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God Fights Our Battles: Moses' Leadership Transition 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to stand on the word as we continue our journey into the book of Deuteronomy. Today, we're looking at chapters 3 and 4 where Moses lays out the secret0:22 to success. You wanna know what it is? Well, stick with me. Verse 40 of chapter 4, you shall therefore keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your0:34 children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the lord your god is giving you for all time. In chapter 3, Moses, concludes kind of the summary,0:46 the history, the historical summary of the past 40 years before his focus turns to instructing this new generation on the secret to true success. Alright. Let's look0:58 at, Deuteronomy chapter 2. We're gonna pick up a couple of things here. Let's look at verse 21. And I commanded Joshua at the time saying, your eyes have seen all that the lord your god has done to these 2 kings so that1:09 the lord so will the lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. You must not fear them for the lord your god himself fights for you. This is a powerful reminder of1:21 who fights our battles. Again, remember, I need to repeat this over and over. The Old Testament speaks to the physical where the New Testament speaks to the spiritual. You know, it1:33 it's it's hard to see into the spiritual realm, But the Old Testament provides these vivid illustrations. And so the Lord fights for us spiritually. He is fighting for us. And this1:45 is also, what we read here, another great example of Moses's remarkable leadership. He is in this, what he's saying here is in 1 in in part,1:57 he's validating the leadership of his successor, Joshua, as he points them to the lord as the ultimate source of victory. So let me go back and read that. As I commanded Joshua at the time2:09 saying, your eyes have seen all that the lord your god has done to these 2 kings. So will the lord do to all the kingdoms to which you pass. You must not fear them, for the lord your god himself fights for you. So he's2:19 taking the people back to Joshua's leadership as the the leader of the army and the success that god brought about for them. And and Moses knows his time is short. Look what he says next in the2:31 remainder of the chapter. I'm not gonna be with you. My time is up. So he he acknowledges that his time is short. Look at verse 24. Oh lord god, you have begun to show your servant your greatness in your2:43 mighty hand for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like your works and your mighty deeds. I pray let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains in2:54 Lebanon. But the lord was angry with me on your account and would not listen to me. So the lord said, enough of that. Speak no more to me of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah. Lift up your3:06 eyes toward the west, the north, the south, the east. Behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over. But command Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go over before his3:18 people and shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see. Now Moses lays out another subtle reminder of the cause of his anger that led god to tell him that he3:30 could not enter this promised land. And he had appealed to god as he had many times on behalf of the children of Israel, but god said enough. Enough. I don't wanna hear anymore about it. Now, there should3:41 be a reminder to all of us not to take god's obedience. And having just, stated this, start stated3:53 this, that his time was up, that he would not be going with him. You know what? He didn't sulk and, you know, go off into the desert and say, you know, you're on your own. He was faithful4:05 to the very end of his journey doing what god had called him to do. I mean, god called him to lead the people into the promised land, and that's exactly what he did.4:17 Again, remarkable, remarkable leadership. In chapter 4, he lays out a call to obedience to this new generation. Alright? Verse 1. Now, oh, Israel, listen to the statutes and theObey for Wisdom: Call to Statutes and Warnings 4:29 judgment land which the lord god of your fathers is giving you. Right? You you you wanna4:40 live? You wanna go in and possess what god has promised you? Well, then listen. Listen and obey. Verse 2, you shall not add to the words which I command you nor take from it that you may keep the commandments4:52 of the lord your god which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the lord did to Baal of Peor, for the lord your god has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor.5:04 But you, who've held fast to the lord your god, are alive today, every 1 of you. That's a vivid sermon example. Surely, I have taught you statutes and5:16 judgment just as the lord my god commanded me that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore, be careful to observe them, for this is your wisdom5:28 and your understanding in the sight of the people who will hear all these statutes and say, surely, this great this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what great nation is there5:40 that has god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us? For whatever reason, we may call upon him. And what great nation is there that such statutes and righteous judgments5:52 as are in all this law which I set before you today? Only take heed to yourself and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, unless they depart from your6:04 heart all the days of your life, and teach them to your children and your grandchildren. Wow. This is powerful stuff. Keeping the word and the way of God is the key to living and possessing6:16 God's promises. The incident of Baal appears, I mentioned. That's a great sermon illustration. They saw it. 24000 people died because of disobedience. This this kinda reminds me of,6:29 of Psalm 19 verse 7. The law of the lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the lord are right, rejoicing the heart.6:41 