Deuteronomy Part 16

 
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Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

April 8, 2018

Scripture Reading:  Deuteronomy 8:1-6:

1) “All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.

2) And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what is in thine heart, whether thou shouldest keep His commandments, or no.

3) And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

4) Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

5) Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.

6) Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.”

The Bible is basically a history book. A history book about whom? Does it tell us about the origin and happenings of the:

  1. Asians? Very little.

  2. Africans? Very little.

  3. South Americans? None.

  4. Central Americans? None.

  5. North American Indians? None.

  6. Pacific Island inhabitants? None.

  7. Kenites/Canaanites/Edomites/Jew? It tells of their origin and how they would have enmity between the woman (Eve) and her seed (Genesis 3:15) forever. It tells that their land would be given to God’s covenant people; that the covenant people would live in their homes, farm their olive gardens and raise their herds and flocks of animals that they would need. The children of God were commanded to destroy all the idols, rituals and way of worship that the Canaanites worshipped their god(s). All the Canaanites who lived in the land of Palestine were commanded by the God of the Israel people to be destroyed—it didn’t matter if they were a man or a woman, a child or an infant. They all were to be annihilated.

  8. The family of Abraham, his son Isaac, and Abraham’s grandson Jacob and Jacob’s seed? The Bible tells us how they grew in multitude within 430 years to several millions of people, how they totally defeated the Amorites east of the Jordan River, and how they won great victories west of the Jordan River, but did not completely destroy all the Canaanites who lived there because of a lack of faith.

It also tells how they first became a mighty united nation, then later became two divided kingdoms, then later only the southern kingdom remained. The northern kingdom was divorced as well as most of the southern kingdom. Less than 50,000 Judahites returned to Jerusalem after their captivity by Babylon.

Every lawful prophet, priest, and king described in the Bible was a pure-blooded Israelite. The original scrolls were written for Israel and kept by them. The Bible is a history book that tells of the lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and his seed, which instructs us of all its necessary incidents and failures. It goes from the beginning to the conclusion of the Israel nation.

In this chapter in Deuteronomy, we learn of the seven commandments given by our LORD God to Israel that tell of the blessings that He would give His people if they would be obedient and keep His Word.

  1. Observe to do all the commandments (v. 1),

  2. Remember all the way which the LORD led you these 40 years in the wilderness (v. 2),

  3. Consider in your heart the chastening of God (v. 5),

  4. Keep the commandments, to walk in His ways, and to fear Him (v. 6),

  5. Bless the LORD for the good land He has given you (v. 10),

  6. Beware that you do not forget God and break His commandments in prosperity (v. 11-17),

  7. Remember that it is God who gives power to get wealth (v. 17-18).

Israel was to observe, remember, consider, keep, bless, beware and remember again. The LORD their God loved them like we are to love our children. We are to obey our heavenly Father more readily, than we are to obey our earthly father. We are to bless Him and not forget and break His commandments, which teach us the way to prosperity.

What purpose would God have in putting His covenant people to the test? It was a two-fold purpose:

  1. To humble them (v. 2-3, 16),

  2. To prove them by various tests to know their hearts and see whether they would love Him and keep His laws (v. 2-6, 16).

One miracle was given in verse four. It is a considerable work of wonder when one considers how fast clothes wear out. But this does not mean, as some say, that the clothes grew larger or even smaller if a person lost weight. An infant would need very small clothes and as he would grow, he would need larger clothes. But the clothes that he wore would not wear out! They would last for at least 40 years.

But after being a month on the road, the Israelites were running out of many of the food provisions that they had taken from Egypt. Much of the flour that they needed to make bread was gone and they were beginning to be hungry. They were in a desert.  What did they do?

Exodus 16:1-3:

1)“And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

2) And the WHOLE congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness;

3) And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth in to this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Israel had just been freed from an extremely harsh time of slavery for one month and they were already murmuring! They had left Egypt on the 15th day of Nisan (first month) and this was the 15th day of second month of the year. They were in the desert that stretched all the way across the Sinai Peninsula. Much of the provisions of Israel, brought from Egypt, were gone by the middle of the second month, and they murmured, even though they had sheep, goats and other animals that they could kill and eat.

It is no new thing for the greatest kindness to be basely represented as the greatest injuries. They so far undervalued their deliverance, that they wished they had died in Egypt; and by the hand of the Lord;  that is, by the plagues which cut off the Egyptians. We cannot suppose they had plenty in Egypt, nor could they fear dying for want in the wilderness, while they had flocks and herds: none talk more absurdly than murmurers. When we begin to fret, we ought to consider, that God hears all our murmurings. They failed this test!

