Welcome to Delight in Grace. The Teaching Ministry of Rich Powell. pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The foundational philosophy of a nation will trickle down into its laws and customs. Israel's laws were founded on principles of love and obedience to the Lord God.
The laws are a reflection of God's clear call to love Him fully, and love others as yourself. Listen as Pastor Rich connects national laws God gives in Deuteronomy. to the underlying principles of the Sheema in this message from Deuteronomy nineteen through twenty. Titled, So That It May Be Well With You. This is part three of a message first preached on September 8th, 2024.
That's what it means to be the chosen people of God. That being the case, God enacts laws that are very protective of his people. to protect them against infiltration. against idolatry, distraction that would Draw his people away from him. It also includes a land element that God promised land for his people Israel because it was in this land where Messiah would be born and live and die and rise again.
And return. In this land.
So, this land has a place in God's heart.
Okay. That's why he enacts this level of protection.
Now, here's the problem: there were some inordinately wicked people. inhabiting this land. And God promised this land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And so when Israel goes into the land, they are preparing for battle because they are going to displace the people that are inhabiting the land. Let's remember something here.
Let's not accuse Israel of genocide. That's not what's going on here. God has pronounced judgment. You with me on that? And it is his prerogative to do so.
Particularly when a whole society of people is inordinately wicked. And this is not the first time it has happened. We'll talk about that. But he says here, you'll go in there when you go out to look at 20, when you go out to war against your enemies. And see, horse.
and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own. You shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. In other words, he's saying, Do you remember what I did in Egypt?
Now you weren't there, you didn't see it. You were born out here in the wilderness. Or you might have been really young when that happened. But God redeemed you. God rescued you.
God is like what God has done. And he brought you out and you. We're redeemed. You are rescued from the mighty power. powerful hand of the Egyptian army.
And they were powerless against you. Why? Because God is with you. See, that's what Israel was called to remember.
So, as they're going into the land to do what God had called them to do, remember with a big picture in view, okay? You're going to fight against forces that are preparing for battle. He says, You're going to fight against forces that are larger and stronger than you. And they are forces that will oppose God's purpose. This is the inhabitants of the land.
and also some surrounding nations that threaten Them. It's very important for us to understand when we read the Old Testament, the Psalms, for example, when it speaks of my enemies. It is often a psalm that is written by a king, a King David, for example, or Solomon. My enemies. When the king.
Of God's people speaks of my enemies. Who is he talking about? People who oppose God. And because they are opposed to God, they are opposed to the people of God. And as the leader of the people of God, those people who oppose God are my enemies because they are out to take us out as a nation.
as the people of God.
So let's understand that as well. The inhabitants, these enemies. What is the disposition of those? that are going out. The spiritual disposition of those that are going out.
First of all, he says, you hear, when you go out to battle, you're going to hear from your spiritual leaders. The priests go out and they speak to the people. Because they are God's chosen people. And it's a reminder: God is with you, God has a purpose. This is what God has commanded.
Remember what He promised our forefathers. And you're going out to do what God has instructed you and commanded you to do.
So do not fear. Why? Because God is with you. God fights for you. The underlying principle here Is that you are to have no mercy on what would draw you away from God?
That's why they're your enemies, because that's exactly what they would want to do. They would want to overcome you. and obliterate the worship of Jehovah. and draw you away from God. And the Lord says, have no mercy on them.
Have no mercy on that at all. And so he says, when you go out to fight, do not fear. because God fights for you.
Now let's stop and think for a minute. Let's move ahead. A couple a few centuries, four centuries maybe to be exact. Right. And there's a king, there's a king over Israel, and his name is Saul.
And the people of Israel were fighting. The Philistines. The Philistines were enemies of God, therefore, they were the enemies of Israel. And they wanted to overtake Israel and subjugate them. And the armies of Israel out there fighting, and they come forward and they say, We have one man.
You give us one man, and we'll give you our hero. You bring out a hero, and we'll give you your greatest champion to fight, and we'll give you our greatest man. And so they send out Goliath. And these two fight. of that fight, then the whole army wins.
You know the story. And then David comes. David's still a youth. And he sees what's going on. Because Goliath is out there.
And what are the armies of Israel doing? They're cowering. And what does David say? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he would defy the armies of the living God? Do you know what the whole point of that story of David and Goliath is?
David took God at his word. Deuteronomy chapter 20. You're going to go out and fight forces bigger and stronger than you. Do not be afraid. for the Lord is with you.
And David took God at his word. That's the whole point. God had made a specific promise. And David said, If God promised it, I expect him to keep it. And he did.
So, this is why the spiritual leaders would go out to remind them that they are God's people, that God has given them specific command. But he also said that there were some exemptions for people who would go out to battle. There was exemptions allowed. Because this is not, you know, the trained fighting force. These were citizen soldiers.
Right?
So if you have a new home Go home. If you have a new business, go home. If you have a new wife, go home. That's pretty cool, isn't it? God recognizes and He cherishes and values families, and recognizes that families go through different chapters in life.
He also says, for those who are faint-hearted. Go home. Kind of reminds you of Gideon, doesn't it? Hundred and thirty five thousand Midianites. Defeated by by just a few hundred Israelites.
It's a God thing. Right?
But all those that were fainthearted, he said, Go home. And is this the case here? Because if somebody is, if a soldier is going out to fight and he's overcome by fear, I was talking to a former Marine. How? And he said, you know, guys out on the fighting field on the front lines, he said, somebody who's overcome.
by fear. they're going to do something stupid. And they're going to get other people hurt too.
So for that reason, the Lord says, If you're over if you're faint-hearted. Go home. Those are exemptions. A new home, a new business, a new wife, or you're faint-hearted. Go home.
And so he talks about engaging the enemy here. And this, you know, it's. Yeah. Laws like this that make it a abundantly clear. that we are not under the law of Moses.
today. We're under the new covenant. But we have to remember what God is doing. Let's remember the big picture here.
So, like, you know, Adam was teaching Romans chapter 11 today. You have to, you know, go back, remember the big picture of God's sovereign purpose. And so it is here. There's two kinds of people that Israel is going to be fighting against. Those that are in the land that God has promised them and those that are outside of the boundaries that God has promised.
But they will also sometimes pose threats to Israel. the people of Israel.
So, as you're engaging the enemy, you go out. And these are people outside of the boundaries of the promised land. If they're a threat to you and you go out to meet them, he says, what you can do and you meet them at their city, you can go out and you can offer terms of peace. And the terms of peace are this, you will serve us. If you choose not to serve us, all of your men will die.
and we get the support. This is God's command.
Okay, remember. God's chosen people, big picture. of Messiah coming. Why? Because God was in Christ reconciling the world to Second crew.
Keep that big picture of the microphone.
Now When it comes to the people In the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The inhabitants of land. It was a land promised to the forefathers. a supremely wicked people. Upon whom God had already pronounced judgment.
Thanks for joining us here at Delight in Grace. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission Is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good. and your deepest satisfaction in Him. the one who is infinitely good.
We hope you'll join us again on weekdays at 10 a.m.
