1
00:00:00,539 --> 00:00:02,729
Steve Webb: God knows how
forgetful people are.

2
00:00:03,980 --> 00:00:06,740
This is the Lifespring! One Year
Bible coming to you from

3
00:00:06,740 --> 00:00:10,790
Riverside, California, and
podcasting since 2004, I'm your

4
00:00:10,790 --> 00:00:14,660
OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. It's
The Law Monday and we'll read

5
00:00:14,660 --> 00:00:19,310
Deuteronomy 26 through 28. The
website is lifespringmedia.com,

6
00:00:19,310 --> 00:00:23,030
and contact information will be
at the end of the show. Before

7
00:00:23,030 --> 00:00:27,110
we read, let's pray. Our
heavenly Father, we love you and

8
00:00:27,110 --> 00:00:30,230
we thank you so much for your
Word. We thank you for revealing

9
00:00:30,230 --> 00:00:33,650
yourself to us through your
Word. Teach us today I pray in

10
00:00:33,650 --> 00:00:37,880
Jesus' name. Amen. All right,
are you ready? Let's get

11
00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:38,330
started.

12
00:00:40,670 --> 00:00:45,290
Deuteronomy, chapter 26. When
you go into the land the Lord

13
00:00:45,290 --> 00:00:48,230
your God is giving you as your
own, to take it over and live in

14
00:00:48,230 --> 00:00:51,380
it, you must take some of the
first harvest of crops that grow

15
00:00:51,380 --> 00:00:54,620
from the land the Lord your God
is giving you. Put the food in a

16
00:00:54,620 --> 00:00:57,680
basket and go to the place where
the Lord your God will choose to

17
00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:02,150
be worshiped. Say to the priest
on duty at that time, “Today I

18
00:01:02,150 --> 00:01:05,660
declare before the Lord your God
that I have come into the land

19
00:01:05,660 --> 00:01:09,050
the Lord promised our ancestors
that he would give us.” The

20
00:01:09,050 --> 00:01:11,600
priest will take your basket and
set it down in front of the

21
00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,200
altar of the Lord your God. Then
you shall announce before the

22
00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,490
Lord your God: “My father was a
wandering Aramean. He went down

23
00:01:19,490 --> 00:01:22,820
to Egypt with only a few people,
but they became a great,

24
00:01:22,850 --> 00:01:26,570
powerful, and large nation
there. But the Egyptians were

25
00:01:26,570 --> 00:01:30,830
cruel to us, making us suffer
and work very hard. So we prayed

26
00:01:30,830 --> 00:01:34,700
to the Lord, the God of our
ancestors, and he heard us. When

27
00:01:34,700 --> 00:01:38,150
he saw our trouble, hard work,
and suffering, the Lord brought

28
00:01:38,150 --> 00:01:41,540
us out of Egypt with his great
power and strength, using great

29
00:01:41,540 --> 00:01:46,040
terrors, signs, and miracles.
Then he brought us to this place

30
00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,970
and gave us this fertile land.
Now I bring part of the first

31
00:01:49,970 --> 00:01:54,080
harvest from this land that you,
Lord, have given me.” Place the

32
00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,890
basket before the Lord your God
and bow down before him. Then

33
00:01:57,890 --> 00:02:00,140
you and the Levites and
foreigners among you should

34
00:02:00,140 --> 00:02:03,800
rejoice, because the Lord your
God has given good things to you

35
00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,670
and your family. Bring a tenth
of all your harvest the third

36
00:02:07,670 --> 00:02:11,420
year (the year to give a tenth
of your harvest). Give it to the

37
00:02:11,420 --> 00:02:15,260
Levites, foreigners, orphans,
and widows so that they may eat

38
00:02:15,260 --> 00:02:19,430
in your towns and be full. Then
say to the Lord your God, “I

39
00:02:19,430 --> 00:02:22,760
have taken out of my house the
part of my harvest that belongs

40
00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,060
to God, and I have given it to
the Levites, foreigners,

41
00:02:26,090 --> 00:02:30,530
orphans, and widows. I have done
everything you commanded me; I

42
00:02:30,530 --> 00:02:33,770
have not broken your commands,
and I have not forgotten any of

