Steve Webb  0:00  
He calls them back even still.

Steve Webb  0:10  
Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible podcasting since 2004. I'm your OG God caster Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we're reading through the entire Bible in a year. And after this episode, there is one left. This is Monday and we'll finish the book of Deuteronomy by reading chapters 32 through 34. I'm calling today's episode, the end of an era. The shownotes page for today's episode is at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 362. And my email address is Steven Lifespring. media.ca. Let's begin. 

Steve Webb  0:47  
Deuteronomy chapter 32. Heaven, pay attention and I will speak Earth. Listen to the words of my mouth. My teaching will fall like raindrops, my speech will settle like do like gentle rains on grass, like spring showers on all that is green, because I proclaimed the Lord's name, give praise to our God, the rock, his acts are perfection. No doubt about it. All His ways are right. He's the faithful God, never deceiving, all together righteous and true is he? But children who weren't his own sinned against Him with their defects? They are a twisted and perverse generation. Is this how you thank the Lord you stupid, senseless people? Is it he your father, your Creator? Didn't he make you and establish you? Remember the days long past consider the years long gone? Ask your father and he will tell you about it. Ask your elders they will give you the details. When God most high divided up the nation's when he divided up humankind. He decided that people's boundaries based on the number of the gods. Surely the Lord's property was his people. Jacob was his part of the inheritance. God found Israel in a wild land in a howling desert wasteland. He protected them cared for them, watched over them with his very own eye. Like an eagle protecting its nest hovering over its young Gods spread out his wings to a cold of Israel carried him on his back. The Lord alone led Israel no foreign god assisted God made Israel glide over the highlands. He fed him with food from the field nursed him with honey from a boulder with oil from a hard rock curds from the herd milk from the flock along with the best of lambs rams from Batian he goats to along with a finest wheat and for drink wine from the juiciest grapes. Jacob ate until he was stuffed Jeshua and got fat then rebellious. It was you who got fat, thick, stubborn Jeshua and gave up on the God who made him thought the rock of his salvation was worthless. They made God jealous with strange gods aggravated him with detestable things. They sacrificed to demons not to God to deities, of which they had no knowledge New Gods only recently on the scene, ones about which your ancestors had never heard you deserted the rock that sired you, you forgot the God who gave birth to you. The Lord saw this and rejected out of aggravation his sons and his daughters. He said I will hide my face from them. I will see what becomes of them because they are a confused generation. Their children lacking loyalty. They provoked me with no gods aggravated me with their pieces of junk. So I am going to provoke them with no people aggravate them with a nation of fools. A fire burns in me it will blaze to the depths of the grave. It will destroy the land and its crops. It will black in the base of the mountains. I'll throw on them disaster after disaster. I'll destroy them with my arrows devastating hunger, consuming plague, bitter sickness. I will send animal things after them venom from dust crawlers to outside in the streets, the sword will be removed. Inside in the safest room, there will be terror for young men and women, nursing baby and senior citizen. I thought about it. I could have struck them down erase them from human memory. But their enemies rage concern me. Their opponents might misunderstand. They may say our strong hands not the Lord's did all this because they are not a thoughtful nation. They lack any insight. If they had any wisdom, they would understand this. They would discern what will become of them. How could one person chase off 1000 in battle? How could two people make 10,000 flee for their lives? Only because they're rock sold them off? Only because the Lord handed them over. But No, they're rocks can't compare to our rock. Our enemies are completely stupid. Their roots run straight from Saddam from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are pure poison. They're great clusters, nothing but bitter. Their wine is snake poison venom from a cruel Cobra. Don't I have this stored up sealed in my vaults? Revenge is my domain. So his punishment in kind at the exact moment their steps lips up, because the day of their destruction is just around the corner. Their final destiny is speeding on its way. But the Lord will acquit his people will have compassion on those who serve him once he sees that their strength is all gone, that both prisoners and free people are wiped out. The Lord will ask where are their gods, the rocks they trusted in who ate up the fat of their sacrifices, who drank their sacred wine, they should stand up and help you. They should protect you now. Now look here, I myself, I am the one. There are no other gods before me. I am the one who deals death and gives life. I am the one who wounded but now I will heal. There's no escaping my hand. But now I'm lifting my hand to heaven. I swear by my own eternity. When I sharpen my Blazing Sword, and my hand grabs hold of justice, I'll pay my enemies back. I will punish in kind everyone who hates me. I will make my arrows drink much blood while my sword devours flesh, the blood of the dead and captured flowing from the heads of enemy generals. heavens rejoice with God, all you God's bow down to the Lord, because He will avenge his children's blood. He will pay back his enemies, he will punish inkind those who hate Him, He will cleanse his people's land. So Moses came and recited all the words of this poem and everyone's hearing, Joshua Nunn son joined him. When Moses finished speaking all these words to Israel, he told them set your mind on all these words. I'm testifying against you right now, because you must command your children to perform carefully all the words of this instruction. This is no trivial matter for you. This is your very life. It is by this means alone, that you will prolong your life in the fertile land you're crossing the Jordan River to possess. The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, hike up the Abra mountains to mount Niebo which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho. Take a good look at the land of Canaan which I'm giving to the Israelites as their property. You will die on the mountain you have hiked up and you will be gathered to your people just like your brother Aaron, who died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people because the two of you were unfaithful toward me in front of the Israelites at the waters of Marybeth k dash in the Zin wilderness because you didn't treat me with proper respect before the Israelites. You can look at the land from the other side of the river, but you won't enter there. 

