“…DO NOT TURN ASIDE TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT. Walk in obedience to all the Lord your God has commanded you, so you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.” Deuteronomy 5:32-33.

The usage of “right and left” in early biblical times was so common that it had probably reached the level of a cliché. The phrase is a merism that actually means "everywhere, in any direction”, used here admonishing us not to deviate from God’s path in ANY direction. A merism is a figure of speech that expresses opposites and unity at the same time.

God’s Word begins with 2 different merisms in the very first verse of Genesis. The creation of “heavens and the earth” actually refers to the whole of the cosmos in the same statement, which we can see with a little prompting.

The second use of a merism in the verse is impossible for most to recognize, since it is the tiny two-letter, written Hebrew word אֵ֥ת, pronounced “Aleph” and “Tav”, the beginning and ending characters of the Hebrew alphabet. These 2 Hebrew characters are typically never translated into English since they don’t actually form a linear word but express an understanding of God. Below is Genesis 1:1 in Hebrew. Hebrew is read from right to left, and the 2 characters אֵ֥ת appear at the end of the 3rd group from the left:

בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑יםאֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ הָאָֽרֶץ

Literally translated, “In the beginning created, Elohim “Aleph|Tav” the heavens and the earth”. The placement of the beginning and ending Hebrew alphabet characters, used in hundreds of places in the original writings of the first 27 books of the Old Testament, express the understanding of the total completeness of God: from beginning to end, and in complete unity. Some Hebrew scholars go a step further and see the literal translation as "In the beginning Elohim created the Aleph-Tav…" the letters from which all life and all physical things spring forth.

We can examine this concept further by looking closely at the biblical book that uses the merism concept which titles today’s lesson. The Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible lists these 4 key concepts for the book of Deuteronomy. As you read these, please consider how absolutely vital they are to us 21st century Christians. 1. One God, one people, one sanctuary and one law. 2. God’s law impacts every area of life, and all law is rooted in the Ten Commandments. 3. Obedience is only the beginning of what is expected of God’s people—he wants his people to be in relationship with him. 4. God’s people are to love him.

From our vantage point in Deuteronomy, we can more clearly see the continuing impact of last week’s lesson “Make Us A God To Go Before Us”. https://www.facebook.com/fontanacommunitychurch/posts/pfbid02y9PYGkNK2K9czRTmiwgRBCWwhqasCcbgoYQTpCEJQ3nAqpYWd3vs2ArmCeQW3BfZl

Yes, God’s Word reveals succinctly that the path that leads STRAIGHT to the Lord God is neither left nor right. And yes, these timeless words are just as applicable today as they were 3500 years ago when Moses addressed God’s chosen people as they stood poised to take possession of their Promised Land after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Moses reminded them of the times they gave up on God leading them STRAIGHT to the destination of their dreams.

“… Remember this and never forget how you aroused the anger of the Lord your God in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the Lord…The Lord gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God. On them were all the commandments the Lord proclaimed to you on the mountain out of the fire, on the day of the assembly…Then the Lord told me, “Go down from here at once, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have become corrupt. They have turned away quickly from what I commanded them and have made an idol for themselves… So I turned and went down from the mountain while it was ablaze with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands. When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the Lord your God; you had made for yourselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the Lord had commanded you. So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands, breaking them to pieces before your eyes.” (Excerpts of Deuteronomy 9)

1 Corinthians 10 gives us warnings from Israel’s history. Since the probable date for the Golden Calf idolatry is the 16-17th day of His 4th month, July 4-5 on our 2023 Gregorian calendar, these warnings are definitely timely. Perhaps we should learn how to focus on God’s Word and let Him lead us straight into the Promised Land of our dreams, and let the left and the right fall by the wayside.

1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[d] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.

18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

“…DO NOT TURN ASIDE TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT. Walk in obedience to all the Lord your God has commanded you, so you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.”