The Israelites have been encamped at Shittim since the events of Numbers 22, at the brink of the end of their generation-long trek across the Palestinian wilderness. Now, all that stands in their way is the spring-swollen, fast-moving Jordan River. God is about to prove once again that He is capable of sustaining and carrying them, and then He will instruct them in the ways of never forgetting it again

For the ancient Jewish people, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 was the apex of all Scripture. It was the first thing that Jewish boy or girl would learn as soon as they could speak. It was the first thing on their lips every morning. As we look at this important passage of Scripture, we can use the Shema to understand how we can set our

own homes up for godliness and leave a lasting legacy for years to come.

In this passage, the Israelites are at the mouth of the land that God promised them as they were exiting Egypt. God has moses send men to scout out the land and bring back an honest report so that they may best know how to enter it. Instead, the majority bring back an exaggerated and negative report, meaning they allowed their circumstances to overshadow the promises of God.

Even though Scripture is a collection of 66 books written by dozens of authors over hundreds of centuries, it tells just one story of one God. Today we will be exploring pairs of passages written thousands of years apart, but for one purpose: seeing Jesus as the promised Messiah who came to fulfill what Moses couldn’t.

After the Israelites’ thrilling escape from Egypt into the desert, they must begin organizing into the religoius community and nation that they are. In this passage, we see the famous Decalogue, or Ten Commandments, given to Moses as the groundwork upon whih other rules and regulations for ancient Israel could be laid. We will see how God’s standard for our lives helps us maintain fellowship with Him and with those around us.

Where is God in the Midst of Suffering?

At this point in the Israelites’ story, the Jews are captives in Israel. Moses, the Egyptian prince-turned-shepherd, has approached Pharaoh nine times with the same plea straight from the mouth of the Lord: “Let my people go.” Each time, Pharaoh has refused and a plague has come upon the Egyptians. Now the Lord is giving directions to Moses for how to prepare His people for the final plague which will eventually convince Pharaoh to, at long last, let God’s people go.

Many years after Joseph died, after he and his family and the faithfulness of his God were forgotten, the Israelites became enslaved by the Egyptians. After the king called for the death of all Israelite newborns, Moses’ parents hid him in some reeds, where he was discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter. He lived for forty years in Pharaoh’s house before being exiled to the desert to live with his people, where he lived for forty more years. Now, he is being sent back as an emissary from God to the people who raised him.

LOSING YOUR COAT WITHOUT LOSING YOUR CHARACTER

After settling in Canaan, Jacob and his sons set to work: tending flocks, planting fields, and carving out a living among the people surrounding them. Today’s passage tells the beginning of Joseph’s story: one that begins with a man who was shown great favor by his father. But as the favor goes to his head and as the rest of the story plays out, we will discover that God is faithful despite our circumstances. There are no accidents in His economy.