Introduction to the Series, followed by the sermon
"The Problem Within" from Deuteronomy 5:28-29, 10:12-16; 30:6
Introduction can be used as a bulletin instery
Jesus Favorite Book: Deuteronomy
An introduction to our series
By Ed Vasicek
"The fifth book of the Pentateuch is …a new and fresh statement of Yahweh’s covenant purposes to a new generation in a new place with new prospects. The nation with whom the Sinai covenant had been made had died in the wilderness and so was no longer on the scene (Num 14:26-35). Deuteronomy was addressed to their offspring who were poised to enter the land of promise, and needed reassurance of Yahweh’s covenant promises in light of the challenge of impending conquest and settlement.
"…In light of the indisputable connection between form and function, it is safe to say that the concept of covenant lies at the center of the theology of Deuteronomy." Deuteronomy follows the pattern of Suzerain treaties (between "lords" and "vassals") of that culture and era. [Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology]
Our current series is not really so much about the Book of Deuteronomy as it is about the portions of Deuteronomy Jesus expounded. Jesus was one of hundreds of Rabbis who roamed the countryside with bands of disciples. Jewish society primed young men to give up months or even a few years of their lives to follow a Rabbi and study the Torah. Although Jesus was not just another Rabbi -- but the Son of God, our Savior and Lord -- He was not perceived as such when His disciples originally followed Him.
"Parables such as Jesus used were extremely prevalent among ancient Jewish sages, and over 4,000 of them have survived in rabbinic literature…the rabbis of Jesus’ day spent much of their time traveling throughout the country…to communicate their teachings and interpretations of Scripture. An itinerant rabbi was the norm rather than the exception. Hundreds and perhaps thousands of such rabbis circulated in the land of Israel in the first century.
"To ’make many disciples’ was one of the three earliest sayings recorded in the Mishnah, and perhaps the highest calling of a rabbi. Often he would select and train large numbers of disciples, but he was perfectly willing to teach as few as two or three students. It is recorded that the Apostle Paul’s teacher Gamaliel had one thousand disciples who studied with him." [from, "New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus" by David Bivin, pp 12-14].
Although Jesus taught original material, much of His teaching was similar to that of other Rabbis; Jesus took portions of the Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and gave His disciples a midrash. A "midrash" is defined by Bivin as, "A rabbinic interpretation or expansion of a Bible text with a story to explain the passage." I believe that most of, The Sermon on the Mount, for example, is a midrash from Deuteronomy 15:7-20 and Leviticus 19:9-18, 34. The key to interpretation: find the passage being expanded!
The book of the Old Testament Jesus quoted most (based upon what is recorded in the Gospels) is Deuteronomy. In addition, many of His teachings seem to be a midrash from Deuteronomy; the connection can be demonstrated but not proven (you can be the judge as our series progresses).
Boldly Going Where We’ve Never Gone Before
This series is unique, as far as I know. We will begin with an exposition of the text in Deuteronomy and then observe what I am proposing in Jesus’ midrash on that text. If I am wrong about these being midrashim (the plural of midrash) in an instance or two -- we are still on target, because carefully observing and applying Scripture can’t be wrong!
I anticipate 12-18 messages in this series. Needless to say, I am eager to get started!
**************************** Sermon Below *********************
The Problem Within
Deuteronomy 5:28-29, 10:12-16; 30:6
Main Idea: The human heart -- the internal, invisible center of our being -- needs some work that only God can do.
I. Man’s Problem Is In His HEART (Deuteronomy 5:28-29; 10:12-16, 30:6)
A. God wants us to serve Him with all our HEARTS
1. The people had bursts of faith and zeal
2. But they lacked faithfulness
3. Revivalistic Christianity nurtures this "up and down" attitude
4. Blasts and bursts of tremendous zeal are inferior to a steady walk
B. Our hearts are not INCLINED to do so
1. We all have an evil inclination, a sin nature -- even we who have believed
2. Psalm 86:11, David prayed, "Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."
3. By nature, our allegiance is fickle.
4. According to the Talmud, "Our Rabbis taught: Man has two kidneys, one of which prompts him to good, the other to evil; and it is natural to suppose that the good one is on his right side and the bad one on his left, as it is written, A wise man’s understanding is at his right hand, but a fool’s understanding is at his left." Berakoth, 61a
C. God has to perform heart SURGERY because something is wrong (30:6)
1. In 10:12-16, God challenges the people to circumcise their hearts
2. In 30:6, we see that God is the one who performs the surgery
3. Here you see the dual track of man’s responsibility and God’s sovereignty
4. In theory, we can make the choice to come to spiritual life, but behind our seeming choice is the sovereign hand of God…thus, "You must be born-again" is a valid announcement we can make to others.
