OceanSide church of Christ
Read devotionals for March 2023
April 1, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:1 – Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you.
Thought: The life of the faithful is rooted in obedience. Moses told Israel to hearken unto God’s statutes and judgments “for to do them.” This is not a popular religious thought today. We are told that all one must do to please God is to have faith. People fail to understand that faith must react to God’s word or there is no faith. When God commands, faith must obey. It a man does not obey, there is no faith. When faith obeys, it is rewarded. “..that ye may live, and go in and possess the land…”
James 2:21-22
April 2, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:2 – Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
Thought: The word of God has been given for man to read, study, and implement in his life. It is all-sufficient for man’s well-being. God does not want man to add to it. God does not want man to take from it. Doing either of these things will only bring harm to man. Sadly, man has not listened to God. He has added creeds and catechisms to the Word of God. In like manner, some men have omitted commands from the word of God. Those who do these things pervert the divine message of God.
Revelation 22:18-19
April 3, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:3 – Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baal-peor: for the men that followed Baal-peor, the Lord thy God destroyed them from among you.
Thought: The event about which Moses speaks is recorded in Numbers 25:1-9. “And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel” (vs. 1-3). Because of this grievous sin, God sent a plague among the people and twenty-four thousand died.
Psalm 106:28-29
April 4, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:4 – But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.
Thought: Yesterday, we saw that twenty-four thousand people died in the plague God brought upon those who sinned at Baal-peor. Fortunately, not all of the Israelites participated in the idolatry and immorality. Those who did not remained alive. Sin has its consequences. And, obedience has its rewards. It would have been easy to get caught up in the rebellion of thousands of people. It may have been difficult to remain true to God. Those who did were blessed. They lived and saw Canaan.
Joshua 23:8
April 5, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:5 – Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
Thought: Moses had the responsibility to teach “statutes and judgments” to Israel. He notes that he was commanded by the Lord to do this. He took this responsibility seriously. He wrote the law down. He read it to Israel. He taught them. He judged them. He reviewed the Law again with the children of God before his death. It is interesting that he was not going to get to see whether they lived the law out in their lives. He was doing a work that would have future results. Isn’t this what many teachers do?
1 Thessalonians 4:1-2
April 6, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:6 – Keep therefore to do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
Thought: If the children of God will adhere to the commandments of God, an evil world will have to admit that they are a wise and understanding people. God’s ways are always right. God’s law always leads to what is best for men. The commandments of God promote the well-being of individuals, the home, and society. Even when the world will never align itself with the teachings of God, it will still affirm that God’s way is good and wholesome. It is hard to disavow something that is so positive.
Zechariah 8:22-23
April 7, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:7 – For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
Thought: Sometimes God’s people forget who they are and to whom they belong. Moses reminded Israel they were a great nation. The reason they were great was because God was nigh unto them. It was He who was “in all things that we call upon him for.” He provided for Israel, worked on Israel’s behalf, fought for Israel, protected Israel, and guided Israel. This great God caused the nation to be great. God’s people, the church, need to remember this today. We, too, are God’s great nation.
1 Peter 2:9
April 8, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:8 – And what nation is there so great, who hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
Thought: Moses had reminded Israel that they were a great nation because of the God who was with them. He now informs them that they are great because of the righteous law God had given them. This law was superior to any law men could develop. These laws contributed to man’s well-being. They provided law and order. Too, they kept man in fellowship with God. Again, God’s people, the church, are great today because they have a righteous law. It is a better covenant with better promises.
Hebrews 8:6
April 9, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:9 – Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons.
Thought: One of the dangers that faces every child of God is forgetfulness. Moses warned Israel about this in this verse. He even declares God’s law could depart from their hearts all the days of their lives. The solution to forgetfulness was set forth at the beginning of the verse. “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently.” Pay attention. Guard your soul. Do these things diligently. Once this has been done, this generation must teach the next. “…but teach them thy sons, and they sons’ sons.”
Proverbs 4:20-23
April 10, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:10 – Especially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
Thought: When Israel arrived at Mount Sinai, God commanded Israel to gather together so He could speak with them. When He did, they were terrified. They feared for their lives. They asked Moses to mediate between them and God. One would think that an event of that magnitude would never be forgotten. Not so. Here Moses tells Israel that this is one event God wants them to remember. If they could remember hearing God’s voice, they would fear Him. Too, they would teach their children.
Exodus 20:18-19
April 11, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:11, 12 – And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.
