May [you] love the Lord your God, obey His voice, and cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land..
“and I [Moses] stayed on the mountain, as the first time, forty days and nights, and the Lord listened to me at that time also; the Lord would not destroy you.
And the Lord said to me, Arise, journey on before the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but [reverently] to fear the Lord your God, [that is] to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being.
To keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth also, with all that is in it and on it. Yet the Lord had a delight in loving your fathers, and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day.
So circumcise the foreskin of your [minds and] hearts; be no longer stubborn and hardened. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the terrible God, Who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger or temporary resident and give him food and clothing. Therefore love the stranger and sojourner, for you were stranger and sojourner, for you were strangers and sojourners in the land of Egypt.
You shall [reverently] fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and by His name and presence you shall swear. He is your praise; He is your God, Who has done for you these great and terrible things which your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of heavens for multitude.” (Deuteronomy 10:10-22)
Commentary notes, “Moses again reminded them of his second stay on Sinai when for forty days and forty nights he interceded for them. God heard, withheld judgment, and told them to go in and possess the land. Jehovah’s desire for His people was summed up in the words 'to fear ... to walk ... to love ... to serve ... to keep' (vv. 12, 13). All of God’s commandments were designed for their good (v. 13b). Moses encouraged them to obey God because of His greatness (v. 14), His sovereign choice of Israel as His special people (v. 15), His righteousness and justice (vv. 17–20), and His past favors to the nation (vv. 21, 22). A circumcised heart (v. 16) is one that obeys. [1]
Coming back to what I wrote last week, God is a covenant-keeping God. Moses had interceded several times for the Israelites in their stubbornness, hard-heartedness and rebellion that God would not forget His covenant with them.
Moses interceded forty days and forty nights, drinking no water or eating no food, the first time on the mountain when at the end of the time he received the tables of the covenant that the Lord wrote with His own finger (Deut. 9:9-11).
When God told him that the Israelites had already turned away to worshiping idols, Moses prayed that God would not destroy the people but remember His covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, promising to multiply his seed as the stars of the heavens and that they would inherit forever the land that was promised (Exodus 32:13).
When Moses came down from the mountain, he found that the Israelites had sinned and turned away to idols breaking the covenant. He then went again up to the Lord to make atonement for their sin (Ex. 32:30). He fell down before the Lord, fasting and praying without food or water for another forty days because of all the sin they had committed in their idolatry (Deut. 9:18).
Then again, the people of God became rebellious against the Lord and refused to trust in Him or rely on Him and enter into the Promised Land. Moses fasted and prayed another forty days and nights that the Lord would not destroy His people (Deut. 9:25).
He prayed that God would remember His covenant made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and not look at the stubbornness of the people or the wickedness of their hearts (Deut 9:27). He reminds God, “Yet they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your mighty power and by Your outstretched arm” (Deut. 9:29).
Then again, when Moses went for the second time up the mountain of God to receive the tablets of covenant he stayed there forty days and forty nights interceding that God would not destroy His people (remembering His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) (Deut. 10:1,10).
Atone or atonement in the verb found in Exodus 32:30 is the Hebrew word kapar, Strongs #3722. It means to cover over or propitiate. Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary notes that it “is first found in Gen. 6:14, where it is used in its primary sense of “to cover over.” Here God gives Noah instructions concerning the ark, including, “Cover it inside and out with pitch” (rsv).” [2]
Every time the people sinned, God made provision for the people through a covenant – first through the ark, then through Abraham and his seed, providing the law and intercession of Moses for them to enter into God's promises, and finally through Jesus.
Steve Wiens noted on twitter a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “It is not love which sustains your marriage; it's your marriage which sustains love." [3] Marriage was made to be a shadow of the covenant of God with us (Ephesians 5:31-32). Through difficulties and failures, 'better or worse', the covenant promises still stand.
In my own marriage, over time and having been through much together, having stayed committed through difficulties and differences actually has changed our love. It becomes more settled that we are partners and there for each other no matter what happens. We know that there are going to be ebbs and flows in romantic feelings, but underneath, we both know we deeply love and are committed to each other.
John Mulinde and Mark Daniel note, “The very foundation of our relationship with God is based on covenant... God formed covenant in human society so that we would understand and be certain of his love, which is solid and not ambiguous, like the emotions or feelings we can have. It is something that is secure and certain; a firm foundation we can stand on. They go on to note that we often see covenant more as contract which is based upon self interests. Covenant, on the other hand, puts the interest of the other above self." [4]
There is also an exchange in the covenant. John Mulinde and Mark Daniel note that when a covenant was made there was an exchange of: 1. Mantles or authority. The weaker party now had the authority of the party they were joined with. 2. Weapons. The parties agreed that they would fight each others battles. 3. Names. This represents all that a person owns, their identity and reputation. 4. They exchanged a meal. They broke bread together pledging that they would make pledges to care for each other. [5]
Moses labors of interceding for the Israelites that God would remember His covenant and making atonement for them were shadows of what was to come through Jesus. So are sacrifices on the altar for sin a shadow of the work of Jesus.
Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice and the new covenant to us. Isaiah 49:8-9a says, "Thus says the Lord, In an acceptable and favorable time I have heard and answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you; and I will preserve you and give you for a covenant to the people, to raise up and establish the land [from its present state of ruin] and to apportion and cause them to inherit the desolate...heritages, saying to those who are bound, Come forth, and to those who are in [spiritual] darkness, Show yourself [come into the light of the Sun of righteousness]."
Being led into the Promised Land based upon covenant promises and not because of our own righteousness is also a shadow of the New Covenant. We are given the land and caused to inherit it not because of our own righteousness but we enter the covenant based upon faith in Christ and it is His righteousness that causes us to possess the land and dispossess the enemy.
Deuteronomy 9:5 says, “Not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your [minds and] hearts do you go to possess their land; but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out before you, and that He may fulfill the promise that your Lord swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Jesus is our atonement once and for all for sin. We have entered a new Covenant by His blood. The old has passed away and we are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) with the covenant law written on our hearts rather than stone tablets.
Hebrews 8:8-12 says, “For if that first covenant had been without defect, there would have been no room for another one or an attempt to institute another one. However, He finds fault with them [showing its inadequacy] when He says, Behold, the days will come, says the Lord, when I will make and ratify a new covenant or agreement with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day when I grasped them by the hand to help and relieve them and to lead them out from the land of Egypt, for they did not abide in My agreement with them, and so I withdrew My favor and disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their minds, even upon their innermost thoughts and understanding, and engrave them upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
And it will nevermore be necessary for each on to teach his neighbor and his fellow citizen or each one his brother, saying Know (perceive, have knowledge of, and get acquainted by experience with) the Lord, for all will know Me, from the smallest to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more.”
Sometimes I have heard it taught that we can force God to move by our actions of obedience. I have also thought this myself at times in my mind somewhere – if only I could be obedient and get it all right, then God will move and dispossess the enemy. His kingdom would come around me in greater measure. Scriptures such as “What does the Lord your God require of you but to... “ get my attention for all the things I need to put on my list to please God.
Yet I know that all the times that He has moved in my life have not been because I get it all right. It is not because of my righteousness. The times that God has moved in my life most powerfully is when I have sought Him, cried out to Him and He has had mercy on me. His heart has went out to me because He loves me.
Trying to get Him to move by actions of obedience really has to do with manipulation. When I have struggled with strongholds in my life, He has set me free from the things that have held me back not because of my righteousness. He has seen my heart that genuinely desired to honor Him in my life. Sometimes He sets me free as I am seeking Him when I am not even specifically asking to be set free.
God is still enthroned above the mercy seat. God is not looking for a people who can keep the commandments in their own strength but rather love Him, fear Him, and desire to serve Him and walk in all His ways. As we look to Him, He brings us into the Promised Land, giving us life, as we trust and rely on Him as our source.
Our part is to seek Him, love Him, worship Him, and delight in Him and He bears the fruit of righteousness in our lives. Paul prays for the Church in Philippi in Philippians 1:11, “May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized].”