43
00:02:33,770 --> 00:02:37,220
them. I have not eaten any of
the holy part while I was in

44
00:02:37,220 --> 00:02:41,570
sorrow. I have not removed any
of it while I was unclean, and I

45
00:02:41,570 --> 00:02:44,930
have not offered it for dead
people. I have obeyed you, the

46
00:02:44,930 --> 00:02:49,250
Lord my God, and have done
everything you commanded me. So

47
00:02:49,250 --> 00:02:53,300
look down from heaven, your holy
home. Bless your people Israel

48
00:02:53,300 --> 00:02:55,880
and bless the land you have
given us, which you promised to

49
00:02:55,880 --> 00:03:00,320
our ancestors—a fertile land.”
Today the Lord your God commands

50
00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,370
you to obey all these rules and
laws; be careful to obey them

51
00:03:04,370 --> 00:03:08,000
with your whole being. Today you
have said that the Lord is your

52
00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,660
God, and you have promised to do
what he wants you to do—to keep

53
00:03:11,660 --> 00:03:15,650
his rules, commands, and laws.
You have said you will obey him.

54
00:03:15,890 --> 00:03:19,580
And today the Lord has said that
you are his very own people, as

55
00:03:19,580 --> 00:03:23,540
he has promised you. But you
must obey his commands. He will

56
00:03:23,540 --> 00:03:26,750
make you greater than all the
other nations he made. He will

57
00:03:26,750 --> 00:03:30,380
give you praise, fame, and
honor, and you will be a holy

58
00:03:30,380 --> 00:03:33,140
people to the Lord your God, as
he has said.

59
00:03:33,410 --> 00:03:38,030
Deuteronomy, chapter 27. Moses
and the elders of Israel

60
00:03:38,030 --> 00:03:41,000
commanded the people: “Keep all
these commandments that I give

61
00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,940
you today. When you have crossed
the Jordan into the land the

62
00:03:43,940 --> 00:03:47,450
Lord your God is giving you, set
up some large stones and coat

63
00:03:47,450 --> 00:03:51,110
them with plaster. Write on them
all the words of this law when

64
00:03:51,110 --> 00:03:53,600
you have crossed over to enter
the land the Lord your God is

65
00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,930
giving you, a land flowing with
milk and honey, just as the

66
00:03:56,930 --> 00:04:01,100
Lord, the God of your ancestors,
promised you. And when you have

67
00:04:01,100 --> 00:04:04,430
crossed the Jordan, set up these
stones on Mount Ebal, as I

68
00:04:04,430 --> 00:04:08,390
command you today, and coat them
with plaster. Build there an

69
00:04:08,390 --> 00:04:12,860
altar to the Lord your God, an
altar of stones. Do not use any

70
00:04:12,860 --> 00:04:16,400
iron tool on them. Build the
altar of the Lord your God with

71
00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,340
fieldstones and offer burnt
offerings on it to the Lord your

72
00:04:19,340 --> 00:04:23,330
God. Sacrifice fellowship
offerings there, eating them and

73
00:04:23,330 --> 00:04:26,780
rejoicing in the presence of the
Lord your God. And you shall

74
00:04:26,780 --> 00:04:30,440
write very clearly all the words
of this law on these stones you

75
00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:34,670
have set up.” Then Moses and the
Levitical priests said to all

76
00:04:34,670 --> 00:04:39,290
Israel, “Be silent, Israel, and
listen! You have now become the

77
00:04:39,290 --> 00:04:42,920
people of the Lord your God.
Obey the Lord your God and

78
00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:46,970
follow his commands and decrees
that I give you today.” On the

79
00:04:46,970 --> 00:04:50,480
same day Moses commanded the
people: When you have crossed

80
00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,380
the Jordan, these tribes shall
stand on Mount Gerizim to bless

81
00:04:54,380 --> 00:04:59,840
the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin.

