Deuteronomy 3-4

This is an interesting passage to me.  Here we are documented on the conquest of Israel over the lands that are just before Canaan (the land they were to inhabit) as they are about to enter into.  God not only provides what he promises, but also gives provision for them to not have any enemy threats before they take over the land.  They have journeyed for forty years in the wilderness, and we see that Moses faces the consequences of his sin as the leader of Israel.  He cannot enter the land.  This is clearly stated at the end as he gives his final commands in Chapter 4 while he gives the leadership to the prepared man Joshua.

There are so many rich, thought provoking texts found in this portion Deuteronomy 4.  We can go a number of different directions, but it almost seems like God is repeatedly placing one specific concept in the forefront for our community at Red Door.  That concept is the command that Moses gives for Israel to flee from idolatry.  God again calls himself jealous for his own worship and that he is a consuming fire that literally has the power to refine and annihilate.  There is one portion that completely sticks out to me, and it is found in verse 25.  It states, "When you father children and children's children, and have grown old in the land...".  Moses' completely states the implication of their idol worship.  It is not necessarily you who will reap the troubles or punishment for your

worship of false gods and idols, but  your children, grandchildren, and so on.  We can see our reflection of what we truly worship in many ways through our children.  So it causes me to raise the question, am I setting the tone for my life that my future children would see that God is my God?  The opposite is, am I reflecting my gods so that my future children would see that these are my gods?  I know that this is not the enormity of truth that can be found in this text, but it screams off the page at us.  What are you reflecting as your God/gods?