Remember the days of old;
consider the generations long past.
Ask your father and he will tell you,
your elders, and they will explain to you.
8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
when he divided all mankind,
he set up boundaries for the peoples
according to the number of the sons of Israel.
9 For the Lord’s portion is his people,
Jacob his allotted inheritance.
10 In a desert land he found him,
in a barren and howling waste.
He shielded him and cared for him;
he guarded him as the apple of his eye,
Deuteronomy 32:7-10
Apple of His Eye – Deuteronomy 32:7-10
This year, I have been reading/listening to the Bible arranged in chronological order. It is truly amazing how many times the Israelites are instructed to “remember” or “consider”. In fact, remembering all that God has already done for us would tremendously benefit us today, wouldn’t it? When we get stuck focusing on the problems of the day, we could transform our whole outlook by considering all that God has done already and giving thanks.
Chosen by God
God selected – he chose – the Israelite people to be His very own. I was not born a Jew, but this does not exclude me. The New Testament tells us that when we accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus we are “grafted in” to God’s chosen people and adopted as sons and daughters of God Himself.
“This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 3:6
We are His too!
That settled, how God feels about the Israelites is how He feels about us too!
In a desert land he found him,
in a barren and howling waste.
He shielded him and cared for him;
he guarded him as the apple of his eye,
Deuteronomy 32:10
When our souls were stuck in a land devoid of God’s presence, empty and barren like a desert, God found us and cared for us. He made us His own and guarded us. He saw us as the apple of His eye.
Apple of His Eye
This phrase, “the apple of his eye,” is a figure of speech that generally means someone who is loved greatly or admired. However, it is actually a very old English phrase rather than a Hebrew one. The actual Hebrew phrase is better translated as “little man of His eye.”
This “little man” refers to the natural phenomenon of seeing one’s own reflection in the eyes of the person who is looking at you. This reflection is created because the person looking “can’t take their eyes off” the object of their affection. When translated into English the phrase “apple of the eye” expressed the same sentiment as the original Hebrew idiom. The apple of the eye refers to the pupil of the eye, the central part of our sense of sight – very important to us. Hence, the meaning that “the little man of the eye” or “the apple of the eye” means someone who is important to us, necessary even – cherished or immensely loved.
The Little Man of God’s Eye
If we are the “little man” in God’s eye, He is watching us. He cares for us so much that He is so attentive to us that we are reflected in His eyes. Imagine that – the God of the Universe, the Creator of literally everything, loves you so much that He focuses intently on your well-being.
If everyday we would remember and consider who we are to God… Not what we do for Him. Not how we measure up or don’t measure up. Not whether or not we are good enough. Just that He sees us as the apple of His eye. We are reflected in His eyes as He gazes lovingly at us. Remember and consider how God already loves us so very much – how would that change our actions, our thought patterns, and our words? How much more could we accomplish for God’s kingdom if we truly reflected on God’s incredible love for us?
Action Step:
We are moving quickly toward autumn in the midwestern United States. Schools have started up. Teachers and pencils and fall in general always make me think of apples. Apple picking, caramel apples, an apple for the teacher, and so on.
As we see apples and pictures of them, let’s remember that we are the apple of God’s eye. The next time you are conversing with someone and see yourself reflected in their eyes (or even sunglasses) remember that God is looking at you so intently that you are reflected there. Remember and consider His great love for you. Then, share that good news with someone else. Let them know that God loves them with that extraordinary love too.
Prayer:
Dear God, help me to see apples and reflections around me. Bring to my mind this verse and how I am the apple of Your eye. Lead and guide me to do what You desire with confidence in Your loving care. Prompt me and embolden me to share Your love with those around me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Free Printables for Apple of His Eye (Deuteronomy 32:10):
If you would like a free printable for the Bible Art Journaling above, there is one in the Free Resource Library.
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