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Chapter 29 is the closing of Moses speaking this covenant if you remember this this is Moses kind of giving his last words to the children of Israel before they pass on the promised land and he himself goes and dies the Lord of course takes him home here in the next couple chapters and the kind of closing chapters are a little bit more the last few chapters more poetic we some things to look forward to as well but this is the closing of the covenant that Moses began to speak in the land of Moab that's what it says there in verse 1 these are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab beside the covenant he made with them in Horeb so if you recall of course Horeb is referring to the Ten Commandments when they came out of Egypt that was the name of the mount another name for that mount is Mount Sinai where God came down in a pillar of fire and smoke and all of that and they received the commandments at that time but you know there's a lot more to what God had to say God didn't just sum everything up there he had a lot more than he wanted to add and he adds those things here in this this latter part where they come into land of Moab just before they pass over now a lot of things he said of course were repeated he did repeat himself but there's also a lot of other things if you were with us as we were going through the book of Deuteronomy we see that God has concerned himself really with every aspect of human life I mean if we if we can recall some of the passages that we've looked at these chapters over you know these last months I mean there's just no part of a society that God just doesn't put his finger in and say this is the way it's going to be done this is the way I want it done and God what shows us is that God concerns himself with human affairs you know God isn't just you know this passive observer who just you know he's it's not like the Bette Midler song you know everyone who knows I know from a distance you know God is watching us you know that's a lie Bette Midler you know God isn't watching us from a distance you know God is involved you know God wants to you know he looks into the things of man and he and he and he's even spoken to man you know through Moses through his word you know God's not just this mysterious figure that we have to you know stumble through the darkness and try to find God is very open about who he is and that he's there you know he's saying you know you know if we would seek and call after him you know we would find him but that's what we see here in the book of Deuteronomy God dealing with mankind telling him how society is out of run I mean he just again we won't go over all of it but just every single thing in society God dealt with you know and so again God isn't just this passive observer but you know and this has kind of been a theme throughout this book is accountability you know the themes of accountability the themes of obedience and blessing I mean that's really been a theme throughout the book of Deuteronomy so often God is saying you know if you do this I'll bless you if you do this I'll curse you if you don't do this I'll curse you if you don't do this I'll bless you and so on and so forth so I think accountability has been a major theme this book if we've paid attention to that or caught these previous sermons we would know that but you know God is making these people the children of Israel even more accountable that's what we see here by the fact that he has worked in their presence you know and we this we could apply that to ourselves as well we're saved we know the truth we have the Holy Spirit we have a you know we have a church that we can go to where we hear biblical preaching these things are a blessing no doubt but they're also these are things that make us more accountable to God these are things that are going to God is going to hold us to a higher degree of accountability than the person who does not have those things and I've preached you know in previous chapters of Deuteronomy through that but that is a consistent theme throughout and we find that again here in this chapter as well in fact that's what Moses starts doing here in beginning of verse 2 he reminds them of their accountability to God because of the fact that he has they have seen God work in their midst and they've also seen they've also had to rely a God for his protection and for his provision you will see that there in verse 2 where it says and Moses called unto all Israel and said of them ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land the great temptations with thine eyes have seen the signs and those great miracles yet the Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear unto this day and I have led you 40 years in the wilderness your clothes are not waxen old upon you and your shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot I mean that's one of those little miracles that we so often you know overlook we could talk about all the ones that were previously mentioned here about all the plagues of Egypt all the miracles of Egypt all the great temptations that they came through I mean there's all these great miracles in that story that Moses could have brought up right I mean he kind of just glosses over them very quickly says hey you've seen all these things you know we're talking about but then he points out there specifically look you know your your clothes are not waxen old and your shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot you know I don't think that you know obviously they probably weren't bringing a full wardrobe with them it's not like they had you know just you walk it through the desert with Samsonite you know luggage and everything like that they probably only had maybe the clothes on their back maybe a few other garments you know maybe only one or two pairs of shoes you know and it's an amazing miracle is that throughout 40 years those things never wore out and that's just one of those things that we kind of look over and what's interesting too is that those are the two things that one of the two things that God has promised to provide us even in the New Testament you know Jesus said you know that he's promised food and raiment Paul said having food and raiment let us be there with content you know those are the two things that God has promised us you know the raiment and he goes on there says in verse 6 you have not eaten bread neither you have drunk wine or strong Greek that you may know that I and the Lord your God so if you're calling the 40 years of the wilderness they were eating manna every morning right and he's saying look you didn't eat bread you didn't have anything nice to drink you know you were just drinking you know plain water and things like that and they were you know we would look at that say man that's kind of lean you know it's kind of God wasn't exactly feeding them you know flaming young every every morning it wasn't a porterhouse every night for them to before they went to bed it was the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over again for so many years and and and we would look at that and say well that doesn't sound very pleasant but what was the purpose behind it that ye might know that I am the Lord your God I mean that should be that would be worth it right there I mean to know that you are you that you know the very God of heaven that you know it's not so much what you're being given as much as who it's giving it who's giving it to you so you know sometimes even in our own life God will keep us lean you know maybe