Journal Through the Bible: Week 28 Monday

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And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in the corn, and they wine, and thine oil. Deut. 11:13-14

Deuteronomy chapter 11

Does God issue any commands in this chapter?

• Through Moses the people are commanded to love the LORD their God because of His goodness to them. (He made it clear that he was talking to those who had left Egypt as young people so they had witnessed the mighty miracles and not to those who had been born in the wilderness who had not seen what God had done for them.)
• The people were commanded to teach the ways of the LORD to their children so that they might also prosper in the land in due time.

Does God make any promises?

• If the people would love the LORD their days in the land that flowed with milk and honey and received abundant rainfall would be prolonged.
• If the people would love the LORD He would continue to send the early and latter rains.
• Obedience would result in having the LORD fight the battles for possession of the land.
• Through Moses God set before them a blessing and a curse. He would bless them if they obeyed His commandments and a curse if they did not. The blessing was to be put upon Gerizim and the curse upon Mount Ebal.

Does this chapter teach anything about Jesus?

• Not directly, but the New Testament teaches that Jesus will be the King of the Jews when they finally possess their inheritance.
• Jesus is also the LORD that they were to worship. He claimed to be the I AM ("Before Abraham was, I AM" in John 8:58.)

Does this chapter teach anything about yet-future events?

• Moses makes it quite clear that the land of promise was an area that God loved exceedingly and He keeps a constant eye on it. If that land meant that much to God in the past it must also be loved by Him still today and will be loved by Him forever. (I think prophecy bears this out. Even His capital city is called "New Jerusalem."
• Moses states again the borders of the land of promise. Did they ever fully possess it? I don't think they did. The closest they came was during Solomon's reign. Someday this prophecy will be completely fulfilled and the Jews will possess their whole inheritance promised to them. Moses promised it (see verse 31 where he said, "ye SHALL possess it..."