82
00:05:00,410 --> 00:05:03,860
And these tribes shall stand on
Mount Ebal to pronounce curses:

83
00:05:04,070 --> 00:05:10,280
Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan
and Naphtali. The Levites shall

84
00:05:10,280 --> 00:05:14,030
recite to all the people of
Israel in a loud voice: “Cursed

85
00:05:14,030 --> 00:05:17,120
is anyone who makes an idol—a
thing detestable to the Lord,

86
00:05:17,150 --> 00:05:21,440
the work of skilled hands—and
sets it up in secret.” Then all

87
00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:25,430
the people shall say, “Amen!”
“Cursed is anyone who dishonors

88
00:05:25,430 --> 00:05:28,490
their father or mother.” Then
all the people shall say,

89
00:05:28,670 --> 00:05:32,480
“Amen!” “Cursed is anyone who
moves their neighbor’s boundary

90
00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:37,310
stone.” Then all the people
shall say, “Amen!” “Cursed is

91
00:05:37,310 --> 00:05:40,700
anyone who leads the blind
astray on the road.” Then all

92
00:05:40,700 --> 00:05:45,260
the people shall say, “Amen!”
“Cursed is anyone who withholds

93
00:05:45,260 --> 00:05:49,340
justice from the foreigner, the
fatherless or the widow.” Then

94
00:05:49,340 --> 00:05:53,420
all the people shall say,
“Amen!” “Cursed is anyone who

95
00:05:53,420 --> 00:05:56,750
sleeps with his father’s wife,
for he dishonors his father’s

96
00:05:56,810 --> 00:06:02,450
bed.” Then all the people shall
say, “Amen!” “Cursed is anyone

97
00:06:02,450 --> 00:06:05,990
who has sexual relations with
any animal.” Then all the people

98
00:06:05,990 --> 00:06:10,460
shall say, “Amen!” “Cursed is
anyone who sleeps with his

99
00:06:10,460 --> 00:06:13,370
sister, the daughter of his
father or the daughter of his

100
00:06:13,370 --> 00:06:18,260
mother.” Then all the people
shall say, “Amen!” “Cursed is

101
00:06:18,260 --> 00:06:21,140
anyone who sleeps with his
mother-in-law.” Then all the

102
00:06:21,140 --> 00:06:25,100
people shall say, “Amen!”
“Cursed is anyone who kills

103
00:06:25,100 --> 00:06:28,280
their neighbor secretly.” Then
all the people shall say,

104
00:06:28,460 --> 00:06:32,870
“Amen!” “Cursed is anyone who
accepts a bribe to kill an

105
00:06:32,870 --> 00:06:36,380
innocent person.” Then all the
people shall say, “Amen!”

106
00:06:37,310 --> 00:06:40,520
“Cursed is anyone who does not
uphold the words of this law by

107
00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:44,480
carrying them out.” Then all the
people shall say, “Amen!”

108
00:06:44,990 --> 00:06:49,700
Deuteronomy, chapter 28. “If you
fully obey the Lord your God and

109
00:06:49,700 --> 00:06:53,030
carefully keep all his commands
that I am giving you today, the

110
00:06:53,030 --> 00:06:56,060
Lord your God will set you high
above all the nations of the

111
00:06:56,060 --> 00:06:59,960
world. You will experience all
these blessings if you obey the

112
00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:03,740
Lord your God: Your towns and
your fields will be blessed.

113
00:07:03,980 --> 00:07:07,250
Your children and your crops
will be blessed. The offspring

114
00:07:07,250 --> 00:07:10,760
of your herds and flocks will be
blessed. Your fruit baskets and

115
00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,210
breadboards will be blessed.
Wherever you go and whatever you

116
00:07:14,210 --> 00:07:18,500
do, you will be blessed. “The
Lord will conquer your enemies

117
00:07:18,500 --> 00:07:22,070
when they attack you. They will
attack you from one direction,

118
00:07:22,100 --> 00:07:25,400
but they will scatter from you
in seven! “The Lord will

119
00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,280
guarantee a blessing on
everything you do and will fill

120
00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:32,120
your storehouses with grain. The
Lord your God will bless you in

121
00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:35,660
the land he is giving you. “If
you obey the commands of the

122
00:07:35,660 --> 00:07:39,500
Lord your God and walk in his
ways, the Lord will establish

123
00:07:39,500 --> 00:07:44,150
you as his holy people as he
swore he would do. Then all the

124
00:07:44,150 --> 00:07:47,330
nations of the world will see
that you are a people claimed by

