Sabbath: Moses’ History Lesson
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:29, Exodus 32:29-32, Numbers 14:1-45, Ephesians 3:10, Genesis 15:1-16, John 14:9.
Memory Text: And they “all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ” ( 1 Corinthians 10.3-4, NKJV).
“These are the words which Moses spoke” (Deuteronomy 1:1). Thus begins the book of Deuteronomy. And though, yes, Moses and the presence of Moses dominate the book, from these opening words to his death in the land of Moab (Deuteronomy 34:5), Deuteronomy (as the whole Bible) is really about the Lord Jesus. For He is the One who created us (Genesis 1:1-2:25; John 1:1-3), sustains us (Colossians 1:15-17, Hebrews 1:3), and redeems us (Isaiah 41:14, Titus 2:14). And, in a looser sense of those words, Deuteronomy reveals how the Lord continued to create, sustain, and redeem His people at this crucial time in salvation history.
Basically, just as the children of Israel are finally to enter Canaan, Moses gives them a history lesson, a theme that is repeated all through the Bible: remember what the Lord has done for you in the past.
This admonition should mean something to us, we who are on the borders of a better Promised Land: “In reviewing our past history, having traveled over every step of advance to our present standing, … I am filled with astonishment, and with confidence in Christ as leader. We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” — Ellen G. White, Life Sketches, p. 196.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 9.
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History often gets a poor press at high school level. I used to teach a course for trainee teachers called "Computers in Education". Part of the course comprised a series of seminars by these students about using computers in their chosen major. I remember a student, whose major was history, saying that the main reason for teaching history at high school was to teach students how to handle boredom! It was a "throwaway" line and he went on to give a rattling good seminar that was anything but boring, but for many of us who sat in classes memorising dates and lists of kings it was probably true.
So, was Moses' history lesson boring? Well, you didn't think I was going to answer that before we get started on studying it did you?
A Present Truth application for today...
I have previously mentioned how our brain is largely driven by our subconscious as our 'default mode of operation'. Because it is subconscious, it is inherently highly vulnerable to being activated by things that are outside of our awareness. Rather like a pinball in a pinball machine where the pinball is not in control of where it is going but merely 'reacting' to the things it bumps into or that bump into it.
What happens is that something triggers our subconscious in a certain way which sets off a 'domino effect' within and across our subconscious that consequently manifests in felt mood, emotions and corresponding actions (eg 'comfort-behaviour' activation, self-protective reactions, etc). And unless we consciously intervene at some point, we are essentially in the 'passenger's seat' being 'taken for a ride' by our subconscious. Sometimes that journey is shorter. But unfortunately sometimes that journey is considerably longer and 'off-track' like the unfortunate 40-year detour the Israelites had undertaken prior to the point of Deuteronomy.
David reflects what I have outlined above in Psalm 42:5 where he essentially 'calls out' his subconscious in awareness of the domino-effect impacts he is experiencing: "Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me?" (Amplified version). David then further intentionally engages his conscious to remember/recall reality that outside the mood state that he is submersed within - as per Psalm 42:6.
Engaging our conscious via choosing to actively recall and remember results in us directing alternative content into our mind. And by holding to (or as David would say meditating upon) recalled/remembered truth regarding God's past track-record of faithfulness, the default mode of our subconscious is modified in turn via 're-framing' things within a different context that produces different perspective. To be sure, this is not something we do on our own and in our own strength - for whether a person acknowledges it or not, it remains truth that apart from God we can do nothing (John 15:5). Hence David's call for assistance in Psalm 139:23,24.
You don't have to go far to notice that it is quite possible that we are in for a bumpy ride ahead - despite the past 18+ months already being exceptionally difficult for many people. And if this happens, your subconscious is going to react in certain 'default' ways that manifest your particular vulnerabilities.
As difficult as it may be if you are already fatigued and overwhelmed, now is the time to request God to strengthen you (as per Ephesians 3:16,20; Philippians 2:13; 4:13) so you can begin training/working-out your capacity to recall and remember what God has promised and His track-record of faithfulness. Because that is what we will need to consciously and intentionally draw upon in 'dark times' to sustain faith and faithfulness (as per Romans 4:21) when our subconscious will be highly vulnerable to otherwise leading us towards "despair". In principle, this is how Moses was attempting to prepare the Israelites for entry into the Promised Land.
One commentary said that Moses preaches a series of sermons and then writes them down, structured in the form of an ancient Hittite treaty/covenant that the people would be familiar with I thought was very interesting.
I love learning about the history of the life of mankind! Like a treasure chest full of jewels, I see it to be full of experiences of people in times long passed becoming valuable to us by learning from it! Throughout earth's history one can see that it is directed by God for the benefit of mankind.
In Moses' History - God's plan to rescue mankind continues. Israel/man might be lost in the weeds of its own doings, entangled by strange, unsafe circumstances from which it will not be possible to come free, but God is only a call away to provide protection and guidance.
I find it very interesting and important to note that, when Moses recalled the history of the passed 40 years, he started with the retelling of the appointment of Judges - Deut.1:9-18. It signifies the importance of leadership to be approved by God. The appointment of trustworthy judges who obey God's Word and rightly applying the law was crucial to their spiritual as well as national health as a People. It was to be the cornerstone of Israel during the first part of their developing relationship with God.
Trust, motivated/carried by love is fundamental, not only between man but also between God and man and needed to be established at the very beginning. Moses' history lesson recalls a long list of occurrences, though no matter how many details he recalls to describe Israel's relationship with God, each other, their neighbors, or the life as a nation, it was the lack or presence of trust in God's Word and loving Him for His kindness shown to them which made the difference in their forward movement.
I find us being blessed by Moses' history lesson. As one can see with hindsight, the 'unsearchable riches of Christ' are being worked out with the intent: ".. to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world had been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by[through] the church the manifold wisdom of God'' - Eph.3:9-10KJV.
We are the product of God's spiritual work accomplished during man's developing earthly history and also a living testimony to God's wisdom to those living in heaven.