”

Why? Because of all that God had already demonstrated to them by choosing them, delivering them out of Egypt with a mighty hand, their response should have been a delight to serve him.

“Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart because of the abundance of all things…” Deuteronomy 28:47a

In Chapter 29, Moses recounts all that God had done before their very eyes in their great deliverance out of Egypt as they commit to renewing the covenant that he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses gives them a warning in verse 18 and19 that reminded me of two similar warnings in Hebrews.

“Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the word of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.'”

The author of Hebrews records similar warnings in Hebrews 2:1 and 12:15:

“Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”

“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.”

Not unlike the warnings to the Israelites, we too are warned to be careful of the things that we hear. We must like the Israelites, stay close to the word of God, rehearsing, reading it daily, lest at any time, we too let them slip and we walk out of the way.

Let’s read the Book!