Just a little more than a month before, the officers of Israel almost gave up hope when they saw that they could expect no mercy or justice from the Egyptians, and that their deliverance seemed almost impossible. So, what did the Israelites do? They blamed Moses and Aaron for their plight and called God to witness the truth of their accusation! They concluded that they were destined to death because they were not able to perform their tasks.

Exodus 5:20-21:

20) “And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

21) And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savior to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.”

The Israelites who were slaves to Egypt criticized Moses and Aaron, not just once, but on 12 different occasions on what they had done to make things worse for them. Here was the first time they were negative about what their leaders had done. The Israelites blamed Moses and Aaron for their plight and called God to witness the truth of their accusation. They concluded that they were destined to death by the sword for not being able to perform their tasks. This was the result of Moses’ and Aaron’s talk with the Pharaoh which resulted in a harsher treatment of the Israelites: No straw was to be given them and they were still asked to produce the same amount of bricks as they had before.

Israel traveled to Mara, then they camped near Elim, and then on to Rephidim.Think about that for a second. The situation of the Israelites got a lot worse…and they murmured about the ones who were trying to help them. I suffered a car wreck last week; you suffer from an illness, you suffer similar difficulties and problems, etc.—do we murmur? Are we as bad as our ancestors were? For the scripture says that all the congregation (minus Moses and Aaron and maybe a few more) murmured. They said that it would have been better if they had died in Egypt in one of God’s plagues, rather than dying of hunger in the desert after being freed from slavery. How soon they forget!

We are going to suffer disappointments and hardships. How are we going to react? Are we going to murmur or praise our God?

In verse three we have an explanation as to why Israel was permitted to be tested with hunger and then supplied with the manna—bread from heaven—that they might learn this lesson. God wanted His people to learn that man does not live by material food alone, but also on spiritual food, by the Word of God. Let us learn from our own history:

Exodus 16:9:

9) “And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel. Come near before the LORD: for He hath heard your murmurings.”

God heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Remember they complained that Moses and Aaron were responsible for their desperate plight in their slavery. They were without hope for any salvation from it. They were doomed.

Exodus 16:10-15:

10) “And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

11) And the LORD spake unto Moses saying,

12) I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall he filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

13) And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

14) And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

15) And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another. It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”

Did you notice that the LORD spoke to Moses? What was the first thing that He said to him? “I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel.” Then He told Moses that they would have flesh to eat in the evening and bread to eat in the morning.

First, came the quails from the Sea. Millions of them flying so low in the desert that the Israelites had no difficulty in knocking them down and capturing them. The quails had arrived, seemingly of their own accord. This was a notable miracle—that they should come at the exact time and place as predicted. The huge influx of quail came in the evening.

What happened in the morning? First the dew fell to cool the ground. Then appeared the supernatural food of bread—the manna. Why was it supernatural?

  1. It had never appeared following the dew until God sent it.

    Exodus 16:13-15:

    13) “And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

    14) And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

    15) And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”

  2. It was a fulfillment of prophecy, not some natural happening that had occurred before.

    Exodus 16:10-12:

    10) “And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

    11) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

    12) I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel; spake unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

  3. It was a miracle designed to prove that God was the Giver who had brought them out of the land of Egypt.

    Exodus 16:6:

    6) “And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt.”

  4. If it had been a natural product of some Sinai plant, people would have had it before this.

  5. If it had been a natural thing it would not have started appearing for the first time at the beginning of the 40 years, and ceased when the 40 years were ended, as plainly stated.

    Joshua 5:11-12:

    11) “And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.

    12) And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.”

  6. It was something not known to man before this or after the 40 years (Deuteronomy 8:3, 16).

  7. God rained the manna from heaven.

    Psalms 78:24:

    24) “And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.”

    John 6:31-33:

    31) “Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

    32) The Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

    33) For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.”

  8. It came only 6 days and not on the sabbath.

    Exodus 16:25-26:

    25) “And Moses said, Eat that today; for today is a sabbath unto the LORD: today ye shall not find it in the field.

    26) Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.”

  9. It rotted on any other day beside the sabbath, if any happened to be kept over the second day.

    Exodus 16:19-22:

    19) “And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.

    20) Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.

    21) And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

    22) And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.”

  10. It is not the product of plants, for it was found upon the ground.

    Exodus 16:14:

    14) “And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.”

  11. Some was kept in a pot as a memorial (and at God’s command) for many hundreds of years and this did not breed worms or stink as in the usual case when some was held over for a day other than the sabbath.

    Exodus 16:33:

    33) “And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.”

    Hebrews 9:4:

    4) “Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid roundabout with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod the budded, and the tables of the covenant.”