Coming back to what I wrote last week and a question that John Mulinde and Mark Daniel ask, “How Do We change the Spiritual Environment?” They write, “Once we come to recognize the spiritual environment around us, our only response is to turn to the Lord... If our hearts are truly seeking Jesus, we will produce an environment conducive to the Holy Spirit.” [6]
As I wrote last week, Francis Fragipane notes that the Spirit of Christ is within us. He notes that “Our goal is not to tell the world about Christianity but to reveal the glory of Christ. We are not called to imitate Jesus in detached obedience but to actually let Him shine through us to mankind.” [7]
Through the covenant, we carry the glory of the Lord inside us and out to the world. Just as darkness creates a spiritual atmosphere over its area of influence, God creates a canopy of glory over us that grows brighter and brighter as the day of His coming draws near. (Is. 4:2-6)
When Moses came down from the mountain after seeking out and spending time with God, his face radiated the glory of God. However, his glory was a fading glory. Paul notes, how much more must that glory which is through Christ be permanent.
Paul says in 2 Cor 3:7-9, “Now if the dispensation of death engraved in letters on stone [the ministration of the Law], was inaugurated with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its brilliance, [a glory] that was to fade and pass away, Why should not the dispensation of the Spirit [this spiritual ministry whose task it is to cause men to obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit] be attended with much greater and more splendid glory? For if that which was but passing and fading away came with splendor, how much more must that which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor!
Our job is not to try to be holy so we shine with the brightness of His glory, but like Moses, our job is to seek Him with all our hearts. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might."
Rather than being governed by the Law, we are governed by the Holy Spirit who does the work in us as we seek Him and allow Him access to our lives.
Paul goes on to say in 2 Cor. 3:18, “And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.”
“The purest place, I will draw near, do what it takes to keep me hear, in the center of Your heart” sings
Our seeking Him needs to be because we genuinely desire to know Him not because we desire something from Him. Even if it is His kingdom purposes we desire.
And our service to God flows out of this relationship. Deuteronomy 28:47 says, "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness of [mind and] heart [in gratitude] for the abundance of all [with which He had blessed you].
When I am trying to get Him to move on my behalf because of my actions, this is really about exalting whatever goal I have above my relationship with Him. And when I am focused on getting all the actions right, my eyes are not on Him and my relationship with Him but on myself. The fruit from performanced based religion is self-righteousness. And serving Him becomes a duty and obligation when I do it in my own strength and efforts.
Moses notes that in seeking to love and serve God with our whole hearts we also need to “circumcise the foreskin of your [minds and] hearts.” And John Mulinde and Mark Daniel note that one of the biggest stumbling blocks in a life fully given over to the Lord is our mind.[8]
They write, “Many times, because we try to process everything through our minds, we don't recognize that our mind is causing us to stumble. We sometimes get stuck because we are trying to process things according to our way of understanding or the way we have been brought up to see things. We are not open to letting God shape our understanding; instead, we try to package things inside our own already established mindsets.” [9]
They go on to note that we need to allow God to reshape our mindsets. Wisdom that comes from our own mind and ways of thinking are rooted in self-centeredness. They write that the moment we begin to focus on ourselves, our role, and our importance, we lose a sense of contentment in Him. [10]
They go on to write, “This happens to everyone if we don't pay attention to our Maker and make Him [I would emphasize our relationship with Him and not His purposes] the center of our existence. The Bible says that all things were made by God and for God; not for us. We cannot make things about us (Colossians 1:16); we cannot rotate the world around us.”[11]
One of the areas that I struggle with my mindset and way of thinking has to do with responsibility. While it has came out on a few assessments as my greatest strength, it is also one of my greatest weaknesses. The positive side to this is that I take ownership for outcomes and am highly committed to seeing things through to completion. However, it also gets me into trouble as I often feel a sense of obligation and ownership for more than what I should.
I had a dream sometime ago where everything in my room came flying around and crashing to the ground as a messenger from God gave me a message about Jesus returning. One of the things that came tumbling to the ground was a large, oversized table top. I wanted to try to salvage it and pick it back up again but it was too heavy and everything was a mess. I have came to realize that this was my sense of over-responsibility.
