Deuteronomy 7-9; Mark 11:19-33
Imagine being born in the desert. Imagine not having a home. Imagine your whole family, your whole village, your entire ethnic group, packing up every couple days for the next oasis.
What if you had been one of these “children of Israel”? What if your mom and dad had been slaves in Egypt? What if your grandparents had been slaves? And now you don’t have to be that.
You’re on the threshold of the place God has called you to. Right on the edge of the promise this God made to your great-great-great-great-great grandpa. This is Deuteronomy.
And now isn’t this a curious part: These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you. Thank you, Mr. Obvious Deity. Thanks for saving us from slavery for this. Thanks for promising us something we can’t have.
This ever happen to you? Ever find yourself stuck in a place where the obstacles between you and what God has promised are “greater and more numerous than you”? Maybe the whole Christian thing is a tease. All these promises of peace and joy and genuine love are just the carrot on the end of the stick to keep me a good person. Maybe. Maybe not.
Maybe there’s something more.
Look just a few verses later: You are a holy people, who belong to Yahweh your God. Who do you belong to? Because knowing who you belong to is fundamental to the Christian life. Who you belong to matters because, when the obstacles are bigger and more numerous than you, that Person is bigger and stronger than the obstacles.
What do you think?
Fiftyeight 