Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / July 29 - Deuteronomy 26

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July 29 - Deuteronomy 26 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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Hello friends, it's Sean. Here it is Tuesday.
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It's the 29th of July, almost at the end of the month, and today
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we continue by finishing the last of the days when Moses is
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going to be unpacking one at a time, those 10 commandments.
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And he's finishing off not coveting what our neighbour has
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by talking about not just holding onto or not wanting to
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hold on to the things that each other have, but in fact giving
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up what we have and giving it as tithes and offerings to remember
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that everything we have friends. Yep, even those prized
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possessions that we worked so hard for and our gifts to us.
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Yeah, that's what today's about. And then it's going to finish
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off with Moses appealing, begging, What's the right word?
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Urging, calling his people to follow God's advice.
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Because you know what it's like. You know that Israel finds it
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hard to follow what God has set out for them.
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So Moses is going to just ask them one more time at the end of
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these commandments to please, please, please follow them, that
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everything will go well for them.
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So let us hear him finish off the last of the commandments and
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then extol the virtues of these commandments to his people.
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As we read together Deuteronomy chapter 26,
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When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as a
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special possession, and you have conquered it and settled there.
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Put some of the first produce from each crop you harvest into
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a basket and bring it to the designated place of worship, the
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place the Lord your God chooses for His name to be honoured.
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Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, with
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this gift I acknowledge to the Lord your God that I have
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entered the land He swore to our ancestors He would give us.
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The priest will then take the basket from your hand and set it
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before the altar of the Lord your God.
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You must then say in the presence of the Lord your God.
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My ancestor Jacob was a wandering Aramean who went to
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live as a foreigner in Egypt. His family arrived few in
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number, but in Egypt they became a large and mighty nation.
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When the Egyptians oppressed and humiliated us by making us their
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slaves, we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors.
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He heard our cries and saw our hardship, toil, and oppression.
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So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and
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powerful arm, with overwhelming terror, and with miraculous
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signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and
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gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
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And now, O Lord, I have brought you the first portion of the
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harvest. You have given me from the
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ground. Then place the produce before
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the Lord your God and bow to the ground and worship before Him.
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Afterward, you may go and celebrate because of all the
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good things the Lord your God has given to you and your
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household. Remember to include the Levites
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and the foreigners living among you in the celebration.
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Every 3rd year you must offer a special tithe of your crops.
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In this year of the special tithe, you must give your tithes
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to the Levites, foreigners, orphans and widows so that they
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will have enough to eat in your towns.
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Then you must declare in the presence of the Lord your God.
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I have taken the sacred gift from my house and have given it
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to the Levites, foreigners, orphans and widows, just as you
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commanded me. I have not violated or forgotten
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any of your commands, I have not eaten any of it while in
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mourning, I have not handled it while I was ceremonially
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unclean, and I've not offered any of it to the dead.
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I have obeyed the Lord my God and have done everything you
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commanded me. Now look down from your holy
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dwelling place in heaven and bless your people, Israel, and
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the land you swore to our ancestors to give us, a land
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flowing with milk and honey. Today the Lord your God has
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commanded you to obey all these decrees and regulations, so be
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careful to obey them wholeheartedly.
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You have declared today that the Lord is your God, and you have
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promised to walk in His ways and to obey His decrees, commands,
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and regulations and to do everything He tells you.
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The Lord has declared today that you are His people, His own
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special treasure, just as He promised, and that you must obey
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all His commands. And if you do, He will set you
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high above all the other nations He has made.
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Then you will receive praise, honour and renown.
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He will be a nation that is holy to the Lord your God, just as He
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promised. Our Father, you are faithful and
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good to us, just as you promised, and not only good to
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us, your special possession, but you are good to all your people,
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people in your nation, people in every nation, people who have
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chosen you, people who haven't even chosen you.
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And Lord, we here today in this reading about the way that you
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care for the foreigners, for the widows, for the orphans, for
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those who would otherwise be left destitute, and that you in
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your justice and your grace and your kindness, want everyone to
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be cared for because everyone is precious to you, even me, even
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everyone praying this prayer. Our Lord, we thank you that you
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hold us so lovingly in your heart and that you would be so
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kind as to pour your provision on us.
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We are grateful for you and all that you give us, all that you
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are, and for this decadent love that you just pour on us in our
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lives. And nothing says that more than
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your gift of Jesus to us. So we thank you for Jesus, and
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we pray this all in His name, Amen.