  12. The sun melted it daily, all except the portion kept as a memorial, which was preserved regardless of time or heat.

  13. It was angels’ food and from heaven.

    Psalms 78:25:

    25) “Man did eat angels’ food; He sent them meat to the full.”

  14. Jesus Christ testified that manna came from heaven and that it was sent supernaturally from God, not by Moses.

    John 6:31-32:

    31) “Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

    32) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.”

    Moses testified of the same.

    Exodus 16:15:

    15) “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”

    God’s people ate angel’s food; supernatural food that was sent from heaven for 40 years? I would think that this food was superior to wheat, barley and rye that grew anywhere in the earth. Israel didn’t have to even grow it—because they couldn’t at this time. The obvious reasons were that they were on a journey in the desert and you can’t farm in that very hot climate—the manna just fell to the ground!

Let’s look at some of the laws that the Israelites had regarding the supply of heavenly bread each morning:

  1. Every Israelite entitled to gather an omer (about 3 quarts and 1 pint) each day for 6 days

  2. The full omer to be eaten each day, nothing to be left over for the next day.

  3. On the 6th day the gathering was to be 2 omers for each Israelite—1 omer for the 6th day and 1 omer for the sabbath.

  4. All of the 2 omers to be baked into bread on the 6th day—no baking was allowed on the sabbath.

Did the manna appear every morning? No. It only appeared six days a week. There was no manna on the seventh day, for it was the weekly sabbath. And now the great mystery. The manna would not keep to the next day, except if it were the sabbath:

  • The Israelites were told to not keep any of the manna over to the next day. Some did and it turned into worms.

  • But they were to keep the manna over on the sabbath day, for there would be no manna on the ground that day!

The Israelites were told not to go out and look for any manna on the seventh day. They were to collect twice the amount of manna on the sixth day and cook enough of it into bread and it would not turn into worms on the seventh day! Some Israelites went out on the seventh day looking for some more manna. But there wasn’t any! They were disobedient to God.

Israel ate manna for almost 40 years. It wasn’t until Israel crossed the Jordan River and began their invasion of the western part of the Promised Land, that the manna ceased to fall.

Joshua 5:11-12:

11) “And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.

12) And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna anymore; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.”

What a miracle! Do Christians today believe that this happened to any other race of people? God gave His people a constant supply of manna.

They were fed in the desert for 40 years. They were fed food from heaven; angel’s food. It didn’t cost them a shekel! It was free. Think about the magnificence of this miracle.

Suppose that we were alive during this time of history. Let’s say that we all were alive when the first manna appeared. It fell from heaven six out of every seven days. We would have grown up on this bread. We would have eaten this bread for forty years. If we kept it from one day to another, except for the sixth to the seventh day, it would have turned into worms. And then finally it fell no more. Would we have learned the lesson? We need more that material food, we need to learn the spiritual lessons.

Deuteronomy 8:7-9:

7) “For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;

8) A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive and honey;

9) A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it: a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass [copper].”

Israel was told that they would be living in a land that they would eat bread in plenty. In fact, they would lack nothing. Their land was full of iron and copper. The word translated “brass” I believe is a mistake. You don’t dig brass, as brass in made with additions added to copper. You could dig copper.

God isn’t interested in our learning to have Him meet our physical needs only. Doesn’t this lesson teach us that we need to find our deepest satisfaction in His Word? Could you go a day without any food, and find yourself totally satisfied with just listening or reading the Word of God? Can you go a day without any spiritual food, and find yourself totally satisfied with eating material food only? Take the time to read His Word for a little time each day—it’s your manna!

Deuteronomy 8:10-17:

10) “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which He hath given thee.

11) Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes, which I commanded thee this day.

12) Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast build goodly houses, and dwelt therein.

13) And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;

14) Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

15) Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint:

16) Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at the latter end;

17) And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.”

Did the Israelites have to pay any payments for their houses that they were to live in the Promised Land? Did the Israelites have to make any payments for the land in which they were going to receive from God in the Promised Land? Did the Israelites have to pay for the manna that they received for 40 years? No. It was all given to them by their God. It shows one of many distinguishing events that God made for His people and their ancestors. Our God is a sovereign God.

For example:

  1. It was God who put the perpetual enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).

  2. It was God who put a mark upon Cain and his offspring (Genesis 4:15).

  3. It was God who saved Noah and his family because Noah was perfect in his generations (Genesis 6:9).

  4. It was God who gave different destinies for Noah’s sons: Ham, Shem and Japheth.

  5. It was God who placed different “last days” destinies on each of the 12 tribes of Israel (Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 33).

