All of you stand today before the Lord your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives—also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water— that you may enter into covenant with the Lord your God, and into His oath, which the Lord your God makes with you today, that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Deuteronomy 29:10-13)

Woodcutters And Water Carriers

The end of the forty years of wandering was finished as Moses wrote his final declaration of the history of Israel. A new generation had come out of the last four decades as Joshua prepared to take the people across the Jordan into the promised land. Moses wants the people to know the grace of God has not changed. The Lord is giving the land of Canaan to the Hebrews, but they can only retain it if they obey His commandments.

Forty years earlier, God made a covenant with the people in Horeb. In the land of Moab, Moses reaffirms the covenant between Israel and the Lord. What makes the covenant important is knowing that God is not a respecter of persons. The law of God is given to the leaders, elders, and officers of Israel and all the men of Israel. But the law is also given to the children and the women. The law was given to those who cut the wood and drew the water. No one was excluded from the plan of salvation.

The leaders, elders, and officers were important men of Israel responsible for the leadership of God’s people. They had certain duties that elevated them as men of importance carrying heavy burdens. God made a covenant with them as His people. The law of God did not exclude the children and women of Israel. They each had a place in the blessings of the Lord to be faithful to the word. Israel was a nation made up of families important to the future of the kingdom. The children needed to know the law of God. Moses would tell the parents to teach their children constantly about the covenant of the Lord. The family was the foundation of knowledge for the nation to know about God.

Slaves were common in Israel, but they were not to be forgotten. There were those whose job was cutting wood and gathering water. These were not overlooked in the covenant God made with Israel. They were not the important, prestigious men of leadership, but God included them in the salvation of Israel. Moses was reminding all of Israel that everyone was important. No one should be left out in the work of the nation, and salvation is found in the covenant with God.

The early church was fashioned in the same manner as Israel of old. Twelve men served as the apostles of the church, exercising an important leadership role. As the church evolved, men were ordained as elders who would shepherd the church of God. Deacons would be chosen as leaders in the work of the kingdom. The wives of shepherds and deacons played a pivotal role in the early church. Moses pointed out the children, women, woodcutters, and water gatherers as important to the covenant with God, and in the church, no one is to be left out. There is much work to do for everyone.

There are men who take on the role of overseeing in the church, exercising leadership vital to the plan of God for His kingdom. But the church cannot exist without its “woodcutters and water gatherers” who are working hard in the kingdom of Christ. Children and women have a role in the church to help it grow. When every part is doing its share in the work of the church, growth is the result, and the Lord is glorified. God has a covenant with all kinds of people today in the church. There is work to do for everyone willing to put their shoulders to the wheel and work for the Lord. I may not be able to do anything more than cut wood but let my wood cutting be for the glory of God. The Lord needs me. He needs you. Let’s all work together in the kingdom of Christ, whatever our roles may be.