24th February Deuteronomy 28 Obedience Blessings
Moses is instrumental in directing his people to obey God, following his commands will deliver abundant blessings above all nations. He continues, if the people are faithful to God, then they will be rewarded with a multitude of favour from the city to the country, their offspring and livestock, their food and on their travels, in and out. Moses tells the people that the Lord will guard and protect them from their enemies, they will not know defeat. He will bless their crops and harvest and make their efforts fruitful!
He then continues to emphasise the need for the people to remain vigilant and steadfast in the Lord. They will be feared by all the nations. God’s favour will be upon the people, they will be blessed for generations, they will thrive and will be revered by all nations and will lead the world in trade, always at the top and never at the bottom.
But he also offers a stern warning that if the people are not obedient to God’s law they will be cursed! The people will feel the loss of all they have strived to build. The curses will reach far and wide and nothing will be left fruitful. Lives, wealth, possessions, livestock and land will all perish because of their disobedience. They will feel the ruin of plague and disease and suffer the utter destruction by the wrath of God.
Moses paints a devastating picture for the Israelites if they fail to put God first before all things and obey His laws. The ultimate price to pay will be a people homeless, destitute and set to wander aimlessly from generation to generation, to be ridiculed, neglected and abandoned. Persecuted by enemies sent against them and families turning against each other with devastating consequences for their disobedience towards God.
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Question:
Moses makes the point about the fall of Israel very clearly but why would God exact such revenge on his chosen people?
Prayer:
Lord help us to focus on you and accept your merciful grace as we live in this broken world. Amen.