Who Should We Trust and Believe?

Romans 4:13-18

Have you ever placed your trust in someone or something, only to be let down?  The person who promised to do something for you was a no-show, they didn’t come through with their promise.  The product that you bought for a significant sum did not live up to the promises in the advertisement, and was a waste of your money.  Many things and people we put our faith in end up being a disappointment.  It is important that our faith is placed in the correct thing.  Faith and trust wrongly placed can get us in trouble, but placed in the right thing or right person will bring rewards.  In our Scripture today from the Book of Romans we read of someone who did have faith, faith rightly placed in One who could be believed and trusted, and how that faith was rewarded.

As the Apostle Paul traveled throughout the Mediterranean world bringing the Gospel, he often would be confronted with false doctrines and teachings being spread throughout the early Church.  One of those was that one was justified, or saved, by keeping the Old Testament Law and by the good works that they did.  Paul sought to correct this false teaching, and he used the example of the Patriarch Abraham, one who was justified by his faith, not by keeping the Law or by any works that he did.

As we read in the Book of Genesis, God called Abraham from his original home and family to journey to the land that He promised him.  God proceeded to promise the very elderly Abraham and his equally elderly wife Sarah a son, and descendants that would be more numerous than the stars in the heavens.  Both the patriarch and his wife were long, long past child-bearing age, yet Abraham believed God and trusted His promise.  He was justified by his faith.  The promise that Abraham would be heir of the world did not come through his keeping of the law (vs. 13).  He lived over 400 years before the Law of Moses was even given.  God’s promise and Abraham’s belief in that promise was given even before He issued the rite of circumcision.  It was Abraham’s faith, his belief that if God said He would do something, that He would do it regardless of how unbelievable it might seem, and not through any works that he did.

Paul further explains that if God’s promises were given, if Abraham’s inheritance was through keeping of the Old Testament law, then faith is meaningless (vs. 14).  The Law demands perfect obedience, which no one can meet (Romans 3:23; James 2:10).  If that was the basis for justification and salvation, no one could ever meet that standard and be saved.  Any system that mixes works with faith destroys grace.  Salvation cannot be earned, supplemented, or secured by human effort.  The Law reveals that we are all sinners and deserve God’s wrath, not His blessing (vs. 15).  It cannot save.  It can only expose our need for salvation.

Our Scripture continues by stating that the promise of God comes by faith (vs. 16).  It is by grace, not by works, and is guaranteed, “sure to all the seed” or descendants of Abraham.   Who are the “seed”?  They are the Jewish people who believe and the Gentile people who believe.  In other words, to all who believe, like Abraham did.  The seed is not through ethnicity, but through believing God’s promises, having faith like Abraham did.  Grace and faith go together.  Works and grace are mutually exclusive (Romans 11:6).  God designed salvation so that He alone gets the glory.  If we received salvation through the works that we did, we would be inclined to go through eternity bragging about how great we are, not how great God is!

God called Abraham the “father of many nations”, and yet at this time he was childless and a very elderly man (vs. 17).  However, as Abraham believed, and as Paul stated here, God is the One who can revive the body of one who was as good as dead, at least as far as fathering a child was concerned.  God calls those things which are not as though they were.  God speaks with absolute authority.  His promises are as good as fulfilled the moment He gives them.  He calls into being things that were not.  He speaks, and things that didn’t exist suddenly do. Only God has that power.  We don’t, and neither do others.  Other people may say things to us to make us doubt God’s promises.  We need to forget them and focus on what God has said, which is the only important thing.

All too often we focus our attention on our circumstances, resting our belief, even our faith, on what they indicate.  Instead, we need to rest our faith on God’s character, not on our circumstances.  Abraham believed because God said it, and that settled it.  Abraham believed God’s promise even when it seemed impossible (vs. 18).  He was 100, his wife 90, both long past childbearing age.  Yet he believed God would give him a son.  Biblical faith is not wishful thinking.  It is trusting God’s Word despite human impossibility.  True faith looks beyond circumstances to the God who cannot lie.

