Deuteronomy 27 -28 = Today's Thought

Deuteronomy 27 -28 = Today's Thought

 

Chapters 27 and 28 could have been termed the if you do’s and if you don’t chapters.  Moses has just finished giving the people instruction on how to conduct their lives as they enter the Promised Land and now he is giving them both and an encouragement and a warning about following these instructions.  Chapter 28 starts off saying “if you fully obey….”  It could have said if you obey… and communicated the point, but this is one of those places where the inclusion of a word really means something specific.  God isn’t asking for partial obedience.  He wants their full obedience, after all look at what he is promising them.  The first 13 verses paint an incredible blessing if the people remain faithful.  Faithfulness yields, the defeat of enemies, blessings on your barns, on your fields, on your womb, on your livestock, on your finances, etc…..  Obedience to God in this case is directly linked to the blessing that is promised.  However there is the flip side of the coin here as well.  While the first 13 verses deal with the blessings for obedience, verses 15-68 deal with the curse for disobedience. Why so much more on the curse.  My guess is because we too quickly forget about the reason for the blessing, complacency, and entitlement.  After a time the blessing for obedience may seem deserved, earned or even owed.  God is clearly communicating that with obedience comes the blessing.  His gift, his choice, his way, just as with disobedience has its own set of circumstance.  Why all the detail, maybe God just wants his people to have every opportunity to recognize their failure and have a chance to return.  While no one complains about a blessing, the curse if not identifiable isn’t so easy to overcome.  Therefore, God has said, if this is happening in your life, chances are we are out of sync, and if we are out of sync, it isn’t me that has changed. 

 

While we are under a new covenant with new relationship parameters, this is still so very true.  Those who obediently follow the will of God in their life are blessed.  Countless stories can be told, endless examples of God’s love poured out his faithful.  Obedience isn’t a get out of jail free card life will always have its hurdles and trials, but disobedience is guaranteed to distance you from God, (much worse than, jail and losing your $200.00 for passing go)  and when you are distant from God, you are the one that has to step in his direction.  He is constant and always there, but we have to make the effort to seek him and stay in his will.

 

Be obedient, be blessed,

Rob