The "be careful" theme is rampant here in Deuteronomy 11-12. In the HCSB translation, "be careful" is stated 8 times; be careful to obey MY commands...love the LORD your God and worship HIM with all your heart and soul. Be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside and worship other gods.
With chapter [11] we reach the end of Moses’ statement of the basic principles guiding those in covenant relationship with God. The chapter has a typical form. Moses states God’s requirements (11:1, 8, 13) and then applies and illustrates them (vv. 2–7, 9–12, 14–17). The chapter, and this section of Deuteronomy, concludes with a summary that draws together basic commands found in earlier chapters. When we see these together, we realize again that the believer’s ongoing relationship with God is marked by two things: love and obedience. Those who love and obey the Lord will surely enjoy His blessings, and most important of all, will experience daily fellowship with their Lord. Key verse. 11:1: This is the whole duty of those who know God. Richards, L. O. (1991; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996). The Bible readers companion (electronic ed.) (127). Wheaton: Victor Books.
The gift of spiritual frankness is exercised here again here in Deuteronomy 11, "Be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside, worship, and bow down to other gods. 17 Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you. He will close the sky, and there will be no rain; the land will not yield its produce, and you will perish quickly from the good land the Lord is giving you. Hey it's up to you...I will not force you, but if you choose not to follow my commands, brace yourself for the consequences of that choice.
Dt 11:18-25 “Impress these words of Mine on your hearts and souls, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your fathers. 22 For if you carefully observe every one of these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, walk in all His ways, and remain faithful to Him— 23 the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will drive out nations greater and stronger than you are. 24 Every place the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. 25 No one will be able to stand against you; the Lord your God will put fear and dread of you in all the land where you set foot, as He has promised you.
See if you see the same connection between Deuteronomy and Luke...this is so cool! The promise to the Israelites is that if they will carefully obey the voice of the LORD HE WILL DRIVE OUT THE NATIONS BEFORE THEM. These nations, we are told are stronger than they are. These nations are being driven out because of their evil practices, demonic activities and idol worship. We learned yesterday that it was not because the Israelites were more righteousness. SO IF THE ISRAELITES WALK IN LOVE AND OBEDIENCE THEY ARE PROMISED TO LIVE WONDERFUL PROSPEROUS DAYS IN THE PROMISED LAND. However; if they are enticed, and turn to the left or right...it gets nasty, they will not be victorious.
So what is the connection to Luke? God drove the nations out before the Israelites because of the evil practices of those nations...Jesus drove the demons out of this poor man in the region of the Gerasenes.
Lk 8:29-31 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and although he was guarded, bound by chains and shackles, he would snap the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.
30 “What is your name?” Jesus asked him. “Legion,” he said—because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged Him not to banish them to the abyss.
Lk 8:36-39 Meanwhile the eyewitnesses reported to them how the demon-possessed man was delivered. 37 Then all the people of the Gerasene region asked Him to leave them, because they were gripped by great fear. So getting into the boat, He returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had departed kept begging Him to be with Him. But He sent him away and said, 39 “Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you.” And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town all that Jesus had done for him.
To the degree that you and I walk in obedience, love and fellowship with our LORD, I believe that is the degree that we will experience the victorious Christian life. Many of us can quote the fruit of the Spirit or at least we are familiar with them, but how about the fruit of the flesh? Take a close look at that list! If you casually look at the list you might think that you are OK! Mark, I'm not an idolater! You have never pursued anything, anyone more than you pursued your relationship with God? If God called you to walk away from your current life...would you? How about "jealousy." Are you jealous of others sometimes? Have you ever had an outburst of anger? Do you have them internally now? Have you ever been envious of someone, do you still struggle with envy from time to time? JOIN THE CLUB!
Gal 5:16-25--The Spirit versus the Flesh
16 I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar, about which I tell you in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.
Gee Mark, thank you for making me feel bad about myself...hey, don't mention it:) BUT PLEASE GET THIS WE ALL STRUGGLE WITH THIS STUFF...BUT THERE IS AN ANSWER...IT IS STATED CLEARLY IN 2 Pe 1:2-4, May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Growth in the Faith 3 For His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. 4 By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires.
Jesus has set us free from our sins by HIS blood, now we may escape the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires...we are even invited to share in HIS divine nature! AS WE WALK BY FAITH, FAITH AND TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST, WALKING IN OBEDIENCE AND LOVE HE WILL DRIVE THOSE SNARES, EVIL DESIRES OUT. For His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
HOW DO WE GET THIS KNOWLEDGE? THROUGH HIS WORD...LET THE WORD OF CHRIST DWELL IN YOU RICHLY...LET'S ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER ALL THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING.
Father in Heaven,
Do this for YOUR glory and our JOY in YOU!
love,
M