Heralds Digest

  ““You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. “You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such as wool and linen mixed together.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭22:10-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ While equity is centred on fairness, equality in today’s world is mostly a clear contradiction of the rule of fairness. Just as God said an ox should not be treated on the same scale of service with a donkey, there is a clear distinction in the design of human being on the basis of gender. Whenever equity is being deliberately misinterpreted for equality, it is important to note that someone is possibly trying to play deceit on someone. And wherever the distinctiveness of all the creatures of God is always treated with dignity and respect, there is bound to be peace, progress, love, and unity in our homes, workplaces, and the society. It is a fact that complementary contributions are always more rewardable, compared to competitive contributions. By the service of equity and respect for our distinctive desi...

  “then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones. Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭17:5-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The pronouncements of strange services in the Old Testament were originally guided by diligent enquiring from the Lord through the ordained priests. Obviously, with time, the process became tainted by compromise and self-centeredness. Even in the days of Jesus Christ with the woman caught in adultery by the Pharisees, people can truly see how dangerous it is to commit strange services in the name of doing the Will of God. From the knowledge of the offering of Jesus Christ Himself and all the martyrs, like Stephen, in the Acts of the Apostles and in our contemporary times, one must honestly ask ‘How can I reliably retain the offering of sacred ser...

  “Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, except when there may be no poor among you; for the Lord will greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance—” Deuteronomy‬ ‭15:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ It is interesting to note that the practice of setting up an endowment for the release of debts or financial incapabilities is scripturally a biblical injunction to the children of Israel. By extension, the major and irrevocable principle for New Testament saints here is that the brother’s blessings are simply the divine arrangement for distribution of earthly resources to the needy. And if by so doing, “ the Lord will greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance ”, God’s blessings are both ways to the poor and the rich. Unfortunately, not everyone is sensitive to the injunction “ you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother ...

  “but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭11:11-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ One of the major concerns of the best of human creativity and ingenuity is that our efforts in life diminishes, and not renewable. Our lovely kingdom and appreciable reign, no matter how extensive, are obviously impossible to sustain. Not so with the blessings of God and His promises to the children of Israel, compared with their experiences in the land of Egypt. “ But the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares”. When believers abide under the guidance of the Lord and keep His commandments, they are covered by the rain of heaven and receive the renewable refreshmen...

  ““Furthermore the Lord spoke to me, saying, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭9:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ One of the greatest havocs to the provision of grace is the abuse of this amazing channel of relationship with the great God. While the example of the children of Israel provided the prospect of a seamless transition between the precious people and the perilous people, many believers today still live with mindsets of eternal security. For the Lord, who had earlier referred to Israel as His precious people, also said here ‘I have seen this people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people‘ . Obviously, without a consistent feeding on the undiluted word of God and a continuous supply of His grace, we are easily consumed by the setups of evil and the contraption of unrighteousness in this perilous world. Thank God for Moses, the amazing intercessor that stood between the backslided Israel and the righteous Judge, all of the nations of the pote...

  “You shall not be terrified of them; for the Lord your God, the great and awesome God, is among you.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭7:21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Those who are terrified and intimidated by the status of the great and mighty of this world will readily fall for every offer of opportunity, either to compete or to comply. This is the natural mentality of people with limited understanding of the great God. To them, God is great when He shows and gives greatness; and great, when He gives a magic opportunity to those who believe in Him for competition. Whereas, God is not just great because of His gift of greatness; He is the great and awesome God. Therefore, God had to warn His precious people - the children of Israel - against fear; and appeared to tell them “ You shall not be terrified of them”, even when it takes time to show my greatness. Just like God is not great because of His show of greatness, believers in God are precious people because of their possession of God. “ You shall not be terrifi...

  “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” Deuteronomy‬ ‭5:29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ When the Israelites were privileged to have a little taste of the presence of the Lord, they expressed fear on the basis of their unworthiness, compared to God’s beauty of holiness. Although this was an appealing expression that was even acknowledged by God, a heart that fear God is always better than a frightened disposition. “ Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments “ became the heavenly admiration. Likewise today, our hearts are so shocked up with the exigencies of life’s performances, preferences, promotions, etc, mostly at the expense of the commandments of the Lord. That is why most professing believers are more comfortable with making weekly confessions than offending all promoters of worldly attractions in their lives. We ...