we have to eat you know things get tight we have to start just eating you know the rice the beans the noodles you know the canned goods you know whatever you know we're not going to have the the full course meal you know every other you know it's not going to be you know crepes and and everything else for breakfast you know might just be toast I mean maybe a little bit of butter you know there's been seasons probably in all of our lives where we've had to have some you know some scarcity we had to go through and you know things were tight you know but God does that sometimes so that we were learned to rely on him and I believe that's what Moses is reminding them of here look you had food and you had Raymond and the Lord is your God and that's really what matters the most he says in verse 7 and when you came unto this place Sion king of Heshbon and Ogh the king of Bashan came out against us under battle and we smote them and we took their land and gave it for an inheritance of the Reubenites and to the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh of course if recall they had much cattle they liked that land there they made a covenant with the the other tribes that they would leave their children there and their cattle and they would go fight with them and they would not return to all the land was taken for familiar with that story but again what are we seeing here that God is providing for them and God is also protecting them and the theme the reason why it's not that they forgot all this Moses is reminding them of this because what he's trying to make the impression here in this chapter is that yes God has done all these four things for you but that only makes you all the more accountable for the things for having witnessed these things and really what he's trying to do because got to remember God knows the beginning from the end God knows the land that they're going into is a land that flow with of milk and honey as it says in Joshua he's going to give them a land which they did not labor for cities which he built not and you shall dwell in them of the vineyards and the olive yards which ye planted not do ye eat so they were about to go in and run out the inhabitant of that land the Canaanites and take over and they were going to have homes and vineyards and all of yards and all these things just ready to go and God of course at that time quit feeding them the manna from heaven because they had the fruit of the land God knows that the abundance and the wealth that they're about to come into and God I believe is trying to remind them of the dangers of prosperity and that's a very real thing and if you would turn over to Proverbs chapter 30 keep something in chapter 29 that's something we always have to be on guard about and I believe that's probably one of the bigger problems this nation has had you know is it possible for a nation to be prosperous and not forget God sure but is that the tendency in man no the tendency with man is that the more he has an abundance the more he has of this world's goods the less he seems to need God the less dependent he is likely to become upon God and that can in fact happen to an entire nation is as well as individuals and I believe that's what he's trying to warn them about that's what he's going into in this chapter he's reminding all the things that God did all the protection all the provision so that when they come into this land they're not going to forget the Lord their God it says there in Proverbs chapter 30 look at verse 7 two things have I required of thee deny me them not before I die review far from me vanity and lies and give me neither poverty nor riches you know that's a good prayer to pray in life say you know I don't need a lot you know of course we don't want to be dirt we don't need to pray and ask God to make us dirt poor and a lot of people have this false you know this false humility you know if they the more if they just make themselves poor I mean you think about the monk and things like that and and you know the the different monasteries and things where they give up everything they own and they you know they wear one robe with a rope for a belt or something like that you know and they they live a very austere life but really that's just a thing of pride it's a very it's an outward show of some false austere you know lifestyle just as false humility they're trying to put out there look at me how poor I am I'm so godly I'm so holy because I've made myself destitute okay we shouldn't desire that we shouldn't get caught up in this thing of the more we afflict ourselves you know somehow that's gonna make us holy now of course you know if affliction comes and suffering comes that does make us better but it should be something that happens in and of itself or something that God ordains it should be something we seek out so because he's saying here give me neither poverty but anything says nor riches you know riches are another thing we have to be very careful about you know if we have an abundance of wealth and I talked about this I believe just this last Sunday or perhaps last week I can't remember which sermon it was I won't go on about it but you know the Bible you know yeah it was this last Sunday we preached about you know envy yeah covetousness you know we if we could a lot of times when people come in a lot of money that can be very bad and I'm not saying everybody I'm saying some people can probably handle it but the vast majority of people that come into wealth you know sometimes that's their undoing so this is a good prayer here don't give me poverty don't give me riches feed me with food convenient for me and he's not talking about 7-eleven and it's not time a convenient store food he's saying feed me with food that is appropriate you know maybe I don't have to have the you know the you know the glazed duck you know whatever you know but maybe I can have you know something good and you have something that's just gonna be you know get the job done fill me give me some food but what again Moses is doing here is warning them of the dangers of prosperity and what we're seeing the theme of this chapter and really the whole book of Deuteronomy for by and large is that God's blessing is dependent upon our obedience you know the saying that we've heard and you know it rings true and it's something that we should think about often is that the path to God's blessing is through the door of obedience you know how are you gonna give God's blessing in our life we're gonna do it by obeying his commandments you know it's great that we're saved it's great that you know Jesus you know paid it all you know that salvation is a free gift that we don't have to do anything for it but does that that does not necessarily mean that our lives are gonna be blessed of God just because you get saved doesn't mean that somehow God is just gonna you know sprinkle some fairy dust on your life and everything's gonna go great and you don't have to you have no part to play you know we do have a part to play if we want the blessing of God in our life and that's what we're seeing here in this chapter if you look there in verse 9 he says excuse me keep therefore the words of this covenant and do them they may prosper in all that you do so a lot of people that you know they get it backwards they think well you know I can't if I want to prosper then I have to ignore the things of God you know if I want to make money and succeed it and work you know that I'm gonna have to work overtime and work Sundays and I don't have time for soul-winning I'm not you know I'm gonna