Good morning,
This week is the second of a three-week series titled “Lest we forget”. Deuteronomy chapters 6, 7, and 8, will be our text.
The key verse is Deuteronomy 6:12, which states, “Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
The children of Israel are getting ready to go into the promised land. Moses wants them to remember what has taken place in the last 40 years. He does not want them to forget.
This week we will look at Deuteronomy 7. Possessing the land.
Obedience Blessings (11-16)
“Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them. 12Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments,and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: 13And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine,and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, inthe land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 14Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. 15And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee. 16And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.”
God tells Israel if they keep the commandments, statues, and judgments, God would bless them. How? He will keep covenant, be merciful, love, bless, multiply, bless the womb, the land, health, and give them His protection. All they had to do is obey.
However, sometimes obedience is not all that easy. Remember Genesis 3. Satan tempted Adam and Eve and they took the bait. It happens to us all the time.
So, we must weigh the enjoyment of sin and disobedience to God to the enjoyment of God’s blessings for doing what is right.
Deuteronomy 8 will detail the blessings and the curses.
Till then, do we desire to be blessed or cursed?
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001