God’s Care for His People
I don’t remember how old I was, but I remember being in Bible class as a child and hearing about how the Israelite's clothes and shoes didn’t wear out during the 40 years in the wilderness. This comes from three passages in the Old Testament, only one of which mentions shoes.
Deut. 8:4, 29:5 and Nehemiah 9:21.
Think of it, clothes and shoes that lasted 40 years. L.L. Bean, eat your heart out! Now that’s some long lasting, durable stuff! Makes you wonder how many times they were washed, doesn’t it?
Today’s lesson application is from the last part of Deut. 29:5 and it is a challenge for us to be like our heavenly Father toward some needy people in Zimbabwe, Africa, where AIDs has left over a million children orphaned. But before we get to that, let’s read our passage in its context.
Deuteronomy 29: 2 Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them:
Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. 3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders. 4 But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. 5 Yet the LORD says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. 6 You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God.”
Notice, God didn’t give his people lots of extras in the wilderness wanderings, did he? But he did feed them (manna and quail) and He also give them water to drink and God also keep them in clothes and shoes. God humbled them in the desert so that they would do… what? He tells us there in verse 6. God says, “I did this so that you might know that I am the Lord your God.”
But also notice Moses sad observation in verse 4: But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.
Question: What does God have to do for us or give to us so that we will know that He is the Lord our God? What does it take for Him to give us a mind that understands, eyes that see or ears that hear?
Let’s just think about what God HAS given us.
God has given us life itself. He has given us every good and perfect gift.
God has given us His only begotten Son. And when He came, what did Jesus, the Son of God give us? He gave us His body and his blood, His very life. Jesus gave everything He had. He even gives us His righteousness. When Jesus died on the cross, He was naked, without clothes or shoes. He had nothing left. Jesus, the water of life, died thirsty. Jesus gave us everything.
Say that with me if you believe it: Jesus gave us everything. One more time: Jesus gave us everything.
Is that true? Did Jesus hold back His best and give us His leftovers? No, Jesus gave everything up, didn’t he?
Michael Card’s song says it well: The just and gentle promised one would triumph over the fall. He conquered by His own defeat, and won by giving all.
That’s the Philippians 2 Christ song. That’s the song the heavenly hosts sing to the Lamb in Revelation. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the price God paid to purchase you and me. God the Father is a giver. His Son, Jesus Christ, is just like Him.
Now let’s do a little exercise. Take a card and pen from the pew and write these things:
1. Write the word, “clothes” and beside it write the answer to this question: How many pieces of clothing do I own? Does anyone in this room actually know that? Counting pairs of socks, underwear, pants, shirts, sweaters, coats and everything, how many? Put down a number that you think is even close.
2. Next, write the word “shoes.” Now, write how many pairs of shoes do I own? This is probably a little easier for the men here. Go ahead, if you don’t know, write down what you think is close.
Now just think about this for a minute. What do you have that God has not given to you?
Just how generous has God been to you? How generous ought we to be toward God? The Bible talks a lot about both of these. One I’d like us to look at in particular:
1 Chronicles 29 tells about the offerings the Israelites made toward the building of the temple and David saw their generosity and God preserved this record of his response:
David’s Prayer
10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
“Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
12 Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.
14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 18 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.
God gives us all we have and God tests our hearts with opportunities to use what He has given us. God looks for integrity and faith. God looks for loyalty and obedience. God searches our hearts and knows us. He knows what we love. He knows what we fear losing and what we hope for and desire. God knows what we delight in. He knows the treasure of your heart.
Listen: God knows what we truly need most: that is to be like Him. That’s what He designed us to be. God is generous. He gives us opportunity to be generous too, to be like Him.
Let’s look at that last part of Deut. 29:5 now to make our application. God says to Israel as they are about to enter the promised land: 5 Yet the LORD says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.
Butch and Susan Feher are leading a shoe drive to send 5000 pairs of shoes through partners 4 Africa to Zimbabwe and Swaziland where they will be delivered through churches to needy children who need shoes. Collected by mid February and taken to be shipped in March. New shoes, no flip flops. We are never more like God than when we care for those in need. Let us be the hands that put shoes on some of these needy people’s feet.