The object of our trust is important.  Faith in a worthless cure, a risky business, or an unreliable person will do us no good.  Merely having faith will not save us.  Our faith must be placed in Jesus Christ.  Let us have saving faith just as Abraham did, a faith that trusts in God’s Word and rests in His power. A faith that perseveres despite all surrounding circumstances.  We can know for certainty that God’s promises are sure and true.  They rest on grace, not on anything that we do.  They depend on His power, which is omnipotent.  And God’s promises are guaranteed because they are rooted in His unchanging character.

The Divine Courtroom

Psalm 50

Having to stand before a judge in a serious court case would be a stressful and nerve-wracking situation.  Fortunately I have never had to do that, but I’ve watched enough legal dramas on TV, along with occasional bits of Court TV to know that is not someplace you want to be.  Our Scripture today, Psalm 50, brings us into a divine courtroom where God Himself appears as the Judge.  Let’s look into our Scripture to see who is being brought before this court, and what the charges are.

Psalm 50 was one of twelve psalms written by Asaph, who was a Levite appointed by King David as one of the chief musicians for the Temple.  As Asaph records, God has summoned His people to judgment, as there are two types of people He has major issues with.  The first is the formalist (vs. 7-15), who show outward religion without any heart devotion.  They may be believers, but their worship has become merely going through the motions.  The second is the hypocrite (vs. 16-21), ones who pretend religious faith, but live a life of wickedness outside the church.  We will see the difference between the things we do that truly honor God, and the things we do which are a thinly disguised attempt to impress Him with our own righteousness.

As court comes to session, the Lord God summons both heaven and earth to be witnesses for Him (vs. 4).  He is not silent (vs. 3).  He speaks with authority.  As St. Peter later recorded, judgment begins with God’s people, and those who claim to be (I Peter 4:17).  He holds His covenant people accountable first.  God’s holiness is not optional.  His people are accountable to His revealed Word.  Worship is not a matter of personal preference, but of divine command.

First, the Lord rebukes those who go through empty ceremonies and worship, but their heart is not in the rituals they are performing (vs. 7-15).  They may be genuine believers whose faith has now become just going through the motions, or they may be someone who is only pretending genuine faith.  God rejects rituals if there is no relationship with Him to go with it.  Unlike the false pagan gods, Yahweh does not need sacrifices for sustenance (vs. 12).  External religious activity means nothing without a heart of gratitude and obedience.  God desires genuine worship, not mechanical performance.

Instead of going through rituals which have lost any real meaning, God wants our thanksgiving, obedience, and our trust in Him during trouble (vs. 14-15).  God has limitless resources (vs. 10).  When we have worries or anxieties, we need to focus on Him, as He will provide for whatever we need.  Troubles will undoubtedly come in our life.  However, we do not need to despair, for God is with us to help and strengthen us.  Verse 15 does not read “call once”.  The Bible teaches us to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17).  Sometimes God delays His answers so that we will keep on crying to Him, and build our reliance completely on His mercy.

Next, God condemns the hypocrite (vs. 16-21).  These are people who recite God’s statutes, quote the Bible, and say other “religious sounding” words, they profess to know Him and have a relationship with Him, yet they live in open sin.  Some of the sins they take part in include theft, adultery, slander, deceit, and complicity with evil.  One would think that we would not see these sorts in church, but they are there, including even among Christian leaders.

God exposes their fatal assumption that He approves because He is like them (vs. 21).  This is the root of religious hypocrisy - the remaking of God in our own image.  God’s moral law is absolute.  Professing believers who live in unrepentant sin will face severe judgment.  He sees the heart and the life of everyone.  Profession of faith without holiness, without any fruit, is self-deception, and is condemned.  Your private life must match your public profession.

Two paths are presented here (vs. 22-23).  There is the path of destruction.  To those who forget God, He will “tear” them in judgment with no one to deliver.  Then there is the path of salvation.  God promises to show His salvation to those who offer Him praise and order their lives aright.  Salvation is by grace, but true salvation produces a transformed life.  God expects His people to walk in holiness, gratitude, and obedience.  True worship must be both doctrinally sound and heart-engaged.

