Be Equipped. Acquiring the Tools for Spiritual Success

255 Pages·2011·1.42 MB·English

by  Warren W. Wiersbe

BE EQUIPPED
Published by David C. Cook
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Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.
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All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced
or used in any form without written permission from the publisher.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. (Public
Domain.) Scripture quotations marked are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®.
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NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All
rights reserved; are taken from the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible. New Living Translation
NLT
copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers;
NKJV
are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by
permission. All rights reserved; and are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright
NASB
1960, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
LCCN 2010934944
ISBN 978-1-4347-0052-0
eISBN 978-0-7814-0561-4
© 1999 Warren W. Wiersbe First edition of Be Equipped published by Victor Books®
in 1999 © Warren W. Wiersbe, ISBN 1-56476-704-3
The Team: Karen Lee-Thorp, Amy Kiechlin, Sarah Schultz, Jack Campbell, and Karen Athen Series Cover
Design: John Hamilton Design Cover Photo: iStockphoto Second Edition 2010
Contents
The Big Idea: An Introduction to Be Equipped by Ken Baugh A Word from the
Author
1. Catching Up on the Past (Deuteronomy 1—3) 2. The God We Worship
(Deuteronomy 4—5)
3. The Secrets of Obedience (Deuteronomy 6—7) 4. See What You Are
(Deuteronomy 8—11)
5. Worship Him in Truth (Deuteronomy 12—13; 18:9–22) 6. Food and Festivals
(Deuteronomy 14:1—16:17)
7. Judges, Kings, Priests, and Ordinary People
(Deuteronomy 16:18—18:8; 26:1–19) 8. Manslaughter, War, and
Murder(Deuteronomy 19:1—21:14) 9. Disputes and Decisions (Deuteronomy
21:15—25:19) 10. Obedience and Disobedience, Blessings and Curses
(Deuteronomy 26:16—31:13) 11. The Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:14—
32:47)
12. The End of an Era (Deuteronomy 32:48—34:12)
13. Learning to Remember—Remembering to Learn
(Review of Deuteronomy) Notes
The Big Idea An Introduction to Be
Equipped by Ken Baugh Simplicity is
in. Believe it or not, it’s actually
becoming cool not to accumulate more
stuff. It used to be that having more
material possessions proved that a
person was successful and important.
There are certainly many people who
still believe that, but I’ve noticed a trend
where people who can afford more stuff
are choosing not to buy it in order to
live a simpler and stress-free life.
For example, I have a friend who not long ago was contemplating the
purchase of a private airplane because it made sense for his transportation needs.
However, as he thought more about it, he chose not to buy the airplane, not
because he couldn’t afford it, but because he didn’t want to manage one more
thing in his life. My friend wanted to simplify his life, not to make it more
complicated. I suspect that many people are finally beginning to realize that
more stuff does not lead to happiness and greater esteem. It just makes life more
complicated.
Not long ago I was thinking of buying a computer software program (I
know, it’s not an airplane, but you gotta work with what you have). I chose not
to buy it because I just didn’t want the pressure of having to learn one more
computer program. I’m beginning to realize, like my friend, that there’s
something to keeping life simple. I’m certain that Jesus would agree.
Jesus kept His life simple. Think about it. Jesus didn’t own a home. He
didn’t have to worry about mortgage payments and upkeep. Jesus didn’t own any
land or animals that required His time and attention, and Jesus wasn’t married,
nor did He have a family to take care of. Instead, Jesus lived a simple life and
proclaimed a simple message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near”
(Matt. 4:17 ).
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Perhaps the greatest example of Jesus’ commitment to simplicity is seen in
His encounter with an expert in Jewish law, who one day asked Him a
complicated question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the
Law?” Now, this was probably a loaded question, because these guys were
always trying to trap Jesus into saying something that would discredit Him in the
eyes of the people. But I love Jesus’ reply, because it is not only profound but is
also incredibly simple. “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All
the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt. 22:36–40
).
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Pretty simple, huh? Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 as the “first and greatest
commandment.” This points to the Big Idea of Deuteronomy: obedience. If
loving God is the greatest commandment, then obedience to God’s commands is
