Today's Scripture Reading (December 10, 2025): Psalm 136
In his closing addresses to
Israel, Moses tries to set before Israel the things that would be important for
their spiritual survival. It was likely a moment of great anxiety for Moses.
The prophet knew that his time at the helm of Israel was coming to a close. He
had trained Joshua to replace him. But the people of Israel were stubborn; they
had tried Moses's patience, and he was afraid that Joshua might not be up to
the task of leading such a group of wanderers. So, Moses tried to think of
anything that needed to be stressed to Israel in his final days as leader of
the nation. Part of this essential message included these words.
To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest
heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet
the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and
loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the
nations—as it is today. Circumcise your
hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is God of
gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who
shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He
defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner
residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you
yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. Fear
the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take
your oaths in his name. He is the one you
praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome
wonders you saw with your own eyes (Deuteronomy 10:14-21).
The
message is clear. The Israelites' Egyptian masters believed that their gods
were superior to those of any other people in the world. But through Moses and
Aaron, the God of Israel had proved that the gods of Israel were no match for
Him. Of course, there was a reason. The gods of Egypt weren't real. They were
nothing more than imperfect reflections of the God that does exist, as all gods
are. Gods of our creation and gods designed to serve our needs will always fall
short of the real thing. It was something Israel needed to always remember, but
a fact Israel seemed continually to forget.
The
Psalmist picks up this theme from Moses and Israel's history. The God of Israel
will always be the God of gods and the Lord of lords because he is the only
God. But the truth is that he is also bigger than our imaginations. Nothing and
no one is equal to the God to whom we give our praise.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
2 Chronicles 8
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