be too busy to read my Bible and be too busy to all these things because I need to prosper well the Bible is teaching us the exact opposite is what's true that if we want to prosper and all that we do then we need to keep the words of his covenant that we need to do his commandments not just keep them but do them so that's a again the principle that is the overarching theme here is obedience and blessing now another interesting thing here in this chapter is that beginning in verse 10 we see that God does not limit his covenant to a certain blood line you know God doesn't limit who his people are to a certain race or to a certain group of people okay and you know that would that's something that we need to touch upon every time to come across it because of the fact that you know this doctors the Zionist thinking you know this this dispensational doctrine that's out there that teaches you know that the Jews are God's chosen people and we as Gentile believers are just you know we're just catching God on the rebound kind of a thing you know God came and he was rejected of them and then God just kind of threw up his hands and said well I guess the Gentiles will do that's not at all the case you know and then trying to turn God's very God's people God's true chosen people and trying to make them to feel like some kind of second-class citizen when the exact opposite is what's true and that's what we see here we see even an example of that as well as many other places in scriptures where God does not limit who his people are to a certain you know genetic pool of people it's to all people I mean that's what the Bible teaches God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance that he's the Savior of all men that of them that believe so if you look there in verse 10 it says ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your captains of your tribes your elders and your officers with all the men of Israel your little ones your wives and a stranger that is in thy camp from the hewer of wood unto the drawer of water that thou shouldest enter into the covenant with the Lord thy God and into his oath which the Lord thy God maketh thee excuse me make with thee this day that he may establish thee today for a people unto himself that he may be unto thee a God as he saith unto thee and as he hath sworn of thy fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob so again God is including people here that would later be considered Gentiles if you and you're saying well who you talking about well it's interesting in verse 11 and he says the stranger that is in thy camp okay that right there should be a clue now he's not talking about the weirdo okay that's not what he means by stranger you know that the odd guy in your camp that's not what that means he said stranger he's saying the foreigner that's another that's the biblical word for foreigner somebody is from another country you know they're not native-born to Israel he's saying look they're they're part of the people that were gathered there that day that God entered into a covenant with and called Abraham and Isaac and Jacob their fathers he also said the hewer of thy wood and in the drawer of thy water and we know later that that would actually be the inhabitants of Gibeon you know if we recall the story when Joshua went into the land and started to overtake the land the the inhabitants of Gibeon the Gibeonites they saw what was happening and they deceived the children of Israel remember they you know they made them they got moldy bread and they put on their old worn-out clothes and they took their their wine skins that were worn out and they said they were journeying from a far country that they had heard tale of them from a great land far off that they weren't in the Canaanites and they entered into a covenant of peace with them and then later when it's found out what does Joshua do he tells them hey you know what you guys deceived us you were treacherous but here's the thing we can't we've made a covenant with you and we can't break it but now you're gonna be our hewers of wood and our drawers of water and I believe God foresaw that you know God foresaw that even the people that are gonna be hewing your wood and drawing your water they too are gonna enter into the covenant and who were they they were the very people of the land that God was casting out they were they lived in Canaan they were to be destroyed but because of what they did they you know they they found a loophole and managed to make their way in and God says well they're gonna enter into my covenant too and God even goes so far I believe in this passage he's alluding to future generations that aren't even there yet I believe that you know we would see ourselves in that and he goes on to include future future generations that's what he says later down here in the in the chapter but first of all I mean it's getting touch on this you know he's saying the stranger that is in thy camp that is something you know we see in numbers you see that at Esther in chapter 8 when you know that when God grants deliverance to the Jews and they decree the law that the Jews could defend themselves against their enemies and the people that were you know you know of the Gentile nations were so afraid that it says in Esther that many of the people the land became Jews for the fear of the Jews so how do you become a Jew if being a Jew is just genetic you know you can't do that it's because being a Jew is a religious thing it's not you know it's not it's not this genetic thing it's it's what you believe not you know your DNA okay so we see that even all the way back in the Old Testament it was possible to become a Jew even if you were a Gentile if you were not of the nation of Israel you know genetically if you weren't a descendant directly but you know again he notices he talks about the hewers of the wood you know it's referring to the head the the inhabitants of Gibeon I believe and I believe the Gibeonites you know God foresaw them and he mentions them there the hewers of wood and the drawers of water but I also believe that he is also referring to us today that God when he says you know those that that that aren't even here today he goes on and says that they also would be of the Covenant look there in verse 14 neither with you only do I make this covenant an oath but with him that standeth here with that before us this day before the Lord our God and also with him that is not here with us this day you know I don't know that there were just you know people maybe there's some got people that were supposed to be that were gone I tend to think what he's referring to is the fact that there's going to be future generations that come and that would include us and you see that again you know in Matthew you don't to go there but go over to 1st Peter chapter 2 a very familiar passage but in Matthew chapter 8 Jesus said and I say unto you that many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit down with who with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth and what's Jesus teaching here he's teaching like look there's gonna be strangers to the nation of Israel that come down and sit down with your progenitors your patriarchs and you and yourselves are going to be cast out and of course if you recall the story that's you know he gives that in the midst of the story with the the Roman centurion you know who who Jesus says I've not found so great a faith in all of Israel he said that of a Roman a Roman soldier so what we see is that God's intent with Old Testament Israel has in fact let me just say it's God's intent with his people throughout all time whether it's in the Old Testament or today God has always had the same purpose in mind for his people okay and what that purpose is is that those his people would be a lighthouse unto all nations that is that was the intent that God had with the nation of Israel that they were to be a light unto the Gentiles you know you read about that in Isaiah chapter 42 he said I have called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will help thee to give thee for a covenant of the people for a light to the Gentiles I mean they were supposed to have law that they were if they had kept the commandments and the covenants the way they should have the Bible says that people would have wondered at their law that they would have been drawn to inquire of the God of Israel when they saw that the blessing that God would have poured out upon that nation and in fact there was a time when that happened if you recall with Solomon when he had the peace in his land for it was 40 years and he had all that abundance and and and God had just poured out his blessing upon that nation at that time what did we see we saw Queen of Sheba coming and wanting to inquire right we saw people coming from different parts of the world but that has always been God's intent you know that's that's what God wants for his people to be God wants us to be a lighthouse to all nations God's not trying to make this exclusive club you know people get it backwards they think that God want God took the Jews and just made them this you know you know this this elitist group of people that nobody can be else can be a part of you know much like the nation of Israel tries to do today right you know they you can't come in unless you you know your mother was born a Jew or something like that I don't I don't know the law of it's escaping me now the the the right of return and things like that they have this whole big you know rig that you have to go through and not everybody gets in right but that's not the Old Testament Israel that's not the biblical Israel that's not what God intended for the true Israel of God that they would be this exclusive club that nobody else could be a part of no it was quite the opposite God wanted them to have you know to be open to allow many people to come in to allow all nations to flow into them and to be in to be saved and to know the God of Israel you know with today we are that light we are that that nation we are that peculiar people and we are to that we had the same purpose today as Old Testament Israel what did to be a light unto the Gentiles you see that in first Peter chapter 2 look at verse 9 he said ye are a chosen people a royal priesthood a holy nation of peculiar people that ye should show forth the praises of him with called you out of darkness into its marvelous light that's what we're supposed to do that's what that's the purpose of us being a peculiar people that's the purpose of us being this holy nation of this rolling royal priesthood it's not so we can walk around and strut our stuff and say look how special we are now we are special but you know but because of Christ not because of our own goodness because of the fact that he died for us and we had put our faith in him but the purpose that we have is not to you know try to you know stick our noses three feet up in the air and pretend that we're better than everybody the purpose he says there is to show forth the praises of him with called you out of darkness into his marvelous light that's the purpose that we would show forth those praises that would people would hear of the God of Israel they would hear about that Jesus's death-baring resurrection and they would want a part in that and then they would get saved look at verse 10 he says what you're in time past were not a people but now are the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy and there's one word I'd really like to emphasize in that verse and it's the word the look there he says which in times past were not a people but now are what the people of God not not a people of God not you know Israel and then the Gentiles to know we are the people of God to the exclusion of anybody else and again not because of our own goodness but because we've been saved because we've been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ and that is open to everybody you know everybody has that opportunity if they want it to be that part of that peculiar people to be part of that holy nation to be the people of God they go back to Deuteronomy chapter 29 where we were we'll pick it back up in verse 16 he says in verse 16 for you know they have dwelt in the land of Egypt and how he came through the nations which are passed by and he's have seen their abominations and their idols wood and stone and silver and gold which were among them lest there should be any man or woman or woman or family or tribe whose heart turned away this day from the Lord our God so God's saying look what else is making them accountable not just the fact that you know God's protected them God has provided for them they've seen all these miracles that God has done but he's also saying look you've also passed you've dwelt in Egypt and you've passed by these other nations and you've seen the abominations you know you've seen the alternative to following the Lord your God you know sometimes we should be able to look at what other the mistakes other people are making and that should be enough for us to learn our lesson not to say well let me go see if that's how it's gonna work out with me you know we see somebody run out in traffic and get hit by a car you know we don't have to go try that for ourselves to find out if that's what's gonna happen we should be able to just look at somebody else's life look at like they did like God is telling them look you've seen these other nations that don't follow me that are following gods of silver and wood and gold and idols carved at a man by man's hand and the things that that leads to you've seen their abominations is what he calls it calls it and what is he saying that makes you all the more accountable because you know that's not what God would have you to do and he says in verse 18 lest there should be among you a man or a woman or tribe whose heart turneth away from the Lord our God to go serve other gods of these nations so that's part of the purpose of God had brought them through that land to see all those things so that it would they would their hearts they would take warning they would take heed to that that's the lest their hearts would turn lest there should be among you any root that beareth gall and wormwood and we'll talk about that last part there that's pretty interesting but you know them having seen all these things you know they made them more accountable and the covenant that Moses is giving here in Deuteronomy you know the words that Moses is speaking all these you know all they were all spoken all these things have happened all these things have taken place to prevent Israel from going astray you know Moses isn't just talking to them because you know they're just killing time before they go over and there's purpose behind everything that he's saying you know and the purpose is is that they when they get over there they're not going to become disobedient they're not going to become puffed up in their wealth and prosperity and go astray and that's why he's speaking all these things that's why God's let him saying all these things but what's interesting is that this turning away from God this going after