Heralds Digest

“ If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God .” (Deuteronomy 21:22-23 NKJV) Under the Jewish law, the father of any rebellious and stubborn son would readily acknowledge the responsibility of being the first accuser and accept the resultant death penalty of his son. The possible logic could be that a rebellious and unrepentant son may later suffer as a public offender, standing accused of man and accursed of God, if convicted. Unfortunately, this same height of shame, which is undesirable to any earthly father, is suffered by our heavenly Father when His only begotten Son was offered on the cross. In God’s redemption plan, a sinner saved from sin is worth the shame of Christ being accused and accursed.

“ And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you .’” (Deuteronomy 20:3-4 NKJV) The Devil’s strategy of presenting God as a wicked battle-monger, who does not have victory as part of his game plan, is consistent in every challenge of life. Otherwise, no one would faint at the verge of battle with his enemies, without counting on the source of supports that sustain the ongoing struggle. Sincerely, it is better to be prevented by fear from getting started, compared to fainting at the verge of the battle. Eventually, either of both fear or fainting is the denial of the testimony of divine assistance for past victories, and the denunciation of divine promises for future battles.

“ You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess .” (Deuteronomy 19:14 NKJV) Good husbandry ignores the feasibility of greener grass at the other side of the fence. This represents the existence of great value in every provision of the Lord, as long as man is not distracted from his dominion responsibility. Therefore, the fullness of every land depends on the exploratory activities invested upon it, and not on the exploitation of possible boundary adjustment. The greatest of all of God’s blessings on any land represents the deposit of the most valuable human resources. Great gain comes with contentment in our inheritance, and the development of its human capacity.

“ So if a Levite comes from any of your gates, from where he dwells among all Israel, and comes with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD chooses, then he may serve in the name of the LORD his God as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD .” (Deuteronomy 18:6-7 NKJV) In the absence of any constraint, transition becomes a continuous life experience, as long as there is a will to keep a living desire. Unfortunately, and like the Levites, those who are called for a purpose have little maneuvering around their call of duty. Although the exercise of a man’s freewill can keep the search for relevance outside the call of duty alive, only the pursuit of God’s purpose for living can fill the obvious vacuum in the heart. We need a divinely-inspired desire in order to accept the in-transit status of our current position, while we locate our divine destination.

“ And it shall be with him [the king], and he shall read it [book, containing law and the statutes of God] all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes .” (Deuteronomy 17:19 NKJV) Kingship comes with the authority and power that makes any occupant of the throne the subject of fear. Needless to say that the more anyone gain access to the position of authority and power, the more he get weaned from the grip of fear. As man loses the opportunity to be openly challenged, he suddenly begins to understand the corruption in management of privileges for kings. However, a wise man is a consistent student of the law and statutes of God, where he discovers the fear of the Lord, which is a novel grip for kings in control of his domain.

“ You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the LORD your God is giving you .” (Deuteronomy 16:19-20 NKJV) Rejection of the bribe game often appear as loss of fortune for faith. And not many people would foresee the greater or real fortune in the faith game. The fortune from the bribe game is actually not free. It exchanges the everlasting inheritance of righteousness with the ephemeral inheritance from unrighteousness. Unfortunately, the first thing that bribe brings forward is a veil that prevents anyone from discerning the difference in fortunes.

“ Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed .” (Deuteronomy 16:16 NKJV) Being redeemed from the Egyptian bondage, three seasons (feast of unleavened bread, feast of weeks, and feast of tabernacles) were recommended for Israelites for celebration of passover, preservation, and prosperity. Obviously excluded were seasons of discouragement, defeat, and death for mourning their moments of misery. In reality, most of the seasons of life may not call for celebration; but the Creator of these seasons understands the reason for all seasons. No one enters His court with thanksgiving without discovering God, and not His goodness, as the only purpose for celebration.