125
00:07:47,330 --> 00:07:51,320
the Lord God, and they will
stand in awe of you. “The Lord

126
00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:54,440
will give you prosperity in the
land he swore to your ancestors

127
00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:57,680
to give you, blessing you with
many children, numerous

128
00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:02,060
livestock, and abundant crops.
The Lord will send rain at the

129
00:08:02,060 --> 00:08:05,390
proper time from his rich
treasury in the heavens and will

130
00:08:05,390 --> 00:08:09,650
bless all the work you do. You
will lend to many nations, but

131
00:08:09,650 --> 00:08:12,890
you will never need to borrow
from them. If you listen to

132
00:08:12,890 --> 00:08:16,190
these commands of the Lord your
God that I am giving you today,

133
00:08:16,460 --> 00:08:19,940
and if you carefully obey them,
the Lord will make you the head

134
00:08:19,970 --> 00:08:23,990
and not the tail, and you will
always be on top and never at

135
00:08:23,990 --> 00:08:27,710
the bottom. You must not turn
away from any of the commands I

136
00:08:27,710 --> 00:08:31,010
am giving you today, nor follow
other gods and worship them.

137
00:08:32,390 --> 00:08:35,630
“But if you refuse to listen to
the Lord your God and do not

138
00:08:35,630 --> 00:08:38,450
obey all the commands and
decrees I am giving you today,

139
00:08:38,750 --> 00:08:42,830
all these curses will come and
overwhelm you: Your towns and

140
00:08:42,830 --> 00:08:46,640
your fields will be cursed. Your
fruit baskets and breadboards

141
00:08:46,670 --> 00:08:50,480
will be cursed. Your children
and your crops will be cursed.

142
00:08:50,810 --> 00:08:54,710
The offspring of your herds and
flocks will be cursed. Wherever

143
00:08:54,710 --> 00:08:59,210
you go and whatever you do, you
will be cursed. “The Lord

144
00:08:59,210 --> 00:09:03,230
himself will send on you curses,
confusion, and frustration in

145
00:09:03,230 --> 00:09:07,100
everything you do, until at last
you are completely destroyed for

146
00:09:07,100 --> 00:09:11,030
doing evil and abandoning me.
The Lord will afflict you with

147
00:09:11,030 --> 00:09:13,910
diseases until none of you are
left in the land you are about

148
00:09:13,910 --> 00:09:17,600
to enter and occupy. The Lord
will strike you with wasting

149
00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:21,200
diseases, fever, and
inflammation, with scorching

150
00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,860
heat and drought, and with
blight and mildew. These

151
00:09:24,860 --> 00:09:28,850
disasters will pursue you until
you die. The skies above will be

152
00:09:28,850 --> 00:09:32,390
as unyielding as bronze, and the
earth beneath will be as hard as

153
00:09:32,390 --> 00:09:36,020
iron. The Lord will change the
rain that falls on your land

154
00:09:36,020 --> 00:09:39,260
into powder, and dust will pour
down from the sky until you are

155
00:09:39,260 --> 00:09:42,830
destroyed. “The Lord will cause
you to be defeated by your

156
00:09:42,830 --> 00:09:46,250
enemies. You will attack your
enemies from one direction, but

157
00:09:46,250 --> 00:09:49,430
you will scatter from them in
seven! You will be an object of

158
00:09:49,430 --> 00:09:52,880
horror to all the kingdoms of
the earth. Your corpses will be

159
00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:56,330
food for all the scavenging
birds and wild animals, and no

160
00:09:56,330 --> 00:09:59,870
one will be there to chase them
away. “The Lord will afflict you

161
00:09:59,870 --> 00:10:03,290
with the boils of Egypt and with
tumors, scurvy, and the itch,

162
00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:07,160
from which you cannot be cured.
The Lord will strike you with

163
00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:11,180
madness, blindness, and panic.
You will grope around in broad

164
00:10:11,180 --> 00:10:14,450
daylight like a blind person
groping in the darkness, but you

165
00:10:14,450 --> 00:10:17,870
will not find your way. You will
be oppressed and robbed

166
00:10:17,870 --> 00:10:21,770
continually, and no one will
come to save you. “You will be