When God shares with me about His kingdom purposes, rather than just being grateful that He would call me friend, I too often take ownership for His outcomes. I feel responsible for doing everything I know how to bring His purposes about. I start focusing on working hard towards seeing His purposes come about in every way I know how (often in my own strength). The purposes sometimes begin to become central rather than Christ.
Accomplishing His kingdom purposes can become more important than my relationship with Him at times. I feel accountable to somehow to make His will happen and keep trying to get it right. While feeling a sense of accountability to whatever God is calling me to I don't think is a bad thing, I take too much ownership upon myself.
I also struggle with this sense of over-responsibility for the people God places on my heart pray for regularly. If someone I have been praying for struggles in their walk with God and with entering into all God has for them, I feel responsible. I feel like I completely failed them and failed God if they stumble and fail. I think to myself that I just didn't get it right and I need to work harder and be more focused.
What happens in this is that I can loose all sense of joy as I am working to accomplish His purposes. Then when He does bring His purposes about, I am too tired out from all my works in trying to get everything right to even be excited with Him. It becomes all about my works and doing my responsibilities rather than His goodness, friendship and wonderful generosity.
It is through the power of the Spirit that we circumcise our hearts and minds by putting to death these works of the flesh and the self life. Paul says in Romans 8:9-13, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Too often, I am tempted to work hard in my own efforts to put to death the works of the flesh and self life by the Spirit. However, it is not by our efforts or might but by His Spirit. His Spirit does the work as we look to Him and surrender ourselves and our circumstances to Him.
In Acts 16:31 and Silas say in the AMP Bible, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ [give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping] and you will be saved, [and this applies both to] you and your household as well.”
John Mulinde and Mark Daniel write, “Surrender is the releasing of our lives to God. It is beginning to be aware that I don't have control, I don't know the way, and I can't overcome the flesh, the world, or the enemy in my own strength.... There is this sense of humbling ourselves and coming to the end of self.” [12]
He goes on to note that surrender is letting go of control and trusting. He notes that God never put the burden on us to accomplish His will in our human effort. We are called to come and release our lives to him. We are to allow him to do in us what we cannot do in ourselves. [13]
They write, “This overcoming is not done by human power, nor is it done by human effort. Only God can accomplish such a work; that's the reason he calls us to abandon our lives to him... Self cannot deliver you from self, and God is calling us to understand that only he can do that work.” [14]
Lord, forgive me for the ways I try to accomplish things in my own strength and take responsibility for that which is not mine to take. Thank you for Your love and faithfulness. Help me to surrender all to You.
We are so grateful for your love that covers us all the day long. We are invited to rest securely between your shoulders as you uphold us with your everlasting arms. We entrust our lives completely to the One who knows the plans he has for us (Jer. 29:11).[15] We release our lives into Your hands. We trust You to carry us through the fires and floods because of Your covenant promises and Your deep love for us.[16] You are more than able to sustain us.
Deuteronomy 33:12, “Of Benjamin he said: the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; He covers him all the day long, and makes His dwelling between His shoulders.
Deuteronomy 33:26-27, 29, “There is none like God, O Jeshurun [Israel], Who rides through the heavens to your help and in His majestic glory through the skies. The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He drove the enemy before you and thrust them out, saying, Destory! And Israel dwells in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone in a land of grain and new wine; yest, His heavens drop dew. Happy are you, O Israel, and blessing is yours! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the Shield of your help, the Sword that exalts You!”
Deuteronomy 32:9-11, "For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob (Israel) is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, in the howling void of the wilderness; He kept circling around him, He scanned him [penetratingly]. He kept him as the pupil of His eye. As an eagle that sitrs up her nest, that flutters over her young, He spread abroad His wings and He took them, He bore them on His pinions."
1. MacDonald, William ; Farstad, Arthur: Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995, S. Dt 10:10
2. Vine, W. E. ; Unger, Merrill F. ; White, William: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1996, S. 1:10
3 Wiens, Steve. http://twitter.com/@stevewiens
4-6,8-16. Mulinde, John with Daniel, Mark. The Wake-Up Call: To Radically Abandon Our Lives To God. World Trumpet Mission. Orlando, Fl. 2011
7. Frangipane, Francis. Shelter Of The Most High: Living your life under the divine protection of God. Charisma House, Lake Mary, FL. 2008
Most Scripture quotations take from The Amplified Bible. Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
And the Lord said to me, Arise, journey on before the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but [reverently] to fear the Lord your God, [that is] to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being.
To keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth also, with all that is in it and on it. Yet the Lord had a delight in loving your fathers, and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day.
So circumcise the foreskin of your [minds and] hearts; be no longer stubborn and hardened. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the terrible God, Who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger or temporary resident and give him food and clothing. Therefore love the stranger and sojourner, for you were stranger and sojourner, for you were strangers and sojourners in the land of Egypt.
You shall [reverently] fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and by His name and presence you shall swear. He is your praise; He is your God, Who has done for you these great and terrible things which your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of heavens for multitude.” (Deuteronomy 10:10-22)
Commentary notes, “Moses again reminded them of his second stay on Sinai when for forty days and forty nights he interceded for them. God heard, withheld judgment, and told them to go in and possess the land. Jehovah’s desire for His people was summed up in the words 'to fear ... to walk ... to love ... to serve ... to keep' (vv. 12, 13). All of God’s commandments were designed for their good (v. 13b). Moses encouraged them to obey God because of His greatness (v. 14), His sovereign choice of Israel as His special people (v. 15), His righteousness and justice (vv. 17–20), and His past favors to the nation (vv. 21, 22). A circumcised heart (v. 16) is one that obeys. [1]
Coming back to what I wrote last week, God is a covenant-keeping God. Moses had interceded several times for the Israelites in their stubbornness, hard-heartedness and rebellion that God would not forget His covenant with them.
Moses interceded forty days and forty nights, drinking no water or eating no food, the first time on the mountain when at the end of the time he received the tables of the covenant that the Lord wrote with His own finger (Deut. 9:9-11).
When God told him that the Israelites had already turned away to worshiping idols, Moses prayed that God would not destroy the people but remember His covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, promising to multiply his seed as the stars of the heavens and that they would inherit forever the land that was promised (Exodus 32:13).
When Moses came down from the mountain, he found that the Israelites had sinned and turned away to idols breaking the covenant. He then went again up to the Lord to make atonement for their sin (Ex. 32:30). He fell down before the Lord, fasting and praying without food or water for another forty days because of all the sin they had committed in their idolatry (Deut. 9:18).
Then again, the people of God became rebellious against the Lord and refused to trust in Him or rely on Him and enter into the Promised Land. Moses fasted and prayed another forty days and nights that the Lord would not destroy His people (Deut. 9:25).
He prayed that God would remember His covenant made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and not look at the stubbornness of the people or the wickedness of their hearts (Deut 9:27). He reminds God, “Yet they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your mighty power and by Your outstretched arm” (Deut. 9:29).
Then again, when Moses went for the second time up the mountain of God to receive the tablets of covenant he stayed there forty days and forty nights interceding that God would not destroy His people (remembering His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) (Deut. 10:1,10).
Atone or atonement in the verb found in Exodus 32:30 is the Hebrew word kapar, Strongs #3722. It means to cover over or propitiate. Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary notes that it “is first found in Gen. 6:14, where it is used in its primary sense of “to cover over.” Here God gives Noah instructions concerning the ark, including, “Cover it inside and out with pitch” (rsv).” [2]
Every time the people sinned, God made provision for the people through a covenant – first through the ark, then through Abraham and his seed, providing the law and intercession of Moses for them to enter into God's promises, and finally through Jesus.
Steve Wiens noted on twitter a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “It is not love which sustains your marriage; it's your marriage which sustains love." [3] Marriage was made to be a shadow of the covenant of God with us (Ephesians 5:31-32). Through difficulties and failures, 'better or worse', the covenant promises still stand.
In my own marriage, over time and having been through much together, having stayed committed through difficulties and differences actually has changed our love. It becomes more settled that we are partners and there for each other no matter what happens. We know that there are going to be ebbs and flows in romantic feelings, but underneath, we both know we deeply love and are committed to each other.