As the Divine Judge brings the gavel down with His judgment, and His divine courtroom is adjourned, where do each of us stand?  Are we part of those who are just going through the rituals, but our hearts are far away?  Are we a religious-acting hypocrite who wants to look religious to the world, but our life is steeped in sin?  Or are we one whose heart belongs to the Lord, and we are living a spiritually fruitful and obedient life for Him?  One day each of us will stand before our Divine Judge, and His judgment will be given.  Let’s be sure that we have His Son, the Lord Jesus, as our Advocate, and that because of Him, it will be in our favor.

When Discipline is Necessary

Hosea 5:15 - 6:6

Some people have the mistaken belief that God is a cruel and mean deity, out to cause pain and misery in people’s lives.  They might feel this way because of some tragedies or difficult times that they have faced in life.  Perhaps they feel that God has stepped away from hearing their prayers and no longer cares about them.  Our Scripture for today answers this thought.

Today’s Old Testament reading comes from the Prophet Hosea.  He preached and ministered to the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel between approximately 753 and 722 BC.  Ever since Israel had broken away from the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 930 BC, Israel had been steeped in pagan worship.  Hosea preached during a time of idolatry and Baal worship, of the country trusting in political alliances instead of trusting in God, of moral corruption, and of superficial religious observance.  Yahweh spoke to the people through His prophet, addressing this national spiritual condition.

As our Scripture opens, the Lord says to the people of Israel that He is returning to His place, meaning that He is withdrawing His protective presence (vs. 5:15).  He is not abandoning the people, but doing this as a discipline to them for their continual idolatry and wickedness.  His purpose is not to bring destruction upon them, but instead to draw them to repentance and back to worship of Him alone.  When God brings discipline upon His people, it is not because He enjoys punishment, but instead it is for the purpose of restoration (Hebrews 12:5-11).

Discipline will often hurt, but that pain is for our good, not out of cruelty.  God doesn’t want to cause pain for no reason if He could avoid it (Lamentations 3:33).   Think of a doctor who must prescribe a treatment that is uncomfortable, or even a bit painful, but the end result is to bring healing.  When someone’s shoulder is out of joint, it is very painful to pop it back into place, but it must be done.  The nation was like that dislocated shoulder, and God needed to treat it.

The people of Israel responded by saying they would return to the Lord (vs. 1-3).  At first glance, this might look like genuine repentance, but as we see throughout the rest of the Book of Hosea, it was very shallow and superficial.  They were treating repentance like a formula.  They assumed that God would quickly fix everything, even though there was no real change in their heart.  What they really wanted was relief from all discipline, not a restoration of their relationship with God.  They thought that if they just repeated the right words to Him, all would be well.  However, God is not a vending machine. He responds to genuine repentance, not just ritualistic words.  This is the case with many today.  They desire God’s blessings in their life, but they do not want to surrender their sins.  This is not Biblical repentance.

As we continue with our Scripture, God exposes their shallow devotion (vs. 4).  Their “good” behavior was just momentary.  It was inconsistent, and basically evaporated like a cloud in the morning, there one moment and gone the next.  Emotional repentance that fades quickly is not true, genuine repentance.

God had sent the Northern Kingdom many prophets before, the great prophet Elijah being one of them, and He would continue to send them more.  Their message and words would cut them, bringing the pain that should bring healing (vs 5).  The prophets' words were to confront, expose sin, and call the people to repentance.  However Israel ignored all of them.  This shows us that God is patient and just, and always warns the people before He brings judgment.

Our Scripture passage ends with the heart of this passage (vs. 6).  God desired His people to have mercy on others, and have a true knowledge of Him, a relational and obedient knowledge.  He rejects people going through religious rituals without having obedience to His Word.  He rejects their sacrifices if there is no submission to Him, and their worship if there is no relationship or desire to live their lives for Him.  Jesus would later quote this verse several times in His dealings with the Pharisees (Matthew 9:13; 12:7).