5. When you come to spiritual life, the Law of God is no longer a burden, but a joy. Read Psalm 119 to find out how someone who has had spiritual heart surgery loves and views the Word; from tedium to pleasure; from a chore to recreation.
D. Jeremiah ADDS to this perspective (Jeremiah 17:9)
Examples:
(1) Selective MEMORY We forget about 99% of the things we do wrong.* Yet we remember very well the way our spouse wrongs us and the things he or she has done. So when your spouse says, "You did this or that," believe him/her! Your spouse’s memory of your wrong doings is a lot more accurate than your own! *Kennedy, D. James, Evangelism Explosion, 1970, (Tyndale), p. 36
(2) Rearranging Reality. Not only do we naturally conveniently forget, we change reality. Like Aaron, we say that the golden calf just "came out" (Exodus 32:24). Sometimes we are conscious of intentionally remembering things differently than they occurred, but often we are so used to lying to ourselves that we are unaware of it!
(3) Understandability This is the heart of this biggest of all problems. Our sin (often a sinful response to a wrong done us) is excusable or understandable in light of how our spouse has treated us. Our wrong is justified in light of his/her treatment of us. The giveaway phrase is "I’m not perfect, but...."
The human heart -- the internal, invisible center of our being -- needs some work that only God can do.
II. Jesus BUILDS Upon The Heart Issue (Mark 7:20-23)
A. Rabbinic DEBATES Over Which Laws Were Priorities
B. The heart in relationship to the KOSHER laws of Deuteronomy 12
How important are the Kosher commands? Why did God restrict Israel from pork, rabbit, lobster, shrimp, crab, and squid?
Two interpretations of this text:
• Food is not intrinsically unclean in itself.
• The ritual of hand washing is not necessary for Kosher food to be clean, it is clean already (this is the context)
• Jesus was not telling his followers to eat non-kosher food. Jesus ate kosher or He would not have been welcome in synagogues and would have been an immediate outcast from all the people.
• That food is not intrinsically a spiritual matter is seen in Genesis 9, when God gives mankind freedom to eat all animals, except for the blood.
• But for His people, Israel, God has a distinct standard to mark them off from all the other peoples of the earth.
C. Man’s problem is his HEART
• This is the primary issue, unlike kosher food rulings
• The issues that matter most are not about external rituals, but internal attitudes.
• In Awana, a girl was asking why the Pharaoh and Egyptians were enslaving the Hebrews and treated them so cruelly?
• The answer is the human heart!
D. Our sin struggles are really HEART issues
E. Internal SOLUTIONS for Internal Problems
• "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." (Romans 8:5)
• One of those things of the Spirit is His Word (Psalm 119)
• The Talmud says, "Blessed is Israel; when they occupy themselves with Torah and acts of kindness their inclination is mastered by them, not they by their inclination" Abodah Zarah, 5b
• Prayer: David prayed for an undivided heart
• At night, the Jews were taught in the Talmud to recite a prayer, part of which was, "and bring me not into sin, or into iniquity, or into temptation, or into contempt. And may the good inclination have sway over me and let not the evil inclination have sway over me." Berakoth 60b.
• Prayer w/out ceasing… blessings the Jews used…
• Confession of sin
• Fellowship
• Service
• Teaching (in church/reading/radio)
CONCLUSION
1. The power to flee from sin comes from pursuing God and the things of God.
2. We are all sinners within; but God has also given us a new nature, another "kidney."
3. We will not be free of temptation and will still sin in some ways until we are in glory.
4. But if we set our minds on the things of the Spirit, we will not carry out the works of the flesh.