Thought: When God manifests Himself, His power and majesty are always portrayed. When He came down upon Mount Sinai, Moses tells us “the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.” Then, out of the midst of the fire, God spoke to the people. When God appears, He will grasp man’s attention. When God appears, it cannot be denied. When God appears, the experience is overwhelming. What’s interesting is the people never saw God.
1 Timothy 6:16
April 12, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:13 – And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
Thought: God chose Israel from among the nations to become His covenant people. When He spoke to Israel from Mount Sinai, they heard the “ten words,” or, “the Ten Commandments.” These commands were written on two tables of stone and were housed in the ark of the covenant. These commands represented all of God’s law to Israel. There are two important points regarding this covenant. One, Israel could choose not to follow it. Two, Israel’s compliance would bring bountiful blessings.
Exodus 31:18
April 13, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:14 – And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.
Thought: As the spiritual leader of Israel, God commanded Moses to teach Israel “statutes and judgments.” These statutes and judgments were contained in the covenant God had given to the nation. Spiritual leaders have this responsibility today. They are to teach the statutes and judgments of God. It is important to notice that Israel also had a role in the process. Israel was taught statutes and judgments “that he might do them.” Israel was to do God’s will. Hearing alone wasn’t enough.
Psalm 105:43-45
April 14, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:15 – Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire.
Thought: The words that open this verse are of monumental importance to all humans. “Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves.” It is easy for individuals to forget to pay attention to them-selves, but it is easy for them to pay far too much attention to others. Self should be our primary focus. Self is the only person over whom we have complete control. We must get self right. If we do not, nothing else really matters. If we “fix” everyone else, but self is flawed, what have we accomplished?
I Timothy 4:16
April 15, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:16 – Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male for female.
Thought: When God spoke on Mount Sinai, He did not display an image of Himself to Israel. The previous verse tells us: “…for ye saw no manner of similitude…” But, man wants to see his God. Having not seen God’s likeness, Israel might be tempted to form their own image of God. Moses, therefore, warned Israel against it. Since man is the crown of the Creation, he often glorifies himself. Thus, Moses commanded Israel not to make a graven image in the likeness of a male or female.
Exodus 20:4-5
April 16, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:17, 18 – The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish, that is in the waters beneath the earth.
Thought: When God created the world, He put within it some very fascinating creatures. Some extra-ordinary animals creep on the land. Some breath-taking creatures fly in the air. Too, there are works of art that swim in the oceans. Because men cannot see God, they sometimes use the creatures found in God’s creation to represent their god. Moses warns Israel against doing this. The creation will never hold the glory of the Creator. He stands alone. Men know He exists. They must worship Him by faith.
Romans 1:22-23
April 17, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:19 - And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all the nations under the whole heaven.
Thought: If man is not consumed by himself or this world, he is often consumed by things that appear to be far from this world: the sun, the moon, the stars, and the planets. These things are beautiful. They have some consistency about them. Men are dependent upon them. There are many questions, however, that man has about them. Man, therefore, has a tendency to worship what intrigues him. Men have often called things in outer space his gods. Again, Moses warned Israel against this.
2 Kings 17:16
April 18, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:20 – But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.
Thought: We often forget how magnificent the things God has done for us are. Moses reminds Israel that God had brought them “forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt.” It is difficult for us to image how hard the lives of the Israelites were under the reign of Pharaoh. They were afflicted. They served with rigor. Their lives were made bitter with hard bondage. God rescued Israel from all of the suffering, pain, and death. He brought them to their inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Exodus 1:12-14
April 19, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:21 – Furthermore the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
Thought: This is the second time Moses has mentioned that fact that he would not be allowed to enter into the Promised Land. Moses had violated a command of God during the wilderness wanderings. His punishment was severe. The punishment brought regret to this man of God. Too, it helped both him and Israel to understand the evil nature of sin. In addition, they learned that God is serious about His Word. Frail, ungodly men tolerate and accept sin. The holy God of heaven does not accept it.
Habakkuk 1:13
April 20, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:22 – But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good land.
Thought: Moses expresses two thoughts in this verse. Accompanying these two thoughts must have been two different emotions. He was not allowed to go over the Jordan. He would die in Moab. There must have been some hurt and regret that he felt in those words. However, the nation of Israel would go over and possess the land. In that thought, there must have been a great deal of joy. It is possible to feel more than one feeling at a time. Moses could be sad for himself and glad for his people at once.
Deuteronomy 34:5-7
April 21, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:23 – Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee.
