Today’s Bible Reading: DEUTERONOMY 26:1-29:1
Deuteronomy 26:17-19
17 You have declared today that the LORD is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice. And the LORD has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised."
Many people wonder how God feels about them. They theorize what He thinks of them. They ponder how He perceives them. They reflect on how He regards them. Throughout the ages men have thought about what God thinks about them.
In our text the Lord addresses this age-old query. He clearly communicates His disposition toward His people. To those who declare their allegiance to Him as their Lord and God and who demonstrate their adherence to Him by following Him, to these He declares they are “his treasured possession”. They declare and demonstrate that they are His and He responds by acknowledging that they are His people.
The Lord further asserts that “he will set” them in a praise worthy, predominate, and prestigious position above all other peoples. As His people their place among the nations will overshadow all others. His regard for them will rival that of any other group of people. They are esteemed by Him above “all nations that he has made”.
We find three affirmations that He sets upon those who are His. First, He will set them in praise. He has accepted them. He will acknowledge them and He will advocate for them. Despite all their faults, flaws and failures, He praises them. The one whom is praised by them praises them. He who is counted worthy of their praise considers them worthy being praised above all other people. As He did to them, so He does to you. He sets you in praise above all those who have no regard for Him. You are His treasured possession and as such are of great worth to Him. As His praise is on your lips, so His praise for you is on His. He sets you in praise.
Second, He set them in fame. They were famous because their God was famous. His reputation was renowned among all the nations (Deut 26:8). His name was made known when His power and presence was declared and displayed in the defeat of the nations. His name was celebrated by His conquests. As His people, their name was great because of the great God they served. As His follower you too are famous. Your repletion is attained by the one you adhere to. As His child, you carry His name. He has chosen and adopted you to be His and you bear His name. You are His Beloved. He has set you in fame.
Finally, He set them in honor. The term here can be translated beauty or splendor. He counts His people as beautiful in His sight and proclaims their beauty above all others. They rank above any other people or nations. His people are honored by God above all other people. God boasts about them. He brags on them. He treasures them and tells of His treasure. So, it is with you. You honor the Lord and He honors you. You are highly honored among men by the one who is to be highly honored by men. You are beautiful in His sight. You are honored. He set you in honor.
In the New Testament, Thomas encounters the risen Jesus. He declares Him to be His “Lord and God” (John 20:28). If you have made this same declaration then the Lord declares you to be His treasured possession. As such, you should never think that you are nothing to God. To do so is to contest what He has communicated. You are counted as significant and special. You are accepted, affirmed and acknowledged by Him. He values you and He vouches for you.
Today simply rejoice that the Lord declares that you are His treasured possession and that is enough! Thank Him that He has set you in praise, in fame and in honor high above all those who do not profess Him.
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