Old Testament Vistas

Sold Out to God

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Deuteronomy 9:26-29 NETI prayed to him: O, Lord GOD, do not destroy

your people, your valued property that you have powerfully redeemed, whom you brought out of Egypt by your strength. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; ignore the stubbornness, wickedness, and sin of these people. Otherwise the people of the land from which you brought us will say, "The LORD was unable to bring them to the land he promised them, and because of his hatred for them he has brought them out to kill them in the desert." They are your people, your valued property, whom you brought out with great strength and power.

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Deuteronomy 3:24-27 NET"O, Lord GOD, you have begun to show me

your greatness and strength. (What god in heaven or earth can rival your works and mighty deeds?) Let me please cross over to see the good land on the other side of the Jordan River — this good hill country and the Lebanon!" But the LORD was angry at me because of you and would not listen to me. Instead, he said to me, "Enough of that! Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and take a good look to the west, north, south, and east, for you will not be allowed to cross the Jordan.

1. Monotheism vs. Polytheism

The Greatest Commandment

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4 NIV)

Deuteronomy 4:32-39 NLT"Now search all of history, from the time God

created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before? Has any nation ever heard the voice of God speaking from fire—as you did—and survived? Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes.

Deuteronomy 4:32-39 NLT"He showed you these things so you would

know that the LORD is God and there is no other. He let you hear His voice from heaven so He could instruct you. He let you see His great fire here on earth so He could speak to you from it. Because He loved your ancestors, He chose to bless their descendants, and He personally brought you out of Egypt with a great display of power. He drove out nations far greater than you, so He could bring you in and give you their land as your special possession, as it is today. "So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The LORD is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.

Prohibits Idolatry

Monotheism leads to the prohibition against idolatry

Deuteronomy 4:15-19 NLT"But be very careful! You did not see the

LORD's form on the day He spoke to you from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai. So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form—whether of a man or a woman, an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky, a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea. And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don't be seduced into worshiping them. …

Two Questions:

1. Are we monotheists or polytheists?

Two Questions:

1. Are we monotheists or polytheists?

2. Do we worship idols?

The Ancients Worshipped the Baal …

Do We Worship the Ball?

2. God Requires Total Devotion

The Greatest Commandment

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

(Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV)

Flow of Theology

1.One God, Yahweh

2.Love flows into obedience

3.Obedience is total

4.God reveals his will so we can know how to obey

Deuteronomy 10:12-17 NLTAnd now, Israel, what does the LORD

your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases Him, and love Him and serve Him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good. "Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 10:12-17 NLTYet the LORD chose your ancestors as

the objects of His love. And He chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today. Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn. "For the LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.

3. God Desires to Bless

Do You Want God’s Blessing?

The LORD your God will delight in you if you obey His voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.

(Deuteronomy 30:10 NLT)

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT"Today I have given you the choice

between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying Him, and committing yourself firmly to Him. This is the key to your life.