John Mulinde and Mark Daniel note, “The very foundation of our relationship with God is based on covenant... God formed covenant in human society so that we would understand and be certain of his love, which is solid and not ambiguous, like the emotions or feelings we can have. It is something that is secure and certain; a firm foundation we can stand on. They go on to note that we often see covenant more as contract which is based upon self interests. Covenant, on the other hand, puts the interest of the other above self." [4]
There is also an exchange in the covenant. John Mulinde and Mark Daniel note that when a covenant was made there was an exchange of: 1. Mantles or authority. The weaker party now had the authority of the party they were joined with. 2. Weapons. The parties agreed that they would fight each others battles. 3. Names. This represents all that a person owns, their identity and reputation. 4. They exchanged a meal. They broke bread together pledging that they would make pledges to care for each other. [5]
Moses labors of interceding for the Israelites that God would remember His covenant and making atonement for them were shadows of what was to come through Jesus. So are sacrifices on the altar for sin a shadow of the work of Jesus.
Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice and the new covenant to us. Isaiah 49:8-9a says, "Thus says the Lord, In an acceptable and favorable time I have heard and answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you; and I will preserve you and give you for a covenant to the people, to raise up and establish the land [from its present state of ruin] and to apportion and cause them to inherit the desolate...heritages, saying to those who are bound, Come forth, and to those who are in [spiritual] darkness, Show yourself [come into the light of the Sun of righteousness]."
Being led into the Promised Land based upon covenant promises and not because of our own righteousness is also a shadow of the New Covenant. We are given the land and caused to inherit it not because of our own righteousness but we enter the covenant based upon faith in Christ and it is His righteousness that causes us to possess the land and dispossess the enemy.
Deuteronomy 9:5 says, “Not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your [minds and] hearts do you go to possess their land; but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out before you, and that He may fulfill the promise that your Lord swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Jesus is our atonement once and for all for sin. We have entered a new Covenant by His blood. The old has passed away and we are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) with the covenant law written on our hearts rather than stone tablets.
Hebrews 8:8-12 says, “For if that first covenant had been without defect, there would have been no room for another one or an attempt to institute another one. However, He finds fault with them [showing its inadequacy] when He says, Behold, the days will come, says the Lord, when I will make and ratify a new covenant or agreement with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day when I grasped them by the hand to help and relieve them and to lead them out from the land of Egypt, for they did not abide in My agreement with them, and so I withdrew My favor and disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their minds, even upon their innermost thoughts and understanding, and engrave them upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
And it will nevermore be necessary for each on to teach his neighbor and his fellow citizen or each one his brother, saying Know (perceive, have knowledge of, and get acquainted by experience with) the Lord, for all will know Me, from the smallest to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more.”
Sometimes I have heard it taught that we can force God to move by our actions of obedience. I have also thought this myself at times in my mind somewhere – if only I could be obedient and get it all right, then God will move and dispossess the enemy. His kingdom would come around me in greater measure. Scriptures such as “What does the Lord your God require of you but to... “ get my attention for all the things I need to put on my list to please God.
Yet I know that all the times that He has moved in my life have not been because I get it all right. It is not because of my righteousness. The times that God has moved in my life most powerfully is when I have sought Him, cried out to Him and He has had mercy on me. His heart has went out to me because He loves me.
Trying to get Him to move by actions of obedience really has to do with manipulation. When I have struggled with strongholds in my life, He has set me free from the things that have held me back not because of my righteousness. He has seen my heart that genuinely desired to honor Him in my life. Sometimes He sets me free as I am seeking Him when I am not even specifically asking to be set free.
God is still enthroned above the mercy seat. God is not looking for a people who can keep the commandments in their own strength but rather love Him, fear Him, and desire to serve Him and walk in all His ways. As we look to Him, He brings us into the Promised Land, giving us life, as we trust and rely on Him as our source.
Our part is to seek Him, love Him, worship Him, and delight in Him and He bears the fruit of righteousness in our lives. Paul prays for the Church in Philippi in Philippians 1:11, “May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized].”
