March 16, 2017. Deuteronomy 14-16.

 

Moses is continuing to teach the people of Israel how they are dignified by God as a peculiar people with privileges, honor and blessings.

A holy lifestyle was the goal, from how they expressed their grief, to the kinds of meats they needed to abstain from. The giving of their tithe was an act of worship that would acknowledge God as the Creator of the produce, and the Sustainer and Provider of the nation. God had allowed a way that every seven years outstanding debts would be canceled, to rid the nation of poverty and to encourage a community of brotherhood. They were governed by holy laws and ordinances, to partake of His nature and favor, blessings and love because He is a loving Father.

Chapter 14:2 says, For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

As His children, we are of special value!

In Chapter 16 we see the people were to celebrate and remember the night the Lord “passed over” the Israelites homes that had been marked with the blood of a lamb (Exodus 12:1-28). There were three yearly feasts to be observed-the Passover, the Harvest, and the Tabernacle. This was all part of the communion between God and His people. A true and tested relationship between God the Father, and His children that needed His guidance and direction.

Like a good father…the Lord wants what is best for His children! He has set up healthy boundaries and guidelines for us to live by. And when lived out, can bring joy and abundance to our lives here on earth.

Psalm 86:15 reminds us…But thou, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.

God’s people are under obligation to be holy (set apart), and in doing so, indebted to the grace of God that makes us so. We carry His name when we choose Him to be the Lord of our lives, we become His namesake. We are then called His children and are adopted into God’s family with the rights, privileges, and an inheritance. We read in Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love…because we have redemption (the exchange for our sin) through Christ, God’s only Son. As His children we make ourselves known by our doings, whether our work be pure, and whether it be right. (Proverbs 20:11)

Our actions need to reflect our loving Father. Not just for our good, but to always bring praise and glory to Him as our loving and faithful Father, who knows us best!

Let’s not forget that as His adopted children, we have a daily responsibility because we…“carry his name!!”