167
00:10:21,770 --> 00:10:25,850
engaged to a woman, but another
man will sleep with her. You

168
00:10:25,850 --> 00:10:28,880
will build a house, but someone
else will live in it. You will

169
00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:32,570
plant a vineyard, but you will
never enjoy its fruit. Your ox

170
00:10:32,570 --> 00:10:35,240
will be butchered before your
eyes, but you will not eat a

171
00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,050
single bite of the meat. Your
donkey will be taken from you,

172
00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:42,800
never to be returned. Your sheep
and goats will be given to your

173
00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,040
enemies, and no one will be
there to help you. You will

174
00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:49,670
watch as your sons and daughters
are taken away as slaves. Your

175
00:10:49,670 --> 00:10:52,190
heart will break for them, but
you won’t be able to help them.

176
00:10:52,820 --> 00:10:55,820
A foreign nation you have never
heard about will eat the crops

177
00:10:55,820 --> 00:10:59,690
you worked so hard to grow. You
will suffer under constant

178
00:10:59,690 --> 00:11:03,170
oppression and harsh treatment.
You will go mad because of all

179
00:11:03,170 --> 00:11:06,860
the tragedy you see around you.
The Lord will cover your knees

180
00:11:06,860 --> 00:11:10,550
and legs with incurable boils.
In fact, you will be covered

181
00:11:10,550 --> 00:11:14,510
from head to foot. “The Lord
will exile you and your king to

182
00:11:14,510 --> 00:11:18,740
a nation unknown to you and your
ancestors. There in exile you

183
00:11:18,740 --> 00:11:22,130
will worship gods of wood and
stone! You will become an object

184
00:11:22,130 --> 00:11:25,460
of horror, ridicule, and mockery
among all the nations to which

185
00:11:25,460 --> 00:11:29,360
the Lord sends you. “You will
plant much but harvest little,

186
00:11:29,390 --> 00:11:32,960
for locusts will eat your crops.
You will plant vineyards and

187
00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,720
care for them, but you will not
drink the wine or eat the

188
00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,830
grapes, for worms will destroy
the vines. You will grow olive

189
00:11:39,830 --> 00:11:42,590
trees throughout your land, but
you will never use the olive

190
00:11:42,590 --> 00:11:46,700
oil, for the fruit will drop
before it ripens. You will have

191
00:11:46,700 --> 00:11:49,640
sons and daughters, but you will
lose them, for they will be led

192
00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:53,990
away into captivity. Swarms of
insects will destroy your trees

193
00:11:53,990 --> 00:11:57,380
and crops. “The foreigners
living among you will become

194
00:11:57,380 --> 00:12:01,280
stronger and stronger, while you
become weaker and weaker. They

195
00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:04,700
will lend money to you, but you
will not lend to them. They will

196
00:12:04,700 --> 00:12:09,110
be the head, and you will be the
tail! “If you refuse to listen

197
00:12:09,110 --> 00:12:12,230
to the Lord your God and to obey
the commands and decrees he has

198
00:12:12,230 --> 00:12:15,860
given you, all these curses will
pursue and overtake you until

199
00:12:15,860 --> 00:12:19,760
you are destroyed. These horrors
will serve as a sign and warning

200
00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:23,180
among you and all your
descendants forever. If you do

201
00:12:23,180 --> 00:12:26,450
not serve the Lord your God with
joy and enthusiasm for the

202
00:12:26,450 --> 00:12:29,480
abundant benefits you have
received, you will serve your

203
00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,600
enemies whom the Lord will send
against you. You will be left

204
00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:36,830
hungry, thirsty, naked, and
lacking in everything. The Lord

205
00:12:36,830 --> 00:12:39,800
will put an iron yoke on your
neck, oppressing you harshly

206
00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:43,580
until he has destroyed you. “The
Lord will bring a distant nation

207
00:12:43,580 --> 00:12:46,490
against you from the end of the
earth, and it will swoop down on

208
00:12:46,490 --> 00:12:50,300
you like a vulture. It is a
nation whose language you do not

209
00:12:50,300 --> 00:12:53,630
understand, a fierce and
heartless nation that shows no

210
00:12:53,630 --> 00:12:58,010
respect for the old and no pity
for the young. Its armies will

