Devotion • June 11
Today’s Scripture Reading
Deuteronomy 29:10–20
You stand assembled today, all of you, before the Lord your God — the leaders of your tribes, your elders, and your officials, all the men of Israel, your children, your women, and the aliens who are in your camp, both those who cut your wood and those who draw your water — to enter into the covenant of the Lord your God, sworn by an oath, which the Lord your God is making with you today; in order that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, as he promised you and as he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I am making this covenant, sworn by an oath, not only with you who stand here with us today before the Lord our God, but also with those who are not here with us today. You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed. You have seen their detestable things, the filthy idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, that were among them. It may be that there is among you a man or woman, or a family or tribe, whose heart is already turning away from the Lord our God to serve the gods of those nations. It may be that there is among you a root sprouting poisonous and bitter growth. All who hear the words of this oath and bless themselves, thinking in their hearts, “We are safe even though we go our own stubborn ways” (thus bringing disaster on moist and dry alike) — the Lord will be unwilling to pardon them, for the Lord’s anger and passion will smoke against them. All the curses written in this book will descend on them, and the Lord will blot out their names from under heaven. (NRSV)
Reflection
“I will be your God, and you will be my people.” This is a covenant of loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity. In the ancient Near East, as well as throughout the Middle Ages, covenants and pledges of fealty were strong social organizing principles. The idea that curses would fall on people who break their pledge of loyalty seems drastic to our ears as modern people.
Although the writers of this text called the gods of other people “idols” and “detestable,” the problem here isn’t the existence of other gods, but rather people turning their hearts away from their own God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The gem I take from this story is the warning that God will not protect us from the consequences of our devotion to our own stubborn ways when we fail to live up to the commitments of our discipleship. “All who hear the words of this oath and bless themselves, thinking in their hearts, ‘We are safe even though we go our own stubborn ways’ (thus sweeping away the moist with the dry) — the Lord will be unwilling to pardon them” (verses 19–20a).
God is consistent throughout the Bible, and especially in the Old Testament, at getting angry in the face of injustice and greed. If we don’t admit and confront our own failures at justice, generosity, and love, our sense of safety will be exposed as an illusion. Scholars don’t know what the Hebrew means in “sweeping away the moist with the dry,” but there is something here about failing to discern the good from the bad.
Prayer
Holy God of all creation, help me today to steward your creation, which you have given us responsibility to care for; to love my neighbor as myself; and to love you and serve your world with all my heart, mind, and strength. Amen.
Written by Nanette Sawyer, Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Small Group Ministry
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
Devotion index by date | I’d like to receive daily devotions by email
YouTube
Podcasts
/fourthchurch
#fourthchurch
#fourthchurch
@fourthchicago