Devotional on Deuteronomy

2014 – Cape Disappointment, WA

The distant reach of failure
Deuteronomy 1: Don’t be terrified of them, God, your God, is leading the way; he’s fighting for you.
The “you” in this passage isnโ€™t the members of the present congregation. Itโ€™s their parents. However, Moses is speaking to them as a nation of people, seen as one with the previous generation. This doesn’t sit well with my Western mindset. We Westerners are individualists who like to think we make our own decisions apart from others. In this case it was 40 years earlier that Moses had said these words and “they” refused to hear, refused to have faith, and refused to obey. The penalty was 40 years in the wilderness — an experience all those in the congregation hearing this sermon did share, at least to some extent. Soon it will be their turn to hear, believe, and obey. Moses is preparing them for it by reminding them of their already shared failure in their parents. Still, God is the God of Second Chances. Soon they will stand on the banks of the river. To a great extent they will have the opportunity to erase the failure of those who went before them. While Iโ€™m no expert on “generational curses” (or “generational blessings” for that matter) Iโ€™m reminded that my failure or faithfulness reaches far beyond my individual life.
Take Away: Itโ€™s unlikely anyone ever sees the full extent of their influence, be it for good or for evil.

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