There are only two types of people in the world: blessed & cursed. Which one are you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 10 Q. Will God permit such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished? A. Certainly not. He is terribly angry about the sin we are born with as well as the sins we personally commit. As a just judge he punishes them now and in eternity. He has declared: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Summary We gladly confess that our only comfort is that we belong to the Lord, but this comfort carries with it an obligation. The people of Israel were just coming to this conclusion as well in our passage today. They'd recently been freed from their slavery in Egypt, but even though they were now free, they were not independent. Having been freed from Pharaoh meant that they now belonged to the one who freed them: the Lord. God makes clear the obligation their freedom bound them to in v9-10: Keep silence and hear, O Israel: this day you have become the people of the Lord your God. You shall therefore obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today. God then commands that as His people cross the Jordan and enter the promised land, that they must be reminded of God's law in the way God most often prescribes: they must hear it proclaimed in a loud voice (v14). Twelve prohibitions are to be announced to the people, and they must affirm each one with a vow we rarely think twice about saying: the simple word Amen, which means may it be so. Crossing these twelve commands, each of which has a myriad of implications, would result in the strongest punishment possible: a divine curse. Dig Deeper In our passage today, notice that the word cursed is passive. This means that disobeying God's commands doesn't mean that you will be punished in the future, but that sin changes the relationship you are currently in with God. To be cursed is to be estranged from God. So often we turn to the Bible for a quick pick-me-up or a reminder of God's love and providence for us, so it might seem jarring to you to hear these stark words God wants proclaimed in a loud voice. But it's important for you to be reminded often of the cursed condition you've put yourself in by breaking God's commands, especially since you've so often responded with the promise of "Amen" when you've heard God's law read! It's not until you fully understand the magnitude of the curse that you'll fully appreciate how massive God's grace is: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” - Galatians 3:13 AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Holy Father, who blesses those who obey, and declares unrepentant sinners to be cursed. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be silent & listen to the Lord (v9) and obey His commands. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 2

Deuteronomy 25:13-16 speaks to a time before digital scales or prepackaged goods.

Everyone wants to enjoy long life, but few people truly know how. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary What a perfect passage to begin a another year of reading through the Bible with! Moses spoke these words to Israel just as they were about to cross the Jordan river to posess the Promised Land. In these words, God speaking through Moses gives His people (both Israel and us) the key to enjoying long life: that you, your children, and their children "may fear the LORD your God... by keeping all of His decrees and commands (v2)." These promises of enjoying a long life in which things "go well" and in which "you may increase greatly" clearly are made in general terms. Normally, blessings will follow obedience, but not in every specific situation. Sometimes faithful saints will experience long periods of frustration or even early death, while other times those who have no fear for God will seem to prosper. What's really interesting about these words is that the key to enjoying the good life doesn't just involve blindly following commands, but rather the good life is rooted in theology. Truly successful people must fear God; that is, they must know both who and what God is, as well as how we as people relate to Him. Today we begin our year long study of theology with this basic truth that God's people have been reciting since they stood on the banks of the Jordan: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Dig Deeper You may not be on the cusp of settling into a new land, but we are beginning a new year, so it's a good time to take stock and reset your course where needed. Notice here that as Moses prepares Israel to move in that he mentions nothing about the hard work or logistics that will be needed to feed and house all of the people. Certainly these things are important and necessary - in fact, if you keep reading this passage, God promises to provide these things (v10-12) - but housing and food production are not the top priorities. The priority God gives us, His people, is to first of all know Him (which is a lifelong endeavor). This priority is the one which must "be on your hearts." The second priority then is to teach this theology to the subsequent generations. How will your new year reflect these top priorities? This first, foundational theological lesson - that God is one - doesn't seem complicated or even profound, but understanding this is critical. Sin seeks a multiplicity of gods, all of which have the intent to derail you from these top priorities of knowing the true God and helping the coming generations to know Him. Sin wants to dominate all of your heart, soul and strength. The best way to stay focused is to do what you're doing right now - learning theology directly from God's Word as you study it throughout the week and hear it preached on the Lord's Day. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you end 2023 and begin 2024, that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

To begin with, this version of God's Law here in Deuteronomy 5 helps illustrate that the concept that This version of the commandment in Deuteronomy 5 also helps us understand the ultimate goal of the Sabbath

If even secular Uncle Sam can trust God, how much more can you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 101 Q. But may we swear an oath in God’s name if we do it reverently? A. Yes, when the government demands it, or when necessity requires it, in order to maintain and promote truth and trustworthiness for God’s glory and our neighbor’s good. Such oaths are approved in God’s Word and were rightly used by Old and New Testament believers. Summary Our passage today comes in a context in which God's magnificent grace has been on display. God had brought His people, seventy in all, into Egypt four centuries earlier, and they had grown into a large nation. He overthrew their slave masters, and all the people had to do was watch the miracles unfold. He gave them His law, and then extended them mercy when they immediately broke it in one of the most heinous ways possible. God's grace came freely to them as it has to you, but though you've obtained it no cost, there are obligations you must fulfill as a recipient of this grace: Fear the Lord your God; Walk in obedience to Him; Love Him; Serve Him with all of your heart and soul; Observe the Lord's commands and decrees. Notice why Moses says you must keep these obligations: The heavens, earth and everything in them belong to the Lord (v14); The Lord set His affections on you and loves you (v15); He is the God of gods and the Lord of lords (v17); He defends the defenseless among us (v18); All of those things, AND: The Lord's commands and decrees have been given for your own good (v13) Dig Deeper We come to this passage today in the context of understanding when it's proper to swear an oath in the Lord's name. Granted, of all of the worries, challenges, and problems you have on your plate right now, knowing when it's ok to put your hand on the Bible and swear "So help me, God" probably isn't high on your priority list. But take a moment to just take in the fact that even our highly secularized government and society recognize the power of God's name and ask people to officially obligate themselves accordingly by swearing an oath in God's name. If Uncle Sam can trust God in this way, how much more can you? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the God of gods and Lord of lords; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for His massive displays of grace, both in the Bible and in your own life, and pray that whether under oath or not, you will live up to His expectations; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Timothy 1

on the Sabbath. 17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” 18

Bible.com Matthew 1:18–25 (NASB95) 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary

I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. 18  And you will Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome

Image Credit: Ivan Bandura via Unsplash Leviticus 19:1–18 (NIV) 19 The L ORD said to Moses, 2   “Speak Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. 18  “ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear

Logos.com 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (NIV) 12  Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13  taken away. 17  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18