Steve Webb  8:04  
Deuteronomy chapter 33. This is the blessing that Moses the man of God gave the Israelites before he died. He said, The Lord came from Sinai from SEER he shone like the dawn on us from parent mountain he beamed down 1000s of holy ones were with him. His warriors were next to him ready? Yes, those who love the nation's all His holy ones. Were at your command. They followed your footsteps. They got moving when you said so. Moses gave the instruction to us. It's the prized possession of Jacob's assembly. A king came to rule and gesture when when the peoples leaders gathered together when Israel's tribes were one. I pray that Reuben lives doesn't die, though his numbers are so few. Moses said this to Judah. Lord, listen to Judas voice, bring him back to his own people, strengthen his hands, be his help against every enemy. Then he told Levi, give your Thummim to Levi your urine to your faithful one. The one you tested at masa, the one you challenged by Mara was waters, the one who said of his own mother and father, I don't consider them as such of their siblings. I don't recognize them of their own children. I don't know them, but who obeyed your words and who guarded your covenant. They teach your case laws to Jacob, your instruction to Israel. They hold sweet incense to your nose, put the entirely burned offering on your altar. I pray that the Lord blesses Levi strength favors his hard work and crushes the insides of his enemies so that those who hate him can't fight anymore. He said to Benjamin, the Lord's dearest one rests safely on him. The Lord always shields him he rests on God's chest. Then he taught Joseph, I pray that his land is blessed by God with Heavens gifts from above, with the deep waters stretching out underneath, with the gifts produced by the sun, with the gifts generated by the moon, with the best fruit from ancient mountains, with the gifts of eternal hills, with the gifts of the earth, and all that fills it, and the favor of the one who lives on Sinai. I pray that all these rests on Josef's head on the crown of that prince among brothers, a firstborn bull that is how majestic he is a wild ox his horns, those are his horns. With them, he goes all peoples completely to the far ends of the earth. His horns are airframes 10s of 1000s his horns are Manassas 1000s. Then he told Zamberlan Zamberlan celebrate when you are out and about is a car celebrate when you're at home and your tents. They call all sorts of people to the mountain where they offer right sacrifices. It's true. They're nourished on the seas abundance, they are nourished on buried treasures in the sand. Then he told gad may GADS broad lens be blessed. He lives like a lion. He rips an arm even ahead. He chose the best part for himself because there were the commander's portion was the leaders of the people gathered together, God executed the Lord's justice and the Lord's judgments for Israel. Then he told Dan, Dan is a lion cub, he jumps up from Batian. Then he told NAFTA lie. NAFTA lie you are full of favor, overflowing with the Lord's blessing. Go possess the west and the south. Finally, he told Asher Asher is the most blessed of sons. I pray that he's his brother's favorite. One who dips his foot in fine oil. I pray that your deadbolts are iron and copper and that your strength lasts all your days. Jeff Sherman, no one compares to God. He rides through heaven to help you rides majestically through the clouds. The most anxious God is a place of safety. The eternal arms are a support. He drove out the enemy before you He commanded destroy them. So Israel now lives in safety. Jacobs residence is secure in a land full of grain and wine, where the heavens drip do happy are you Israel, who was like you? You are a people saved by the Lord. He's the shield that helps you your majestic sword. Your enemies will come crawling on their knees to you but you will stomp on their backs. 

