Introduction: Our intent is to contrast some of the key differences between the biblical Christian faith and Islam, and to do so in a way that leads us to see the fountainhead of those differences, which is the triune nature of God, over against the radical monotheism found in Islam. In other words the differences …
One of the Truly Great Principles of Scripture
We come now to a law which strikes modern ears as somewhat odd. The law, considered in itself, is clearly a kind one, but the occasion that gave rise to the law is not one we encounter every day. Or do we? At this point, we should discover that the more things change, the more …
The Glory of Ham for Easter
How we bear the name of the Lord your God is closely related to how we eat. Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves . . . (Deuteronomy 14:1-21a). This passage begins the commentary in Deuteronomy on the third commandment, which prohibits bearing the name of the Lord …
A Second Battle of Tours I
Introduction: We have noted before that we have a responsibility as Christians to understand the times. We do not seek to do so infallibly, but we do want to live our lives in wisdom. This said, there are many good reasons for believing that the conflict between the Christian faith and Islam will occupy in …
Layered Loyalties
We have already learned about ultimate loyalties. But we learn in this chapter that ultimate loyalties are meaningless unless we learn to set them alongside certain lesser loyalties. “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or wonder . . .” (Deuteronomy 13:1-18). The land they …
State of the Church 2007
Introduction: Our God has blessed us in innumerable ways over the last few years. One of those blessings has been growth, and it has been the kind of growth that has been hard to channel through the normal kind of “new members’ classes.” And so, this year the state of the church message is going …
What the Angels Said
Introduction: Grace is one of the most difficult things in the world for sinners to grasp. And as soon as we gather that it is difficult, we turn the “grasping of it” into a contest and a work, with the right answer earning the “best in show” award. But of course, grace means that some …
Child Sacrifice
In the latter half of this twelfth chapter, we have some reiteration of earlier themes, as well as additional exhortation and instruction. “Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after . . .” (Deuteronomy 12:15-32). The establishment of Yahweh worship did not mean that all animals had …
Full Plates and Full Hearts
We now come to the portion of Deuteronomy where we find exposition of the second commandment, which is of course the prohibition of graven images. But as we shall see, more is involved in this commandment than a simple prohibition of what we might call gross idolatry. “These are the statutes and judgments, which ye …
A Heart That Turns to the Right
To repeat the same things over again is a protection. Those who struggle against sin must be reminded again and again. If we start to chafe at the warnings, it simply shows how much we need them. “Therefore thou shalt love the Lord they God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, …