It's been a few days since I've been here to my "Day by Day" blog... I guess I got a little bogged down in Numbers.... but now we have broken free into Deuteronomy! One of my favorite books of the Bible. Maybe it's because it's primarily one long sermon by Moses. He's got a real good gift for rhetoric.
The Jews name their books differently than we do. They usually name the book after the first significant word in the book. So Deuteronomy is simply called, "The Words" since the first sentence is, "These are the words that Moses spoke..." It's an appropriate title. And it reminds us that our attitude toward this book should be the same as that of the Israelites - listening. It's so hard to listen because of the daily distractions around us. Deuteronomy urges us again and again, however, to set aside the distractions and turn to God alone.
Meanwhile, I will try to set aside enough distracts to be a bit more daily with this blog. Have fun reading and listening!
I am glad to see you back! I am glad to be out of Numbers, too. The lists that you enjoy make my head spin. I do love the books of Moses and the journey of the Israelites because they are so much like me. I, too, need constant reminders to seek God. I, too, complain about the difficulties in life that are merely inconveniences of my mind. I, too, have real mountaintop experiences when I allow my heart to be opened and I really connect with God! I, too, need to be reminded that God is just, and it doesn't matter if my sin is a 'sin' in our world or not, God punishes sin. When I read, I find myself with a mixture of fear and awe for the God we worship.
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