211
00:12:58,010 --> 00:13:01,970
devour your livestock and crops,
and you will be destroyed. They

212
00:13:01,970 --> 00:13:05,720
will leave you no grain, new
wine, olive oil, calves, or

213
00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:09,500
lambs, and you will starve to
death. They will attack your

214
00:13:09,500 --> 00:13:13,100
cities until all the fortified
walls in your land—the walls you

215
00:13:13,100 --> 00:13:17,180
trusted to protect you—are
knocked down. They will attack

216
00:13:17,180 --> 00:13:20,150
all the towns in the land the
Lord your God has given you.

217
00:13:21,230 --> 00:13:24,560
“The siege and terrible distress
of the enemy’s attack will be so

218
00:13:24,560 --> 00:13:27,650
severe that you will eat the
flesh of your own sons and

219
00:13:27,650 --> 00:13:31,310
daughters, whom the Lord your
God has given you. The most

220
00:13:31,340 --> 00:13:34,550
tenderhearted man among you will
have no compassion for his own

221
00:13:34,550 --> 00:13:38,960
brother, his beloved wife, and
his surviving children. He will

222
00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:42,530
refuse to share with them the
flesh he is devouring—the flesh

223
00:13:42,530 --> 00:13:45,290
of one of his own
children—because he has nothing

224
00:13:45,290 --> 00:13:48,260
else to eat during the siege and
terrible distress that your

225
00:13:48,260 --> 00:13:52,280
enemy will inflict on all your
towns. The most tender and

226
00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,790
delicate woman among you—so
delicate she would not so much

227
00:13:55,790 --> 00:13:59,000
as touch the ground with her
foot—will be selfish toward the

228
00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:03,140
husband she loves and toward her
own son or daughter. She will

229
00:14:03,140 --> 00:14:06,230
hide from them the afterbirth
and the new baby she has borne,

230
00:14:06,500 --> 00:14:10,580
so that she herself can secretly
eat them. She will have nothing

231
00:14:10,580 --> 00:14:13,340
else to eat during the siege and
terrible distress that your

232
00:14:13,340 --> 00:14:17,600
enemy will inflict on all your
towns. “If you refuse to obey

233
00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,330
all the words of instruction
that are written in this book,

234
00:14:20,540 --> 00:14:23,510
and if you do not fear the
glorious and awesome name of the

235
00:14:23,510 --> 00:14:26,900
Lord your God, then the Lord
will overwhelm you and your

236
00:14:26,900 --> 00:14:31,040
children with indescribable
plagues. These plagues will be

237
00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:34,280
intense and without relief,
making you miserable and

238
00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:38,120
unbearably sick. He will afflict
you with all the diseases of

239
00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:42,590
Egypt that you feared so much,
and you will have no relief. The

240
00:14:42,590 --> 00:14:45,620
Lord will afflict you with every
sickness and plague there is,

241
00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:49,160
even those not mentioned in this
Book of Instruction, until you

242
00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:53,180
are destroyed. Though you become
as numerous as the stars in the

243
00:14:53,180 --> 00:14:56,690
sky, few of you will be left
because you would not listen to

244
00:14:56,690 --> 00:15:01,250
the Lord your God. “Just as the
Lord has found great pleasure in

245
00:15:01,250 --> 00:15:04,610
causing you to prosper and
multiply, the Lord will find

246
00:15:04,610 --> 00:15:08,090
pleasure in destroying you. You
will be torn from the land you

247
00:15:08,090 --> 00:15:11,630
are about to enter and occupy.
For the Lord will scatter you

248
00:15:11,630 --> 00:15:14,570
among all the nations from one
end of the earth to the other.

249
00:15:15,050 --> 00:15:18,080
There you will worship foreign
gods that neither you nor your

250
00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:23,000
ancestors have known, gods made
of wood and stone! There among

251
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:27,080
those nations you will find no
peace or place to rest. And the

252
00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:30,410
Lord will cause your heart to
tremble, your eyesight to fail,

253
00:15:30,470 --> 00:15:34,430
and your soul to despair. Your
life will constantly hang in the

254
00:15:34,430 --> 00:15:38,390
balance. You will live night and
day in fear, unsure if you will

255
00:15:38,390 --> 00:15:42,530
survive. In the morning you will
say, ‘If only it were night!’

