Who would you say is the most effective leader of our day?
What makes that person stand out from other leaders?
Centuries ago, God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and traverse the desert for forty years to prepare for entering the land promised to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Moses was not a perfect leader.
Yet, with the help of the LORD, Moses transformed into a leader whom both Jews and Christians revere.
What does this have to do with leading hearts to worship?
Leading Hearts to Worship | Dt 30:15-20 Setting the Scene
The book of Deuteronomy essentially summarizes the teachings and events of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.
Moses’ intention with the book of Deuteronomy is to remind the Israelites of how far they have come with the LORD’s help and prepare them for what lies ahead.
He is also saying farewell to them since the LORD would not permit him to cross into the promised land. (See Dt 3:23-28 and Nu 20:2-12)
Before installing Joshua as his successor, Moses challenges the Israelites to make a critical choice.
Leading Hearts to Worship | Dt 30:15-20 Study Questions
15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. (Dt 30:15)
Review Dt 28:1-14. What are the blessings promised to the Israelites for obedience to the LORD?
Review Dt 28:15-68. What would happen if the Israelites disobeyed the LORD?
16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. (Dt 30:16)
Why is “loving the LORD your God” essential to the Israelite’s obedience?
17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. (Dt 30:17–18)
What does the phrase, “if your heart turns away”, reveal as essential to avoiding disobedience?
19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” (Dt 30:19–20)
What is the significance of Moses calling heaven and earth as witnesses before the Israelites? (See Ge 1:1-2:3)
Why should the Israelites love, obey, and hold fast to the LORD?
Leading Hearts to Worship | Dt 30:15-20 A Rule for Life
A rule for life is a spiritual discipline that enables one to live out their deep love for God.
After creating the earth and everything in it, God assigned humans to flourish and rule over the animal kingdom. (Ge 1:28)
There was also the instruction that every green plant was to be the food both humans and animals would eat (Ge 1:29-30) with only one exception. (Ge 2:16-17)
But before humanity started this work of managing the animal kingdom, God declared a day of rest. (Ge 2:2-3)
Thus, the Genesis rule of life designed by God is doing the work of managing the earth from a place of holy rest in honor of the LORD and obeying the command to eat from the bounty of the earth’s vegetation except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Sadly, in Genesis 3, the first humans failed to guard their hearts for the LORD and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Fast forwarding to Exodus 20:1-17, we learn the LORD expounded on the original rule of life in Genesis to what we commonly refer to as the Ten Commandments.
Moses reminds the Israelites of these Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5:6-21 as a part of the renewal of their agreement to be the LORD’s chosen people.
Our passage above is a challenge for them to devote their hearts to the LORD’s rule of life.
Leading Hearts to Worship | The New Testament Rule for Life
Summarizing similarly, Jesus replied to a lawyer in Matthew 22:37-40 who asked, “Which is the great commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replies,
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt 22:37–40)
Explain how Jesus’ response summarizes the Old Testament Law and the Prophets.
Luke also records some statements from Jesus regarding the importance of what we set our hearts on.
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Lk 6:45)
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Lk 12:34)
What is the point of all this heart talk and how does it lead to worship?
Leading Hearts to Worship | Application Questions
From the beginning of creation, God, the LORD of heaven and earth, has desired our heart’s devotion.
He walked in the garden He created to seek Adam and Eve. (Ge 3:8)
Moses was called by God specifically to lead the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob out of Egypt and into the promised land of Canaan.
Knowing all too well the folly of the Israelite’s hearts, as well as his own, Moses challenged them to set their hearts on God’s ways.
Jesus, too, challenged his followers to set their hearts on God’s ways.
What receives the most attention in your life? Why?
How do you determine what you will and won’t do?
What steps do you need to take today to set your heart’s devotion fully on God?
Share an example of how you worship God.
Blessings,
Barbara Lynn
We are using this in our/your circle Found it to be very deep and thought provoking and a good reminder how we are like the Israelites with idols which distract us from worshiping God.
Still wrestling with question how do you determine what you will and will not do . —like how do you prioritize all the things that bombard us in living vs focusing on a relationship with God? Seems like the spiritual part often gets shorted in choosing .