9/7 Reading (Deuteronomy 10-12; Acts 25)

Deuteronomy 10: Moses retells when he had to do the ten commandments for the second time after the Golden Calf incident.

Now in light of all that, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? Only this: to revere the Lord your God by walking in all his ways, by loving him, by serving the Lord your God with all your heart and being, and by keeping the Lord’s commandments and his regulations that I’m commanding you right now. It’s for your own good! (CEB Study Bible, p. 280 OT; Deut 10.12-13)

I like those two verses. It seems so simple, yet it’s a challenge every single day to follow this. There’s another part that really resonates with me, especially with what’s going on in the US right now:

He enacts justice for orphans and widows, and he loves immigrants, giving them food and clothing. That means you must also love immigrants because you were immigrants in Egypt. (CEB Study Bible, p. 281 OT; Deut 10.18-19)

The NRSV version uses the word “strangers” in place of “immigrants,” but the message is the same. It’s important for us to help those in need. We should not turn our backs on the most vulnerable. Yet, that’s what is happening at the highest levels in our country.

Deuteronomy 11: Moses reminds everyone what God did to their enemies during the 40 years in the wilderness. Moses continues to stress the importance of following God’s laws and doing what he says. Moses then tells them what will happen if they follow God’s word:

If you carefully keep all this commandment that I’m giving you, by doing it, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in all his ways, and by clinging to him, then the Lord will clear out all these nations before you. You will inherit what belonged to nations that are larger and stronger than you are. Every place you set foot on will be yours: your territory will run from the wilderness all the way to the Lebanon range, and from the Euphrates River all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand up to you. Just as he promised, the Lord your God will make the entire land deathly afraid of you wherever you advance in it. (CEB Study Bible, p. 282 OT; Deut 11.22-25)

The chapter ends with Moses putting a blessing and curse on the land.

Deuteronomy 12: Now we get to a retelling of the regulations and case laws from exodus. This chapter is all about the importance of worshiping at the place that God selects. This will be the place where they sacrifice everything and bring everything. Because of possible distance problems for people, God allows them to still slaughter animals for food away from where they will do sacrifices. The people are also warned to destroy everything from the previous Gods.

Acts 25: Paul’s fourth defense speech, this time in front of Roman governor Porcius Festus and Jewish chief priests in Caesarea. Similar to the previous chapter, but to a different governor. Nothing really new to reflect on. The main thing is that Paul says that he wants to speak directly to the King (Caesar). King Agrippa is informed about Paul and he wants to speak to him directly.