October 7, 2013
DON'T FORGET WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE BEFORE GOD SAVED YOU
Deuteronomy 15:12-23
Brian Ricketts
Central Truth
Unfortunately, it is too easy to forget what life was like before finding redemption and new life in Christ. It can be even easier to forget that our brothers and sisters are in the same boat we once were and are in desperate need for salvation as well.
Key Verse | Deuteronomy 15:15
"You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you . . . ." (Deuteronomy 15:15)
Deuteronomy 15:12-23
12 If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold 1 15:12 Or sells himself to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. 13 And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed. 14 You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the LORD your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today. 16 But if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you, 17 then you shall take an awl, and put it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave 2 15:17 Or servant; the Hebrew term ebed designates a range of social and economic roles (see Preface) forever. And to your female slave 3 15:17 Or servant you shall do the same. 18 It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for at half the cost of a hired worker he has served you six years. So the LORD your God will bless you in all that you do.
19 All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and flock you shall dedicate to the LORD your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 You shall eat it, you and your household, before the LORD your God year by year at the place that the LORD will choose. 21 But if it has any blemish, if it is lame or blind or has any serious blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. 22 You shall eat it within your towns. The unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as though it were a gazelle or a deer. 23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.
Dive Deeper | Deuteronomy 15:12-23
Not knowing much about Deuteronomy, I took a shot in the dark when I signed up for this particular Journey devotional. I am so thankful the Lord picked this passage for me. The first time I read this passage, it seemed like a list of commands for the Israelites, and I struggled to see the meaning and the application for today.
The first question to answer is why Israelites were taking other Israelites to be slaves or bondservants (Deuteronomy 15:12). The simple answer is that the Israelites likely had not obeyed God's commandment to always care for the poor among them. The result was that some Israelites had fallen on impossibly hard times and were forced to become indentured servants to a wealthy land owner who could offer them security and sustenance. However, that wealthy slave owner was commanded in verses 13-14 to not only set the slaves free, but to "give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you." (Deuteronomy 15:14)
Then comes the verse that, for me, is the most impactful message of this passage. In verse 15, the wealthy are reminded that they, too, were once slaves in Egypt and that God delivered them from that situation. I was immediately reminded of Jesus' conversation in John 8 when the Jews "forgot" where they had come from and how the Lord redeemed them out of slavery. John 8:33 states, "They answered Him, 'We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone . . . .'" How easily they forgot the Lord's provision for them!
Application: As soon as I forget what life was like before I found redemption in Jesus, my heart stops rejoicing toward God. The sad result of that is a hardened heart toward other people, both financially and eternally. I have to hold fast to how wrecked and wretched I used to be, how badly I needed a Savior, and how fully I was redeemed to God through my Savior, Jesus! When I live in constant recognition of those things, my life displays a love and care for others that resembles God's love for me.
Discussion Questions
1. What was life like before you found a relationship with Jesus? Focus on this in order to answer the second question.
2. Do you ever focus on just how big the gap was that once separated you from an eternal relationship with God?
3. How often do you thank God for the hurts, habits, and hang-ups that He has redeemed in your life?