1.In Deut 7:25-26 Moses warned the people about the engraved images they would find when they fought other nations. He said to destroy them with fire and not bring them into their homes. After crossing over who did not obey this command and what happened to them? How can we apply this to our lives today? What things could we bring into our life or home that would be similar to this warning Moses gave the people?
Deut. 7:25-26, “the images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the L-rd your G-d. 26 Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.”
Both the idols and the idolaters were to be destroyed
The idols represented pagan gods,
they were to be burned with fire
They were detestable to G-d.
Joshua’s command to the people
Joshua 6:18, “But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the L-rd and must go into his treasury.”
Israel’s disobedience
Joshua 7:1, “But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achanson of Karmi, the son of Zimri the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the L-rd’s anger burned against Israel.”
Israel’s defeat
Joshua 7:10-12, “The L-rd said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions.That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.”
They were to burn the graven images with fire,
they were not to remove the silver or gold from the idols
They could not keep anything for themselves.
In other words they were not to covet the silver or gold they found on the idols.
G-d did not want them to be snared by it.
To covet is to see something that is not yours and desire it
A desire stimulated by sight.
They saw the silver and gold and wanted it.
G-d’s relationship with Israel was mainly based on hearing – Shema Israel.
Other religions had idols that could be seen and worshiped.
G-d was training Israel to not be swayed by what they saw but to listen to His voice. The same is true for us. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed by what we see with our eyes. We can train ourselves to listen for His voice.
The adversaries and their objects were to be destroyed for Israel to remain a holy people to the L-RD.
The word holymeans set apart. Bringing an abomination intotheir house would tempt Israel with the same sins as the people around them.
How does this apply to us?
We too are to be set apart, to be holy.
What things can we bring into our life or home that would damage our set apartness? Do we need to be careful about who we have in our homes?
Anything that takes our time away from studying or worshipping G-d would be detrimental to our relationship with G-d. Things we watch, read, conversations that do not glorify G-d takes us away from Him. This would also apply to people we spend time with. Are they leading us away from G-d?
2.In Deuteronomy 7:12 we read an interesting verse. Part of the verse reads, “then the L-rd your G-d will keep the brit (covenant) and the chessed (Love, mercy) with you, as He swore to your ancestors. Usually we have understood G-d’s relationship with Israel as being defined by the word covenant. So why add the word chessed or love and mercy?
There are other times these two words, covenant and chessed or love appear together in the Hebrew Scripture.
Deut. 7:9, “Therefore know that the L-rd your G-d, He is G-d, the faithful G-d who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments”
I Kings 8:23, “L-rd G-d of Israel, there is no G-d like you in heaven above or on earth below. You who keep the covenant and love with your servants who continue whole heartedly in Your way.”Solomon, in his prayer at the consecration of the Temple says, “
Nehemiah 9:32, Now, therefore, our G-d the great G-d, mighty and awesome who keeps His covenant and love.” Nehemiah was in Jerusalem when he renewed the covenant after the people returned from exile,
In each passage the people are at the threshold of a new beginning. The speaker was reassuring them as they began a new walk, Reminding them that covenant and love are both part of G-d’s relationship with them. This is true for us also.
A covenant is essentially a reciprocal agreement.
Exodus defines it very well in Exodus 19:5.
If you do this I will do that, if not, it will go badly for you.
However, chessed (love or mercy) is different
Where chessed comes in G-d says, you may break My covenant and there will be consequences but I will not throw you away.
Even when they sin G-d’s chessed will never let them go
He will never let us go either.
He is always there calling us back to Him.
When we act with chessed toward another person we are acting out of pure grace.
The person has done nothing to deserve our actions.
Loving kindness or mercy is something that G-d grants to us.
There is nothing we can do to deserve it.
Both covenant and chessed are both a part of our relationship with the Father.
There are other places in scripture that describe acts of chessed.
The book of Ruth
is known to be a book of chessed.
It contains no laws.
Its point is to show us what chessed is.
Ruth continued to Israel with Naomi even though there was no obligation on her part to do so. She did it out of chessed or loving kindness.
Later Boaz went out of his way to help Ruth,
later he married her.
She was a foreigner and he had no obligation to help her.
But he showed her loving kindness.
So chessed was shown as good done for someone who had no claim on the other person.
It was unmerited grace. Does that phrase sound familiar?
The love that G-d gives us is a model for how we can show love or chessed to others.
Deut 10:17-19, “For the L-rd your G-d is G-d of gods and L-rd of lords, the great G-d, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.”
3.How would you interpret this passage from our Haftarah? Isaiah 49:22-23, “22 This is what the Sovereign L-rd says: “See, I will beckon to the nations, I will lift up my banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their hips. 23 Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the L-rd; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”
We founded Road to Zion organization on these verses.
We wanted to be a part of the effort to bring back the sons and daughters to Israel.
We continue helping those that are in the country but are struggling either financially or other ways, to help them prosper.
We also want them to know people outside the Jewish nation love them and care about their needs.
These verses prophesy the restoration of Israel and the nations’ role in it.
G-d will empower the nations to bring back the exiled Israelites, symbolized by carrying them on their arms and shoulders. Kings and queens of the nations will act as “nursing fathers and mothers,” showing great care and support for Israel.
This passage also shows a future where the nations will acknowledge G-d and Israel’s chosenness.
4. Deut. 9:4-5 tells us that not for their righteousness did G-d choose Israel. My question is, what scriptural basis do we have for believing Israel is G-d’s chosen people? Why did He choose Israel?
Deut. 7:6, “For you are a people holy to the L-rd your G-d. The L-rd your G-d has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
Psalm 135:4, “For the L-rd has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.”
Zechariah 2:8, “For this is what the L-rd Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye.”
From Deuteronomy 7:6-10,
G-d did not choose Israel because they were strong or mighty.
G-d chose Israel when they were small and weak, a people without a land.
Beginning with a single man, Abraham, G-d built a powerful nation.
Genesis 12:2-3, G-d promised, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
They were chosen and blessed by G-d, not only for their own sake, but to be a blessing to all nations, for all time. G-d’s plan for Israel stretched beyond their borders.
In a world darkened by sin and chaos, G-d chose Israel to be a light to the nations.They were called to be a kingdom of priests.They were to reflect G-d’s character to all nations.
Through Israel, neighboring peoples or nations discovered what obedience to G-d would bring and also what would follow as a result of their disobedience. G-d chose Israel to be a people who would showcase both His redeeming grace and righteous judgment.
G-d chose Israel to reveal himself to the rest of the world just as He has chosen us to reveal him to the world around us.Messianic Scripture Matt. 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13, James 5:7-11