  6. It was God who said, “Jacob have I love and Esau have I hated” (Malachi 1:2, 3 and Romans 9:13).

  7. It was God who chose Israel and said that they should not “…be reckoned among the nations” (Numbers 23:9) and “the God of this people Israel chose our fathers” (Acts 13:17).

  8. It was about our God that this refers to: “And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins(Matthew 1:21). They were and are God’s people before they are saved.

Peter’s Sheet Vision

Universalists use the account of Peter’s sheet vision to suggest that the unclean animals in the sheet represent peoples of all races, but the rest of the chapter shows otherwise. That they are called “Gentiles” by translators in verse 45 only confirms that the wrong meaning is put on this word “Gentiles”.

Historically, the House of Israel, which was scattered among the nations, was considered unclean and common by those of the House of Judah practicing the Jewish (Edomite, Tradition of the Elders) religion. In saying that it was illegitimate, Peter knew that what he was doing was contrary to the Tradition of the elders in Judea. Peter was being shown that the Ten Tribes of the House of Israel would be cleansed under the New Testament after almost 700 years. The animals in the sheet represented the unclean and uncircumcised members of the House of Israel.

This vision in Acts 10 is also used to promote the idea that the prohibition against eating certain unclean meats is no longer valid. The symbol is taken literally! When Peter declares what God has shown him, God does not tell him that he should eat unclean meats, but that, God has shown me that no one should call any man common or unclean. The word “another” in another nation (v. 28) refers to people of the same kind.

Acts 10:28:

28: “And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew [Judean] to keep company, or come unto one of anther nation [tribe]; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common [profane] or unclean.”

The Bible does not teach that God’s purpose is to turn non-Israelites into Israelites, or to make all races one. It is the House of Israel and the House of Judah that God proposes should become one. The “middle wall of partition” (Ephesians 2:14) divides one thing, that is, “all Israel”. The unconverted of the House of Israel and Judah have enmity between them until the time given in Isaiah chapter 11. So, the parties could not have become “Jews and Gentiles”, even up until this time!

John 17:9-10:

9) “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given me; for they are thine.

10) And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.”

Here we find a distinction that popular religion of all colors refuses to admit. In saying, “I pray not for the world”, why did Jesus not pray for the non-Israelite multi-racial peoples as the denominations do? Who are the “them” that are the only ones that Jesus is glorified in?

And whom did Paul say that he prayed for:

Romans 10:1:

1) “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”

Paul prayed only for Israel.

When Peter says, “watch unto prayer”, this is in the context of having fervent charity “among yourselves”, that is, amongst the dispersed Israelites, that he is addressing:

1 Peter 1:1:

1)“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia;”

1 Peter 4:8:

8) “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

Deuteronomy 7:7-11:

7) “The LORD did not set His love upon you, nor chose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people.

8) But because the LORD loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

9) Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations;

10) And repayeth them that hate Him to their face, to destroy them: He will not be slack to him that hateth Him, He will repay him to his face.

11) Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.”

God shows here that He had a purpose to keep His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and God’s oath did not apply to any other race of people than Israel. This covenant still applies since it is “to a thousand generations.” The promise was to a specific race of people, not to any pseudo-race based upon belief. And we are told, “In Isaac shalt thy seed by called”. This thus cannot refer to any “spiritual” seed, since “seed” in both Hebrew and Greek are consistently used in the natural sense. When Paul stood before King Agrippa, he said the promise was made to the twelve tribes.

Acts 26:6-7:

6) “And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:”

There is no way “twelve tribes” could be converted to the popular “Jews and Gentiles” concept, so Paul is suggesting nothing about any universal “save the world” purpose. This “promise made of God” could not thus come to incorporate others. Further to this, Paul shows that the New Covenant position about Israel is unchanged. Paul again confirms this:

Acts 13:32-33a:

32) “And we declare unto glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

33a) God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children….”

The “save the world” denominations are doing worse than Jeroboam did (1 Kings 12:31) when he set other than Levites to be priests. Today, they set up foreigners (and women) to try to minister their version of the New Covenant and “Gospel”, sometimes to Israelites.

Ezekiel 44:6-7:

6) “And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,

7) In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house.”

To review: Thus saith the Lord God, that there should be no stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.

Deuteronomy 8:18-20:

18) “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

19) And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and SERVE them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.

20) As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.”

God promised to destroy Israel in the same way He destroyed the Canaanite nations. They would be destroyed if they sinned after the same manner that the Canaanites worshiped their god(s). Does America remember the God who made a covenant with their fathers, or do they serve the god(s) of the Canaanites?

To be continued.

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel.