Deuteronomy 20

what I remember:
rules of war:

• destroy everything in the territory that God has given to Israel.
• outside that region, offer a city peace.  If they accept, charge a tribute.  If not, besiege them, and when they are conquered, kill all the men.  
• Don't kill trees that are good for producing food.

key verse:
for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

about God:
This is a big recurring theme int he books of Moses.  God is bigger than the boogie man.  He has this - there's no need to fear those great big enemies.  Just trust God.  He's got it.

Deuteronomy 16

what I remember:
Three feasts are overviewed - the point of the first two (the passover and the feast of weeks) is to remember from where they came.  The third is to celebrate the harvest.  I wonder if this is the point of all the Jewish festivals - remembering what God has done for them, and celebrating that.

key verse:
And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.

about God:
These feasts are important to God - they're repeated a lot.  I'm guessing that remembering what God has done for us is important to God, and that He also likes celebration.

Deuteronomy 13

what I remember:
God gives three groups of people that may try to mislead Israel (or it's people).  First, a prophet or teacher may say "let's go worship other gods", next a friend or neighbor or relative may say something similar.  Finally another city may be reported to be worshiping other gods.  In the first two cases, the one encouraging someone to go away from God is to be killed.  In the third case, the claim is to be verified - but if found to be true, the wayward city is to be completely destroyed and all its possessions burned.


key verse:
you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

about God:
God really takes misleading others seriously.  It makes me nervous - what am I teaching my kids about God.  Is it accurate?  Does my teaching-by-example teach God accurately and Biblically?  Also, God expects us to know Him and His word well enough to recognize false teaching.

Deuteronomy 12

what I remember:
They are to enter the land and completely destroy the people and all the religious symbols, alters, idols and places of worship. After that, they are to only worship God where He designates, but they can kill meat and eat it anywhere they choose.  They must be particularly careful NOT to follow after the gods of those they displace.

key verse:
Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, in order that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

about God:
God knows the weakness of His people.  Look how many times He's warning them not to go chasing after other Gods - which of course is precisely what they do.  God knows how dangerous it is for them.  And he pegs it perfectly - it's exactly their biggest danger.

Deuteronomy 11

what I remember:
God is very clear about what he wants, and what the consequences will be.  He's speaking specifically to those who are going in to possess the land that were also among those who came out of Egypt - i.e., those who were less than 20 when they refused to go up to possess the land the first time.  They are now over 40, but under 60, and are charged with obeying God and loving Him fully, and teaching the next generation about what they have seen and heard and learned from God.  If they do so, God will bless them and the land they live in.  They are to completely destroy the other nations.

key verse:
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse.

about God:
Like Hebrews says: God is a rewarder of those who seek Him.  Here he's laying out those rewards.  Not only do they get to know God, they get a good harvest, their enemies get driven out before them.  They'll own the land...

This spells out the special relationship that God has with Israel.  It's the Mosaic covenant.  If they obey God, they are blessed.  If they don't, they are cursed (even though that's only touched on in this chapter).

Deuteronomy 2

what I remember:
Mosese continues his life-end speech to Israel - with the history continued.  The traveled through the desert for 38 years.  The passed through the land of Esau, and God warned them not to fight, because that was the land he'd given to Esau, not to them.  The same for the land that God had given to the descendants of Lot.  But the land of the Amorites was theirs.  So they were told to actually go and fight the Amorites - to facilitate this, he had Sihon, the king of the Amorites attack them.  They completely cleaned up - killed all the people, and saved only the cattle and loot for them.  They conquered every town.

key verse:
The Lord your God has blessed everything you have done.  He has protected you while you travelled through this large desert.  The lord your God has been with you for these 40 years.  You have had everything you needed.

about God:
He keeps His word.  Again.
He provided everything they needed in the 40 years - just like he promised.
He didn't allow them to enter the promised land until everyone of fighting age from the generation that refused to go in and fight had died. God promised to make the Amorites afraid of them, and promised that they'll beat him.  They completely wipe him out.

"But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass.  The Lord your God had made him stubborn.  The Lord wanted you to defeat Sihon.  And now this has happened."  "The Lord said to me, "See I have begun to give Sihon and his country to you.  begin taking the land as your own."

This is the first of the pair that's so frequently referred to in other parts of the Bible - Sihon, king of the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan.  This victory was famous - and for a reason.  God delivered big time, and the people did as they were told and completely destroyed the nation.

