8. remember the lord, your god - amazon web...

Lesson#8RemembertheLord,YourGod

(9:1–11:32)

1RemembertheLord,YourGod

Aswecon)nuedtheintroductorysec)onofMoses’2ndDiscourse(Deuteronomy6-11),Lesson#7reinforcedtheShema(6:4-9),withGodimploringtheIsraelitestolovehimwiththeirwholeheart,wholebeingandwholestrength,withanabsolute,all-consumingandsingulardevo)on.

WhereastheconcerninLesson#6reflectedIsrael’sfearthatthepeopleofCanaanwouldbetoostrongforthemtodefeat,theirci)estoopowerfultooverthrow;inLesson#7theconcernreflectedGod’sfearthatonceseQledinthelandandenjoyingitsbenefits,IsraelwouldforgetGodandaQributetheirsuccesstotheirownefforts.

TocounterGod’sfearheremindedtheIsraeliteshowhehad“tested”theminthewilderness,a“tes)ng”aimedatrevealingGod’sgenuineloveforhispeople,whileprobingthepeople’smo)vesforlovingGod.


InLesson#8wecon)nueourintroduc)ontoMoses’2ndDiscourse,themainbodyofwhichcontainsavastcollec)onoflaws,ordinancesandstatutes,spanningchapters12-26.

InLesson#8wecon)nuedevelopingthethemeofobediencetoGod,anobediencerootednotinasystemofrewardsandpunishments,butinaprofoundloveofGod,alovethatreturnsinfullmeasureGod’sextravagant,magnanimousandpassionateloveforIsrael.

RemembertheLord,YourGod 3

TheIsraelitesstandpoisedontheplainsofMoab,lookingwestacrosstheJordanRivertowardJericho,onlyafewmilesaway.Itisamassive,for)fiedcity,andbeyonditliemoreci)es,strongerandgreaterthanit.

AlthoughtheIsraeliteshaddecisivevictoriesoverOgkingofBashanandSihonkingoftheAmorites,andalthoughtheyhaddefeatedtheMoabitesandMidianiteshandily,thoseenemieswereinsignificantcomparedtotheenemiesloomingbeforethemnow.


RecallwhenthetwelvescoutsreturntoMosesa_erreconnoiteringthelandinNumbers13,theyreportedthattheland“doesindeedflowwithmilkandhoney...however,thepeoplewhoarelivinginthelandarepowerfulandthetownsareforKfiedandverylarge.Besides,wesawdescendentsoftheAnakimthere”(13:27-28).

“Allthepeoplewesawtherearehuge.TherewesawtheNephilim(theAnakimarefromtheNephilim);inourowneyesweseemedlikemeregrasshoppers,andsowemusthaveseemedtothem”(13:33).

TheNephilimweredemigods,thespawnoffallenangelsandhumanwomen,“theheroesofold”(Genesis6:4).



JordanRiver

DEADSEA

MountN

ebo


“Hear, O Israel! You are now about to cross the Jordan to enter in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than yourselves, having large cities fortified to the heavens, the Anakim, a people great and tall. You yourselves know of them and have heard it said of them, ‘Who can stand up against the Anakim?’ Know, then, today that it is the Lord your God, who will cross over before you as a consuming fire; he it is who will destroy them and subdue them before you, so that you can dispossess and remove them quickly, as the Lord promised you.”

(9: 1-3)

Notme.

RemembertheLord,YourGod

We’veseenthis“warrior”GodattheRedSeaduringtheExodusandagaininthetheophanyatMt.

Sinai.ThisistheGodkingDavidknew!

So,theIsraelitesneednotfear:Godhimselfwillleadthe

invasionasthe)pofthespear,a“consumingfire”blazing

beforethem.

8

Psalm18Forthedirector.OfDavid,theservantoftheLord,whosangtotheLordthewordsofthissong,whentheLordrescuedhimfromthegraspofallhisenemiesandfromthehandofSheol,hesaid:

Iloveyou,Lord,mystrength,myrock,myfortress,mysavior.MyrockistherockwhereItakerefuge,myshield,mymightyhelp,mystronghold.TheLordisworthyofallpraise;whenIcallIamsavedfrommyfoes.

