Deuteronomy 33 & 34: Servant Of The LORD
Verse of the Day: (34:5) So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.

1. Saints (33:1-25)
Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words. (33:3)

Everyone shall die, and all of us shall have our life stories that people may talk about, and so what is your life story? May our life story be that of Moses, a servant of the LORD, who loved and feared God, though he failed God many times, but God had never failed him, not even once! In Moses’ dying moment, he blessed Israel and all the tribes, and admonished and encouraged them that God truly loved them, His saints and servants, and His rich blessings shall always be upon them and their descendants when they chose to obey and fear Him. However, Moses also reminded and warned them of the grave consequences of their sins and rebellion if they chose to disobey and rebel against Him. God knew Israel including every tribe and every man, and He knows us too, even the number of hairs we have on our head, because He is our Creator. God truly loves us with an everlasting love, and His greatest desire is that we confess and repent our sins, and believe and trust in Him, and He shall be with us forever. However, if we choose to reject God, He shall eternally condemn us to fiery hell. The choice is yours! (Jeremiah 31:1-3)    

2. Shield (33:26-29)
Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places. (33:29)

Moses’ last breath was to encourage Israel to be happy and rejoicing in the Lord knowing that God was their shield, salvation and sword, and He shall always protect, save and fight for them now and forever. Indeed, God is our shield and sun, and He shall grant us grace and glory, and all things to enjoy, as we trust, obey and fear Him. (Psalms 84:9-12)

3. Servant (34:1-12)
And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, (34:10)

Moses was the greatest prophet because God knew him face to face. Throughout Moses’ life, though he was imperfect, yet he kept fearing the perfect God. Though God forfeited him from entering the Promised Land, because he disobeyed Him by striking instead of speaking to the rock for water to flow out, yet by His grace He promoted him to the perfect Promised Land, His home in Heaven. Indeed, let us be servants of the LORD who fear no one except the LORD and who preach nothing except the LORD. (Galatians 1:10)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, please help me to be Your servant who always fear and obey You.

Deuteronomy 31 & 32: Be Strong
Verse of the Day: (31:7) And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. 

1. Strong (31:1-15)
Be strong, and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake. (31:6)

Everyone must die, but the most important question is - Do you know where you are going when you die? The world may think that after death, we just vanished and life ceases, but what happen if there is life after death? Indeed, there is a God, the Creator, who creates us, and give us souls, and our souls shall either be with Him in heaven when we believe in Him, or without Him in hell when we reject Him. Moses shared with Israel that he was dying, and he endorsed Joshua to be his successor. Moses assured Joshua to be strong, because God shall fight for them, and grant them great victory. (Joshua 1:1-9) 

2. Song (31:16-30)
Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put in in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. (31:19)

God’s last command to Moses was that he shall write a song to teach Israel to worship and praise Him for who He was, and what he had miraculously done for them, especially saving their souls, the opening of the Red sea so that they be freed from the Egyptians, providing all their needs in the wilderness, and preparing them to cross the river Jordan dry so that they could overcome their enemies and possess their Promised Land. Indeed, spiritual songs are important in our worship of God as they prepare our hearts to thank Him for who He is, and what He has done for, in, through and with us. (Colossians 3:16)

3. Salvation (32:1-52)
But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. (32:15)

It was tragic that as God blessed and prospered Jeshurun (Israel), they became proud, and forsook Him, and worship the idols of the world. God judged and chastised them for their sins and pride. They failed to see that God was their Rock of salvation, and without Him, they were nothing, and they had nothing. Indeed, there is no other name, except Jesus Christ, God’s Son, who has the power to save us from our sins and eternal condemnation, and richly bless us with abundant life with Him in His home in heaven. (Romans 1:16)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, please help me to be strong and fear not as I go through life storms.

Deuteronomy 29 & 30: God Will Circumcise Thine Heart
Verse of the Day: (30:6) And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. 

1. Covenant (29:1-29)
These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. (29:1)

God’s covenant with Israel was that He shall bless and prosper them when they chose to keep His words. However, God’s anger and curses shall be upon them when they chose to rebel against Him. God warned Israel the severity of His judgment upon them, just like He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with brimstone and fire when they rebelled against Him. Today, God’s covenant is still with Israel, and He is waiting for them to repent their sins and turn to Him, so that His blessings shall be upon them. We, who are the Gentiles, too have God’s covenant, when we believe in Jesus, God’s Son, and He shall not only forgive us of our sins, but give us everlasting life with Him in heaven. (Romans 10:9-11)     

2. Circumcise (30:1-14)
And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, (30:1)

To sum up God’s dealing with Israel – God’s great and abundant blessings shall be upon them when they trust and obey Him, while His judgement and curses shall be upon them when they reject and rebel against Him. Let us therefore trust and obey God, and He shall circumcise our hearts, so that we shall love Him with all our hearts and souls. Indeed, when we trust and obey God, not only we shall receive His blessings, even our children shall receive them, when we encourage them to believe in Him. (Colossians 3:20-21) 

3. Choose (30:15-20)
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (30:19)

God is our Creator, and He makes us in His image so that we have choices and are not just robots. However, the first man and woman failed God when they chose to disobey Him, and henceforth, all have sinned and come short of His holiness. However, God has a salvation plan for man that whoever believes in Him shall never perish in hell but have everlasting life with Him in heaven. Let us choose to believe and obey Him, like Joshua, who proclaimed that, as for him and his family, they shall serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, thank You for circumcising my heart when I believe and trust in You.

Deuteronomy 27 & 28: THE LORD THY GOD
Verse of the Day: (28:58) If thou wilt not observe to do all the word of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD.

1. Law (27:1-26)
And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee. (27:3)

God’s law is perfect as He uses them to convert souls to Himself of those who believe in Him. God assured Israel that He shall lead them to cross the river Jordan dry, and fight against their enemies, and give them victory, so that they shall inherit their Promised that was overflowing with milk and honey, when they fully trusted and obeyed Him. Indeed, God’s law is to be desired than fine gold, and it is sweeter than honey, as we read and apply its principles in our lives, and therewith receiving His blessings. (Psalms 19:7-14)

2. LORD (28:1-59)
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: (28:1)

God truly loves Israel as He promises them that He shall exalt them above all nations of the world, and bless them both materially and spiritually when they humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways. He also promises them that He shall bless their labour, and open His good treasure of rain from heaven upon their land, so that they shall have bountiful and plentiful harvest not only for themselves, but also to lend to others, rather than borrow from them. However, time and again, Israel sinned and rebelled against God, and they were judged, chastised, and now they are scattered all over the world. Indeed, let us humble ourselves, pray, seek God and turn from our wicked ways, so that we shall receive His rich blessings and perfect peace. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

3. Life (28:60-68)
And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: (28:66)

God warned Israel that they shall live in doubt and fear, when they refused to acknowledge and believe in Him that He is their true and living God. Indeed, God shall grant us abundant and everlasting lives when we fully trust and obey Him, otherwise we shall be eternally condemned if we keep rejecting and rebelling against Him. (John 10:10)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, please help me to trust and obey You, the LORD, my GOD.

Deuteronomy 25 & 26: READY TO PERISH
Verse of the Day: (26:5) And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.

1. Perform (25:1-19)
And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother. (25:7)

God’s command to Israel was that they must take good care of their own kindred, and when one of them died, one of his brothers must marry his wife, so that they shall carry on their lineage. If all his brothers refused to marry his wife, she shall approach the leaders of their tribe, and they shall call them, and she shall then spit on their faces declaring that all his brothers-in-law were unwilling to carry on their lineage. It was indeed a shame to the dead man’s family. The lineage was important, because Jesus Christ, God’s Son, shall come from Israel, namely, the tribe of Judah. (Matthew 1:1-17)    

2. Perish (26:1-15)
That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there. (26:2)  

Gratitude is what God’s desires most from His people. God commanded Israel to offer their first-fruits through His priests to Him before His altar to show their gratitude to Him for His deliverance of them from the Egyptians. God called Abraham, a Syrian, to be the founding father of His nation, Israel. God knew Abraham’s heart that he was ready to perish for Him because he had the faith in Him. Indeed, let us be like Abraham, and also Esther, the Jewish Queen of Persia, who was ready to perish for her true God of Israel, and her people, the Jews. Let us therefore be ready to pray, preach and perish for our God, as our lives belong to Him, and only what is done for Him shall last forever. (Esther 4:16)

3. Praise (26:16-19)
And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken. (26:19) 

Again, God commanded Israel to love, fear and obey Him, so that His rich blessings shall be upon them and their descendants. Indeed, we are God’s special, chosen and holy people when we believe that He is the true God, and let us keep praising and thanking Him for who He is, and what He has done in, for, with and through us. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, please help me to be ready to pray, preach and perish for Your praise.

Deuteronomy 23 & 24: WASH WITH WATER
Verse of the Day: (23:11) But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again. 

