Becoming God’s People
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Key Verse: “That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God, and into his oath, which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day: That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself.” Selected Scripture: |
IN THIS LESSON MOSES is recounting what had transpired to the nation of Israel after being delivered from bondage to Pharaoh and his taskmasters. Forty years had elapsed since that day, and they were about to enter the promised land. Previously, when they had been delivered, Moses led them to Mt. Sinai in Horeb. They made a covenant with God to be his people. Then while Moses was in the mount for forty days and nights, getting the two tables of the Law, they fell into idolatry. Moses came down from the mount and saw what was going on and broke the two tablets of the Law in his anger.
After those who were responsible for this idolatry were slain, Moses ascended the mount to receive a second set of tablets of the Law. These were not broken, but were put into the Ark of the Covenant for safe keeping. Prior to entering the land of Canaan, God had spies sent into the land, one selected from each tribe. (Num. 13) The report brought back by the spies was in conflict. Ten said that it would be impossible to overcome the inhabitants, and brought an evil report. Only two spies, Joshua and Caleb, said that they could take the land. (vss. 30,31) The people preferred to believe the evil report and rebelled against Moses. God, in his anger, would not let them enter the promised land until all the adults died who believed the evil report.—chap. 14:29
They had reached that point now, and Moses was rededicating the children of those who had fallen in the wilderness. He said unto them, as recorded, “Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.”—Deut. 29:2-5
Moses told them how God had conquered kings bent on destroying them, and how he took their land and gave it to certain tribes of Israel. Moses admonished them saying, “Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.” (vs. 9) He then told them how they would be cursed if they broke God’s laws, and how they would be blessed if they kept them.
Becoming God’s chosen people was a great blessing, but it also brought responsibility. If they failed in their responsibility to observe God’s laws, they could perish like many cities did, and be wiped off the face of the earth, like Sodom and Gomorrah. Moses concluded by saying, “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”—vs. 29