Thewavesofdeathroseaboutme;thetorrentsofdestruc)onassailedme;thetrapsofdeathconfrontedme.InmyanguishIcalledtotheLord,IcriedtomyGodforhelp.


Michelangelo.David(marble),1501-1504.Galleriadell’Accademia,Florence.

PhotographybyAnaMariaVargas

Psalm18,cont.

Fromhistempleheheardmyvoice;mycrycametohisears.Thentheearthreeledandrocked;themountainswereshakentotheirbase;theyreeledathisterribleanger.Smokecameforthfromhisnostrilsandscorchingfirefromhismouth:coalsweresetablazebyitsheat.Heloweredtheheavensandcamedown,ablackcloudunderhisfeet.Hecameenthronedonthecherubim;heflewonthewingsofthewind.

(18:1-11)



“After the Lord, your God, has driven them out of your way, do not say in your heart, ‘It is because of my justice the Lord has brought me in to possess this land, and because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord is dispossessing them before me.’ No, it is not because of your justice or the integrity of your heart that you are going in to take possession of their land; but it is because of their wickedness that the Lord, your God, is dispossessing these nations before you and in order to fulfill the promise he made on oath to you ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Know this, therefore: it is not because of your justice that the Lord, your God, is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

(9: 4-6)

Thispassageraisessomereallyinteres)ngques)ons.WhywouldGoddothisforIsrael?

• Itisnotbecauseoftheir“jus)ce.”TheHebrewwordtranslated“jus)ce”istsědaqah[tsed-ah-kah’],moreo_entranslated“righteousness.”Thatis,GodhasnotchosenIsraelbecauseoftheirrighteousac)onsorlo_ybehavior(quitethecontrary,aswe’vealreadyseen!).

• Norisitbecauseof“theintegrityof[their]heart.”Here,“integrity”isyosher[yo’-sher],doingwhatismorallyright.


True,Godsaysheisdoingthis—inpart—becauseofthe“wickedness”ofthepeoplelivingintheland:theHiotes,Girgashites,Amorites,Canaanites,Perizzites,Hivites,andJebusites(7:1).

Buttherewerecertainlypeopleequallywickedasthey,andperhapsmoreso.

So,whatisGod’smoKve?


Thatshouldn’tbeamysterytous.Godsaidplainly:

“ItwasbecausetheLordlovedyouandbecauseofhisfidelitytotheoathhehadsworntoyourancestors,thattheLordbroughtyououtwithastronghandandredeemedyou...”

(7:8)

No.TherealmysteryiswhyGodlovedIsraelinthefirstplace!

GodcomplainsrepeatedlythatIsraelisa“s)ff-neckedpeople.”TheHebrewwordisqasheh[kah-sheh’],meaning“hard,”“cruel,”“churlish,”“severe”and“obs)nate.”

AstheBri)shjournalist,WilliamNormanEwer,oncequipped:

“HowoddofGodtochoosetheJews.”



TowhichLeoRosten,theAmericanYiddishhumorist,replied:

“NotoddofGod,Goyimannoy‘im.”

Itisratherpeculiar,butthefactisthatGodfellinlovewithIsrael.IntheHebrewScripturesGod“betroths”her:

“Iwillbetrothyoutomeforever;IwillbetrothyoutomewithjusKce

andwithjudgment,withloyaltyandcompassion.

Iwillbetrothyoutomewithfidelity,andyoushallknowtheLord.”

(Hosea2:21-22)


TheSongofSongssingsofGod’spassionateloveforIsrael:“HowbeauKfulyouare,myfriend,

howbeauKfulyouare!Youreyesarelikedoves

behindyourveilYourhairislikeaflockofgoatsstreaming

downMountGilead...YouarebeauKfulineveryway,myfriend,

thereisnoflawinyou!Youhaveravishedmyheart,

mysister,mybride;youhaveravishedmyheartwithoneglanceofyoureyes.”1

(4:1,7,9)1Anero)clovepoem,theSongofSongshastradi)onallybeenreadbyJewsasanallegoryofGod’sloveforIsrael,andbyChris)ansasChrist’slovefortheChurch.

RemembertheLord,YourGod ]17

AndtheSongofSongssingsofIsrael’spassionateloveforGod:

“IamaflowerofSharon,alilyofthevalleys.

