Title: God Prepares Our Future
Contents
God prepares our way
Deuteronomy 1:12-33
1. God who led Israel out of the wilderness (verses 12-22)
(1) The people of Israel prospered despite the oppression and persecution in Egypt as a result of the realization of God's promises.
Moses replies that whenever the people of Israel came to him to inquire of God with a problem, he had worked diligently to make them know God's statutes and decrees. But it was not right for Moses' father-in-law, and he advised that the time would come when he would be exhausted from too much work (verses 12-15).
(2) Since the judgment belongs to God, the judges are simply to appoint people who believe that they will perform judgments on God's behalf as middle leaders (verses 16-18). Moses set up a middle leader in this way to set the whole of Israel in order and prepare an organization that could escape from Egypt.
2. Israel's distrust of God's guidance (verses 23-29)
(1) Israel distrusted God in Kadesh-Barnea. Rather than believing in God's promise and entering the land of Canaan, spies were appointed (verse 22). However, the results were disappointing.
(2) Surely, God said not to be afraid and not to hesitate (verse 29). No matter how good a person is, he cannot surpass God's will. If God's will is clear, we must be willing to give up giving up our opinions. The truth is that God's will must precede human thoughts.
3. God's disposition to guide God's people (verses 30-33)
(1) God is the one who works before us (v. 30a). God is ahead of our thoughts. ahead of our plans. ahead of our judgment. ahead of our steps. That is why we must trust in God's guidance. What did verse 33 say? It is the God who led the Israelites in the past with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
(2) Even now, God is fighting for us (verse 30b). God wants His people to be His soldiers. When Israel comes out of Egypt, He prepares a people who will put God before Him, saying, “All the armies of the Lord have come out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:41). That army must be holy. It is for God to come (Isaiah 13:3). Those who firmly believe that war belongs to the Lord (1 Samuel 17:47). For the glory of the Lord, the Lord fights for those who want to exalt His name.
⑶ God is the one who embraces us (verse 31). When we meet Jesus, we experience the embrace of God. As children of God, we must believe in God through life.
God's will is not done through counsel, but through obedience. God knows our future better than anyone, and He guides us to the best path. Also, God fights for us. He is the one who embraces and protects us.