Lesson 125 - Senior

Memory Verse

"Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours" (Deuteronomy 11:24).

Cross References

I Individual Responsibility

1. God commanded Israel to love Him, keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always, [DEU:11:1], [DEU:11:8], [DEU:11:13]; [DEU:10:12].

2. Israel had seen the great acts of God in their behalf and so became responsible to God for that knowledge, [DEU:11:2-9]; [DEU:5:3-4], [DEU:5:22-24]; [DEU:26:16-19]; [PS:119:130]; [1PE:1:2]; [2CO:4:6].

II God's Strength

1. God commanded Israel to keep His commandments that Israel would be strong and could possess the land of promise, [DEU:11:8-9], [DEU:11:18-25]; [JOS:1:8-9]; [PS:19:7-11].

2. The terror of God was to go before Israel to help them possess the land, [DEU:11:23-25]; [DEU:28:7]; [JOS:2:9-11].

3. Israel was told to treasure the Word of God in their hearts and to teach it to their children that God might bless them all their lives, [DEU:11:18-21]; [PRO:4:20-22]; [PRO:6:20-23]; [PS:78:5-8]; [ISA:38:19].

4. If Israel forsook God, God said He would forsake them, and send them evil for good, [DEU:11:16-17]; [JOS:23:11-13], [JOS:23:15-16]; [LUK:21:34-36].

III Land of Promise

1. The land of God's promise was a land which God Himself cared for and blessed, [DEU:11:10-15]; [PS:65:9-13]; [PS:104:13-15]; [2CH:16:9]. 2. The land of promise in its abundance of material blessing was typical of the fullness of the Christian life, [PS:81:13-16]; [EZE:34:14]; [NEH:9:24-25]; [ISA:58:11].

Notes

The Duty of Man

"Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Sinful man is reluctant to acknowledge his duty to God, and would plead ignorance of God, and the laws of God, if he could. There is no excuse before God, yet God does not bring man to an accounting of his ways until he has had at least some knowledge of God, by His Word or the preaching of the Gospel or through God's handiwork, for He "lighteth" every man who cometh into the world.

Speaking to Israel God told them they were to love Him, keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments, because they had seen all the great acts of the Lord. Here Israel was called to the day of recognition of their responsibilities to God. They had seen His mighty hand, His power, His glory; they had heard His voice; and now they were told to act in that knowledge. Such is the call of every man to the saving knowledge of Christ. He is called; he receives knowledge of God. That knowledge becomes responsibility; and from then on he must walk in that knowledge.

One old man of God has well said that the best possible good we can receive is to know God, and to obey Him. So with Israel: they had been called from slavery into freedom, from darkness into light. When a soul has been awakened by God to his sinful status in the eyes of God, he cannot but admit his need of a Saviour. To admit that need is an incentive to do the will of God, which is believing the story of Christ, and His redeeming grace.

Strength in God's Word

God gave Israel a second reason why they should keep His commandments: "that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it." The constant reiteration of God of His continual willingness that His presence should be a comfort to His people, His continual concern for Israel that they should not become discouraged because of the trials of life, His many reminders of His own power and might which was theirs for the asking, are ample proofs that man is a weak character when left to his own devices and that he needs God's strength in his life.

The destroying effects of sin in men's hearts eventually bring total destruction to the morals of the soul. It is only as our lives are entrusted to the hands of God that sin is destroyed, and real morality and virtue are yielded in our lives. Therefore God told them to keep His commandments, that they might be strong and possess the land. The righteousness of the Christian is the righteousness of Christ. Our morality, our virtue, our holiness are of Christ, and He is our strength and power. (Read [ROM:8:3-4].)

We are told in Psalm 19, "The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping them there is great reward."

Peter the Apostle was a brave man from a purely human standpoint, but he did not let the admonition of Christ sink deep enough into his soul. He had to learn the lesson that Christian courage is a higher call than that of action. Peter's denial of Christ was such a revelation to himself that he learned his lesson well: that the battle of life is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness, and the rulers of darkness. (Read [EPH:6:10-12].) He then went on to become a hero of the faith because the Word of God was his strength.

The world is full of people who have much head-knowledge of Bible precepts and teachings, yet are unable to withstand the onslaughts of sin in their lives. God told Israel to lay up His words in their hearts and souls, and to teach them to their children, that their days might be multiplied, that the blessings of God would be in their lives, and that they could inherit the land God gave them. So today it is heart-knowledge of Christ that brings the blessing of God into the lives of men, not just purely academic achievement. Children taught the Word of God, admonished by it in their homes, and taught to honour God in their lives, generally live honourable and useful lives in their adult years. Therefore God's injunction to keep His commandments was an absolute necessity for Israel, for therein lay their strength to possess the land; and therein lies the strength of every child of God today.

God's Watchful Eye

The land of promise was a land rich beyond comparison in its natural abundance. God said it was "a land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year" (Deuteronomy 11:12). This land was supplied with natural rain in contrast with the practice of irrigation the Israelites had been forced to use in Egypt with the usual labour which it entailed.

The land yielded its goodness and abundance spontaneously, for God blessed it with His special divine providence. This blessing of material abundance was an example for Israel and all men, in order for them to learn the spiritual truth of the rewards of serving God wholeheartedly.

God said He would give this land the early and the latter rain in due season, that they might gather in their corn, their wine, and their oil. The early rain and the latter rain are typical of the baptism of the Holy Ghost given to the sanctified hearts of men and women who have dared to be strong in God's commands. The corn of the land typifies the food of the Christian, the Word of God. This with the abiding presence of God is his daily food. Job said of the Lord, "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12). The wine and oil represent the Spirit of God. How rich is the life of the man or woman who has dared to obey God's command and has gone in and possessed the land of his spiritual heritage in Christ. The promise of God is, "Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be your's."

The eye of God is always upon His children, to do them good. The Christian life is like a well-watered gar-den, yielding its peaceable fruit of righteousness. The Psalmist well describes the blessing of a child of God when he says, "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper" (Psalm 1:3).

Questions

1. Can any man plead total ignorance of the laws of God? Why?

2. What was the reason God gave to Israel that they should love Him and keep His charge?

3. God gave Israel a second reason why they should keep His commandments. What was it?

4. What is human courage? and what is Christian courage?

5. Why did God desire Israel to have the Word of God in their hearts and not just in their heads?

6. Why did God wish Israel to teach the precepts of the Word of God to their children?

7. Describe the Promised Land as to its fruitfulness.

8. How did the Promised Land differ from Egypt as to rainfall?

9. Did it make any difference whether God watched over the land or not? Why?

10. How does the corn, the wine, and the oil of the Promised Land typify the life of a Christian?