This chapter in the Bible recaps how God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt. God instructs His people to remain faithful to Him that they may survive the temptations from the surrounding cities. The Israelites were to be a light to those around them, an example of what it is to live a life devoted to God.
There are lessons we can apply today from the Israelites’ experience. They were bond men in the land of Egypt. God brought them out and promised to give them a great inheritance. But because the Israelites doubted God, they ended wandering about in the wilderness for 40 years before they were able to enter that promised land.
Right now we are bond men under Satan’s control. God stretches out His hand and if we take hold of it, we can also be free from Satan’s snares and temptations. We can be free from bondage of sin. God promised us a land up in heaven where we can dwell with Him forever. But here we are, currently in the wilderness stage because people are not ready to be citizens in the promised land. As long as we can keep on the straight and narrow path, we can survive the “40 years” and claim God’s promise to live Him in our new and beautiful home.
We are also instructed to teach our kids about God. “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deut. 6:7). I have morning and evening worship with my daughter everyday, but I realized I don’t enforce the teachings throughout the day. I thought having a few minutes of worship is enough. She’s only seven months old, that’s all her attention span can handle. But after reading this verse, I realize that babies pick up life lessons very early on. Ellen G. White says to start at babyhood. Not toddler years. Babyhood. That means now at seven months old. I think I will make it a point to introduce Jesus a little more everyday by both my words and actions.
I think... 