Deuteronomy 14:10, "And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage."

Today's passage speaks about the importance of a monotheistic belief, that is the belief that there is only One God.

This is a sobering verse that demonstrates the importance of truth. Verse six sets the context for this verse. "If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou nor thy fathers.'" The Godly response to this enticement appears in verses 8-9, "Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him, neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:  9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shalt be first upon him to put him to death..."

The death of a person is a huge price to pay, yet that is the price for one who is enticing a person to leave God and serve another god. That person is to die "because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God…” Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary states, "It is the policy of Satan to try to lead us to evil by those whom we love, whom we least suspect of any ill design, and whom we are desirous to please, and apt to conform to. The enticement here is suppose to come from a brother or child, who are near by nature; from a wife or friend, who are near by choice, and are to us as our souls. But it is our duty to prefer God and truth, before the nearest and dearest friends we have in the world. We must not, to please our friends, break God's law. Thou shalt not consent to him, nor go with him, not for company, or curiosity, not to gain his affections. It is a general rule, If sinners entice thee, consent thou not, Proverbs 1:10. And we must not hinder the course of God's justice."

Verses that will help us value truth:

John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

John 17:17, Part of the prayer of Christ, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

3 John 4, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

I trust we will be committed to the truth. Jesus is the only Savior of mankind. May we remain faithful to what we know to be true no matter how someone else might attempt to sway us.

Your Friend and HIS,

Pastor Abbott

QUESTIONS TO PONDER
1.  How does this devotion speak to you about having a singular commitment to God?

2. Have you ever been tempted to turn your back on God?  What were the circumstances, and what did you do?

3. What is the exclusive claim of Christ in John 14:6?  Are there other ways to Heaven?

4. How do you know you are walking in truth?