Covenant, Remember and Obey

INTRO

My prayer is that the Lord would continue to speak to you and that this study is not a legalistic thing but about the heart condition. Remember, God is going to test your heart. After He tests you, He teaches you. Some of us are going through a discipline phase right now, but after that comes the fruit.

TEACHING

Deuteronomy 10: The covenant was renewed (vv. 1–11), and the Israelites were told what it would take to walk this out (vv. 12–22).

Deuteronomy 11: The Israelites were to remember the things God had done for them and to obey His instructions. They were told they would be a blessing if they obeyed and a curse if they did not.

Deuteronomy 12:1–7: MacArthur observes that “Moses then explained specific laws that would help the people subordinate every area of their lives to the Lord.”¹Moses instructed them to follow these statutes and ordinances. They had not gotten into the Promised Land yet, but they been told it was already theirs (v. 1). When they arrived, they were to destroy completely all the nations that were worshipping their gods, everywhere—the mountains where they worshipped their false gods and the trees that symbolized fertility (v. 3), and their altars, their pillars, and their carved images (v. 4). This would allow the Israelites to worship the Lord. We don’t have Asherah poles today, but we do have to be careful that things don’t pull us away from the Lord (Ephesians 4:27). Instead, they were to go to the place of God’s choosing for the tabernacle (v. 5).

The tabernacle moved from place to place:

• Joshua 18:1: “The entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh where it set up the tent of meeting there; the land had been subdued by them.”
• Joshua 18:10: “Joshua cast lots for them at Shiloh in the presence of the LORD where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.”
• Joshua 8:30: “At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
• Joshua 24:1: “Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem and summoned Israel’s elders, leaders, judges, and officers, and they presented themselves before God.”
• 1 Samuel 7:6: “When they gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out in the LORD’s presence.”
• 1 Samuel 21:1–6: “David went to Ahimelech the priest at Nob. Ahimelech was afraid to meet David, so he said to him, ‘Why are you alone and no one is with you?’ David answered Ahimelech the priest, ‘The king gave me a mission, but he told me, “Don’t let anyone know anything about the mission I’m sending you on or what I have ordered you to do.” I have stationed my young men at a certain place. Now what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever can be found.’ The priest told him, ‘There is no ordinary bread on hand. However, there is consecrated bread, but the young men may eat it only if they have kept themselves from women.’ David answered him, ‘I swear that women are being kept from us, as always when I go out to battle. The young men’s bodies are consecrated even on an ordinary mission, so of course their bodies are consecrated today.’ So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from the presence of the LORD. When the bread was removed, it had been replaced with warm bread.”
• 2 Samuel 6:12: “It was reported to King David: ‘The LORD has blessed Obed-edom’s family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.’ So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom’s house to the city of David with rejoicing.”
• Psalm 132:13–14: “For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His home: ‘This is My resting place forever; I will make My home here because I have desired it.’”

The tabernacle moved from place to place, even after the Israelites settled into the Promised Land. The takeaway from this was to tear down the altars, smash the pillars, cut down the carved images of gods and wipe out their names. I know we don’t have altars and carved images, but there may be places in your life where you might be tempted by the devil. Remove them! Ephesians 4:27 explains: “and don’t give the Devil an opportunity.”

Let’s take a right turn here. Look at John 2:18–22: “So the Jews replied to Him, ‘What sign of authority will You show us for doing these things?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and I will raise it up in three days.’ Therefore, the Jews said, ‘This sanctuary took 46 years to build, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body. When He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. And they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made.”

The tabernacle later became the temple, but the sanctuary Jesus was talking about is Himself. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and took up residence among us.” We went from a portable tabernacle to a stationary Temple to Christ in us. In Deuteronomy 12:5, Moses was giving a prophetic word about Jesus becoming the sanctuary and then dwelling within us. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” Now, your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 5 and 6 say we should be teaching this message in order to equip others—we are a walking sanctuary of the Holy Spirit wherever we go!

Deuteronomy 12:8: Do what is right in His eyes, not yours. We don’t have the authority to do what is right in our own eyes and not do what is right in His eyes. That’s what happened to the Israelites:

Judges 17:6: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted.” Judges 21:25: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted.” Proverbs 12:15: “A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.” Proverbs 14:12: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 16:2: “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord evaluates the motives.” Proverbs 21:2: “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord evaluates the motives.”

Deuteronomy 12:9–11: The Israelites hadn’t received the land yet. When they come into the land, they must turn to Him in the place of His choosing. When we realize that we are functioning as a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, we have nothing to worry about.

CLOSING

God wanted the Israelites to seek Him. Ultimately, that’s what Jesus is saying: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6). When you come to Jesus, you become the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. You now have Him inside of you.