“The LORD your God has multiplied you and, behold you are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.  The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times as many more as you are, and bless you, as He has promised you!”  Deut. 1:10-11

Deuteronomy begins with a survey of the history of Israel, then it expands upon some of the basic laws of the preceding books, and it concludes with a series of prophecies carrying the history of Israel down to their final return to the Promised Land.  The word ‘Deuteronomy’ means, ‘The Second Law’ and is taken from the Septuagint or Greek translation of the O.T. and the Latin Vulgate.  The Hebrew title is ‘Debarim‘ for verse one “the words which Moses spoke.”  Deuteronomy consists of the final discourses of Moses given to the children of Israel on the plains of Moab, opposite Israel just prior to his death.  It is referred to over 80 times in the N.T. and quoted more then any other O.T. book by Jesus Christ.  The prominent themes are “God’s love and Man’s obedience” which are displayed in the Jewish Mezzuzah and Tefillin.  So, let’s see what ‘Portraits of Prayer’ God has for us in ‘Debarim,’ The words of Moses!‘

What better way to start off his many discourses, then with a blessing.  Now we know there were 600,000 fighting men, so there were probably 600,000 fighting women too.  Amen? So, that’s 1.2 million and that means 1.2 million children so you have 2.5 to 3 million Jewish people.  Remember, Balaam and Balak in Numbers 22-24 trying to curse the Jewish people in the wilderness?  Balak said, “They cover the earth!”  Then Balaam said, “Who can count the dust of Jacob or number one fourth of Israel!” Illustrating their immense size. Remember, it was Balaam’s prophecy which brought the three wise men in Matthew three to Jerusalem looking for the Christ child, in Num. 24:17.

Well if there were 3,000,000 and God multiplied them by 1,000 there would be three billion today.  So what went wrong?  What did we say was the theme of ‘Debarim?’  To Love God and obey Him; they nail it to their doors ways, and tie it on their arms and foreheads but you have to nail it to your hearts and tie it to your souls.  Obedience and love is not something you can externalize, whether you are Jewish or non-Jewish, it’s something you must internalize.  Love is not something you say, or write, or buy, or pay for it’s something you live from your inner most being, from your (kavanah) your (kis-kahs).

So how many Jewish people are there in the world today?  Six million in Israel, and fifteen million in the world.  They became a nation again in 1948 after 2,500 years but still no temple.  This blessing has never been fulfilled, not in King David’s day, King Solomon’s day or King Jesus’ Day,  Why?  Love & Obedience!  There is another word that goes along with the word ‘Pray’ and it rhymes with it and answers the question why many times our prayers are not answered, and it too has only four letters, ‘Obey!’  “Pray & Obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus… or is is it ‘Trust and Obey?’ Either way, they are like two oars in a boat to help you row, to get to where you are going!

Here is a promise, a prayer, a blessing, a broche, right out of the chute, right out of the gate: Chapter 1:10-11, if they will just ‘Love God with all their hearts and Obey Him with all their will.  God wants us to love Him and trust Him day by day, and live for Him, not ourselves.  We all have to learn the hard way. Israel could have been in the ‘Promised Land’ in eleven days, instead it took nearly 40 years, Dt. 1:2-3.  How long has it taken you to learn God’s way, God’s lesson, God’s purpose, God’s plan, or God’s place for you?  Or are you still on your journey.

Has anyone ever prayed a blessing over you or your family?  I believe we are missing out on a great spiritual blessing by not receiving a blessing, like Num. 6:23, and so many others. (Sounds like an oxymoron, or even a regular moron for that matter!) This is a practice that needs to be established once again in our families, churches, and country.  “The LORD God of your fathers….bless you as He has promised.”  This is YeHoVaH Elohim, the LORD of Redemption and the God of Creation, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the One true and only GOD of all that lives and breathes.  “May He bless (ba-rak you” – (give you divine favor) who wouldn’t want divine favor?  This Hebrew word is used to invoke God and ask for a blessing.  Many times it refers to kneeling.  As He promised (de-bar) you.”  “As He spoke, declared, commanded, promised;” His word is as good as a signed contract;  The primary power of this word which the etymologists of long ago observed is that of setting things in a row, or arranging them in order.  So this is a powerful blessing and a wonderful way to start any ministry or any journey for the LORD.  What a challenge, what a promise, what a blessing, what a God we serve, love and obey. Amen?  A thousand times more, not double or triple but 1000 fold, now that’s YeHoVaH Elohim. That’s the God we serve, love and obey; Just what part of ‘GO!’ don’t you understand? Till next time, I’ll see you, “…..Between the Lines…..”

“Moses’ Blessing As Israel Enters The Promised Land”  Deut. 1:10-11    10/26/17