Isaiah 16

what I remember:

The destruction of Moab, part 2.
According to my footnotes, the first two verses -- about paying lambs, and about the women taking refuge - are advising Moab to do thus to Israel -- to give Israel lambs, and to take refuge from their attacker in Israel. Eventually the attack will stop. And rule of love will be established (from Israel?).

But Moab is totally ruined, no longer proud, no longer strong. Instead they're a few stragglers weeping. There is no joy or gladness.

God gives a timetable for this prophecy -- it'll happen within three years.

Moab's splendor and all her many people will be despised, and her survivors will be very few and feeble

notes: verses 9-11 I weep... I drench you with tears... My heart laments... God is grieved over the destruction of Moab - even though they are His enemies. I wonder how many times God is referred to as weeping in the Bible. It's interesting that human tragedy breaks God's heart too

Isaiah 12

I LOVE THIS CHAPTER!

I think it's a candidate for memorization.

what I remember:
Finally, God's anger is satisfied, and Israel turns to him in Thanksgiving, The trust in Him, knowing that He saved them , and they make His greatness and faithfulness and wonderful deeds known among the nations, leading them to praise Him too.

about God:
His anger doesn't last forever (v.1)
He is salvation (v. 2)
He is my strength and song (v. 2)
His name is exalted (v. 4)
He has done excellent things (v. 5)
He is the Holy One of Israel (v. 6)

Only six verses. Another great reason that this chapter is a good one to memorize.

Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.

I will trust and not be afraid. This is difficult for me because my eyes see my circumstances more easily than they see my God. But reality is that God is my salvation (not money), and He is the one who preserves me.

Knowing this gives me joy and strength, fills me with song, and calls me to

Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted.

. This is exactly what I want to do. It's why I tweet the things that God gives us for free -- so that I can thank God, and exalt His name among others. It takes away my fear of financial ruin, because it reminds me that God is my Jehovah Jireh.

Isaiah 9

what I remember:
Not everything will be totally destroyed. God will send a light into the darkness ("those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death", He will cause the nation to rejoice in Him again, and He will send a savior ("For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders....."). The savior has a rule of peace, in the order of David

But God is against the arrogant other nations, and he will strike their leaders for leading the people astray. Things will get so bad that they're burning each other for fuel (or heat?), and eating their own limbs off.

about God:
He multiplies the nation and increases it's joy (v 3). he breaks the yoke of the oppressor (v. 4).
The government will be on His shoulders (. 6), His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. This government (the one on His shoulders) is one of peace and is without end. It's on the throne of David. It's brought about by the zeal of the LORD (v. 7)

God sends word against Jacob - He sets up enemies against the proud nation, but His anger outlasts the ruin, and His hand is still stretched out against them. (v. 12)

Why? For their pride?

It's God who cuts off the leadership of the nation, and God ceases to have joy in them and mercy on their fatherless and widows (v. 17), because everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly.

notes:
"For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still". Occurs three times in this chapter (12, 17 and 21). Each time, the stuff is worse. First, it's attacks of enemies, second it's the failure of leaders and God removing His joy and mercy, and third its burnt down, devoured and people are thrown in the fire and eating their own arms. This is ugly stuff.

about me:
God's indictments are for the following sins. "who say in pride and arrogance of heart" (v. 10), "the prophet who teaches lies", v 15, "for everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly.", v. 17. These are serious sins in God's eyes. Pride, arrogance, teaching lies, hypocrisy, speaking foolishly, doing evil. I do most of these.

Isaiah 6

what I remember:
In the year that king Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord, seated on a throne. He was wearing a robe and the robe's train filled the temple. There were cherubim and seraphim above the throne singing "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts".

Isaiah's response to seeing God was "Woe is me". For he was a man of unclean lips and lived among a people of unclean lips.

The angel (I think) touched his lips with burning coal, and then declared him "clean". Then someone was asking "who shall we send, who will go for us", and Isaiah replied "Here I am, send me". He's given the message "Keep seeing but not understanding, keep hearing but not listening", God will make their hearts dull and generally unresponsive until God destroys them.

But not all will be destroyed. A tenth will remain, like a stump.

notes:
It's easier to narrate a chapter that's familiar!

about God: Meeting God is intimidating. He is Holy. The whole earth is full of His glory" He is also called "Lord of Hosts" and the LORD. He will reserve some people from destruction.

about Me: an honest response to seeing God is "woe is me" -- to recognise my sinfulness. An honest response to understanding the forgiveness of God is to volunteer service. Isaiah does this, if I truly understood my God, I would understand my sin, and be honestly grateful and eager to serve.

a verse (Isaiah 6:5)

Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!