false gods this airing you know where does it begin it begins it shows us here it begins in the heart it says lest there be among you man or woman or for trot family or tribe whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God you know that's where it always begins is in the heart when people start to get get out of sorts with God and they get away from God when they as it goes on and says here when they get bitter and they have gall and bitterness you know galls and other and wormwood these are all words that are you know you know associated with bitterness where does that begin with the person it begins with their heart you know they hear they hear something from the Bible or somebody does something that offends them and you know they they they take that and it begins to fester and it turns into bitterness and it begins in the heart and that's why we really need to you know guard our hearts against these things but bitterness there or what I believe is referring to using the word gall right he says lest there be a root among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood you know that gall this bitterness it is I believe directed towards God's commandments that's what the bitterness is and that's what he's saying here look you've seen what the abominations of the heathen you've seen my protection and everything I've done for you so don't get an attitude when I tell you to keep my commandments you know because let's face it God's commandments you know they go against the grain quite often right because we have a fallen nature you know God's law is actually what condemns us the commandments you know you know show us how much we come up short does that mean we should just not even bother with them no of course not now we know we don't keep them to get saved we keep them so that again God can bless us but a lot of times you know the it's the Word of God that offends it's the preaching of the Word of God that offends and it's sometimes you know if we're not careful we can actually develop a bitterness in our heart towards the very Word of God towards the commandments of God I believe that's what he's showing us here is that he's warning them look all these things have fallen out unto you so that you don't get bitter because what's he keep what's he keep just reiterating throughout this book keep the commandments keep the commandments obey Lord obey the Lord obey the Lord just over and over and over and over and over again because he doesn't want them to get better and that the excuse me the possibility with that being the case of this commandment to obey you know there's a strong possibility that some people will just be like well I'm tired of obeying I'm tired of keeping the commandments you know why can't we go live like these people why can't we go run around and do it you know this is something I believe that happens with you know sometimes with young people in a church you know they come up in a church like this that preaches the whole Word of God says you shouldn't drink you shouldn't fornicate you should get involved in this sin and that sin should be careful your friends are and you know and if young people aren't careful they feel like they look out in the world and they say well we're missing out you know the world is having all this fun they're getting to do this they're going to do that and all but what they don't understand is all they see is is is the shiny side of sin all they see is the pleasures of sin for a season you know no one there no the world isn't gonna show you all the nastiness that comes with sin they're not gonna flaunt that they're not gonna flaunt the abortion that they had they're not gonna flaunt you know the the the child out of wedlock they're not gonna flaunt you know everything that comes along with being a drunk they're not gonna flaunt you know the DUI or the the trouble with the law they're not gonna show you all that they're gonna show you everything that's shiny and bright and try to lure you in and if we're not careful if we don't take heed to the Word of God you know especially with young people too they can become bitter with God and with his commandments and with the preaching and they can and a root of bitterness can take hold and it can spread and that's what we see here so bitterness I believe this directly is referring to is the bitterness that's directed toward God's commandments it begins in the heart but why does he call it wormwood you know that's a very interesting word if you recall it's used in Revelation it's the star that comes from heaven and poison a third of the waters and it kills of that you know that's a huge number of the population but why is it so why is he using wormwood here in fact it's it's bring comes up quite often in Scripture and it's always often it's if you look it up it's associated with gall and it's associated with bitterness and I believe the reason why he's using it is because it's something that spreads if you recall in Revelation 8 you know it's something that it hits the earth and then whatever it takes place it causes this poison to spread throughout you know probably the groundwater things like that there's some interesting theories that are that are out there that have a lot of merit to them I believe but I believe it's because it's a it's a spreading type of thing this wormwood is something that's going to spread throughout the earth you know it's not just gonna be this all of a sudden thing you know these people die it's gonna be something that takes place over time it's a spreading okay and I believe that's why he's using that here is because because bitterness and gall is something that you know it spreads to other people if you would go over to Hebrews chapter 12 I should have had to turn there either earlier but and that's why you know the New Testament warns us in Hebrew in Hebrews 12 to watch our hearts for the same bitterness I believe as I was talking about there these people are being warned that they should not have one a root that beareth gall and wormwood you know don't don't get you know envious at the wicked don't get out of sorts with God if you know the if it's chapped at the Bible's chapping your hide a little bit well you know maybe you're the problem okay and that's what he's trying to warn them here and it's we're warned of in the New Testament as well that we have to be on guard just as much because here's the thing there's no new thing under the Sun there's no temptation taking you but such as is common to man we're no different than these people back then we had the same you know heart of flesh we had the same fallen nature we could just as easily fall in any of these sins as anybody else you know and here's the thing they had I mean look at everything they had they had the fire come down they had the blackness and darkness of smoke that the God's voice sounding long like a trumpet the splitting of the Red Sea I mean they saw all these things within two generations they saw God do all I mean the shoes on their feet every day a reminder of God's provision that they that God was real that he was there they had all these things you know bearing witness and testimony and should have been reminding them of the Lord their God and kept them accountable and yet they still fell now do we have any of those things today only in the form of the written word so how much more so should we be on guard today if this can happen to somebody who saw all of those things if bitterness and gall can creep into their hearts it's something that could just as easily happen to us if not more so that's why it says there in Hebrews 12 verse 14 follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God look here lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled so again there's that that that you know that that that wormwood like effect that spreading effect you know it springs up in one of us and then if we're not careful it can spread to other people lest there be any fornicator profane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright now a couple things here about Hebrews 12 you know notice first of all he says it's a root right and that's what he said back there in Deuteronomy 2 lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and it's interesting that he used that and he says in Hebrews 12 he says lest any root of bitterness spring up trouble you you know and I thought about this often when I read this exactly why he used that analogy of a root springing up you know and I always and I've wondered I said why doesn't God just tell us to go dig up the root and get it out of there that's not what he says here he says watch the root and if it springs up you know cut it down because here's the thing that root has to be continually pruned because it's always going to be there you know we we because of the fact that we have two natures within us you know we have a fallen nature and we have the Holy Spirit and these things are at war one with another right if we can walk in the spirit we can walk in the flesh but we will always have until we reach glory this fallen nature well so we're always going to have this potential to become bitter towards the things of God and I believe that's why he calls it a root and I believe that's why he doesn't tell you to go after the root he says watch the root and if it springs up you know then you do something about it because that root is always going to be there under the surface always there maybe it's not bearing fruit maybe it's not you know blooming in our life but at the potentials there if we water it you know if we nourish that root of bitterness you better believe it's going to spring up and and here's the thing sometimes that happen people nourish that plant and what happens like the wormwood right it spreads and many are defiled how does that happen well sometimes people get bitter and angry let's say in a church setting they don't there's something the preacher said or whatever they get offended and instead of just leaving quietly and going on there about their life they're gonna see how much trouble they can cause before they get you know thrown out or whatever and they just they did the water the bitterness in their life they'll just they'll they'll take that root of bitterness and put it in a pot and put it in there the best part of their garden they'll put fertilizer on it they'll make sure it gets the right amount of Sun and they'll let that thing just bloom in their life and then once they got it just the way they like it what they'll start to do is invite other people over and say oh here's my roses here's my tulips and here's my root of bitterness let me tell you about it and what they look for is they try to get somebody's ear in the church and they start to try to spread that bitterness and other people well what do you think I mean do you really think that was the right decision or why did the pastor say this or did you notice this about you know and that's usually an attack on the pastor right because that's you know that's just the way it is I can't tell you why or an attack on his family you know they'll start to criticize and we'll do it very subtly they'll do it very slyly but what are they doing they're spreading they got that plant of bitterness they've not pruned it that root has just bloomed in their life and now it's just pollen is you're trying to pollinate everybody else's heart with it and it spreads so it's a real interesting use of words there and the fact that he uses in Deuteronomy and Hebrews 12 a lot of the same language talking about how you know bitterness gall is a spreading you know a root that grows and spreads and affects everybody around them and that's why we have to you know keep on guard about it in our lives and we should never listen to you know people who are trying to sow discord among the brethren those things should not be we should never give ear to a bitter tongue and we should learn to listen for it and recognize it when we hear it and say look I'm not gonna hear that you know you need to get your heart right so anyway that was just kind of an interesting little pit stop along the way here through the chapter but if you want to go back to the Deuteronomy you'll pick it back up at 19 and it says and it shall and it came to excuse me verse 19 and it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesseth himself in his heart so what is he talking about again you know backing up the verse 16 about you know someone whose heart turns away from Lord our God and to serve other gods and then this guy is so presumptuous you know it says in verse 19 that it came to pass that he here at the words of this curse you know chapter 20 28 that we read last week you know 64 verses the vast majority of work was just curse curse curse curse curse curse it was like twice as many cursings as blessings and he says oh he hears the words of this curse he understands everything that got that the preacher saying that the Word of God is saying but all the things that God will do in a person's life for the punishment the chastisement it is there that is real and he blessed himself in his heart anyway he says he hears the words he says yeah but you know that's not is God really like that oh that's just that's just the preacher's take on it you know that that's not really the way God is I and he says he blessed himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart you know I'm not gonna be held down by God's rules I'm not gonna let his commandments you know keep me back from doing whatever I'm gonna walk whatever whatever imagination in my heart there is to do that's what I'm gonna do and I'll be at peace you know I understand what the Bible says but it you know it doesn't really matter to me it's I'm different I'm special and he says and to add drunkenness to thirst the Lord will not spare him but the end but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man so again what do we see again this this theme of somebody knowing better and doing wrong anyway somebody who's who is his is held to a degree of accountability and God coming down even more harshly upon them you know if this was somebody that was just completely ignorant of the Word of God if this was somebody that had never heard of the God of Israel had never read the Bible never knew any of these things I'm not saying that they're they're innocent but I'm saying that God might not you know cause his jealousy to smoke against that man God doesn't just do that to everybody where what is he what is he saying it's his jealousy that's smoking against him it's him looking at that man who's saying oh I understand what God's commandments are I'm gonna walk the imagination my own heart anyway one of his children one of his people he's jealous for them he says they're mine and the Bible tells us that we are bought with a price he are not your own you are bought with the price as the precious blood of the land and we should not you know be so careless to think that just be that that we can just do whatever we want in our life and God's not gonna get jealous after his son shed his blood for us after he gave his only begotten son and paid that ransom for our soul that God's just gonna say well you know you just do whatever you want now and there's no consequences no friend if we if we you know understand the things God if we're saved and we become more accountable and we think we're just one day gonna get bitter and angry and leave and just quit church and everything and and life's just gonna be normal you know I'll be honest you know there's been season in my life where seasons in my life where I thought about tossing in the towel you know what kept me in the fear of God to knowing that if I were to go back out there I'd whatever I however I might go to think it might be it'll probably be ten times worse than it's ever been because I've been made accountable because I have said I'm the preaching of the Word of God because I have read the Bible because I know these things and I knew that the anger the Lord would smoke against me you know and that far outweighs any desire to do any sinful thing that fear should should should far outweigh in our desire to go out and commit sin and it says and all the curses that are written this book shall lie upon him you know I you don't want God as your enemy you know that's that's intense and he goes on and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven okay this is a very severe concept set of consequences for people who know the Lord's will and do it not okay again the blessing of being God's people right it's the provision it's the protection it's the peace that passeth all understanding that God gives to his people when we know the Lord right but let's not forget that it comes with a greater deal of accountability to be God's child and it also becomes with a greater severity to those of punishment to those that are going to be disobedient you know the being God's child is is a two-edged sword it's really nice to add the blessing and have the the protection and the provision and all that but at the other the flip side of that is now we're more accountable and now any punishments going to be even more severe look at verse 21 and the Lord shall separate him out separate unto him evil out of all the tribes of Israel according all the curses of the Covenant that are written in the book of the law so that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you and the stranger that shall come from a far land shall say when they see the plagues of that land and the sickness which is the Lord had laid upon it so he's saying look if you guys get out of sorts with me you know if this nation goes astray I'm gonna bring strangers from another land and we go on and read here that they're gonna mock you they're gonna wonder at it you're not gonna be a light unto all nations you're gonna be a cursing you're gonna be a byword is what the Bible teaches us elsewhere but notice he says there that he it is the sickness which the Lord layeth upon it of course we could certainly make application with that today right when God lays sickness upon a land that is a punishment that God gives you know and and that's something that's been preached very recently from this pulpit I believe in pastors serving last night he talked about the fact that you know whatever you believe about this coronavirus it's of God whether it's man-made or not God allowed it to happen and everything that's taking place God allowed it to happen God is the one that lays sickness upon the land that is disobedient and I believe that's exactly what we see today that's what's going on you say well how is it how can it be that way because God is punishing this nation why because they knew better because they had the Word of God because they weren't just some heathen nation that we're going to suffer the consequences of their of their sinful ways in and of themselves they weren't just didn't have the inherent punishment of sin they actually had the Word of God they were accountable they knew the things of God and they just did they disregarded them and then God's going to say okay well now I'm gonna punish you I'm gonna lay some sickness upon your land that's the same way it is in this country now I'm not you know get up here and tell you that every that our every founding father you know and every person you know the all the way back the pilgrims was you know just as independent fundamental saved Baptist but here's the thing this nation you know was sending out missionaries all across the globe through the 1800s I mean this this nation is a nation that has had the light of the gospel with it that has had the name of Jesus in every every state every city this was at one time a very Christian nation and it has gone away from that so should it really surprise us that when we have the light of the Word of God in in our midst and then we disregard it when we kick God out of the public square it should it really be a shocker if God lays the sickness upon our land and I'm telling you you know we're gonna go on here and read this you know picking it back up verse 23 this this coronavirus and I said this again I believe last week is a slap on the wrist from God I mean it's it's definitely not the easiest thing but it could be a lot worse it could be a whole lot worse than what it is I mean look at verse 23 and that the whole land thereof is brimstone I mean God just burns their land right and it's salt and burning that is not so that that is not sown nor beareth nor any grass grow us therein like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim which the Lord overthrew in his anger and in his wrath I mean that's how bad I can get for a nation I mean this this is nothing you know everyone's upset because you know Trump sent us a stimulus check and they're up in arms you know and and people are really and I get it you know people there's I understand I'm not making light of the things that people are going through and it is inconvenient and it's not fun but it's nothing compared to what quite honestly what this nation really deserves you know and everyone is upset and I understand why about you know the the our rights that are being violated and things like that if they want to make that argument I'm not going to say that you know I understand that perspective I really do but here's my question you know and I believe brother Segura we he's even brought this up to me was that well do we even deserve the rights that we have to begin with I mean what were we doing with them anyway you know what were we doing with all these these rights that we cherish in love with in this country you know a lot of people were doing a lot of wicked things and this country's gotten very backslidden very wicked very evil I mean do we really even deserve to have those rights anymore to begin with or do we deserve this sickness and they know that is what's going to come one day you know mark it down maybe not in our lifetime but if God's not you know he's not going to just let this go on forever never God punishes a nation and all the more severely when that nation has had the Word of God in it makes them more accountable not less and he says in verse 25 the men shall say because they have forsaken the covenant the Lord their God their fathers which he made with them and when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt it's funny the stranger gets it the stranger understands you know the foreigner the the heathen looks at it goes oh that's because they forsook their God but the people that are living there going through it they don't get it they can't connect the dots so because here's the thing you have to remember you say well that sounds harsh I mean he's gonna overthrow