ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Tokonaki ‘Aokosi 7, 2021

 Take care lest your heart be deceived

Vakai kiate kimoutolu naʻa kākāʻia homou loto

Teutalonome 11 (Deuteronomy 11)

(v. 16-17) Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you.

(v. 16-17- Uesi) Vakai kiate kimoutolu naʻa kākāʻia homou loto, pea mou tafoki, pea tauhi ʻae ngaahi ʻotua kehe, pea lotu kiate kinautolu; Pea tupu ai ʻae houhau ʻo Sihova kiate kimoutolu, pea tāpuni ai ʻae langi, ke ʻoua naʻa ʻuha, pea ke ʻoua naʻa tupu ʻi he fonua hono ngaahi fua; pea mou ʻauha vave mei he fonua lelei ʻaia ʻoku foaki ʻe Sihova kiate kimoutolu.

(Molitoni)Lamasi kimoutolu na‘a oloa homou loto, ‘o mou afe ai ‘o tauhi ‘otua kehe, ‘o lotu ki ai; pea langa‘i ai ‘a e houhau ‘o Sihova kiate kimoutolu, pea ne tāpuni ‘a e langi, ‘o ‘ikai ha ‘uha, ‘o ‘ikai lakuna ‘e he kelekele hono mahu; pea mou ‘auha vave mei he fonua lelei ‘oku foaki ‘e Sihova kiate kimoutolu.

 

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

As Moses concluded his great call to the people to the pathway of obedience, he reminded them what varied experiences they had had from which they knew the nature of the government and power of God.

He wooed them toward obedience by speaking of the excellencies of the land to which they were going and by contrasting it with the land of Egypt from which they had come. Egypt was the place of forced cultivation. The new land was one watered, and loved, and watched by God.

For all material prosperity in this new land they therefore must depend entirely on God, knowing that His answers of blessing would depend in turn on their obedience to His law. He told them that they would move to possession of the land and all its wealth in unhindered power in proportion as they maintained the position of unquestioning obedience.

Very solemnly he called them to remember that he had set clearly before them the way of blessing and the way of cursing, finally ordaining on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, a solemn ceremony of blessing and cursing. Concerning these he gave more detailed instructions at a later period.

 

David Guzik :: Study Guide for Deuteronomy 11

God had to warn Israel against the deceptions of prosperity. The person who turns from God in prosperity is simply deceived. They believe they are somehow responsible for the blessings received, and become proud and self-reliant.

Just such a judgment came upon Israel in the days of Ahab, the wicked king over Israel in the time Elijah was a prophet (1 Kings 17:1).

The constant need for rain kept Israel in constant dependence on the LORD. It is good for us to have things that keep us in constant dependence on the LORD. We should never despise those things and long for the day when we will no longer need to depend on God as much.