Thought: It is easy to become negligent in our responsibilities as God’s children. It is easy to put the commands of God out of our mind. It is easy to slip into disobedience. For this cause, God’s children must constantly “take heed” unto themselves. Moses told Israel that even idolatry was possible if they failed to take heed unto themselves. This causes us to marvel because we know about all of the things Israel experienced at Mount Sinai and in the wilderness. Idolatry? Yes! “Take heed unto yourselves.”
1 John 5:21
April 22, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:24 – For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Thought: There are two sides of God. He is a God of love, but He is also a consuming fire. God is really the only God who exists. All other gods are false. They are man-made. They are fictitious. When men reject the true and living God to serve gods that are not real, He is jealous with a godly jealousy. He becomes angry with a righteous indignation. Those who persist in worshiping that which is false and foolish will experience the wrath of God. They will learn that God is a consuming fire.
Nahum 1:2
April 23, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:25 – When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to wrath.
Thought: God now looks down the corridors of time into Israel’s future. He sees the Israelites after they “have remained long in the land.” What He sees is not pleasant. He sees the Israelites corrupting themselves. He sees them making graven images of all sorts. He sees His children doing evil in His sight. Their actions will provoke Him to wrath. God did not predestine this to happen. His foreknowledge allowed Him to know that it would. When it came to pass, it did not have to happen.
Judges 2:11-14
April 24, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:26 – I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall be utterly destroyed.
Thought: There are always consequences that follow choices and actions. If Israel rejected God and turned to idols, they would “soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it.” Too, they would “be utterly destroyed.” This was God’s warning to His people. God was a just God in alerting His people to their evil behaviors. God knew how to set rules for His children. He gave the rules and the consequences. If the rule was violated, the consequence was Israel’s choice.
Joshua 23:16
April 25, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:27 – And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you.
Thought: God gave a stern warning to Israel about violating His covenant. He revealed the consequences plainly to Isael. One of the consequences was that the Lord would scatter them among the nations. Too, they would be few in number among the heathen. As we study the Old Testament, we find Israel violating their covenant with God many times. Once God brought His Son into the world, He established a New Covenant. Now, the Jews are suffering from their violation of the Old.
I Kings 9:6-7
April 26, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:28 – And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
Thoughts: When Israel was scattered abroad, they would serve the gods of the lands in which they dwelled. In this verse, the Lord exposes idols for what they are. First, they are the products of the hands of men. Men mold and sculpt them. Second, they were made of wood and of stone. Third, they could not see, hear, eat, or smell. They were not living. Why would a man worship a god that he made of wood or stone that was not alive? It was foolish. Yet, when men do it, they believe they are wise.
Romans 1:22-23
April 27, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:29 – But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou wilt seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Thought: If Israel violated God’s laws, they would suffer severe consequences. However, if they sought the Lord, they would find Him. He would be in their midst. He would guide them, provide for them, and protect them. He would fulfill His promises to them. Their seeking was not to be half-hearted. They were to seek Him with all their heart and with all their soul. Remember, God wants no other gods before Him. He deserves to be first and is jealous when others are exalted above Him.
Psalm 119:10
April 28, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:30, 31 – When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (for the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
Thought: Here, we learn of a trait of God that is of tremendous benefit to man. “…for the Lord thy God is a merciful God…” God is willing to forgive the sinner. God is willing to reconcile with the transgressor. God is willing to continue fellowship after men have violated His Word. He is willing to continue to honor His part of their covenant relationship. God’s actions, however, are conditional. First, man must turn to the Lord and be obedient unto his voice. Then, God will be merciful.
Exodus 34:6
April 29, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:32 – For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?
Thought: It is not uncommon for God to challenge man’s thinking. Here, God challenges Israel’s thinking by telling them to ask about something. That something is not revealed in this verse. However, it was something that man had not seen since the day God created man upon the earth. A survey of the heavens would find something like this had never been done before. No one would have ever heard of such a wonderful thing. Interestingly, it involved Israel. They were the beneficiaries.
Joel 1:2-3
April 30, 2023
Deuteronomy 4:33 – Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
Thought: God had told Israel that something had been done that had never been done before. Part of what was done is revealed in this verse. God spoke to the nation of Israel out of the midst of the fire. They actually heard His voice. Not only did they hear His voice, they lived to tell about it. Individuals in the past had heard the voice of God, but not an entire nation of people. Too, He had not spoken out of the midst of the fire in the past. In addition, His purpose for speaking to them was unique.
Exodus 20:18-19
Read devotionals for May 2023
