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There He stood on the large flat stone overlooking the plains of the Jordan, still an imposing figure even at his age. He must have been, what, 120 years old at least, and here he was addressing the million plus Israelites with a booming voice that resonated out over the valley and fell on every ear as the people stood silently to listen to the man of God. The man Moses leaned on his staff a bit more heavily these days, didn't get from tribe to tribe quite as quickly as in years past, and anyone who watched would see how bent and frail he was becoming. But no one would deny the authority with which he still spoke or the power of God that seemed to emanate from every pore.
This was the day of his farewell speech. He'd already told them of the fact that the Lord would not allow him to cross the Jordan with them; he'd recounted the travels they'd taken to get where they were this day. The Ten Commandments were given again, along with a warning to remain faithful to the Lord who'd given them. And then he said: (Scripture for the day:) And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
Thought for the day: What a day that must have been for the children of Israel! They'd never known a leader other than Moses. Like some white-haired grandfather, he was always supposed to be there. And now they stood silently to hear perhaps the last words he would ever speak to them. And what words they were! They were words to inspire, words to frighten, words to cherish. And they were words for you and I to remember as we look into the mirror of God's holiness and see a dim reflection of it in our own lives.
Moses was trying to impress upon his people the importance of remembering where the Lord had brought them, not so they could celebrate their deliverance and His provision but so that they wouldn't be tempted to go back there. Listen in for a moment as he speaks: "When your son (or daughter) asks you in time to come, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord our God has commanded you?' then you shall say: 'We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand ... He brought us out of there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers.'" (6:20-23)
The Lord had led the children of Israel through the desert those many years, providing for their every need, orchestrating their every move that He might develop a people completely devoted to Him. "The Lord did not set his love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all people; but because the Lord loves you." (7:7-8a) "The Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. So he humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you ... that he might make you to know that man does not live on bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord." (8:2-3)
The call is out to the church today: "Remember from whence the Lord has brought you. Remember the deliverance He has provided from your bondage to sin. Remember the journey upon which He has directed your feet. Remember, and because you remember these things, obey His commands today. The church, like the children of Israel, has turned aside unto other gods, substituting so-called "reason" for "thus saith the Lord," and programs for passion. The call is a call to repentance and a turning back to the One who has brought us safely thus far. The call is to move on over the Jordan with the Lord leading us to new places each and every day, trusting Him to provide for our every need.
(Have you ever noticed how loudly we sing "Victory in Jesus" and then spend the majority of our time living in something less)?