Devotion for Tuesday 7 September
Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from The Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter Two verse Seven, “The Lord your God has known your wanderings through this great wilderness,” (NRSVB). The background to this verse reveals a very interesting part of the history in the journey of Israel through the desert. The Israelites have been travelling for thirty-eight years in the desert under the leadership of Moses. They are nearing the promised land. They will have to travel through a variety of established kingdoms to arrived at their desired haven, the Land of Milk and Honey. God instructed Moses to impress on the Israelites’ minds and hearts not to provoke, or stir the people of the neighbouring nations up, when they travelled through their lands. The kingdoms that allowed the transit were nervous, for the Israelites were a great number of people and numerous flocks. They were taking a risk in allowing the Israelites to pass through, for they could be overpowered if the the Israelites did not negotiate in good faith.
God told Moses that he would not give the land of Mount Zeir to them, as it was promised to the descendants of Esau, nor would God give Moab to them, for it was promised to the descendants of Lot. God instructed Moses to inform the Israelites to buy food and water with money from the nations where they would transit through. God did not want them to barter, but to pay a fair price for the services that they would receive. Throughout nearly forty years God supplied all their needs. The Israelites and lacked nothing in their journey in the desert. God would supply now that they moved from the desert to the cities and the towns.
They would not have to make war, sell any of their possessions, nor barter for they would have enough money to trade fairly. God arranged the journey through the cities and towns of the foreign kingdoms. The Israelites were given free passage and gained good-will among the nations that they travelled through. The rulers who did not allow the Israelites to travel through their lands, or who came up against them in battle, were given into the hands of the Israelites. Moses was overawed at God’s grace and the fulfilment of the promises as he contemplated the nearly forty years of desert wanderings. He said, “O Lord God, You have only begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth that can do according to Your works and according to Your might,” as we read in Deuteronomy Chapter Three verse Twenty Four, (Amplified Bible).
God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, travelled with them and gave them his commandments, in order to make them a special nation, a nation who would shine the light of his love to nations sitting in darkness. God protected Israel through forty years of desert wandering to become his peculiar and special people. They were to be his people and He their God. Through rebelliousness the people whom God loved and cared for turned their back on him and followed the gods of the nations around them. But God never gave up on his desire for Israel to shine the light of hope and faith in the world. God did not allow the Israelites to continue journeying in the empty desert of their rebelliousness.
He sent his Son to bring nations back to Him and reconcile the world to live in peace together as they journey to the new heaven and new earth, the Promised Land, with him. Through Jesus Christ all nations and people are called to enter into the Land of Milk and Honey. Christ promised the Apostle Peter that he would have a great role, together with the other Apostles, in building the church on earth. This church of Christ will prevail for Christ himself will sustain her, like God sustained the Israelites in the desert. Through more than two thousand years the church prevailed, and she will prevail forever. She will continue to serve all the pilgrims on their journey to the City of God, calling for peace and good will to all men. No power, nor the Gates of Hell, would be able to destroy the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Jesus said to Peter, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it,” Matthew, Chapter Sixteen verse Eighteen,” (Amplified Bible).
Father, we thank you that you have planned for the Light of the World to prevail, for the Church, the Body of Christ not to be destroyed, but to continue to teach and preach Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, for us, Amen.
