Bible Challenge - Establishing a nation

We have the entire book of Deuteronomy this week.  The book of Deuteronomy is really about two things:

1. The refusal of the people of Israel to trust God when they get to the verge of the Promised land, and God having them wander in the wilderness for 40 years as a result
2. The laws and regulations for the nation that will be established when they come back to the Promised land and enter it.

God has led the people the verge of the land he had promised to give them, but they resist going in and claiming it - they aren't ready.  So God leads them into the wilderness and spends a long time teaching them to trust him and establishing what the structure and rule of the society that will establish will be.

In other words, God realizes that they need to be formed to be his people before they can establish a nation - so he teaches them.

I find that it often that way with me - I often need more formation before I'm ready to follow where God is leading me.

Have that every happened with you?  Has God ever brought you to the brink of something, but you weren't ready, so God led you away only to eventually lead you back?

This brings us to the end of Section 1 - the Torah.  The gathering to discuss these books will be next Wednesday from 5 to 6:30 pm.  If you can't get there until 5:30 - that's okay come along and join in.

Next week we start reading the Gospels - beginning with Matthew.