Living under God’s blessing Deuteronomy 27-34
Share: With another person briefly share your most powerful memory and impact of both a positive and a negative experience in your life.
Class reunions, scrapbooks and photo albums, familiar songs, and old neighbourhoods – like long-time friends awaken our memories and stir our emotions. The past is a kaleidoscope of promises, failures, victories, and embarrassments. Sometimes we want to forget memories that are too painful. However, as the years pass, remembrances of unpleasant events usually fade into our subconscious. But there is a time to remember mistakes: mistakes should not be repeated; commitments must be fulfilled; and the memory of special events can encourage us to move forward to positive action.
Overview of Deuteronomy
The book of Deuteronomy is written in the form of a treaty between a king and his vassal state typical of the second millennium B.C. Moses calls on Israel (The King’s people) to remember who God (their king) is and what he has done. Lacking faith, the old generation had wandered aimlessly and with lack lustre spiritual commitment to their God for 40 years in the wilderness and then died in the desert. They left Egypt behind physically, but Egypt was still very much part of them, so they never entered the promised land. Then of the east bank of the Jordan River, Moses, nearing the end of his earthly life, prepared the sons and daughters of the faithless Moses. He reviewed the law, examined the blessings and curses they had experienced, restated the covenant – a covenant they agreed to keep, and called on the people to choose life rather than death and experience life lived under God’s blessing.
The lessons are clear. Because of what God had done, Israel should have a love for God, faith in His provision, and hope in the future as they commit again to obediently follow His leading. Because of what he expects, they should listen, trust, and obey. Because of who he is, they should love him completely. Learning these lessons would prepare them to possess and experience the promised land.
So the whole purpose of Deuteronomy is to remind God’s people of what God had done and encourage them the rededicate their lives to him. This book is the theory and practice behind the Exodus account. Salvation, through the deliverance by Moses from the captivity and bondage of Egypt under the tyrannical Pharaoh, the journey of sanctification through being set apart from Egypt so Egypt’s influence could be cancelled through the progressive adoption of a godly lifestyle in the wilderness, and finally entry into the Promised Land - God’s special blessings and favour for those who abide in him could be experienced.
Moses reminded the people that he had given them the Word of the Lord – the commandments of the true and living God. He also reminded them that at Sinai, the nation had vowed to obey all that God said to them (Exodus 19:7-8; 24:3-8), and that the Lord promised to bless them if they obeyed him from the heart (Deuteronomy 7:6-16).
Reminder: It isn’t enough for God’s people to enjoy the blessings and privileges of the covenant; they must accept the responsibilities that are involved. Moses explained these responsibilities and called for the people to commit themselves wholly to the Lord.
Key passages from Deuteronomy 27-34
1. Deuteronomy 27-28 Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience
When the leaders read out the curses, they were not simply saying that God would suspend his blessing so that the natural consequences of disobedience would fall on the Israelites. They were agreeing that God should inflict his judgment on the Israelites. As each curse was read out, with this understanding, the people would say amen – “we agree”. We need to remember, that the Israelites whilst well-disciplined through living in slavery, they left Egypt with no governing oversight, no textual expanse of the law, very little cultural disciplines and boundaries, and very little knowledge of the godly life. It was through Moses that instruction was given. We on the other hand, as God’s people, have the written Word of God, we have the Holy Spirit to convict of sin righteousness and judgment and empower us to obey we, and we have the church community to provide guidance etc.
2. Deuteronomy 28:1-2; 28:15 Blessings and curses
In the New Testament we are given similar guidance through the Bible, tempered with grace, inwardly illuminated by the Holy Spirit within, and a church community that encourages us forward. The focus is on God’s blessings and provision, not earned by obedience but given freely through God’s grace. However, there are still consequences for disobedience and a withholding of God’s blessing (Ephesians 4:17-6:9; Colossians 2:6-23).
3. Deuteronomy 29:1,9 The Covenant – A call for commitment to God
There is a sobering message here for the church in today’s world. Like Israel of old, we are God’s chosen people and a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9-10) and have been greatly blessed by Jesus Christ. In response to all Jesus has done we have a responsibility to “advertise” the virtues of the Lord and declare in word and deed the good news of the gospel. If we fail to glorify God, He will chasten us just as he chastened Israel (Hebrews 12:1-14; 1 Peter 4:17). If God chastens his own people for their sins, what will he do for those who don’t belong to his family and have resisted his will? God’s judgment will begin with his family and the only way we can avoid it is to turn from our sins and obey his will. In Revelation 2-3 we read of the Holy Spirit’s judgment on the 7 churches. Those who had a high opinion of themselves were found to be poor spiritually and those who thought they were poor and lowly were considered rich. So, either personally or corporately we need to reflect on our spirituality from God’s perspective as found in the Bible. We are ministers of the New Covenant (2 Corinthians 2:12-3:18)
4. Deuteronomy 30: 11-20 A restatement of the offer of life (blessings) or death (curses)
Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, we are called on constantly to recommit to our covenant relationship with God. Our initial response to God began with a response to Jesus through the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives. We were convicted by the truth of God’s work and an understanding of our sin and sinful lives, which we confessed and repented of. It then led to an acceptance of God’s loving forgiveness and submission to his control and empowerment of our lives by inviting his Spirit to enter our lives and abide in us eternally. This was the beginning of our covenant relationship with God. The understanding was that in return for our salvation and ongoing work of God in our lives, we would abide in Christ and be obedient to God’s will. This implies responsible obedience to him (Romans 5-8; 12; Ephesians 4:1-6:12; 1Peter 4). Our obedience /is by love compelled.
Special Note – The implications for Christians today
Moses’ teaching of blessings and curses, the covenant the Israelites made with God through Moses, and the call to the choice of life in God rather than death in the world, were made to specific group of people at a specific time, under a specific set of circumstances. As believers today, we are not directly included in this dialogue. Much of the dialogue embraces physical blessings and curses. Many who preach the health, wealth and prosperity doctrines have wrongly applied Moses’ teaching to Christians and the church emanating from Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and the formation of the church. Jesus introduced us to a new and better covenant. Through this covenant the blessings of God purchased by Jesus’ death and resurrection, provided for those who believed in Jesus as God incarnate, received Him into their lives through confession repentance, and faith, and committed to a covenantal relationship of trust and obedience, would be blessed by salvation, sanctification and ultimate glorification (a choice for “life”). Those who rejected Jesus would be cursed in that they would be denied such blessings and would suffer the consequences of their choices (a choice for “death “).
In the New Covenant, Jesus has taken on himself the curse associated with the breaking of the Law and given to us the blessing of salvation, the blessings of the abundant life and the blessing of eternal life. (Ephesians 1-3). The blessings referred to are primarily spiritual (guaranteed) and literal (according to God’s gracious generosity). Health, wealth and prosperity are not unconditionally promised to those who follow Christ, although God’s blessings may well be given, but as God determines.
Questions for contemplation and response
1. Have you made a personal and lasting covenant with God? If not, you can right now and begin living under the blessings of God.
2. How is your personal and corporate covenant with God going? Is it vital, real, current and how is it demonstrated in practice? Is it time to renew the covenant and assume the associated responsibilities required?
Today we will view a video clip of Ryan and Bec Vallee and their incredible journey associated with Bec’s failing health, dialysis, and eventual kidney transplant. It provides great encouragement that God is in control of our lives and that he does bless those who submit to his Lordship in their lives.