1. Water (23:1-25)
If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp: (23:10)

God is clean and holy, and He desires His people to be clean and holy physically as well as spiritually. God commanded Israel to literally wash themselves with water before they entered into their camp as this was personal hygiene and for their health benefits. God also commanded them to daily wash themselves spiritually with His holy Word by obeying His Ten Commandments, that of loving others and their properties and possessions. Indeed, water represents God’s Word, and we must daily read and apply His holy Word in order to spiritually clean ourselves from the dirt of sins. (Ephesians 5:25-27)

2. Wife (24:1-16)
When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. (24:1)

Marriage is of and from God, and it is honourable for two hearts to become one heart. God commanded Israel to honour their marriages, and the only reason for divorce was for fornication and adultery. Once it was proven that the wife was unfaithful, her husband could then divorce her. It is a painful process as God commands us that marriage is for life, until death does the couple apart. In fact, God has never approved of divorce as an option, but because of the hardness of man’s heart. Let us truly love and cherish our wife, just like Christ loves and cherishes His church now and forever. (Matthew 19:3-9)

3. Widow (24:17-22)
Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge: (24:17)

God loves and cares for the weak and helpless, including the widows. Many times in the Bible, God’s holy Word, He always commands His people to love and care for the widows. Indeed, we ought to love and care for all, especially those who lost their loved ones, as it is beyond imagination how the flashbacks came to them, as they see the empty chairs and beds, that were once occupied by their loved ones. Let us truly love and care for all, and pray for those who lost their loved ones, that God shall grant them peace and comfort in this life, before they finally are reunited with their loved ones. (James 1:27)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, thank You that I am washed by Your precious blood and holy Word.

Deuteronomy 21 & 22: THE FIRSTBORN
Verse of the Day: (21:17) But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

1. Forgive (21:1-14)
Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel’s charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them. (21:8)

God is fair and just, and He shall vindicate the innocent. God commanded Israel that the elders and the priests of the city that was nearest to the corpse found on their land, offered a heifer, that had never laboured the field, for the slain, and then they would investigate the cause of his death. Even though God knew who the murderer was, yet He was testing the faith and obedience of Israel. God knows our secret sins, and let us therefore confess and forsake them, and He shall forgive us, and purify us, for His glory. (1 John 1:9-10)

2. Firstborn (21:15-21)
Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that ne may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn: (21:16)

God is not a respecter of persons. God commanded Israel that their fathers must give double portions of their inheritance to their firstborns, even though they hated them. This was God’s law to protect and honour the firstborns. Indeed, God shall richly bless us when we show no favouritism, but treat everyone equally, and obey Him. (Acts 10:34-35)

3. Father (22:1-30)
And the damsel’s father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her; (22:16)

One of God’s Ten Commandments, and the only one with a promise, is that we shall have longevity when we honour our parents. Indeed, parents are from God and they are our authority. Though they may not be perfect and godly parents, we must still obey them unless they are unreasonable and evil. God commanded Israel of how they must love others and their properties and never to commit dishonest or wicked deeds. One of the commands was concerning marriage, and unless the wife had committed fornication, the only reason for divorce, the father of the wife must protect her from her husband’s false accusation. This was not only to protect the innocence of his daughter, but also to make sure that her reputation was honoured. Children, let us honour and respect our parents as they raise us up for God’s glory. Let us, as parents, love and raise our children in God’s way, so that they shall know Him, and make Him known to others. (Ephesians 6:1-4)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, thank You that You are the Firstborn, my Saviour, who died for me.
 

Deuteronomy 19 & 20: THE CAPTAIN
Verse of the Day: (20:9) And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people. 

1. Cities (19:1-21)
Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee. (19:7)

God commanded Israel to separate three cities from all the cities that they conquered so as to protect the alleged murderers until they were proven guilty by witnesses and evidence. Our God is a just and loving God, and He shall protect and preserve the innocent until they are proven guilty. However, we are all sinners, and though God loves sinners, He hates sins. This is why God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, and whoever believes in Him shall never perish, but have everlasting life with Him in heaven. Thank God that He loves us so much that He shall keep us safe on earth, and one day, He shall promote us to His holy city in heaven. (Revelation 21:1-4)

2. Chariots (20:1-4)
When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (20:1)

Everyone fears the unknown, and most of us fear death, and Israel was no different. They feared their enemies who had more horses and chariots than them, and they thought they shall never prevail against them, and possess their Promised Land. However, God kept encouraging them to look to Him, and assured them that He was with them, and He shall fight for them, and grant them victory over their enemies. Let us never trust in chariots or horses or material wealth, but in God who never fails us, not even once. (Psalms 20:7-9)

3. Captains (20:5-20)
And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. (20:5)

Though God is a holy and just God yet He is also a loving and kind God as He commanded Israel that those who had new houses or just planted vineyards or just married, to return and enjoy their houses, vineyards or wives. He also commanded those who were fearful not to join the army as they might demoralise the rest of the army. God then appointed captains to lead the armies, and commanded them that they shall destroy all their enemies except the women, the children, the livestock and possessions. God loves and cares for Israel, and He is the Captain who shall lead them to victory and possess their Promised Land. Indeed, Jesus is the Captain of our salvation, and He shall lead us to victory over temptations as we follow Him to the end. (Hebrews 2:9-10)
 
Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, thank You that You are the Captain of my salvation now and forever.

