Readings for today: Deuteronomy 4-7
“I don’t believe in a personal god.” I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard someone say this to me over the years. Some of them have been Christians, even fellow pastors, in the denomination I once served. Some of them are Jewish and they argue that God is just too big to know and is “wholly other.” Some of them are generically Deist. They believe all religions are essentially pointing to the same, fundamental reality but that God ultimately cannot be truly known. Some are true believers who struggle to reconcile a personal God with all the evil and suffering they see in the world. Some are even agnostic. Though they doubt there’s a God, they concede if God does exist God would be, by definition, beyond human understanding.
The Bible clearly reveals God to be deeply personal. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, defining Himself by His personal relationship with His creatures. He is the God of Moses who is abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, forgiving His people to the thousandth generation while not ignoring sin. He is the God of Israel, delivering His people from slavery in Egypt and choosing them from among all the nations of the earth to be His treasured possession. He is the God of the famous shema, the fundamental confession of faith for Israel…“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ESV) Indeed, one cannot read these chapters from Deuteronomy today without coming face to face with a God who makes Himself known. A God who makes His promise personal. A God who refuses to be God without a covenant people to call His very own.
Take a few minutes and re-read the chapters for today. Pay special attention to all the promises God offers His people. In addition to the promise of a covenantal relationship, there is the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey. A life of blessing for those who are faithful to the covenant. A life of abundance for those who work hard. The promise of wisdom and understanding. The promise of a great reputation as the nations around them look on the relationship Israel has with her God in awe and wonder. The list goes on and on.
And what about us? The Bible was written for us but not written to us so do these promises still apply? The short answer is “yes.” In Christ, all the promises of God are “yes and amen.” (2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV) The promise of a new covenantal relationship with God has been sealed in His blood. The promise of a “land” has been extended to the four corners of the earth. The promise of blessing is still in force for those who faithfully follow Jesus. The promise of a great reputation among the pagan nations is also still very much in play as Christians lay down their lives in service to the least reached and least resourced. Spend some time in quiet before the Lord. Let Him speak to you in the deepest places of your heart and remind you of His great love for you.
Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 8-11