Main Verse: Deuteronomy 29

Good morning

            The Moabites were descendants of Abram’s cousin Lot through an incestuous affair with Lot and his daughter; the meaning of the name is loosely translated as, “From my father”. In Moab you could do anything you wanted to, live anyway you wanted to, worship any god you wanted to, and bow down to any idol but, it came a price usually with the people getting trapped in sin like a bird in a trap. So, when Israel travelled through the land, the King felt threatened because the Israelites could not be controlled unless something could be done to stop Israel in their tracks enter, Balaam (Numbers 22:5-6). Balaam could not curse the Israelites because the Lord God had blessed them (Numbers 23:8-10). So, drawing the people away from the Lord had to be done nefariously by making a pig’s snout to be like a silk purse; in essence, the Moabites’ lures played to the carnal desires (Proverbs 7:6-23). Each Israelite had to choose who they would serve, and no number of corporate renewals would ever be enough to ensure the people stayed the course. The Israelites were told to get rid of the idols they had collected in Moab to which some were obedient, but many others were not which caused unending headaches for the nation (Joshua 24:23).

            The Lord, in contrast to Moab, shines a light on the mess we are in lumps, bumps, warts, and all without judging askes the question, “Is this want for the rest of your life or would you like to be free?”. The Lord’s version of freedom is not a “Free for all”, it is life lived in obedience and faithfulness to the Lord’s covenant laws (Exodus 20:1-10). Today, you have the same choice to make, “Live for the Lord or live as you have been.” We are living in extremely difficult times just as the seven churches had two millennials ago (Matthew 24:6-13). I encourage you today to make your election and live by your conviction either in the Kingdom of God or in the kingdom of the world you cannot live by both sets of rules (Matthew 6:24). Behold I stand at the door and knock if any human hears my voice and open the door, I will come in to him/her and will sup with him/her (Revelations 3:20).

I.H.S.

MK

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