256
00:15:42,860 --> 00:15:46,430
And in the evening you will say,
‘If only it were morning!’ For

257
00:15:46,430 --> 00:15:49,430
you will be terrified by the
awful horrors you see around

258
00:15:49,430 --> 00:15:53,270
you. Then the Lord will send you
back to Egypt in ships, to a

259
00:15:53,270 --> 00:15:56,990
destination I promised you would
never see again. There you will

260
00:15:56,990 --> 00:16:00,500
offer to sell yourselves to your
enemies as slaves, but no one

261
00:16:00,500 --> 00:16:01,220
will buy you.”

262
00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:06,260
In today's reading, the children
of Israel are about to enter

263
00:16:06,260 --> 00:16:09,620
into the Promised Land, but God
has a message for them through

264
00:16:09,620 --> 00:16:13,490
Moses. Over and over again, in
these chapters, we read the word

265
00:16:13,580 --> 00:16:17,750
“obey” or a variation on that
command. And in chapter 27,

266
00:16:17,780 --> 00:16:20,810
they're instructed that the
first thing they're to do when

267
00:16:20,810 --> 00:16:24,050
they crossed the Jordan River
into the Promised Land is to set

268
00:16:24,050 --> 00:16:27,620
up a monument of stones on which
they're to write the entire body

269
00:16:27,620 --> 00:16:30,800
of the law and build an altar
upon which they're also to write

270
00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:34,820
the law and make burnt
offerings. Why did God have them

271
00:16:34,820 --> 00:16:39,230
do this? Because God knew how
forgetful the people were. The

272
00:16:39,230 --> 00:16:42,440
monument was placed there as a
reminder of their crossing over

273
00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:46,190
the Jordan River into the land
promised to them. The law was

274
00:16:46,190 --> 00:16:50,270
written as a reminder. The altar
was a reminder. Every time they

275
00:16:50,270 --> 00:16:53,720
looked at the monument or the
altar, they would remember this

276
00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,560
day and how God delivered them,
how he fulfilled his promise,

277
00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:01,070
and what was required of them to
continue to receive his

278
00:17:01,070 --> 00:17:05,450
blessings. God knows how
forgetful people are. Over and

279
00:17:05,450 --> 00:17:08,420
over and over again, he reminds
his people of the importance of

280
00:17:08,420 --> 00:17:12,260
obedience. He reminds them of
the promises of blessings when

281
00:17:12,260 --> 00:17:16,490
they obey and the curses
promised if we don't. Of course,

282
00:17:16,730 --> 00:17:20,120
God knew before the foundation
of the world that men and women

283
00:17:20,120 --> 00:17:23,630
would never be able to obey the
law. And he was not surprised

284
00:17:23,660 --> 00:17:27,650
when Adam and Eve sinned. He was
not surprised when no one was

285
00:17:27,650 --> 00:17:32,330
able to obey the law. So why did
God even give the law if no one

286
00:17:32,330 --> 00:17:35,660
would be able to keep it? Paul
gives us the reason in Romans

287
00:17:35,690 --> 00:17:40,460
7:7. He said, “...I would not
have known sin except through

288
00:17:40,460 --> 00:17:44,390
the law…” So the law was given
in order that we would know what

289
00:17:44,390 --> 00:17:47,990
sin is. And before God even
began the creation of the

290
00:17:47,990 --> 00:17:52,760
universe, he had a plan to save
us. Jesus was always in the

291
00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:57,590
plan. He was not Plan B. As we
read in John chapter 1, “In the

292
00:17:57,590 --> 00:18:00,740
beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word

293
00:18:00,770 --> 00:18:05,330
was God. He was in the beginning
with God. All things were made

294
00:18:05,330 --> 00:18:08,960
through Him, and without Him
nothing was made that was made.

