Deuteronomy 1:6-8 "The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: (7) Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. (8) Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them."
We begin a study of Deuteronomy today. This is the final book of Moses
and as you know he was taken up into a high mountain where he died before the
people entered the promised land. This final book, written by him, contains a
review of the law and "final instructions" from Moses to Joshua and
the people.
We start in the book by the people being reminded that it was to have been
an eleven day journey from the time they left Kadeshbarnea. We read that
in Deuteronomy 1:2, "There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way
of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea." Because of the unbelief of the people,
they wandered for forty years in the wilderness. Now it is time to go into the
land. Imagine, they could have been enjoying forty years in this land
that "flows with milk and honey."
We begin with God saying to the people, "You've been here long enough.
It's time to turn and get into the land." For forty years, they have
wandered in the wilderness, literally circling the same place over and again.
Is there a lesson in this for us today? I think for most of us, if not all of
us, there surely is an important lesson. We often allow "giants and
great walls" to deter us from doing things which the Lord places on our
hearts to do. In our own estimation, the obstacles seem to be too large to
overcome. There are many blessings that we each can enjoy in life if we
will stop wanting to do things our way and simply place our trust in the
leadership of the Lord.
Notice the directions had not changed in the forty years of wandering
about. God had told them at Kadeshbarnea to go into the land and possess
it. They doubted God and even wanted to turn around and go back to Egypt.
Now, it is time to make a "right turn" out of the wilderness and go
into the land. Notice what God spoke to them: "Behold, I have set the land
before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after
them." These are the same instructions that had been given forty
years earlier. The promise never changed; but, exercised faith was
required in order to experience the blessings of the promise. How about
you and me? Are there blessings we are missing because of fear or doubt
or just matter of fact, unbelief? Let us trust the Lord God in knowing He
has never failed one of His promises. Is it time for us to "turn
and take our journey" into the place of blessing prepared for us?