Deuteronomy 3:1-29


It is important to understand who God is and what He has done in the past so that we can obey Him correctly in the present.  As we look at the faithfulness of God it should create great confidence and peace in our hearts because of His great provision and the victories He has granted.  We can always be assured that God does not change and that He will continue to be faithful to His Word today just like He was yesterday.  This should be a great source of hope to all of us as we seek to serve the Lord and accomplish His will.  We must also remember that God’s promise to keep His Word means that He must also judge us justly when we fail to be faithful.  Our condemnation has been removed through faith if Christ; but that does not mean that our sins are free from consequence.

GOD IS FAITHFUL TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY: The kings in the land that that the children of Israel had already conquered were much stronger than Israel was by human standards.  In the natural world, this group of nomads would not have stood a chance against the trained warriors and the walled cities that had already fallen.  However it is important to remember that we are dealing with a supernatural God.  The victories in the battles of the past were intended by God to give the children of Israel confidence in the face of the battles of the future.  Anytime that we are overcome by fear we must remember the faithfulness of God.  He wants us to have confidence in Him and to rest in Him so that we will have the courage to move forward to accomplish His will in this world.

GOD IS FAITHFUL TO DESTRIBUTE THE LAND: The children of Israel had been promised a land in which they could dwell in peace and security.  Two and a half tribes had already received their land with its clear distinctive and advantages.  The men of these tribes were still responsible to cooperate with the conquest of the rest of the land, but the people could be inspired to take hope through God’s provision to part of the people.  God does not do anything half way.  When He starts a work, we can be assured that He will finish the work.  The growth that He has granted me in the past and my past victories over sin in the past are a source of encouragement and hope that God will continue to conform me to the image of Christ. 

GOD IS FAITHFUL TO DISCIPLEINE HIS CHILDREN: Moses longed with all of his heart to go into the Promised Land.  He knew that he had been disobedient and he knew that God had made it very clear that he would not be allowed to go into the land, but Moses could not help but ask God to change His mind.  God let Moses know that there would be no changing of the mind and that Moses would die without seeing the land.  Joshua had been prepared for the conquest and God would use him for this work.  This is an important reminder that sin has very real consequences and that even though our sins are forgiven in Christ; God will not usually free us from the discipline that our sin deserves.  This should be a stern warning and a great motivation to live in obedience to the Lord each and every day.

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