Lesson 6 (July
12 Remembering
and Celebrating Deuteronomy
16:1–8)
recounts the institution of the Passover festival. God
designed this annual observance to help Israel remember
and celebrate the exodus from Egyptian bondage. The
celebration of Passover was to bind the past with the
present, thus unifying the people with a common heritage
and memory. This celebration was a command, not a social
development.
Christians understand that the Passover was a type of
Christ, pointing forward to the deliverance from sin He
would provide by becoming the ultimate sacrificial lamb.
It was during a Passover meal that Jesus took the bread
and the cup and instituted the Lord’s Supper. Christians
remember and celebrate the Lord’s death whenever they
observe the Lord’s Supper (Communion).
Sometimes God calls individuals for special types of
service. Lesson 7
(July 19
Commissioning for Service
Leviticus 8:1–13)
reveals
how God commanded Aaron and his sons to be set apart for
priestly functions. The people needed go-betweens or
mediators to represent them to God and to represent God
to them. That was a function of the priesthood. So
important was this concept that God gave very exacting
instructions regarding Aaron’s clothing.
Lesson 8 (July
26
Spreading the Wealth
Leviticus 25:8–21, 23, 24)
teaches
us that God’s call to be God’s people brings with it
issues of economic justice. The accumulation of property
in the hands of a few people means that some would be
permanently wealthy while others would have little or no
chance to escape poverty. As a result, God’s jubilee
laws were designed to prevent potential land barons from
accumulating vast amounts of property and inflicting
economic slavery on those who had been compelled to sell
the property. Jubilee promised the destitute a new
start.
Jesus
projected His ministry as a “spiritual jubilee” (see
Isaiah 61:1, 2; Luke 4:18, 19). Concern for the poor and
destitute is still to be a hallmark of God’s people.
Unit
3: August
Called to Obey
Lesson 9 (August 2 Complaints
and Cravings Numbers
11:1–6, 10–15)
gives us a negative example of
disobedience and its consequences. The Israelites were
not far into the wilderness when they began to grumble
and complain. While God provided their needs with manna
and water, the people wanted more. There was talk of
returning to Egypt. Even Moses became discouraged by the
complaints. He felt the full burden of the people as he
attempted to lead them to the promised land. The
grumbling and complaining caused some to suffer the
fiery wrath of God. But none of us ever grumble and
complain about our situations, do we?
Lesson 10 (August
9
Dissatisfaction and Rebellion
Numbers 14:1–12)
continues the negative theme of
rebellion. The discouraging report of the 10 faithless
spies sent a terrifying fear among the people, causing
them to reject the call of God to conquer the promised
land.
Joshua
and Caleb had a different spirit. They fully expected
God to lead them to victory over the Canaanites. Joshua
and Caleb saw Canaan as an opportunity for success while
the other 10 spies saw it as a threat of annihilation.
God judged the people by prolonging their stay in the
wilderness until a whole generation perished. Only
Joshua and Caleb experienced God’s promise and blessing
of entering the promised land. But none of us have ever
been as faithless as the 10 spies, have we?
The
constant grumbling and complaining of the people finally
had its effect on Moses, their leader.
Lesson 11
(August 16
Disregarding God's Directive
Numbers 20:1–13)
delves into the disobedience of Moses
as he twice struck a rock, rather than speak to it, in
order to cause water to gush out. That happened at
Kadesh, the very place where the people had rebelled and
chosen not to enter Canaan some 38 years previous. Thus
Moses and Aaron forfeited their hopes of entering the
promised land. While we may be sympathetic toward Moses
and his burden, God holds leaders to a high standard. A
leader’s disobedience has dire consequences.
Lesson 12 (August
23
Obeying
God's Commands Deuteronomy
6:1–9, 20–24)
teaches
us about the Shema
(“hear”) and the Great Commandment (“Love the Lord thy
God with all thine heart”). To love God is to obey God.
Because the love we are to have for God can be
commanded, it is not primarily a feeling (which cannot
be commanded). Rather, it is a willingness to revere God
that takes the form of obedience. The commandments of
God are to be taught by word and lifestyle to children.
Blessings will result.
Lesson 13 (August
30 The Promise of Life
Deuteronomy 30:1–10)
draws the quarter’s lessons to a conclusion with one of
the greatest chapters in the Old Testament: Deuteronomy
30. It is an invitation to obey God’s call to be His
people, set against the backdrop of the curses and
blessings in Deuteronomy 28. Only a “circumcised heart”
can love, and only a loving heart will obey. Israel had
to decide. So must we.
Calls of God’s People
The
calls of God’s people are always sealed with the promise
“I will be with you!” The great rescue from Egypt began
a covenant community. This redemption was celebrated
every Passover festival. Obedience to law, the
intercessory work of a priesthood, and proper
stewardship of the land by the ideal of jubilee were
some of the hallmarks of this community. Today as then,
God is faithful to His promises. He stands ready to
restore the blessings of His wayward people. We must
choose. “Therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19).