Day 198: As old as the mountains – Deuteronomy 11 vs 18 – 32

18 Commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 19-21 Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.

22-23 Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him. Then the Lord will drive out all the nations ahead of you, though they are much greater and stronger than you, and you will take over their land. 24-25 Wherever you set foot, that land will be yours. Your frontiers will stretch from the wilderness in the south to Lebanon in the north, and from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you, for the Lord your God will cause the people to fear and dread you, as he promised, wherever you go in the whole land.

26-28 Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse!  You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before. 29-30 When the Lord your God brings you into the land and helps you take possession of it, you must pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal.  These two mountains are west of the Jordan River in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Jordan Valley, near the town of Gilgal, not far from the oaks of Moreh. 31-32 For you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take that land and are living in it, you must be careful to obey all the decrees and regulations I am giving you today. New Living Translation (Modern English Version link)

How did Moses say the Israelites should respond to God for having rescued them out of slavery and bringing them to a good land of their own? (vs 18)

They were to have a whole-hearted commitment to His words! They were not just give a bit of thought to God's teaching on a Saturday (or a Sunday as we do), but God's word was to be part of their everyday conversation. (vs 19-21). What would such wholehearted obedience show? (vs 22-23)

It would show they wanted to love God as much as He loved them! Verses 24-25 go on to tell how much God had in store for them. He would be their provider and defender each step of the way. That's true for anyone who loves God wholeheartedly. And, in case they might forget how serious and important this all was, what did Moses instruct them to do as soon as they entered the land God was giving them? (vs 29-30)

They were to let two mountains of the region serve as reminders of the options that were ever before them. They could choose to obey, and so enjoy the ways God would bless them – or they could choose to disobey, and experience the harsh things that God warned would come upon them. God is holy and will never tolerate sin and evil. That's how serious and important this matter was. And, as you well know, mountains are conspicuous and kind of long lasting! Almost eternal. They would still be there for generation after generation as silent witnesses and reminders of the choices God had set before them.

But God has also given the world something which has lasted as long as the mountains – and which is eternal. It's the Bible. It's the record of the words He spoke through generations, and which was so perfectly visualized when Jesus came into the world. It also tells of God's provision and protection and the good things that belong to those who love Him wholeheartedly. We should talk about it's message among ourselves and our families often so we don't forget His promises. And for those who choose to ignore the Bible, though it may be silent in their daily lives, it's message remains as an enduring witness against them.