Aug 27, 2009

Texts:
Deuteronomy 29 and 30
Psalm 36

Deuteronomy:
We likely hear these chapters and notice the "bad news". There is plenty of it--promises of curses and all sorts of "blotting out" if people do not obey the commands of God and live into the Covenant. But hear the good news as well.
When this story was written down, the people were in exile. They'd lost whatever they'd had, including their home land. How would these verses seem to you in that context?
30:4 "Even if you are exiled to the ends of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will bring you back."

And remember how back in Leviticus, I preached about how Leviticus and Deuteronomy have very different understandings of holiness? You can see it in 30:11-14. Leviticus had the "trickle down" model of holiness. Deuteronomy, on the other hand, has holiness connected with the covenant. So you have all you need to be holy if you obey the commandments and keep the Covenant. "No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe." (30:14).

Psalm:
The psalms can give me whiplash sometimes. Verses 1-4 are a "wisdom" type psalm, talking about the wicked and their behavior. But at verse 5, it shifts to being a psalm in praise of God.
I do like the imagery in this psalm. How often do you think about "taking refuge in the shadow of God's wings"? (verse 7) Is that a visual image for you, or only a metaphoric one?