Likealilyamongthorns,soismyfriendamongwomen.

Likeanappletreeamongthetreesofthewoods,soismyloveramongmen.

InhisshadowIdelighttosit,andhisfruitissweettomytaste.

Hebroughtmetothebanquethallandhisglanceatmesignaledlove.

Strengthenmewithraisincakes,refreshmewithapples, forIamsickwithlove.”

(2:1-5)


Butlikemanypassionaterela)onships,itisatumultuous,wildlytroubledone,withIsraelbetrayingGod,herhusband,overandoveragain.InEzekiel16GodrailsatIsrael:

“Onthedayyouwerebornyournavelcordwasnotcut;youwerenotwashedwithwateroranointed...noeyelookedonyouwithpityorcompassiontodoanyofthesethingsforyou.Rather,onthedayyouwerebornyouwereleaoutinthefield,rejected.

ThenIpassedbyandsawyoustrugglinginyourblood,andIsaidtoyouinyourblood,‘Live!’Ihelpedyougrowuplikeafieldplant,sothatyougrew,maturingintoawoman...Ipassedbyyouagainandsawthatyouwerenowoldenoughforlove.SoIspreadthecornerofmycloakoveryou...Isworeanoathtoyouandenteredintocovenantwithyou...andyoubecamemine...


“Iclothedyouwithanembroideredgown,putleathersandalsonyourfeet;Igaveyouafinelinensashandsilkrobestowear.Iadornedyouwithjewelry...youwerevery,verybeauKful,fitforroyalty.YouwererenownedamongthenaKonsforyourbeauty,perfectedbythesplendorIshoweredonyou...

ButyoutrustedinyourownbeautyandusedyourrenowntoserveasaprosKtute.YoupouredoutyourprosKtuKononeverypasserby...youtooksomeofyourgarmentsandmadeforyourselfgaudyhighplaces,whereyouservedasaprosKtute...thesonsanddaughtersyouboreformeyoutookandofferedassacrifices...wasitnotenoughthatyoubecameaprosKtute?Youslaughteredandimmolatedmychildren...youdegradedyourbeautybyspreadingyourlegsforeverypasserby...youservedasaprosKtutewiththeEgypKans,yourbig-memberedneighbors...”

(Ezekiel16:1-22)


Notme.


PoorHosea.That’salousyjobto

have!

Wow!That’sverygraphic!IsraeluQerlybetraysGod,notonce,nottwice,butoverandoveragaininthemostdegradingways.God

demonstrateshispainwhenhesaystotheprophetHosea,“Go,getforyourselfawomanofprosKtuKonandchildrenofprosKtuKon,forthe

landprosKtutesitselfturningawayfromtheLord”(1:2).

21

God’spassionateloveforIsraelgoesfarbeyondanyra)onalexplana)onof“elec)on,”inatheologicalsense.AsProverbssuggests,there’snoaccoun)ngforsuchlove:

“Threethingsaretoowonderfulforme,yes,fourIcannotunderstand:

thewayofaneagleinthesky;thewayofaserpentuponarock;thewayofashiponthehighseas;andthewayofamanwithawoman.”

(Proverbs30:18-19)


UnderstandingGod’sloveforIsraelgoesalongwaytowardunderstandingbothGod’sfigh)ngforher,aswellashisfearsofabandonmentbyherandhissubsequentanger.

A_erredeemingIsraelfromcap)vityinEgypt;a_ertheExodusjourneytoMt.Sinai;a_erreaffirmingthecovenant;a_erprovidingtheLaw,writbyhisownfingerontabletsofstone;a_ergivingtheblueprintsfortheTabernacle—theIsraelitesabandonGodandturntoworshipingagoldencalf!

Andthat’swhereDeuteronomy9nowturns:



“Remember and do not forget how you angered the Lord, your God, in the wilderness. From the day you left the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious toward the Lord. At Horeb you so provoked the Lord that he was angry enough to destroy you, when I had gone up the mountain to receive the stone tablets of the covenant which the Lord made with you . . .. When I had come down again from the blazing, fiery mountain, with the two tablets of the covenant in both my hands, I saw how you had sinned against the Lord, your God, by making for yourselves a molten calf . . .

