by his Presence.

"ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other.  has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of?  has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived?  has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the L-RD your God did for you in egypt before your very eyes? 

you were shown these things so that you might know that the L-RD is God; besides him there is no other. 

from heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you.  on earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of that fire.  because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of egypt by his Presence and his great strength, to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today. 

acknowledge and take to heart this day that the L-RD is God in heaven above and on the earth below.  there is no other."

-deuteronomy 4.

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oh L-RD, 

through the powerful name of our mighty liberator, Jesus, may we begin to learn how to take this passage to heart, that we may acknowledge You with power and in truth. 

amen.

the first days.

"For, pray, ask of the first days that were before you, from the day God created a human on the earth and from one end of the heavens to the other end of the heavens, has there been the like of this great thing or has its like been heard? Has a people heard God's voice speaking from the midst of the fire, as you yourself have heard, and still lived? Or has God tried to come to take Him a nation from within a nation in trials and signs and portents and in battle and with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with great terrors, like all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? You yourself were shown to know that the LORD is God, there is none besides Him. From the heavens He made you hear His voice to reprove you, and on the earth He showed you His great fire, and His words you heard, from the midst of the fire. And since He did love your fathers He chose their seed after them and brought you out from Egypt through His presence with His great power..."

-torah, deuteronomy 4.

judgement is God's.

"You shall recognize no face in judgement. You shall hear out the small person like the great one. You shall have no terror of any man, for judgement is God's."

-deuteronomy 1.