First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL

Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Luke 10:25-37 July 14, 2019 First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL Christina Berry The reading from the Hebrew scriptures today comes from the book of Deuteronomy, the fifth and final book of Torah. This book is set in the plains of the land of Moab as the Israelites are preparing to enter the promised land. The setting and the scene afford Moses an opportunity for a second giving of the law – remembering and renewing it’s promise. Moses makes speeches throughout Deuteronomy, in between laws. He knows that he will not enter the promised land, and he wants to ensure that the people remember their past: how they were not faithful, but God was. In this section, in the middle of his farewell address, Moses assures the people what God will do, and what they must do. God will bless them, and all their works. And they must obey God’s law with heart and soul. Moreover, Moses wants to make them understand that following the law is NOT beyond their ability, NOT too hard fo...