Recallthestory:



“When the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, ‘Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for that man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him. Aaron replied, ‘Take off the golden earrings that your wives, your sons, and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me. So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He received their offering, and fashioning it with a tool made a molten calf. Then they cried out, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’

(Exodus 32: 1-4)


Whywouldtheydothat?

WhenMosesclimbedMt.Sinaianddisappearedintothesmokeandthefire,40dayspassedwithoutaword.TotheIsraelitesdownbelow—includingAaron,Moses’brother—bothMosesandthisGodwholedthemoutofEgypthadapparentlyabandonedtheminthevastanddreadfulwilderness,leavingthemasfoodforthejackalsandbirds.


Iftheyaretosurvive,theIsraelitesneedastrongandcompassionategodtogetthemoutofthismess!

SotheyturntooneofthestrongestandmostcompassionategodsintheEgyp)anpantheon,agodtheyknowin)matelyfromtheirfourhundred-yearstayinEgypt:Hathor.


HathorhadbeenworshippedsincetheOldKingdom,2686-2181B.C.,longbeforeAbraham,theIsraelitesorMosesarrivedinEgypt.ThedaughterofRa,thesungod,andthewifeofHorus,Hathorappearsintwoprimaryiconographicforms:1)asawomanand2)asacow.


Asawoman,Hathor’siconographyportraysherwearingtheheaddressofasundiskandacow’shorns.

Sheiso_enreferredtoas“thegoldenone”and“sheofthebeau)fulhair.”TheGreekswilllaterassociateHathorwiththegoddessoflove,Aphrodite.

PtolomyIV(right)presenKnghimselftoHathor(center)andhersister,Isis(lea)atTempleofIsis,Philae,Egypt.

PhotographybyAndMariaVargas


Asacow,Hathorrepresentsmotherhood.HereHathorsucklesHatshepsut(lowerright)asthegodAmon(lowerle_)lookson.

Inourda)ngsystemHatshepsutistheprincesswhofishesMosesoutoftheNile,becomeshisadop)vemotherandlaterbecomesqueenofEgyptherself.

RelieffromwallofDeirel-BahrishowsHathorinbovineformasthenurturingmothergoddess.



GizaPlateau,Egypt.


!PyramidofMenkaure


eywackestatueofMenkaure.

EgypKanMuseum,Cairo.eywackestatueof

Menkaure.

EgypKanMuseum,Cairo.

PyramidofMenkaure,GizaPlateau,Cairo.


Menkaure,PharaohoftheOldKingdom’s4thdynasty,

c.2530B.C.


ThissculptedtriadshowsMenkaureflankedbytwowomen,Hathoronthelea,whoisholdingMenkaure’shandaffecKonately,andCynopolis,the17thnomeofUpperEgypt,ontheright.TheinscripKononthebasereads:“KingofUpperandLowerEgypt,Menkaure,belovedofHathor.”

EgypKanMuseum,Cairo.



TempleofHathorDeirel-Medina,WestBank,Luxor

TempleofHathorPhilaeIsland,Aswan

HathorChapel,MortuaryTempleofQueenHatshepsut,WestBank,Luxor

TempleofHathor.TimnaValley,Israel

TempleofHathorSerabitel-Khadim

Mt.Sinai


Mt.Sinai"

!Serabitel-Kadhim


TempleofHathor,Serabitel-Khadim,Sinai,Egypt.


NaturalrockformaKonatWadiel-Dir,ashortdistancefromMt.Sinai.



Hathor,Egyp)anMuseum,Cairo.


HerradvonLandsberg,“TheGoldenCalf,”HortusDeliciarum(illuminatedmanuscript),c.1180.

[TheHortusDeliciarumwasanilluminatedencyclopediacompiledbythenunandabbess,HerradofLandsbergattheHohenburgAbbeyinAlsace,France.Itisthefirstencyclopediacompiledbyawoman.Themanuscriptwasdestroyedin1870whenthemunicipallibrarythathouseditwasbombedduringthesiegeofStrausbourgh.

Fortunately,manyoftheillustra)onssurvivethankstoChris)anMoritzEngelhardt,whocopiedthemin1818.]42RemembertheLord,YourGod

Notme.


