THEME: GOD SPOKE—HE STILL SPEAKS.
DEUTERONOMY 1:6a
Y’’H ELO’HEI’NU DI’BER EI’LEI’NU BE’CHO’REYV LEY’MOR
THE LORD Our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying….
MATTHEW 5:1-2 (IN HEBREW)
VA’YE’HI CIR’OTO ET-HA’MON HA’AM
And it was so that when he saw the people
VA’YA’AL HA’HA’RAH VA’YI’SHEV SHAM
that he ascended the mountain and sat down there
VA’YIG’SHU EI’LAIV TAL’MI’DAIV
and his disciples came to him
VA’YIF’TACH ET-PI’HU VAI’YE’LAM’MAEYD O’TAM LAYM’OR
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying
God has spoken from a mountain more than once, dear friend. He speaks still from the heavenly mountain of Zion. And he speaks intimately from His throne room in our hearts.
Listen to the still small voice of the Blessed Holy Spirit as he communes with us: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”—to us. (Revelation 2-3; 1 Corinthians 14)
In Deuteronomy 1 God charged his people to come out of wilderness fellowship with Him and to initiate the conquest of the Land of Promise, all the way to the Euphrates.
Messiah has ministered to us in the inner closet of our hearts; now, from the Mountain of Ascension, he commands us to “Go into all the World and Preach the Gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16; Matthew 28; Luke 21; John 21; Acts 1)
Understanding that the same Voice is speaking in both these texts (Deuteronomy and Matthew) leads to the surprising conclusion that the winning of land is tied to the winning of human minds. Persuasion is more enduring than Power. (2 Corinthians 5:11)
As to our task, “All the world” is “the world where all of us are.” Let us therefore evangelize and shepherd our families, our neighbors and our friends.
At the end of the way, may each of us hear Him speak to us, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your LORD.” (Matthew 25:21)