Coming back to what I wrote last week and a question that John Mulinde and Mark Daniel ask, “How Do We change the Spiritual Environment?” They write, “Once we come to recognize the spiritual environment around us, our only response is to turn to the Lord... If our hearts are truly seeking Jesus, we will produce an environment conducive to the Holy Spirit.” [6]
As I wrote last week, Francis Fragipane notes that the Spirit of Christ is within us. He notes that “Our goal is not to tell the world about Christianity but to reveal the glory of Christ. We are not called to imitate Jesus in detached obedience but to actually let Him shine through us to mankind.” [7]
Through the covenant, we carry the glory of the Lord inside us and out to the world. Just as darkness creates a spiritual atmosphere over its area of influence, God creates a canopy of glory over us that grows brighter and brighter as the day of His coming draws near. (Is. 4:2-6)
When Moses came down from the mountain after seeking out and spending time with God, his face radiated the glory of God. However, his glory was a fading glory. Paul notes, how much more must that glory which is through Christ be permanent.
Paul says in 2 Cor 3:7-9, “Now if the dispensation of death engraved in letters on stone [the ministration of the Law], was inaugurated with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its brilliance, [a glory] that was to fade and pass away, Why should not the dispensation of the Spirit [this spiritual ministry whose task it is to cause men to obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit] be attended with much greater and more splendid glory? For if that which was but passing and fading away came with splendor, how much more must that which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor!
Our job is not to try to be holy so we shine with the brightness of His glory, but like Moses, our job is to seek Him with all our hearts. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might."
Rather than being governed by the Law, we are governed by the Holy Spirit who does the work in us as we seek Him and allow Him access to our lives.
Paul goes on to say in 2 Cor. 3:18, “And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.”
“The purest place, I will draw near, do what it takes to keep me hear, in the center of Your heart” sings
Our seeking Him needs to be because we genuinely desire to know Him not because we desire something from Him. Even if it is His kingdom purposes we desire.
And our service to God flows out of this relationship. Deuteronomy 28:47 says, "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness of [mind and] heart [in gratitude] for the abundance of all [with which He had blessed you].
When I am trying to get Him to move on my behalf because of my actions, this is really about exalting whatever goal I have above my relationship with Him. And when I am focused on getting all the actions right, my eyes are not on Him and my relationship with Him but on myself. The fruit from performanced based religion is self-righteousness. And serving Him becomes a duty and obligation when I do it in my own strength and efforts.
Moses notes that in seeking to love and serve God with our whole hearts we also need to “circumcise the foreskin of your [minds and] hearts.” And John Mulinde and Mark Daniel note that one of the biggest stumbling blocks in a life fully given over to the Lord is our mind.[8]
They write, “Many times, because we try to process everything through our minds, we don't recognize that our mind is causing us to stumble. We sometimes get stuck because we are trying to process things according to our way of understanding or the way we have been brought up to see things. We are not open to letting God shape our understanding; instead, we try to package things inside our own already established mindsets.” [9]
They go on to note that we need to allow God to reshape our mindsets. Wisdom that comes from our own mind and ways of thinking are rooted in self-centeredness. They write that the moment we begin to focus on ourselves, our role, and our importance, we lose a sense of contentment in Him. [10]
They go on to write, “This happens to everyone if we don't pay attention to our Maker and make Him [I would emphasize our relationship with Him and not His purposes] the center of our existence. The Bible says that all things were made by God and for God; not for us. We cannot make things about us (Colossians 1:16); we cannot rotate the world around us.”[11]
One of the areas that I struggle with my mindset and way of thinking has to do with responsibility. While it has came out on a few assessments as my greatest strength, it is also one of my greatest weaknesses. The positive side to this is that I take ownership for outcomes and am highly committed to seeing things through to completion. However, it also gets me into trouble as I often feel a sense of obligation and ownership for more than what I should.
I had a dream sometime ago where everything in my room came flying around and crashing to the ground as a messenger from God gave me a message about Jesus returning. One of the things that came tumbling to the ground was a large, oversized table top. I wanted to try to salvage it and pick it back up again but it was too heavy and everything was a mess. I have came to realize that this was my sense of over-responsibility.
When God shares with me about His kingdom purposes, rather than just being grateful that He would call me friend, I too often take ownership for His outcomes. I feel responsible for doing everything I know how to bring His purposes about. I start focusing on working hard towards seeing His purposes come about in every way I know how (often in my own strength). The purposes sometimes begin to become central rather than Christ.
