Ep. 54. Deuteronomy 8-9 | Israel's Rebellion/God's Faithfulness
EPISODE 54
ISRAEL'S REBELLION AND GOD'S FAITHFULNESS: DEUTERONOMY 8-9
Make no mistake, God's faithfulness to his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had nothing to do with the faithfulness of the Hebrew people, for they were rebellious from the day they left Egypt and maintained that course through the rest of the Bible. (notable exceptions excluded) This tells us more about God's nature than the nature of man. We aren't surprised that mankind is rebellious to God. We saw that on the third page of Scripture, we were reminded that mankind is only evil all the time before and after the flood. We have already noted how the Israelites grumbled against God before they left Egypt and then for the next forty years in the wilderness. We have seen God stirred to wrath for their disbelief, and we have already seen the Psalmist and Paul make clear for us that no one is righteous or good, not even one. But the fact God has carried these people for forty years despite their wickedness shows the faithfulness of God to his own promise. We are encouraged that if God would not reject these people based on his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then neither shall we be forsaken who come before God on the greater promise that came to us through Jesus Christ.
At the beginning of Chapter 8, we see again the command to carefully do all that God has set before them. Moses reminds the people how God tested them to see if they would rely on him. They did not. He gave them food and did not allow their clothes to wear out. He wanted them to know that "man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from God." Jesus will quote this, and several other texts from Deuteronomy, when tempted by the Devil. What does this mean that man lives by every word of God? The short of it is that God is trustworthy to do what he says he will do. The people grumbled for food in the wilderness for forty years, longing to return to the land of slavery and the delicacies there. If they had only believed God was going to bring them to the Promised Land, the manna would have tasted sweet in their waiting, but disbelief and fear made it repugnant.
I'd like to point out that we face a similar prospect. We know this world is not our home. We know we belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. We are certain Christ our Savior is coming and glory with him. He will not leave us nor forsake us. He will do for us what he has promised. And our stay upon this earth, the suffering we face, the heartache, and the brokenness all diminish in light of his coming glory and grace. If we look more to the concerns of our "daily bread" rather than the saving "word of God," we are likely to find ourselves as discontented as the Israelites in the wilderness.
So, the people did not put their confidence in God in their lack, and sadly, they would reject him in their abundance. Moses warns the people to be careful not to reject God when they get everything they had hoped for. But they do get everything, and they do reject God. This should serve as a warning to us that we won't reject God when things are all going our way. You see, this cuts both ways. In our lack, the temptation is to shake a fist at heaven; in our abundance, the temptation is indifference toward the God of heaven. We do best when we find contentment in the daily provision of our God.
God, the consuming fire went before this rebellious throng because he had promised to do so. This "consuming fire" is doubtless a call back to Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19), Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10), Korah(Numbers 16), and the rebellion of the people (Numbers 11). They have seen God deal with those who set themselves against him. The good news, again, is that you and I, by faith, get to dwell with the consuming fire, but we will come to that in Isaiah. (and I can't wait)
ADDITIONAL READING: Hebrews 12: 3-11; Romans 8:16-18; Matthew 4:1-10; Hebrews 13:5