them like Sodom and Gomorrah I mean brimstone and salt and burning I mean hmm lighten up Lord and I mean is it really that big of a deal but here's the thing they didn't forsake just anybody you know they didn't even these if we recall we know the story of Israel this eventually happens you know God punishes them severely takes them out of the land I mean you know just the horrors that we read in in in the previous chapter last week of the things that people had had to resort to literal cannibalism taking place you know why is it why did that all happen because they didn't forsake just anybody they forsook the Lord God that delivered them the God that did all these things for them that's who they forsook you know they didn't forsake you know some wooden statue they didn't forsake some golden idol they forsook the Lord of heaven the true and living God look at verse 26 for they went served other gods and worshiped ends gods whom they knew not and whom he had not given unto them and the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land to bring it upon all the curses that are written in this book and Lord rooted them out of the land in anger and in wrath and in great indignation and cast them into another land as it is this day I mean that's that's who they forsook the Lord that that delivered them from Egypt and now verse 29 you know the last verse I really like this verse and I believe I feel like this verse just really summarizes you know Deuteronomy it really summarizes this book and just kind of puts it in a nutshell it says the secret things belong unto Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever that we may do all the words of this law so again you could see that the the the message of accountability there that hey there's secret things that that belong unto only God but you know what there are things that we do know and they belong unto us and we need to teach them to our children they belong unto them and what's the purpose of them of God having giving them unto us that that we could call them our own that we may do all the words of this law it's not enough just to have them you know it's not enough to just to know what to do you actually have to go and do it and what I like about this too is that and again that's really you know that's the book of Deuteronomy in a nutshell God's given us these commandments so that we might do them that's it I mean you say why did God write you know Exodus and Leviticus and Deuteronomy and Numbers why did he go through all that telling of the law over why did he repeat it so often so you do it so you do it so they would do it so that God could bless them because God has you know a way he wants things done and so on and so forth but really another great thing about this verse that I love is that it shows us that you know there's some things we're never going to fully understand about the Lord there's some things about the Bible we're just never really gonna get that we'll have to get to heaven before God opens up our understanding you know and there's probably things that we couldn't can learn and maybe things we don't understand today that we will learn one day you know as we read and study and hear preaching and so on and so forth but even even after a lifetime of study there's just going to be secret things that belong unto God that we can sit there and wonder about and we can question and we can get in conversations and ask each other questions what do you think about this verse what do you think about this chapter what do you think this means what if this and here's the thing we'll never come to a solid answer because there's some things in the Bible that just belong unto God there's some things about the Lord and the way the way he does things that just they're secret they belong unto him but here's the thing there's no sense in focusing on those things because you'll never you'll never know them and and here's here's the thing we have plenty on our plate to begin with you know people want to get over here into this this minutia of some strange you know obscure verse some dark saying in the scripture that no one's really figured out yet and they just leave this whole everything that it's just crystal clear completely undone you know and a great example of this is the many emails that receive here at the church you know I read emails of people they just want to know just the most intricate you know depths of you know Daniel's 70th week and so on they want to understand some you know obscure Bible passage and then you find out they're they don't go to church they don't go soul winning they're not they have no desire to do that you know or they just they're just they're focusing they're you know they're restraining at a net and swallowing a camel as the saying goes right there's secret things just let them be the secret things we'll get to that maybe and if not we've got plenty to deal with I mean Deuteronomy is a long book and there's a lot of practical teaching in it and there's a lot of other books in this Bible that we need to know and things that we need to apply to our lives so there's no sense focusing on the secret things that belong only unto our God we've got plenty in our plate you know there's a full meal that we have to digest here so why has God you know given us the Bible why has God given us biblical preaching and why has God given us the Holy Spirit and the ability to understand all of these things why did he give Deuteronomy like it says there that we may do all the words of this law and that's really the message tonight you know it and really that's the message of Deuteronomy is I'm telling you these things so that you'll do them and the theme I believe this book is blessing through obedience and also on the flip side cursing through disobedience so it's not you know and the great great promises in this chapter you know that we're God's chosen people you know that that that all nations can come on to him that's not just this this particular group of people that time that God opened up you know that that that that way in to people that weren't even there yet to generations afar off that we could have by faith Abraham for our father that we could be the children of faith through Christ that's a great message but you know just proclaiming ourselves to be God's people is not enough you know we have to also live like the Lord's people that's believe that's what God because that's what God wants for his people you know and if you live for God you know you won't have to go around proclaiming it to everybody you know living for the Lord that speaks volumes enough in and of itself let's go ahead pray dear Lord again thank you for the privilege to be called your people thank you that you've made that way to you through the blood of Christ Lord that there's nothing we have to do other than believe but Lord I pray that you'd help us to live for you or not not to just disregard the things of the Word of God but that we would apply these things to our life and Lord help us to guard our hearts against the root of bitterness where we all have this fallen nature and we know that there's going to be things that we read or hear that offend us that they hit close to home Lord I prayed help us to have a tender heart you'd help us to have a humble spirit Lord that we would receive correction when it's due and Lord that we would not allow bitterness to spring up and defile many Lord we love you and we thank you pray that you would just keep us safe as we go we ask in Christ's name amen all right thanks for coming everybody we are dismissed