A good question to ask ourselves is: What have we seen God do that can only be explained as His activity in the world?
God reminded His people that they had witnessed Him act on their behalf. This is the foundation of His call for obedience, both for them and for us.
Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders” (Deuteronomy 29:2-3).
This passage, along with others, demonstrates that God intended His chosen people to acknowledge that the Lord, who has acted powerfully, redemptively, and providentially in their history, is the one true God. However, verse 4 says that God didn’t give them a mind that understands.
But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear” (Deuteronomy 29:4).
Witnessing God’s miraculous activity for Israel or in our lives isn’t the ultimate goal. It’s a step towards a greater purpose. We see these miracles to recognize God and his reality, and then align our lives with him.
Even though the Israelites witnessed many miracles performed by God, they couldn’t truly understand what He was doing because He hadn’t given them the ability to see it.
Dallas Willard asks an intriguing question about grace. He asks if it takes more grace to keep us aligned with God’s will or to bring us back once we’ve strayed. He believes it’s the former.
According to him, it requires more grace from God to keep us aligned with His purposes than to bring us back to them. We rely on God to help us see, hear, and have a mind to obey Him.
Today is a good day for us to seek that kind of grace. Let’s pray for God to help us with His grace and power.
Individual Responsibility
We live in turbulent times. It’s easy to think our actions are too small to matter. But Moses reminds us that one person’s behavior can impact the entire nation. Let’s explore how he explains this in the next verses.
You know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed.
You have seen their detestable things, the filthy idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, that were among them.
It may be that there is among you a man or woman or a family or tribe whose heart is already turning away from the Lord our God to serve the gods of those nations. It may be that there is among you a root sprouting poisonous and bitter growth.
All who hear the words of this oath and bless themselves, thinking in their hearts, ‘We are safe even though we go our own stubborn ways’ (thus sweeping away the moist with the dry)” (Deuteronomy 29:16-19).
It’s well-known that the Internet shows us what we’re interested in. If we’re upset about something, the Internet will give us more of it.
We might think our small acts of outrage, like a tweet or a Facebook post, don’t matter. But the truth is, even our small actions can be harmful, like a tiny poisonous root among big plants.
Glenn Clark had a significant positive influence during World War II. One of his observations about Hitler was very accurate.
He noted that Hitler wasn’t an isolated individual but a reflection of the views held by Germany at that time. According to Clark, the German people shaped Hitler, not the other way around.
When we consider our impact on society, if we encounter leaders we dislike, we should examine ourselves. It might be that our viewpoints, actions, and flaws have contributed to creating those leaders rather than them shaping us.
Hard to Understand
Some things in the Bible are really hard to understand. Many times in my life, I’ve found myself trying to explain difficult Bible questions to others. My frequent answer is, “I don’t know.”
The next verse in chapter 29 of Deuteronomy is very helpful, and it applies to understanding God’s word to us.
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and to our children forever, to observe all the words of this law (Deuteronomy 29:29).
We can only understand the things of God when He reveals them to us. That’s why it’s important to approach the Bible with humility, a willingness to obey, and a prayerful heart.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 