Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them... And then the LORD's wrath be kindled against you...
Deuteronomy 11:16-17
I am drawn to the book of Deuteronomy for in this book we find the final sermons of Moses. As he peered from his tent and looked upon the children of Jacob, he saw the failures of their past and surely he felt fear for their future. As we look around the world in which we live, we quickly see the same things Moses saw: failure and fear. Our nation is deplorable and our churches are dead. Oh how quickly things can change. Moses had the same thought for he had seen with his own eyes how quickly a nation could go from spiritual awakening to spiritual apathy. He saw how rapidly the people’s hearts were turned from worship to whining. Oh how quickly the people took to the wicked idolatry of the surrounding nations. Moses recalled how the people longed for the words of God at the foot of Sinai and forty days later they were perversely dancing around a golden calf made by their own hands. That is the reason Moses told the people to “take heed”. That phrase, “take heed” is a phrase of constant remembrance and action based on that remembrance. Every step the people took, they were to “take heed”, lest they feel into the trap of sin. Every meal they ate, they were to “take heed”, lest they took a blasphemous bite. Every transaction they made, they were to “take heed” lest they prostituted the land of promise. Oh but how the disregarded this simple command, “take heed”.
Deuteronomy 11:16-17
I am drawn to the book of Deuteronomy for in this book we find the final sermons of Moses. As he peered from his tent and looked upon the children of Jacob, he saw the failures of their past and surely he felt fear for their future. As we look around the world in which we live, we quickly see the same things Moses saw: failure and fear. Our nation is deplorable and our churches are dead. Oh how quickly things can change. Moses had the same thought for he had seen with his own eyes how quickly a nation could go from spiritual awakening to spiritual apathy. He saw how rapidly the people’s hearts were turned from worship to whining. Oh how quickly the people took to the wicked idolatry of the surrounding nations. Moses recalled how the people longed for the words of God at the foot of Sinai and forty days later they were perversely dancing around a golden calf made by their own hands. That is the reason Moses told the people to “take heed”. That phrase, “take heed” is a phrase of constant remembrance and action based on that remembrance. Every step the people took, they were to “take heed”, lest they feel into the trap of sin. Every meal they ate, they were to “take heed”, lest they took a blasphemous bite. Every transaction they made, they were to “take heed” lest they prostituted the land of promise. Oh but how the disregarded this simple command, “take heed”.
It is easy to glance over the sin of the children of Israel and brush past the command of Moses to “take heed”. It seems like such a cliché so we haphazardly look past it just as Israel did. Sadly, we are just as fickle as the children of Israel. One day, we are weeping over sins forgiven, and the next day we are full of debauchery and lasciviousness. One day we are hugging our parents simply because we love them and the next day we are cursing their name. One day we are “in love” with God and His word, the next day we can’t even be pulled from our bed in order to attend our local church. Oh yes, how often we should “take heed”. How often we should remember the consequences of past sins lest we fall into the snare of them once again. My dear friend, if only you could feel the burden which the Savior has for you. He longs for you to “take heed” of your actions. Don’t fall into the sin of Balaam. Don’t go in the way of Cain. Don’t slip into the sayings of Korah. “Take heed” of thy steps, lest you slip down the slopes of sin into the hands of the living God.
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