Day 72 —  Now that we’ve passed Day 66, we have established a “habit.” So CELEBRATE our habit of daily Bible reading! We are in the THIRD month so far! Praise God!

   Day 72 – Deuteronomy 5 – 7 (Recap of the Ten, Admonishment, the Shema, Promises, God’s chosen & loved people)

These chapters are full of the goodness and sweetness  and majesty of the LORD for Israel. Attributes that made them want to promise to fear and obey Him always.   (But, alas, God knew they would/could not.)

Chapter 5 Moses reviews the Ten Commandments by first calling them together with, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.”

The people proclaim God’s glory and greatness, and claim that, what He says, “we will hear and do it.”

God answers with longing, “Oh that they had such a mind as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever.”  (Amen, for me too.)

In Chapter 6,  Moses gives the “greatest commandment.”  “HEAR, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your might.”

And HOW to do them? By keeping them in their heart, teaching them diligently to their children, talking about them when they sit in their house, walk by the way and lie down, and rise up. They should bind them as “a sign” on their hand and forehead (what they do & think). They should write time on the doorposts of their homes and on the gates.  (They are to be totally surrounded and emersed in the Words of God.)

Then follows a warning to them (and to us) that when they are in the land of good and plenty, that they should NOT forget Him, but fear and serve and love Him ONLY. And not put Him to the test.

In Chapter 7, Moses assures Israel that they are a people holy to God, “The LORD your God has CHOSEN you to be a people for his treasured possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was NOT because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his LOVE on you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that He swore to your fathers.”

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who LOVE HIM and keep his commandments to a THOUSAND GENERATIONS.”

And God goes on to list many great and wonderful promises of blessing, fruitfulness, health, freedom from enemy attack and fear.  If they would but serve and worship HIM ONLY!!