Deuteronomy – Chapter 1

It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. 3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment to them… Deuteronomy 1:2-3 – “Deuteronomy” means “Second law,” but not as if there was another law being given, but a repetition of the law begin given a second time. We see the setting of the book here in chapter one. Moses is at the border of the Promised Land with the nation of Israel. Moses isn’t himself able to go in, but he desires the people to live holy within the land God had promised to them. So Moses begins to retell this generation the law that he told their rebellious parents forty years ago. Yet notice how he started. He told them it took eleven days to go from the mountain where they got the Law from God to the border of the Promised Land. Yet because of their rebellion they had to turn around for a bit and return to the border later. That “later” came though forty years later. An eleven day trip took them forty years, all because of sin. See the lesson being taught here about sin, that if you are wanting to get somewhere, sin is not the best route. If you are trying to get healthy in mind, sin if not the path. If you are trying to fix a relationship, sin is not the road to take. Imagine typing into your GPS an address that you know is just on the other side of your city, yet the travel time says it will take is five years. You’d immediately dismiss that route, yet how often do we dismiss the route of sin like this? Sin is never the route to what you are looking for, instead follow the way of Jesus to all you ever could need. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3440

The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain.’ Deuteronomy 1:6 – Moses is speaking here to the people who are about to cross over into the promised land. He begins by retelling them of their history of how God had blessed, provided, and led them up till then. In our verse God spoke to His people saying they had remained long enough in Horeb, now it’s time to move into the promised land. This passage reminds me of 1 Peter 4:3 when Peter speaks to the church saying they have spent long enough entertaining their sinful ways and it’s now time to start living for Jesus properly. It’s time that they begin moving towards their promised land. Whether it’s with the Israelites in Horeb or Peter talking to the Christian church, we see God is about us moving forward towards His promises, not remaining where we are. What then could you have been remaining in for longer than you know you should have been? If it’s keeping you from the promised joy, peace, and strength that comes from living where God is leading you, why remain there any longer? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1296

Deuteronomy 1 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God, who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go. Deuteronomy 1:30-33 – As we step into the study of Deuteronomy, understand the book is truly a set of messages from Moses to God’s people as they are about to finally step into the promise land after their 40 year wilderness journey. In this chapter we see Moses reminding them of what the previous generation did at this place 40 years prior. They forgot God’s power and choose to rebel against God’s direction. Moses is now pleading with this new generation…don’t make the same mistake! Their fathers didn’t choose to see and remember all that God had done for them up to that point, that though needs to not be the way they handle things. We too may have examples around us from family and friends of those that forget who God is and what God is capable of doing. We then are called, just like the people in our chapter, to not be like that. Learn what God is able to do from scripture and remember what God has done in your story so far. If He has proven Himself worthy to trust and follow so far in all of history, then we can trust Him with the trials of tomorrow. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2426