Steve Webb  12:40  
Deuteronomy chapter 34. Then Moses went up on Mount Niebo from the plains of Moab. He went to the top of pisco across from Jericho. The Lord showed him the whole land. He could see Gilead as far as Dan, all of NAFTA lie, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh. All the territory of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, the Negev and the Jordan plane, the valley of Jericho, the city of palms as far as our Then the Lord said to him, this is the land I promised with an oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I said I would give it to their descendants. I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you may not go there. As the Lord had predicted, the Lord servant Moses died in Moab. He was buried in a valley in Moab near Beth peor. Even today, no one knows where his grave is. Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyesight never became poor, and he never lost his physical strength. The Israelites mourn for Moses in the plains of Moab for 30 days, then the time of mourning for him was over. Joshua son of Nan was filled with a spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him. The Israelites obeyed him and did what the Lord had commanded through Moses. There has never been another prophet in Israel, like Moses, whom the Lord dealt with face to face. He was the one the Lord sent to do all the miraculous signs and amazing things in Egypt to Pharaoh to all his officials into his whole country. Moses used his mighty hand to do all the spectacular and awe inspiring deeds that were seen by all the Israelites.

Steve Webb  14:25  
Today, I've got thoughts on each of our chapters. Let's talk about Deuteronomy 32. First, chapter 31 ended with a words and Moses spoke this whole song for all the people of Israel to hear leaving us with a bit of a cliffhanger. Well, most of chapter 32 is the song to which the end of 31 referred. The first four verses are a call to all of creation to listen to what he's about to say, and the fact that he's proclaiming the name of the Lord, giving him praise for who he is and what he does. The next two verses state the fact that Israel has sinned. And then verses seven through 14 Tell how God has been faithful to Israel throughout history, and that He has loved them and bless them. In verses 15 through 18, Moses reminded the people of how Israel responded to God's love by abandoning him. Verses 19 to 27 Tell how in response to their rebellion, God left their side and punished them. And then in the final verses of the song, verses 20, through 43, God lists his charges against Israel and calls them back to himself. Notice that he calls them back even still, as well after the song Moses encourages Israel with the words, this is no trivial matter to you, this is your very life. It is by this means that you will prolong your life on the fertile land, you are crossing the Jordan River to possess. Another way to say this is no trivial matter to you is, this is no meaningless thing this matters. And one of the lies that the enemy tells us when we're in the midst of sin is what God says, doesn't matter. You can do what you want. Well, Moses is reminding them that what God says does matter. And what he says is life itself. And then in the final five verses of this chapter, God gives Moses his final instructions, he's told to go up to the place where he will breathe his last, God says, he'll be able to look across the Jordan River into the promised land, but because of his sin at Mara Makeda, she will not be allowed to go in. And then in chapter 33, very few of us know the time of our death. But here in chapter 33 of Deuteronomy, Moses knows that his time has come because God told him so. And here in chapter 33, Moses wanted to leave the people that he had led out of Egypt and through the desert for these 40 years with words that would be encouraging to them despite their failings. Chapter 34 tells us about Moses death. Now imagine the bittersweet thrill that it must have been for Moses to have God show him a view of the promised land from the top of Mount Niebo. It had to be disappointing not to get to go in. But since God had already told him that this would be the case after their sin in Numbers, chapter 20, Moses must have been somewhat used to the idea, but the thrill of actually seeing the land with his own eyes had to have been at least somewhat satisfying. If you'd like to see a picture of what he probably saw, I've got one and a link on the show notes page at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 362. Now, before we leave Deuteronomy, Brother Paul of Seattle had a comment on last week's reading. To begin his comment, he quoted part of one of the verses that we read, Israel rejected the agreement and decided to worship gods that had never helped them. Paul says, there are a lot of different references to gods that is small g with quotes, references to Gods in this reading and throughout the law. And as I've been hearing them, it strikes me as odd that the Bible seems to be giving these gods more personality than just idols made of wood, metal and stone by saying things like, quote, gods that had never helped them. Unquote. Paul says, a piece of wood someone carved isn't going to help unless you're cold and need a nice fire. He says, These gods seem like they're more than just setting anything in front of God. For the obvious example, like the love of money, it's almost like there are many pseudo God entities more than just the enemy, Satan, perhaps other Fallen Angels. He says, maybe it's something around the lines of good thing. I had that nest egg of money to cover me when the furnace went out, rather than saying thanks to God, he's provided so that I have money to fix the furnace. Well says it could be this but it doesn't quite feel like it. Just curious your thoughts, there's probably an obvious explanation in Scripture that I'm just totally missing. All right, so the question is, is there more to these small g Gods than just being wood or stone or metal? Is there a demonic influence there? Well, to answer this question, let me read to you a few paragraphs from God questions.org. It says Deuteronomy 3216 through 17, which we read today, by the way says, they stirred him to jealousy with strange gods with abominations they provoked him to anger, they sacrificed to demons that were no gods to gods they have never known to new gods that had come recently whom your father's had never dreaded. This passage associates pagan gods with demons and warns God's people not to be involved with idolatry. The Hebrew text here uses what is called synonymous parallelism, in which two or more lines communicate the same idea using different words. In this case, the parallels include, quote, strange gods and quote, demons that were no gods grammatically, the Demons in the foreign gods are the same. The text clearly connects pagan worship with evil spirits. The false gods are in contrast with the true God. The Rock referred to in verses 15 and 17. Leviticus 17 Seven adds another important connection, quote, They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons after whom they have played the harlot, unquote. Hear these demons or other gods worshipped by the surrounding cultures. Again, demons are equated with pagan gods in this passage, it is no coincidence that demonic activity is associated with religions that embrace a multitude of gods and goddesses. A desire to have a supernatural contact with the spirit world often focuses people on supernatural power apart from the power God offers through a relationship with Jesus Christ in His Holy Spirit. The devil desires to be worshipped, and demons teach false doctrine in order to deceive people. Those who worship false gods are wittingly or unwittingly pledging their allegiance to evil spirits who desire to usurp God's rightful place in our hearts, to the Christian and idol is nothing. That is, demons and their deceit have no true power over us. Any power they wield pales in comparison with the power of Christ. So yes, Paul, when scripture refers to some of these small g gods, it's really referring to the worship or being involved with demons. So they're more than just a piece of wood or a piece of stone. I hope that covers it for you, Paul, thanks for the question. Do you have a comment on today's commentary? If so, go to Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 362. Tomorrow is Tuesday and we will finish the book of Esther and the season by reading chapters six through 10 Boost.

Steve Webb  22:03  
Today our associate producer is Kirsty who came in with her monthly $20 donation. Kirsty, thank you very much, and God bless you. And Wayne Henderson said as striper booster gram of 777 SATs and he said, Have a great week. Well, thank you very much Wayne, you too. God bless you. Beloved tomorrow, after the reading and my comments, I'll talk to you a little bit about my plans for the Lifespring family Audio Bible and for the future of Lifespring media. I'll share some of the ideas and suggestions from the next step emails that I've received from you and some of my thoughts about this past year. I hope you'll be here.

Steve Webb  22:49  
On this date in church history, August 29 1792, Charles G. Fini was born he was an American revivalist and educator, and he was the president of Oberlin College from 1851 to 1866. If you've never read Charles Finney, I suggest you look up some of his writings. And on this date, August 29 1867, the social brethren a small evangelistic denomination was officially organized in Illinois.

Steve Webb  23:26  
Prayer requests, Del said that Kathi is having some problems with her equilibrium and nausea as the IV nausea drugs subside, and she's got some pain like a sunburn in her mouth. She has pills for the nausea but not sure how to treat the other two options. Fatigue and her MS issues are increased for some reason. So we need to pray for Kathi. Our Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for your faithfulness and your mercy. We thank You for Your Word, and the lessons we learned about you from it. Thank you, Lord for the Holy Spirit and His presence in our lives as we try to be more like Jesus. Father, we pray for Kathi and we ask that you help with her symptoms and that you would bring healing Lord, thank You Lord for the Lifespring family. I asked you to bless them today and I pray this in Jesus name, amen.

Steve Webb  24:24  
Comment on the show at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 362. Send me an email at Steve at Lifespring media.com If you haven't sent in your the next step email yet there's still time do it right away though because time is running out. Be sure you put the next step in your subject line. Thanks to Kirsty today and Wayne bless you guys. Thank you for having me. Spend some time with you today. I appreciate it. And until tomorrow may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye. 

Announcer  24:55  
One.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai