Sabbath School Gems

Also available on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpbZDE0t8Ms

• New Testament is "saturated" with Old Testament references; that is the only book they had

SUNDAY: Bread Alone

• After 40 days of fasting Jesus is tempted by Satan

• 1. Tempted to turn stones to bread answers "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.' " Mat 4:4 from Deut 8:3

• Reference was to a time when they were to learn each day their dependence on God for their food

• 2. Tempted to leap from the pinnacle of the temple (Satan quotes Psa 91:12) and Jesus answers quoting from Deu 6:16_Mat 4:7

• They did not trust God and Moses had to strike the rock to bring them water, symbolic of their stony hearts and the covenant they would not accept

• Second time Moses was to speak to the rock, symbolic of the new covenant. First covenant not accepted even though given with fire and fanfare to a people of circumcised flesh; New covenant accepted by those circumcised in the heart willing to listen to the still small voice

• 3. Satan promises Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory if he worships him and Jesus answers quoting from Deu 6:13 - Mat 4:10

• Satan’s motive is the same as in Eden, to keep us from trusting, serving, and worshiping the One and Only God

MONDAY: Lifting up Faces

• Justice is part of God’s name, His character Ex 34:6-7 and Deu 16:19 and Deu 10:17-18

• Many references in New Testament which speak of God’s impartiality

• Justice goes both directions and one injustice cannot undo another Exo 23:2-3

• God’s fairness extends to the offering of His atonement and to His final judgement Exo 30:15

TUESDAY: Cursed on a Tree

• Gal 3:10 and Gal 3:13 contain quotes from Deut 27 and 28

• Galatians also makes reference to the dead body not to remain overnight which is also found in Deut 21:22-23.

• Christ, though perfect, endured death which is the curse of sin, so that we could be reconciled to God_Patriarchs & Prophets p.63

• Christ is the one who makes us bride material.

WEDNESDAY: A Prophet Like Unto Thee

• Act 3:22-23 quotes from Deu 18:15-18

• The LORD will send another after Moses, Christ, to make sure that His words are heard throughout generations, through all the earth.

• Jesus is raised up to reconcile us to God. Act 3:26

A. MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENT

• In Mark 12:28-30 Jesus directly quotes from Deut 6:4-5 and combines it with a second quote from Lev 19:18 

• The combination speaks to the need to realize when we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we will also be loving our neighbor

B. NEW COVENANT

• Heb 8:8-12 contains a direct quote to Deut 30:1-6 which mentions circumcision of the heart as a time in the future when they will accept the covenant.

• Heb 8:13 mentions “the first” will be “obsolete” and is “growing old is ready to vanish away” in reference to the earthly sanctuary and priesthood NOT to the words of God, the covenant language, promises or God’s commandments, statutes, judgments

• The earthly sanctuary was “ready to vanish away” since Christ became the High Priest Heb 8:1

C. CHOSEN PEOPLE and TREE OF LIFE

• 1Pe 2:9  mentions a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood" from Exo 19:5-6 and Deu 7:6 and Deu 14:2

• Deu 26:19 and Deut 30:15 speak of a people at the end of time who do His commandments, His statutes and His Judgements and have access to life just as mentioned in Rev. 14:12 and Rev. 22:14

CONCLUSION

• Deuteronomy reaches to the end of time because God's covenant is the same 

• Listen to Him, trust in Him, obey His words, walk in His ways - with this you will have His promises of life, deliverance, sanctification, and entrance to the Holy City

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• Deuteronomy points backward as well as forward

• Alternate Memory verse: Deut 30:1-3  and Deut 30:10 

• BOOK OF THE COVENANT () was written by Moses , contains all words spoken by God on GREAT DAY OF THE ASSEMBLY. 

• Moses reads the BOOK OF THE COVENANT before he ratifying it with a sacrifice Exod 24:4-8

• This ratification event is referenced in the New Testament: Heb 9:18

• THE BOOK OF THE LAW () contains the BOOK OF THE COVENANT as well and the remainder of statutes and judgements AND the blessings and curses

1. JOSHUA

• Moses’ assistant, is a referred to as a ‘young man’  Exo 33:11

• Leads the children of Israel into the promised land.

• Builds an altar and renews the covenant Josh 8:30-31  

• Reads all the words of the Book of the Law and blessings and curses Josh 8:34-35 

• Warns people to avoid idolatry Josh 23:6-8, 24:14

• Invites people to take a stand for God Josh 24:15-17 

2. HEZEKAIH

• Reigns at 25 years old and immediately seeks God and orders House of the LORD cleansed 2Ch 29:1-2 and 2Chr 29:3-5

• He realizes the reasons for their troubles and seeks to make a covenant 2Chr 29:6-10

• Clears out all forms of idolatry 2Chr 30:14

• Sends runners throughout Israel and Judah to invite all to keep the Passover in Jerusalem for the first time in many years, but many laugh and mock 2Chr 30:1-11

• Multitudes keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month 2Chr 30:11-17

