Christ in all the scriptures The patience of God

 Christ in all the scriptures

A work in progress   Deuteronomy 1v1-8

"On this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red Sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab".  

The commentators can hardly identify these places mentioned but the Lord knew every one.  He knows at all times where His people are.  He is with them all the way.  Not only does He know where they are, He knows how they got there, and this is the subject matter of chapter 1.  More, He knows where He wants them to be, in the promised land, enjoying the fruits of what is later described as "the glory of all lands"-Ezekiel 20v6, and v15.  They were a work in progress, and the narrative is of the patience of God, awaiting their maturity.  They have been many years into their journey, through many failures and disappointments, yet the Lord graciously brings them on.

They must learn from past failures  It has been well said that "the man who has never failed has never learned"; the secret is to learn from mistakes made, and make them aplenty they did.  The chapter exposes their failures, in terms of their faithlessness; in contrast we learn the faithfulness of God.  "To err is human", but God is perfect, yet understanding of our imperfections.  We just need to be humble enough to realise our frailties, and trust more in the God who is leading us to better things.

A journey which should have taken 11 days took 40 years because of disobedience  1v2-3

This observation from the Spirit of God is a warning to all of us.  Days became years of frustration and aimless wandering for their refusal to follow the Lord.  The Corinthian church were described as babes when they should be adults-1st Corinthians 3v1-3; the same applied to the Hebrew Christians-Hebrews 5v11-14.  We may well ask, how much time have we lost to self-will, only to find God's way is best for all of us?

The Lord marks the day, month, and year when He spoke to them through Moses  1v3

He reminds them of notable victories they had against formidable enemies (1v4).  He reminds them the Lord wants His people to progress, not stagnate (1v6).  He reminds them of the resolve and courage they must shew (as He had said at Horeb at the start of the journey) to possess the land He had prepared for them  1v7.

He reminds them that the land was their possession, given by God in covenant to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob  1v8 

God does not make covenants lightly, He does not indulge in idle words.  What He declares He will fulfil, and nothing, and no one will prevent it.  His people must be partners with the Lord in the occupation of the land.  We should remind ourselves of this land covenant to Israel, as communicated to the fathers of the nation: Genesis 12v1-3and v7; 15v18-21; 17v8; 18v18; Deuteronomy 8v7-9; Ezekiel 20v6 also 38v8v9v11v12v16v18v19; 39v3v4.  Readers should familiarise themselves with these covenant scriptures, as the reality of it and the future of it is being contested today.  The references in Ezekiel 38 and 39 are prophesies way into the future.  All who oppose the will of God will suffer the same fate as those in the past There is no contest, what God has promised will take place.  There is, and has been only partial occupation of the promised land, but it will happen just as God has decreed.  The process that will lead to the fulfilment of the land covenant starts here in Deuteronomy 1.

"The Lord your God spake unto us in Horeb saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: Turn you and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the seaside, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.  Behold I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed  after them".

"Turn...journey...go to...go in and possess!"

The Lord expects action from His people.  He set the land before them, from the river Euphrates to the river of Egypt.  Bounded in the east by the river Jordan, this is the land God gave to His chosen people-refer Genesis 15v18-21.  He even mentions the people who will be displaced to make it happen.  The full extent of that land has never yet been possessed, but it will be.  Reference to Isaiah 19v25 shows us how this will happen when Egypt and Assyria form a material and spiritual union with their hitherto enemy, Israel.  In that day in the future the Lord will exclaim, "Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance".  No matter the passage of time the Sovereign Lord will have His way. 

This is the promised land, "the land flowing with milk and honey... the glory of all lands"-Ezekiel 20.  This brings this narrative right into our modern world, when God's promises are about to be realised.  It is from this land Jesus will rule the world in a millennium of unbroken peace and prosperity.  

We are all a work in progress, God is bringing His people to perfection.  Throughout the book we shall learn of the patience of God with us as He manifests His faithfulness to us, His support, His forgiveness, His mercy, His love, His strength, His covenant promises.  In a differ it context it is written, "He which has begun a good work in you shall perform it until the day of Jesus Christ"-Philippians 1v6.  Again, "It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure"-Philippians 2v13.