Connections

Not that long ago I was trying to figure out an electrical problem with my tent trailer. Usually I am pretty handy at fixing things but when it comes to electrical issues and wiring connections, I get lost easily. As I opened the access panel to the electrical system there were blue, green, black, red and yellow wires stretching in every direction. It was a mess and I didn’t stand a chance. Each wire, each connection had a purpose in the function of the working of the trailer, it is through this lens that I read through the book of Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy is one of those books in the Bible that have an array of connections and references that “cross borders” within the other Old Testament books and continue right into a number of books in the New Testament. The book of Deuteronomy is quoted over 80 times in the new testament and 365 times in the later Old Testament books, that is a lot of connections. The next generation of believers in Israel at that time were perched at the doorstep to the promise land. Through Moses, God calls the people back to the commitment of living within the guidelines of the law. It was a call to listen and obey his commands so that they may live to see the fulfillment of His promise. God’s promises never fail.

The law God set before his people then and the way we are called today reflect His desire to be in relationship with us. Our God pours out His love into our lives and in return wants us to love Him back. Through God’s divine plan, He uses the life and times of the Israelites to connect us with an example of how to live in a relationship with Him. Like the Israelites, our faith comes with highs and lows and that inevitably puts distance in our relationship with Him. I would challenge anyone who reads the first five books of the Bible and can’t see that God desires a relationship with his people. From the very minute God created Adam till this moment in time and beyond, God will continue to pursue a loving personal relationship with all His people, for this I am thankful.