Isaiah 4

What I remember:
In the days when God is destroying the beautiful, prideful and vain Israel, women will also be desperate (remember, everyone was already desperate for a leader and asking any old schmuck to lead them). The women, similarly are begging men to marry them, without the obligation of providing for them or anything, just to take away their disgrace. (I wonder if the disgrace is the social disgrace of being single, or just a lonliness?) But God's going to rescue the righteous "survivors", call them holy, clean them up and making them glorious again. He will give them a shelter to provide shade from the heat during the day and from the storms and rain.

about God:
washes away the filth of the daughters of Zion, purges the bloodshed, and makes Israel glorious again. He provides shelter for them to protect them from the elements.

notes:
There's a few - the ones left in Jerusalem and called holy, everyone who is recoded for life. These are the ones that God restores and makes glorious. I think this is a reference to having eternal life - that is, there's some saved people, and those are the ones that God is protecting and restoring.

Isaiah 2

What I remember:
Someday God's going to exalt Himself, like a mountain, with His house on a mountain. People will go there to worship Him, and He'll teach them how to follow Him, and they will.

And He's going to crush the other things that people worship -- stuff made with their own hands, and the prideful people worshiping themselves... The idols will be made an embarrasement, and they'll run and hide, so that all people will know that He's God, and no one else.


Favorite verse:

“3 Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths.”

About God:
How many gods can we say will teach us their ways? It seems to me that most other religions are spent trying to figure out what "god" wants, and how to please that god, so that the god will make things better for us. The prophets slashing themselves to get Baal's attention on Mount Carmel comes to mind. Our God isn't like that. He teaches us, and teaches us some more, and is patient with us as we learn to walk in His paths.

This chapter depicts God as both terror-invoking and the One who patiently teaches us to walk in His ways.

About me:
God's not amused by my pride. It's a form of idolotry. I don't think I'd ever really thought of my pride problem as idolotry before. And the embarassement of trusting in money more than I trust in God. That money is going to run and hide in holes in the mountains with bats and moles. I'll be embarrassed for thinking that more money would fix my problems. God is the one who provides for me. Not me (that's pride), and not money. Both are idolotry.

Isaiah 1

The structure of this chapter is one of those diamonds (what are they called?)

1-11 you're ruined because you keep wandering away from Me
12-17 I'm sick of your phony sacrifices, give me some real good works - like defending the fatherless and widows
18-20 I'll forgive you and take you back
21-24 This is an evil city -- no one defends the fatherless and widows
25-31 It'll be ruined.

So, what's the point? The middle of the diamond. Verses 18-20.

“ Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD,

“ Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword”;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

What do I learn about God?
God's doesn't appreciate my wandering away, and my ingratitude for all He's done. He just wants to forgive and cleanse me (note, that doesn't involve me doing anything). As long as I refuse and rebel, He'll work circumstances to break us to the point where I recognize that I need him.

What do I learn about me?
I look like a 2 year old when I act like Israel in this chapter. "I can do it myself", and God lets me try, until we're finally frustrated enough to give up and let Him. Then he takes me and washes away all of my sin. That's what he wants.

Other notes:
Caring for people who can't care for themselves (fatherless and widows) are mentioned twice as things that the few righteous folks do. That's what God cares about, not how faithfully I attend church, but how I pass on the love and mercy He's shown me.

God defines Himself

And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation.

How does God want us to think of him? How does He describe Himself? In Exodus, Moses asks to see the glory of God. God obliges him, but shows Moses his back. As he passes, This is how He describes Himself.

God identifies Himself as:

1. Gracious and merciful.
   
2. Long suffering.
   
3. Abounding in goodness and truth.
   
4. Keeping mercy for thousands.
   
5. Forgiving iniquity AND trespasses AND sin.
6. By no means clearing the guilty.
7. Visiting the iniquity of the father upon children and children's children to the third and fourth generation.

How many times in the Bible do we have God tell us exactly what He is like? This is God's definition of Himself, and my perspective on God should match up with this verse.

How cool is it that mercy -- not giving us the punishment we deserve -- is the only one to show up twice in this list?

I love that God abounds in Goodness AND Truth.

God is long suffering. God suffers. And long.

He forgives all offenses, keeps mercy for thousands, and does that without clearing the guilty.

Does my perception of God match this?