Deuteronomy 17 & 18: A PROPHET
Verse of the Day: (18:18) I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

1. Priest (17:1-20)
And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment: (17:9)

God chose the priests, the descendants of Aaron, from the tribe of Levi, not only to serve at His sanctuary, but also to judge the affairs of Israel, and passed judgments upon them. Though these priests, like the Levites, had no inheritance, yet God was their spiritual inheritance, and had commanded the rest of the tribes to provide for all their needs by offering them the first-fruits of their crops or livestock. Today, we who believe in Jesus Christ are God’s priests, and are blessed with His wisdom and insights to judge and discern the affairs of others, and help them to resolves their differences. In fact, one day, in heaven we shall judge the angels. Let us therefore thank God for redeeming us from our sins, and choosing us to be His priests and judges for His glory. (1 Corinthians 6:1-8) 
  
2. Perfect (18:1-14)
Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. (18:13)

God commanded Israel to be perfect before Him and to obey Him and His commandments, and never to worship idols and commit wickedness before Him. In fact, there were some who rebelled against Him, and worshipped idols of other nations, and even followed their evil ways by offering their children as sacrifices to these idols. God therefore judged and destroyed them for all their wicked deeds. Indeed, God’s blessings shall only be upon us as we strive to be perfect and holy before Him. (1 Peter 5:10-11)

3. Prophet (18:15-22)
The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; (18:15)

God knows the hearts and souls of man since He creates man. This is why though He knows the first couple, Adam and Eve, would choose to disobey Him, He had a redemption plan for them and the rest of mankind by the offering of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for our sins so that we shall be reconciled to Him when we believe and receive Him as our personal Saviour. Even before Jesus came, God also prophesied to Israel that one day there shall be Prophet, who was none other than Jesus, from their own people, to come to this earth to preach and minister to them, and eventually to die on the cross and shed His precious blood for the sins of the whole world. Whoever truly believes in Him shall never perish, but have everlasting life with Him in pearly heaven. (Acts 3:22) 

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, thank You that You are my Prophet, Priest and my personal Saviour.

Deuteronomy 15 & 16: THE LORD’S RELEASE
Verse of the Day: (15:2) And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’s release.

1. Release (15:1-23)
And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day. (15:15)

The LORD’s release is like the LORD’s redemption for our sins. As God, by His great love for Israel, miraculously delivered them out of slavery in Egypt and to their Promised Land, He commanded them to likewise release the debts their fellow Hebrews owed them, at the end of every seven years, so as to demonstrate not only their love for them, but their love for Him. Indeed, by God’s great love and amazing grace, He fully redeems us from our sins and fiery hell, and purifies us to be His peculiar people zealous of good works, and one day, He shall promote us to His glorious home in heaven. (Titus 2:11-15)
  
2. Rejoice (16:1-11)
And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there. (16:11)

God commanded Israel to rejoice in Him for His everlasting love and deliverance of all their troubles, especially His great deliverance of them out of Egypt, by observing the Passover and offering sacrifices to Him. God also commanded them to observe the feasts of unleavened bread, the feast of weeks and the feast of tabernacles, three times a year, where all the males shall offer their sacrifices, as He had blessed them with, before Him at the place where He chose. Indeed, let us rejoice in God always, in good and bad time, all the time, as He is always with us, and has never leave nor forsake us. (Philippians 4:4)
 
3. Remember (16:12-22)
And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes. (16:12)

God commanded Israel to observe the Passover because He desired them to remember that without Him they were nobody, and could do nothing. In fact, time and again, Israel forgot God and rebelled against Him, and He had to judge and chastise them, until they remembered that there was no one, except Him, their only hope and help, who could help them in all their troubles. Indeed, let us remember to thank God for His Son, Jesus Christ, who died and shed His precious blood for our sins, so that we are miraculously delivered from eternal condemnation, and are bound for glorious heaven. (Ephesians 2:11-17)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, thank You that I am released and redeemed by Your precious blood.