The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. See, the word of God gives us such an advantage.6:53 Jesus said, if you love me, you'll keep my commandments. Well, if we love God, we dwell with him, we abide with him, and his favor is upon us. Now Moses was7:05 modeling for them what they needed to do, not only to take possession of the land, but to remain in it. It's 1 thing to to take possession of something.7:17 You know, you can go buy a new car, but if you don't pay for it, they come and take it away. What what he was modeling for them is the key, the the key to success. They had to teach their children who god7:28 is, what he had done for them, and what he expected from them. Now this is, the there there's a as we read through here, there's an extended prophetic7:40 warning in verses 15 through 30. It's quite extensive given the size of the chapter. And this warning is against idolatry that would eventually would eventually, read, bring the nation down7:52 and cause them to be scattered among the nations. But it ended with the the covenant promise. A reminder that god does not change. His promises are sure. Verse 23,8:04 take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the lord your god, which he made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the lord your god has forbidden you. So here he8:15 begins, or this is a part of that that, narrative of not building idols. Verse 24, for the lord your god is a consuming fire, a jealous god. When you beget children and grandchildren, they have have grown old in the8:27 land and act corruptly, see, saw all the future, and make a carved image in the form of anything and do evil in the sight of the lord your god to provoke him to anger. I call heaven and earth to8:39 witness against you this day that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess. You will not prolong your days in the land, but will be utterly destroyed.8:52 That was the prophetic warning. Here's the promise. Look at verse 30. When you're in distress this is actually been scattered. When you're in distress and all these things have come upon you in the latter days, when you9:02 turn to the lord your god and obey his voice, for the lord your god is a merciful god, He will not forsake you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant of your fathers, which he swore9:14 to them. And in verses 32 through, 40 really summarize their and and I would say our story and why we should obey the9:25 word of of God. To for ask now concerning the days of the past which were before you. Since the day that the lord created man on the earth and ask9:37 from 1 end of heaven to the other whether any great thing like this has happened or anything like it has been heard, did any people ever hear the voice of god speaking out in the midst of the fire9:49 as you have heard and live? Or did God ever try to go and take for himself a nation from the midst of another nation by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand, and an10:01 outstretched arm, and by great terrors according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? To you, it was shown that you might know that the lord himself is10:12 god. There is none other beside him. Out of heaven, he has let your he has let you hear his voice that he might instruct you. On earth, he showed you his great fire,10:24 and you heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. And because he loved your fathers, therefore, he chose their descendants after them and brought you out of Egypt with his presence and with his mighty power,10:36 driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you to bring you in to give you their land as an inheritance as it is this day. Therefore, know this day and10:48 consider it in your heart that the lord himself is god in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no other. Well, look at verse 40. You shall keep you shall11:00 therefore keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the lord your11:12 god is giving you for all time. This is the secret to success. Listen and obey. And I think this is where, in many ways, America hasTeaching the Next Generation: America's Covenant Call 11:24 gone wrong. As a nation that was founded on biblical principles, a really kind of a covenant nation, We've failed to teach our children our history with God. And if America is to survive11:35 beyond this 200 and fiftieth anniversary that we are celebrating this year and be that shining city on a hill that John Winthrop declared America to be back in 16 30,11:47 then it must begin with Christian parents and grandparents teaching their children and grandchildren about the Lord, just as Moses instructed the children of Israel. This is11:59 what god calls us. This is who god is. This is what he's done for us, and this is what he expects from us. We we can no longer farm out our children to a godless government system12:23 obedience to god and take back control of our children's education and their future. Father, thank you for your word, and what a vivid example for us as12:35 Moses challenged this new generation to not only take possession of the what was promised by you, but to dwell in it. And and, Lord, I pray that as12:47 Jesus has promised not only life but abundant life, that we would take possession of that and enjoy that through obedience to you and teaching our children and our grandchildren13:00 who you are, what you've done for us, and what you've called us to. We thank you. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that is, leading us on this journey. Help us to understand your word,13:12 its application to our lives and the world around us. For we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning, and until next time, keep standing on the word.13:25 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you13:36 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 God Fights Our Battles: Moses' Leadership Transition4:25 Obey for Wisdom: Call to Statutes and Warnings11:17 Teaching the Next Generation: America's Covenant Call
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