Accomplishing His kingdom purposes can become more important than my relationship with Him at times. I feel accountable to somehow to make His will happen and keep trying to get it right. While feeling a sense of accountability to whatever God is calling me to I don't think is a bad thing, I take too much ownership upon myself.
I also struggle with this sense of over-responsibility for the people God places on my heart pray for regularly. If someone I have been praying for struggles in their walk with God and with entering into all God has for them, I feel responsible. I feel like I completely failed them and failed God if they stumble and fail. I think to myself that I just didn't get it right and I need to work harder and be more focused.
What happens in this is that I can loose all sense of joy as I am working to accomplish His purposes. Then when He does bring His purposes about, I am too tired out from all my works in trying to get everything right to even be excited with Him. It becomes all about my works and doing my responsibilities rather than His goodness, friendship and wonderful generosity.
It is through the power of the Spirit that we circumcise our hearts and minds by putting to death these works of the flesh and the self life. Paul says in Romans 8:9-13, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Too often, I am tempted to work hard in my own efforts to put to death the works of the flesh and self life by the Spirit. However, it is not by our efforts or might but by His Spirit. His Spirit does the work as we look to Him and surrender ourselves and our circumstances to Him.
In Acts 16:31 and Silas say in the AMP Bible, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ [give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping] and you will be saved, [and this applies both to] you and your household as well.”
John Mulinde and Mark Daniel write, “Surrender is the releasing of our lives to God. It is beginning to be aware that I don't have control, I don't know the way, and I can't overcome the flesh, the world, or the enemy in my own strength.... There is this sense of humbling ourselves and coming to the end of self.” [12]
He goes on to note that surrender is letting go of control and trusting. He notes that God never put the burden on us to accomplish His will in our human effort. We are called to come and release our lives to him. We are to allow him to do in us what we cannot do in ourselves. [13]
They write, “This overcoming is not done by human power, nor is it done by human effort. Only God can accomplish such a work; that's the reason he calls us to abandon our lives to him... Self cannot deliver you from self, and God is calling us to understand that only he can do that work.” [14]
Lord, forgive me for the ways I try to accomplish things in my own strength and take responsibility for that which is not mine to take. Thank you for Your love and faithfulness. Help me to surrender all to You.
We are so grateful for your love that covers us all the day long. We are invited to rest securely between your shoulders as you uphold us with your everlasting arms. We entrust our lives completely to the One who knows the plans he has for us (Jer. 29:11).[15] We release our lives into Your hands. We trust You to carry us through the fires and floods because of Your covenant promises and Your deep love for us.[16] You are more than able to sustain us.
Deuteronomy 33:12, “Of Benjamin he said: the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; He covers him all the day long, and makes His dwelling between His shoulders.
Deuteronomy 33:26-27, 29, “There is none like God, O Jeshurun [Israel], Who rides through the heavens to your help and in His majestic glory through the skies. The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He drove the enemy before you and thrust them out, saying, Destory! And Israel dwells in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone in a land of grain and new wine; yest, His heavens drop dew. Happy are you, O Israel, and blessing is yours! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the Shield of your help, the Sword that exalts You!”
Deuteronomy 32:9-11, "For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob (Israel) is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, in the howling void of the wilderness; He kept circling around him, He scanned him [penetratingly]. He kept him as the pupil of His eye. As an eagle that sitrs up her nest, that flutters over her young, He spread abroad His wings and He took them, He bore them on His pinions."
1. MacDonald, William ; Farstad, Arthur: Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995, S. Dt 10:10
2. Vine, W. E. ; Unger, Merrill F. ; White, William: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1996, S. 1:10
3 Wiens, Steve. http://twitter.com/@stevewiens
4-6,8-16. Mulinde, John with Daniel, Mark. The Wake-Up Call: To Radically Abandon Our Lives To God. World Trumpet Mission. Orlando, Fl. 2011
7. Frangipane, Francis. Shelter Of The Most High: Living your life under the divine protection of God. Charisma House, Lake Mary, FL. 2008
Most Scripture quotations take from The Amplified Bible. Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Comments