the greatest expression of love for God. Jesus said it well: “If you love me, you
will obey what I command” (John 14:15 ).
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And the greatest practical expression of my obedience motivated by love is
to love my neighbor. John reminds us of this when he writes, “If anyone says, ‘I
love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his
brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has
given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John
4:20–21 ). Therefore, Jesus’ response to this expert in the law sums up the
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entire teaching in the Old Testament in these simple instructions: Love God and
love people. This was the essence of Moses’ instructions to the Israelites as he
equipped them to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land.
So what does this mean for us today? Simply this: Obedience to God’s Word
is to be motivated by love. This was Moses’ message to the Israelites, and it is
the same message to you and me today. When people love God, they want to
obey Him. Not because they have to, and not because they fear His reprisal if
they don’t. Instead, loving God flows from a relationship with God that He
initiated with us. John explains, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19
).
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God’s love equips God’s people to obey God’s commands. Therefore, the
more I internalize God’s love, the more I will want to please Him. How does a
person internalize God’s Word? Again, it’s a simple process: Read it, study it,
meditate on it, memorize it, and share it with others. God’s Word is supernatural
(2 Tim. 3:16–17; Heb. 4:11–12), and the more I get His supernatural truth into
my heart, the more God will use His Word through the power of the Holy Spirit
to transform my mind (Rom. 12:2). And the more my mind is transformed, the
better equipped I am to obey God’s commands and live for His glory.
It’s simple but not easy. That’s why we need the power of the Holy Spirit
working within us. Let God’s love fill your heart through the intake of His Word,
and Be Equipped to obey everything He commands.
***
Dr. Wiersbe’s commentaries have been a source of guidance and strength to me
over the many years that I have been a pastor. His unique style is not overly
academic, but theologically sound. He explains the deep truths of Scripture in a
way that everyone can understand and apply. Whether you’re a Bible scholar or
a brand-new believer in Christ, you will benefit, as I have, from Warren’s
insights. With your Bible in one hand and Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary in the
other, you will be able to accurately unpack the deep truths of God’s Word and
learn how to apply them to your life.
Drink deeply, my friend, of the truths of God’s Word, for in them you will
find Jesus Christ, and there is freedom, peace, assurance, and joy.
—Ken Baugh Pastor of Coast Hills Community Church Aliso Viejo, California
A Word from the Author
Deuteronomy means “second law” or “repetition of the law.” In this book, Moses
reviews the law originally given at Sinai and applies it to Israel’s life in the land
of Canaan. It also contains instructions and exhortations concerning the conquest
of the land and Israel’s relationship to the inhabitants of the land.
The book of Deuteronomy may well be the longest farewell speech in
recorded history. It’s certainly the longest farewell speech found in Scripture.
But it’s much more than a farewell speech, because in this series of addresses,
Moses sought to equip this generation for their new life in the Promised Land.
One of the most important responsibilities of the older generation is teaching the
younger generation the Word of God and the principles of godly living, and
Moses fulfilled that task superbly. We have the same responsibility today (2 Tim.
2:2; Titus 2:1–8), and God calls us to be faithful (1 Cor. 4:2).
First, Moses reviewed the past and reminded Israel of God’s faithfulness and
their ancestors’ unfaithfulness. Then he declared the law of God and the
covenant the Lord had made with them at Sinai, because their obedience to this
covenant would determine their success in the Promised Land. The nation had
been nomadic for forty years, but now they would enter their land and become
an agricultural people as each tribe claimed its inheritance. Moses applied to
their new situation the law He had given them forty years before.
If Israel obeyed God’s covenant, God would bless them abundantly, and the
nation would be a witness to the pagan nations around them. These peoples
would then want to know the God of Israel, and the Jews could explain their
faith to them. Moses urged his people to love the Lord, because love is the
greatest motive for obedience. So important was the book of Deuteronomy to the
Jewish nation that God commanded it to be read publicly during the Feast of
Tabernacles at the close of each Sabbatical Year (Deut. 31:10–13).
But does Deuteronomy have a message for us today? Three facts would