God is a God of love, and love is the overarching principle of His character and the foundation of His government. And because God wants us to love Him in return, He has created us as moral creatures with moral freedom, the freedom inherent in love. And central to the idea of moral freedom is … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Ezekiel 28.15-16; Deuteronomy 4:44; Romans 3:20; Deuteronomy 10:1-15; Deuteronomy 5:6-22; Deuteronomy 9:1-6. Memory Text: “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” (Galatians 2:21). Christians of most denominations talk about law and grace and understand the relationship between the two. The law … Continue reading –>
What Kind of Book Is This? By Aiki Saito A stranger handed a Bible to the 12-year-old girl as she walked home from school in Japan. But she wasn’t interested and placed the book on a shelf in her bedroom. Later, as she cleaned her room, she saw the Bible on the shelf and felt … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: “From the very beginning of the great controversy in heaven it has been Satan’s purpose to overthrow the law of God. It was to accomplish this that he entered upon his rebellion against the Creator, and though he was cast out of heaven he has continued the same warfare upon the earth. To … Continue reading –>
Deuteronomy 4:1-9, as we saw, was a powerful expression of not merely the nation’s special status but of its missionary calling, as well. Woven all through those verses is the idea that they need to obey, to follow, to do what the Lord commanded them to do. Read again Deuteronomy 4:6. What specifically does the Lord say … Continue reading –>
What follows in the next few verses after Deuteronomy 4:4 are some of the most profound and beautiful texts in all Scripture (the Hebrew is magnificent!). One could argue that, in essence, the message of Deuteronomy is found right here, and everything else is commentary. As you read these texts, think about various ways the principle here … Continue reading –>
Thousands died in the sin with Baal Peor. “All the men who followed Baal Peor” were destroyed. However, many didn’t follow in the apostasy. Who were they? “But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day” (Deuteronomy 4:4). How does this text explain the difference between those who … Continue reading –>
In Deuteronomy 4.3-4, the children of Israel are given a bit more of a history lesson, to function as a reminder of the past and of whatever spiritual and practical truths that they ideally should learn from it. Read Numbers 25:1-15. What happened, and what spiritual and practical truths should the people have taken from this … Continue reading –>
Read Deuteronomy 4.1-2. What was the specific warning that the Lord gave them in regard to His “statutes and judgments,” and why would this be something that right away they are warned about? (See also Deuteronomy 12:32) The Lord tells them to obey the “statutes and judgments” and not to add or take away from them. Why … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Deuteronomy 4:1-9, Matthew 15:1-9, Numbers 25:1-15, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Deuteronomy 4:32-35, Matthew 5:13-16. Memory Text: “And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?” (Deuteronomy 4:8). The first three chapters of Deuteronomy were basically a history lesson, reminding the … Continue reading –>
