D’varim (Deuteronomy) 1:1–3:22

As we begin the book of Deuteronomy, I must say that I love the way our God works in that He is in the business of reminding! He knows us so well; He knows that we are prone to forget, and He wants to remind us of all He has commanded, and how we are to live our lives because He loves us and wants the best for us. The book of Deuteronomy is in essence a reminder of many things that we have learned during the past few months; as we study it, you will find that I might repeat myself a bit, but also will share some new understandings of what the Holy Spirit is revealing to me.

Interestingly, this week’s Scripture portion falls during difficult times when there is so much chaos surrounding the legitimate right of the Jewish people to inhabit our ancestral homeland (which, by the way, God has given and entrusted to us). With the latest decisions of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNSECO) effectively severing any historical ties that the Jewish people have with Israel, it is crucial that we equip ourselves with historical, and more importantly, biblical truth!

Twice in our reading we find God conveying something very foundational that each of us who considers him/herself a follower of the One and only true God needs to understand and embrace:

“See, I have placed the land before you; go in and inherit the land which the Lᴏʀᴅ swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them.”
(Deuteronomy 1:8)

“See, the Lᴏʀᴅ your God has placed the land before you; go up, take inheritance, as the Lᴏʀᴅ, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
(Deuteronomy 1:21)

When it comes to the issue of the Land, one must understand that the Land of Israel belongs to God! He alone decides what is to happen to it! And God gave it as an inheritance to the children of Israel. As I have stated before, no one has the right to take or give away that which belongs to Almighty God! And we must stand on this truth even though we know that Scripture foretells of the nations gathering against Jerusalem, setting the stage for the final showdown between the world and Messiah on the day of His return!

In closing, Deuteronomy 1:25-26 says,

Then they (with regard to the messengers that were sent) took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought us back a report and said, “It is a good land which the Lᴏʀᴅ our God is about to give us.” “Yet you were not willing to go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lᴏʀᴅ your God.”

Each of us gets to decide if we want to inherit that which God has promised us, and walk within the freedom that He has given us in full obedience to Him, or to live in disobedience (rebellion) against Him, which will lead to His discipline and judgment. It really does lie in our hands! And it is really that simple. Choose life!

Shabbat shalom,

Moran