What God Gave Us for Our Children
August 8, 2002
Deuteronomy 29

Background

A.     Moses’ last 3 sermons

a.        Chapters 1-4 are God’s gracious history with Israel and the challenge to respond to His goodness in loving obedience.

b.      Chapters 5-26 are the Law (10 Commandments, etc.)

c.       Chapters 27-34 are Israel’s future (blessings & curses)

B.     Chapter 29 and 30 contains the covenant of God made with the “wilderness generation.” Those who had been at Sinai were under 20 years old and not considered old enough to be in the military. This group had been shepherded by God through the wilderness but never celebrated a Passover, never circumcised a male child and usually

C.     READ Deut. 30:11-16

I. Remember Your Heritage

A.     You have seen what God has done (2-3)

1.    Egypt & Pharaoh – the elders were young people at the time.

2.    Temptations: testing of Pharaoh and Israel

3.    Miracles: deliverance and preservation

B.     You have not understood what God has done (4)

1.    God hasn’t given you a heart to perceive. Why is that?

2.    "But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14

3.    "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." I Corinthians 2:12

4.    " For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." Matthew 13:17

5.    "And he said unto them, take heed what ye hear: With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given." Mark 4:24

C.     You have experienced God’s mercy (5-9)

1.    God’s guidance

2.    God’s provision

3.    God’s victories

4.    So you would know the LORD is God (i.e. none of the idols of the other nations are god)

5.    So you would keep this covenant

6.    So you would prosper

II. Surrender Your Life

A.     Who was to be under the covenant (10-11)

1.    All the leadership of every level

2.    All the wives and children

3.    All the guests

4.    All the servants

5.    All those standing before the LORD

6.    With those not standing there that day (15 - you and me)

7.    How much spiritual influence should a man have?

B.     What was the nature of the covenant (12-28)

1.    It was a Covenant and an Oath (12)

a.       God was binding Himself again to this generation though He had done that in His original covenant with Abraham.

b.      The people were asked to make this a mutual relationship

2.    To bind them to God and fulfill God’s promise to their fathers (13)

3.    To keep them from idolatry (16 – 17)

4.    To keep them from being self-deceived (18-19)

5.    To warn them about the consequences of idolatry (20-28)

a.       Add drunkenness to thirst (19)

b.      God’s anger – He will not spare (20)

c.       God’s judgment on the individual: “separated unto evil”

d.      God’s judgment on the land: (21-28)

III. Gift Your Children With God’s Gifts to You   (29)

A.     The Omniscience of God

1.    There are many things that God has not revealed to us

2.    God knew Israel’s future and He knows ours

B.     The Openness of God

1.    God has revealed Himself to us

2.    God reveals Himself to those who seek Him

3.    There is a certain mercy in His revelation of Himself. “Unto whom much is given, much will be required.” He will not reveal precious things to those who are not appreciating what they already have.

4.    These things belong to us and to our children

a.       What God has given to my grandparents is now a part of our spiritual heritage and my children’s spiritual inheritance. What my parents discovered about God was added to that. What LaVon and I have learned has been added to that.

b.      It is now our responsibility to pass it on

c.       Now it is our children’s responsibility to take it up

C.     The Obedience to God

1.    This is based on God’s character and love

2.    This is the only logical response

An observation: There seems to be three purposes in this covenant:

1.      to keep the people from idolatry

2.      to keep the people obedient

3.      to preserve the spiritual heritage from generation to generation