Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Be With Me is a daily 7 minute chronological walk through the New Testament hosted by Michael Smith. It is for everyone who is curious about what Jesus actually said and did in the gospels. Most episodes will leave you with at least one good thought to chew on for the rest of the day. We start with the Bible and hopefully end with Awe. We are walking through the chronological events of Jesus' life and then thoughtfully considering them. It is meant to spur the devotional life of the Christian and the not-yet-Christian. We occasionally venture into the Old Testament when it helps our understanding of the New Testament events. Everybody has 7 minutes. Everybody needs to wonder. Be With Me is hosted by Michael Smith who has absolutely no special qualifications to do a podcast. He is not a pastor. He has not been to seminary. He does not lead a mega-church. He is not a professional and he has no more credentials than you do. He does, however, follow a great God with an observant eye and a curious heart. Each day, he starts with a study bible and aims for astonishment. ‘be with him’ for 7 minutes as he sets out daily to discover the God who invites us to ‘Be With Me.’
Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
What if God sees every decision you make? S29e66 Dt27:9
God makes a nationwide morality play in Deuteronomy 27 and 28. ½ the people play the good guys, and ½ the nation plays the bad guys. The whole country literally has a part. They stand on the dividing lines of good vs. evil.
Everybody speaks so that they understood the choice before them. Everybody understands the consequences.
Don't we all similarly understand that we get to choose, but choose under the watchful eye of the Lord.
https://youtu.be/RNsovf2lf3I
What if God sees every decision you make? S29e66 Dt27:9
God is setting up a morality play. Everybody has their place. ½ play the good characters. ½ play the bad characters.
Choose between Good and evil. 25x day. God sees it all.
God is not mocked Galatians 6:7
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
Good stuff generally follows obedience. Opens the treasury to those who come to him with open hearts.
CURSES follow the disobedient.
Commanded in our official passage in Dt 27 and 28. Obeyed in Josh 8
Pictured by a moment Joshus gets to the promised land. Shekem. Mt. Ebal 1 mile north, Mt Gerizim 1 mile south. Ark in the middle. Read the word. Read the bible. Decide. Choose. Decisions. Agency . Consequences. You have lots of knowledge. Life is a lot of do’s and don’t dos.
Josh 8: 33 And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lordhad commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.
Curses for those who disobey Chapter 27
Cursed when you come in and go out
BECAUSE you have forsaken Me.
9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Keep silence and hear, O Israel: this day you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 You shall therefore obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”
11 That day Moses charged the people, saying, 12 “When you have crossed over the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 And the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:
15 “ ‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
16 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
17 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
18 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ (FEAR THE LORD) TREAT OTHER AROUND YOU LIKE YOU ARE STAINDING UNDER THE LORD. Lev 19:14.
19 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
20 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s nakedness.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
21 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
22 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
23 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
24 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
25 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
26 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Chapter 28 You will only go up, not down.
Bless you high above all nations 28:1
Joshua does exactly what is prescribed in Dt. 27 and 28.
Every person of Israel, by tribe was involved in this morality tale
Like a play. Every person plays a physical part. Why?
So you remember the big stuff.
I am beholden to the commands of God
He is serious about His relationshiop with us Israelites
I get a choice every day as I walk down the road in kindness, justice sexuality, moral conduct, financial conduct
GOD SEES IT ALL. It is all done before Him
How would your life change if you knew that God sees every decision. God has a mountain for you to stand on, stand before.
Reminds me of the two guys on your shoulder talking to. You before every bigdecision. Temptation to do wrong thing. Call to do the right thing. God allowing both . God witnessing
What if God sees every decision? Should I abuse the blind guy on the road. I certainly can…but what if I know that I stand before God and He sees how I treat him.
Your relationship with holy behaviors parallel your attitude towards Him
You must live in the stew of your decisions, and the consequences of your decisions. Generally good follows good. Curse follows evil. Sometimes there is grace, forgiveness, lack of fruit. But these are exceptioins.
We live before blessing and curse predicated by our decision. Natural order. BUT ALL DONE UNDER THE WATCHFUL eye. Live like it.
Blessings and Curse
Who can earn a righteous place before a holy God? Isaiah put a coal to his mouth, and so should we. No one makes it on their own merit. Every one of faith makes it on the merit of Jesus, who took the curse upon himself
Because we make it on the merit of Jesus does not mean that we should abuse the lesson of today . God sees every decision. Figured perfectly like lady wisdom calling out between these two mountains, Evil activity and cursing on one side.
Good Evil Decide wisely. .