Iunderstandthat!

It’snowonder,then,thattheIsraelitesturntothe“goldencalf”—thegoddess,

Hathor—fortheyknowher.It’simportanttounderstandthatthe

Israelitesarenotworshipingtheimageitself;rather,theimageisasymbolicrepresenta)onofHathor,anicon

ofthegoddess.

43

ButworshipingHathormissesthepoint,en)rely!

Godhadproducedabundantevidenceofhispower,mightandsincerityinbringingtheIsraelitesoutof400yearsofEgyp)anslavery;inbringingjudgmentonallthegodsofEgypt;andonenteringintoacovenantrela)onshipwiththepeople,allofwhomagreedtothetermsofthecovenant.

Godaskedthepeopletotrusthim—andtheydidn’t.

AsMoses(andGod)fear,thiswillbecomeapaQern.


InDeuteronomyMosesrecountseachbetrayal:

“AtTaberah,atMassah,andatKibroth-hapaavahlikewise,youenragedtheLord.AndwhentheLordsentyouupfromKadesh-barneasaying,GoupandtakepossessionofthelandIhavegivenyou,yourebelledagainstthiscommandoftheLord,yourGod,andwouldnotbelievehimorlistentohisvoice.YouhavebeenrebelsagainsttheLordfromthedayIfirstknewyou.”

(9:22-24)


• Beforethe“goldencalf”incident,Mosesspent40daysand40nightswithGodonthemountain,ea)ngnofoodanddrinkingnowater(9:9).

• Aaerthe“goldencalf”incidentMosesspentanother40daysand40nightsonthemountain,intercedingfortheIsraelites,fortheLordhadthreatenedtodestroythem(9:25).

• Anda_ertheIsraelitessetoutfromMt.Sinai,Mosesspentyetanother40daysand40nightscon)nuingtointercedefortheIsraelites(10:10).

WithoutMoses,theIsraeliteswouldhavebeentoast!


BecauseoftheIsraelites’perniciousproclivitytoabandonGodatthedropofahat,DeuteronomyhasgonetogreatlengthstoestablishwhyGodhasenteredintoacovenantwithIsraeltobeginwith:

1.   Godlovesthem,withanextravagant,magnanimousandprofoundspousallove;and

2.   GodmadeapromisetoAbraham,IsaacandJacob,andheintendstokeepit.

LoveisGod’smo)veforhisrela)onshipwithIsrael,andhedesiresthatlovetobethemo)vefortheirrela)onshipwithhim.



“Now, therefore, Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you but to fear the Lord, your God, to follow in all his ways, to love and serve the Lord, your God, with your whole heart and with your whole being, to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord that I am commanding you today for your own well-being? Look, the heavens, even the highest heavens, belong to the Lord, your God, as well as the earth and everything on it. Yet only on your ancestors did the Lord set his heart to love them. He chose you, their descendants, from all the peoples, as it is today . . .. Recall today that it was not your children who have neither known nor seen the discipline of the Lord, your God . . . but it was you who saw with your own eyes all these great deeds that the Lord has done.”

(10: 12 – 11: 7)

Deuteronomythenclosestheintroduc)ontoMoses2ndDiscoursebyreitera)ngthe“Shema,”Israel’sfounda)onalstatementoffaith,itscredo,andthejewelinthecrownofDeuteronomy:



“Therefore, take these words of mine into your heart and soul. Bind them on your arm as a sign, and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Teach them to your children, speaking of them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up, and write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates, so that, as long as the heavens are above the earth, you and your children may live on in the land which the Lord swore to your ancestors he would give them.”

(11: 18-21)

1.   GodwillleadtheaQackonthelandofCanaan,ensuringvictoryfortheIsraelites.WhereelseinScriptureisGodportrayedasawarrior?

2.   IfIsraelistotallyinsignificantasapeopleinGod’seyes,whydidhechoosethemtobehisown?

3.   WhydotheIsraelitesconstantlyturnawayfromGod,astheyfamouslydidatMt.SinaiwhileMoseswasonthemountainreceivingthetabletsofthe“TenCommandments”?

4.   HowdoyouexplainGodbeingso“lovestruck”overIsrael?

5.   WheredoesIsraelstandtodayinGod’seyes?


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