Deut 9-20

9.
God guides Israel/us to great victories over impossibly strong enemies/situations, and to possess readily made cities/farms. He goes ahead of us to bring down the enemies/situation and to guarantee success.

10.
What does the Lord require of us?
- to fear/respect Him
- to walk in His ways
- to love Him
- to serve Him with all our heart and with all our soul
- to keep His commandments

11.
The repeated command is to love the Lord (v.1, 13, 22), keep His charge/statutes/judgments/commandments (v.1, 8, 22, 27, 32), to walk in His ways (v.22), to cleave unto Him (v.22), and to serve Him with all our heart and soul (v.13).

In return, we will be strong possessors (v.8, 31) and dwellers (v.9, 21) of the promised fruitful land. The Lord personally takes care of this land (v. 12). He constantly observes it (v.12), and continuously blesses it with rain, fruitfulness, produce, and greenery (v.14, 15). He will defeat stronger enemies for us (v.23), wherever we tread upon will be ours (v.24), and no one can stand before us (v.25).

12.
Blood is sacred- it is life.
But in the Holy Communion, we drink Jesus’ blood and attain life.

13.
We are often curious to know about our unknown future, and there are professionals whose predictions might come true and whom we may be eager to consult. However, God doesn’t want us to listen to these people since these are tests to see whether we love the Lord with all our heart and soul. In the case of prophets, we have to discern whether they are true or false. One way is by evaluating whether they bring people to God or encourages them to backslide.

Again, we are told to do what is right in Lord’s eyes (v.18), to walk after the Lord (v.4), to fear Him (v.4), to keep His commandments (v.4, 18), obey His voice (v.4, 18), serve Him (v.4), and cleave unto Him (v.4).

14.
Even though there are commandments to follow, we are not the slaves but the children of the Lord (v.1). And since we have been chosen to be a peculiar people to the Lord (v.2) and are exalted over all others of this world (v.2), we should be holy (v.2, 21).

The ‘clean flesh’ suggested for consumption have a logical background- these are healthy, whilst the others (if consumed constantly) are not and some are endangered.

We should also tithe/give constantly.

15.
At the end of seven years, we are to forgive every debt. We should help the poor/the needy, especially the poor in the family, and give with a cheerful heart (v.10): then the Lord will bless us in all our works and in everything that we put our hands upon. Again, we must carefully listen to God’s voice (v.5), observe and do all the commandments (v.5), if we want great blessings (v.4, 6), the ability to lend but not to borrow (v.7), and reign over nations with none to reign over us (v.8).

16.
We should give only according to our ability.
We shouldn’t respect person or accept gifts, for gifts makes us blind and perverse.
We should be just.
We are not to have idols- which may be local gods, individuals, or even concepts such as money, wealth, property, gold…

17.
Whatever we give to God must be pure.
God points out that kings are especially likely to be tempted by immorality (v.17), riches (1.17), and pride (v.20). But the reign and continuity of a kingdom will be assured only if these leaders revere the commandments and follow it carefully.

18.
God expects us to be perfect. Again, we are told to shun divination, observing ‘auspicious’ times, witchcraft, enchantment, charms, spirits, wizards, and necromancers.

We can detect false prophets by seeing if what they predict doesn’t happen in the future.

19.
Another repeat which indicates how important it is to keep the commandments (v.9), to love the Lord (v.9), and to walk in His ways (v.9).

20.
We shouldn’t be afraid or faint/tremble/terrified when we/our family go out to battle and observe the enemy’s horses, chariots, and strong army- for the Lord is with us and fights for us so that we will be saved.

God also advocates conservation and sustainable felling! (v. 19-20)

Deut 5-9

5.
God is merciful to all those who follow His commandments. He will bless them with long life (physical and eternal) and all will be well.

The Ten Commandments are reiterated again. The order of these commandments itself indicate how our relationships should be prioritised. The first four relate to our relationship with God, the next with Family, and then our relationships with others.

- Thou shalt not worship other gods.
- Thou shalt not make graven images and worship it.
- Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain.
- Honour the Sabbath and keep it holy.
- Honour thy father and mother, so that your days will be prolonged and you will be blessed.
- Thou shalt not kill.
- Thou shalt not commit adultery.
- Thou shalt not steal.
- Thou shalt not bear false witness.
- Thou shalt not covet.

6.
These commandments, given to the Israelites and to us (who follow the Lord), is to guide us to fear, obey, and serve the Lord, so that our lives will be prosperous and be prolonged- not just on earth, but in heaven also. We should do what is right and good in His sight (and not according to our perceptions, which are often flawed and shortsighted), so that all will be well.

The Lord our God is the only one Lord, for there aren’t any other gods. And our love for the Lord should be wholehearted and committed- with all our heart, all our mind, and all our soul. We shouldn’t tempt Him. This is the primary command.

The Lord’s words should be constantly meditated upon and should accompany us at all times. He will give us possessions which we didn’t build, earn, or toil hard for: cities, riches, wells, and vineyards. But during that time of wealth and prosperity, we shouldn’t forget the Lord who brought us out of the bondage of sin and various difficult times, who fought for us against our enemies, and who gave us all these rich possessions.

7.
When the Lord fights for us, He doesn’t target and vanquish the weak enemies, but those who are stronger and mightier than us. And we aren’t to cower in fright or to sit somewhere, lazily watching the TV, but to go out into the battlefield and to fight with all gusto, knowing that He is supporting us. We shouldn’t ever fear our mighty enemies but remember about the Lord’s strength and how He has helped us so far.

There a bit of ecosystem wisdom (v.22): how the enemies aren’t dealt with at once, but gradually, so that the wild beasts mayn’t increase and attack us!

We shouldn’t stray from the Lord- for He has specifically chosen us as His holy and special people. He chose us not because of any special or strong traits which we had/have (for we have none!), but because He loved us and brought/redeemed us with a mighty hand. He is faithful and merciful to all who love Him. If we follow His commandments, He will love us, bless us, multiply us, and bless all our efforts. Enemies/problems are delivered into our hands so that we can obliterate them.

8.
God rescued us from the bondage and servitude (of sin) and brought us to freedom. This was no easy journey- for He led us through great and terrible wildernesses (with serpents and scorpions) and through lands of drought. Such a journey, if embarked by an individual, would result in an utter failure. However, God sustained us. In the case of the Israelites, He quenched their thirst by providing water out of a rock of flint, he effaced their hunger by feeding them with manna (the realisation that man cannot live by bread or by material goods alone but needs the Word in order to live (v.3)). During that time in the wilderness, their garments didn’t soil neither did the feet hurt with all the walking.

I am sure that, if we glance back at our life, we too have had many experiences which resonate with the Israelites’ journey and how God sustained us through these.

The 40 years of additional wandering in the wilderness was to humble us, to prove us, to know what was in our heart- whether we will follow His commandments or not. It was a time of chastening, a mandatory process which only serves to help later- but only a Father chastens his son. But He brings us to an excellent, well-watered, and fertile land (which lacks nothing), and we are showered with multiple blessings. But we can maintain these blessings only if we follow the Lord’s commandments, walk in His ways, and fear Him. We are warned not to forget God during the time of plenty, not to become proud, nor to think that we achieve fame/power because of our own talents. It is God who gives us power and might to amass wealth, and so we must praise Him when we partake in enjoying all these wealth/material goods.