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This fall, we are going to reflect on a famous journey of searching and longing – the travels of the Israelites from slavery to freedom to the land of promise.  Just like ourselves, they struggled for shalom - the peace of God.  Shalom is experiencing the wholeness of restored relationship with God, others, creation, and self.  We will examine a short part of Israel’s wilderness story from the first six chapters of Deuteronomy.

What God's people desired but did not always know they needed was a fuller, deeper, and richer relationship with their God who had covenanted with them for His glory and their good.  From Egypt to the wilderness represents God's amazing work of redemption; from the wilderness into the land of promise speaks of growing in a fuller and deeper walk with Jesus Christ.

The name “Deuteronomy” is from the Greek translation meaning “Second Law” which might make us think only of a legal code.  But the Hebrew title is “these are the words”.  Deuteronomy contains the sermons of Moses in a “vassal treaty” form.  Yet they are real-life testimony of God’s appointed leader and His chosen people.  Deuteronomy takes place on the edge of the land of promise.  The book offers a glimpse of God’s people between the exodus from slavery and wandering to a time when they began to possess their God pledged possession.

Despite much looking back in Deuteronomy, the word “today” is recorded fifty-nine times in the book.  We know that during the forty years between Egypt (rescue) and Canaan (reward) they were in a barren place, both physically and spiritually.  God used this time to shape and purify His people.  In the final months when they were poised to possess the Promised Land, God had a few more vital lessons for Isreal.  These lessons were based on looking back to God’s rescue so that the way forward with Him would be richer.

Our theme of “walking in the way of God” comes from Deuteronomy 10:12-13.  And the phrase “walking in obedience” is a often repeated in the book.  (5:33; 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16).  This fall we welcome you to examine your own walk with God.  Are you still in need of rescue from a life of sin?  Or have you come to Christ for His mercy and grace, only to remain in a wildnerness, so to speak?  What we need is to walk in God's ways, by His strength, receiving from His generous hands all that He has promised to His children.