295
00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:13,730
In Him was life, and the life
was the light of men. And the

296
00:18:13,730 --> 00:18:16,670
light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not

297
00:18:16,670 --> 00:18:20,450
comprehend it... “And the Word
became flesh and dwelt among us,

298
00:18:20,660 --> 00:18:24,680
and we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of

299
00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:29,030
the Father, full of grace and
truth.” So in the very

300
00:18:29,030 --> 00:18:33,290
beginning, Jesus was a part of
the plan to save you and to save

301
00:18:33,290 --> 00:18:38,060
me. Jesus is the Word. He was in
the beginning. He is the only

302
00:18:38,060 --> 00:18:42,170
way that my transgressions, my
sins, and yours, can be

303
00:18:42,170 --> 00:18:46,760
forgiven. The law was given to
show our need. Jesus came to

304
00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:51,020
fulfill the need. He said, “I am
the way, the truth, and the

305
00:18:51,020 --> 00:18:55,820
life. No one comes to the Father
except through Me.” Beloved, we

306
00:18:55,820 --> 00:18:58,790
are no different than the people
who crossed over the Jordan

307
00:18:58,790 --> 00:19:03,200
River. We are forgetful. That's
why he gave us the Bible. That's

308
00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:05,960
why it's important to be
faithful and purposeful about

309
00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:09,530
gathering with God's people.
That's why we're encouraged in 1

310
00:19:09,530 --> 00:19:14,060
Thessalonians 5:17 to pray
without ceasing. We don't do

311
00:19:14,060 --> 00:19:17,390
these things to earn salvation
but to remember to stay close to

312
00:19:17,390 --> 00:19:22,460
God. We can't earn salvation.
Salvation is a gift given to us

313
00:19:22,460 --> 00:19:25,610
when we invite Jesus into our
lives as our Savior and our

314
00:19:25,610 --> 00:19:31,100
Lord. He gives this gift because
of grace or undeserved favor.

315
00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,490
What do you think? Let me hear
from you. Send a boostagram or

316
00:19:37,490 --> 00:19:40,070
call the Lifespring Family
Hotline or go to the comments

317
00:19:40,070 --> 00:19:43,850
page or write an email. Tomorrow
will be History Tuesday. We'll

318
00:19:43,850 --> 00:19:47,120
complete the book of Nehemiah
with the reading of chapters 10

319
00:19:47,150 --> 00:19:47,900
through 13.

320
00:19:50,570 --> 00:19:53,480
As always, I invite your
comments and your questions.

321
00:19:53,510 --> 00:19:56,600
Send a boostagram using a modern
podcast app, or call the

322
00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:02,390
Lifespring Family Hotline at
+1-951-732-8511. Or if you have

323
00:20:02,390 --> 00:20:04,970
a praise report or a prayer
request, and remember our next

324
00:20:04,970 --> 00:20:08,030
one won't be until this coming
Sunday, but if you have one go

325
00:20:08,030 --> 00:20:11,360
to prayer.lifespringmedia.com.
You'll find an easy-to-fill-out

326
00:20:11,420 --> 00:20:14,060
form there. And if you want to
remain anonymous, you can tell

327
00:20:14,060 --> 00:20:17,330
me that on the form. If you have
a comment or a question for me,

328
00:20:17,330 --> 00:20:19,670
go to
comment.lifespringmedia.com or

329
00:20:19,670 --> 00:20:22,370
send an email to me at
steve@lifespringmedia.com.

330
00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:35,240
Thanks to the team: Sister
Denise, Michael Haner, Scott

331
00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:38,780
Snider, Jason Paschall, and
Sister Brittaney. Jason Paschall

332
00:20:38,810 --> 00:20:42,110
did today's show art. Beloved,
thank you for inviting me to be

333
00:20:42,110 --> 00:20:45,260
a part of your day today. I
don't take it for granted. Shall

334
00:20:45,260 --> 00:20:48,830
we do it again tomorrow? Can't
wait. Until then, may God bless

335
00:20:48,830 --> 00:20:51,620
you richly. My name is Steve
Webb. Bye.

336
00:20:55,370 --> 00:20:57,890
Announcer: The Lifespring! One
Year Bible is solely supported

337
00:20:57,890 --> 00:21:00,710
by your value-for-value
donations of time, talent, or

338
00:21:00,710 --> 00:21:01,190
treasure.

339
00:21:04,220 --> 00:21:04,250
Jingle: Lifespringmedia.com/support