• Hezekiah prays for those who are not ritually clean and the LORD hears and “heals the people”, and they all sing and praise the LORD 2Chr30:18-21

3. JOSIAH 

• Josiah reigns at age eight and at age 26 starts to repair the house of the LORD 2Ki 22:1-5 

• In the process Hilkiah the high priest finds the BOOK OF THE LAW  2Ki 22:8 

• Shaphan the scribe reads it to Josiah who then tears his clothes realizing they have not been following God 2Ki 22:11 

• Josiah reads the BOOK OF THE COVENANT to all the priests, prophets and people 2Ki 23:1-2 

• He purges all the idolatry 2Ki23:5-21 

• Commands the people to keep the Passover as written in the Book of the Covenant 2Ki 23:21-23

• No king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart, all his soul and all his might 2Ki 23:25 and 2Chr 34:31

4. NEHEMIAH (EZRA)

• Nehemiah the king fasts and weeps for many days seeking the God of heaven Neh 1:4-9

• Ezra the scribe reads to all the gathered people from the Book of the Law of Moses Neh 8:1-8 

• Nehemiah discovers that God was faithful, but they were not Neh 9:16-22

• The people discover the Feast of Tabernacles and the whole assembly makes booths and keeps this feast Neh 8:14-18

• The leaders make a covenant to follow God and they all sign it Neh 9:38

5. JEREMIAH

• Deuteronomy mentions scattering to the farthest parts Deu 30:1-4

• Deuteronomy mentions a time of circumcision of the heart Deut 30:4-8

• Jeremiah contrasts circumcision of the flesh (the token) with that of the heart (the real) Jer 9:25-26

• Jeremiah speaks of the woe that has come upon them because they have not obeyed Jer 8-10

• Jeremiah encourages them not to follow the customs of the Gentiles which includes cutting and decorating trees Jer 10:1-5

• Deuteronomy mentions not having trees by God’s altar Deut 16:21

• King Josiah also cleared out trees from the house of the LORD during his purging of idolatry 2Ki 23:6  

• Jeremiah speaks of the covenant Jer 11

6. DANIEL

• Daniel despairs and prays for the state of his people, realizing that the words in Deuteronomy have come true. Dan 9:1-5

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Deuteronomy is filled with verses that mention loving the Lord in a very full way. For example Deuteronomy states “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

The Lord met with Moses on Mt. Sinai amidst fire and smoke and earthquakes during a time which has never been repeated since. During this time the Lord spoke and wrote words that He gave Moses for the people concerning the covenant relationship He wanted to form with them. This is the same covenant that He wants to form with us.

Besides the succinct pattern in Deut. 6:4-9, other places this pattern can be found are in Deut. 6:10-17, Exodus 20:1-7+, Exodus 20:22-21:1+, and Exodus 34:5-18+

So what are these commandments? Well, despite that the Hebrew words “shama kole”, translated as “hear [My] voice” or “shama shama kole” (indeed hear [My]voice) forms the foundation of God’s instruction to us, there is a prevalent doctrine spread by Christians today (including some Adventists) which seeks to discourage faithful obedience by replacing God’s voice with man’s. This is not new. The religious leaders and even some in the early church were not showing love for God and were not obeying His Word, even as they thought they were. They were really practicing a blasphemous type of idolatry by distorting God’s commandments into their own list of rules and traditions which they were then using as a type of club to manipulate others. By misrepresenting God and His commandments and symbols they were corrupting God’s name and discouraging others from even wanting to form a close relationship with God. This was similar to practices within the Catholic church which required a person to do penance (usually profiting the priests) in order to earn forgiveness for sins. Such doctrines were so detrimental to the spreading of the gospel and to our understanding of God, that Christ pointed out the hypocrisy on numerous occasions, Paul preached sermons on it, and the Protestant reformation lead to the promotion of the “Justification by Faith alone” doctrine.

However, in recent history the pendulum has swung the other way such that any act of faith that is not popular or sanctioned by church leaders gets ascribed unrighteous motives. For example, “Salvation by Faith” was first misapplied to label Sabbath-keepers as “legalists” accompanied by the false teaching that everything God spoke on Mt. Sinai was “nailed to the cross”. Now it is being used even within the Adventist church to discourage the type of diligent and prayerful Bible discovery and adherence that Ellen White and her small group modeled so well. Right at the time in history when hearing (shama) God’s voice (kole) is so critical, some of God’s most dramatic and clear proclamations to man are dismissed as obsolete, and those who dare attend to them risk being ostracized.

This lesson asks the question of what loving the Lord with all our heart and all our soul and with all our strength looks like. Well, we cannot and should not judge the hearts of others, but there is a way we can peek inside ourselves to examine the depth of our love for God.

I believe if (1) we can call the LORD our “Praise” and our God (our One and Only) as in Deut 10:21, and (2) we regularly call the Sabbath a delight as described in Isaiah 58:13, and (3) we have the same genuine reverence and respect for all God’s commandments, statutes, and judgements as expressed in Psalm 19:7-10, then perhaps God has begun the process of writing Himself within our hearts.

Also available on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyjgyFDhWJY