It’s January, and for many, that means trying something new. I thought I might resurrect this blog to function as a Bible journal of sorts. I’m a strange sort of bird — the writer — that tends to think in blog posts. I have no idea how long it might last.
If you’re still following after all these years, do me a favor. If something here blesses you, don’t tell me; thank God. That way, the words that flow onto the page focus on God and not human validation. But if I say something wrong, please comment.
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.
Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)
Thoughts on today’s reading: Deuteronomy 13
Many of my thoughts are based on Dr. Constable’s Audio Lessons. These are Sunday School lessons taught by a former professor from Dallas Theological Seminary over the course of many years. If you want to know more about Dr. Thomas Constable, you can read about him here. (See? I told you I think in blog posts. But seriously, credit needs to be given where credit is due.)
Question 1: What was the passage about?
The book of Deuteronomy is a collection of Moses’ sermons to the Israelites. To me, it’s cool that thousands of years later we can read Moses’ sermons. They are much longer than sermons we sit through today, so I’m thinking the Israelites had a much longer attention span that modern people. But they didn’t have cell phones, so what else were they going to do?
This portion of Scripture talks about the people that would tempt Israel to worship other gods and how they were to deal with it.
Question 2: Which verse stood out to you?
If they say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before…
in Deuteronomy 13: 3, 6, 13 (NLT)
It’s always important to pay attention to repeated phrases in the Bible. If God is going to say something multiple times, it must be important.
In this chapter of Deuteronomy, this section of Moses’ sermon, each of these warnings is prefaced with a different group of people that might say it.
- False prophets (v 1-5)
- Family or friends (v 6-11)
- Scoundrels/groups living among the Israelites (v 12-17)
In all cases, Moses urges the same action: death. Put the false prophet to death. Put the friend/family member to death. Destroy the town infested with scoundrels.
Question 3: How did this verse make you feel?
While I can read about putting false prophets to death (how dare they?), the command to put a friend or family member to death or to obliterate an entire town is difficult to contemplate. Would I be able to do it if I were an Israelite? With my modern sensibilities, it would be impossible.
Thankfully, we are not Israelites and are not under their law. But the subject of what to do with teachers, friends, family, or groups that try to get us to discount God and the Bible are addressed in the New Testament as well. Dr. Constable directs us to 2 Timothy 3, 2 Peter 2-3 (esp. v 17-18), 2 John (esp. v 10-11), and Jude (esp. v 17-23).
How are we to deal with people who try to point us away from God of the Bible? The answer is very carefully.
If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work.
2 John: 10-11 (NLT)
But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.
But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.
Jude 17-23 (NLT)
Question 4: how are you going to apply it?
This is where living in the world but not being of it comes to play. If people are living ungodly lives, we must separate ourselves from them except for the purposes of evangelism. We want them to know God, to snatch them from the flames of judgment. We don’t want to lose ourselves to the fire in the process.
While I was reading this chapter, I kept thinking, “what would it look like if people actually killed false prophets, family members, and entire towns as Moses instructed?” Seems like story fodder for a dystopian novel. Hmm…
Freedom in Theology 