The prophets spoke clearly, yet Israel ignored them.  How about us today?  We have God’s Word in the Bible.  Are we ignoring His message to us through Scriptures?  Is our devotion as fleeting as a cloud, short-lived, emotion-driven, and inconsistent?  God desires steadfastness, and a heart that prioritizes obedience over empty religious activity.  As this passage teaches us, let us have genuine repentance, consistent devotion, and heart-level obedience.  And if God does see fit to bring discipline when necessary, instead of resisting or resenting it, let it draw us closer to Him.

Two Warnings

Matthew 7:21-27

It is rather obvious going through life that heeding warnings are important.  When hiking through some rugged areas, one should obey the warning signs to stay on the specifically marked paths.  One should certainly follow the warning signs about poisonous materials.  And when people warn us about getting involved with some dangerous person, we should heed their warnings, as well.  In our Scripture today from the Gospel of St. Matthew, Jesus gives us some warnings that would be wise to follow, along with the results of not heeding the warning.

Our Scripture verses come at the end of one of Jesus’ most well known messages, the Sermon on the Mount.  As He concludes that important sermon, He gives two warnings - the first that true salvation is evidenced by obedience, not empty profession, and the second that one must not just hear God’s words, but also follow what they hear.  As we will see, not everyone who claims Christ truly belongs to Christ.

In the first of these two warnings, Jesus confronted verbal profession of faith without true heart submission to God (vs. 21-23).  There are plenty of people who go tossing the Name of Jesus around, they may wear a cross around their neck or a T-shirt with some religious saying and a Bible verse on it, but that doesn’t necessarily make them a genuine Christian.  Calling Jesus “Lord” is not enough.  Doing the will of the Father is the evidence of true conversion.  Do they truly follow what the Bible says, or do they just pick out some favorite verses, and that is all?  This is not supporting salvation by works.  It is salvation evidenced by works (James 2:17-26).  A person can be religious, and verbally orthodox, but still be lost.

These are one of the most serious and solemn verses in the Bible.  Jesus says that there will be many who will be self-deceived, not just a few.  They appeal to their own works, not to Jesus’ finished work on the Cross.  And their works are impressive - preaching, casting out demons, and other miracles.  However, that activity is not proof of their salvation.  False converts often rely on what they did, rather than on what Jesus did.

Frequently they will preach an all-inclusive, non-condemning, watered-down gospel, where no mention of sin or need of repentance is ever mentioned.  That may give no offense, but no souls are ever saved.  Those who preach such a gospel will one day stand before Jesus and expect a reward, yet He will say for them to depart as He does not know them.  This is the final verdict of Jesus on false professors.  A person who lives in continual rebellion against God’s complete Word while claiming to be His follower is deceiving themselves.

The second warning that the Lord Jesus gave at the conclusion of His Sermon on the Mount was about the wise builder versus the foolish one (vs. 24-27).  Jesus described two different groups of people.  The first are those who hear His Words and do them.  They are the wise ones who build their house (life) upon the Rock of God.  They don’t just merely hear the Scriptures, but they are obedient to God’s teachings therein.

The foolish person also hears God’s Word, but they do not obey it, or they pick and choose what they want to obey and what they won’t obey, saying that some parts are “problematic” for today’s world, or just don’t fit in with their lifestyle.  Both houses experience storms, which symbolize the trials of life and temptations.  One house stands, and the other falls.  The difference is not the storm but the foundation.  Judgment reveals the true nature of a person’s faith.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a famous tourist attraction. It was built on a mixture of clay, sand, and shells.  As the tower was being built the ground shifted beneath the foundation.  While we might like to see this tilting structure, we don’t want our own homes to slip and crumble.  When building our life, we need to make sure our foundation is firm, made up of wisdom and faith in Jesus.  We must listen to His Word, and then do what He asks of us.  Our life’s foundation will be tested by storms.  Will it stand up to the test?  Have we chosen to build on a firm foundation?  If our spiritual house is solidly based on Jesus and His Word, we can have complete confidence that no matter what happens, our souls are secure.

In closing, we learn from this Scripture passage that religious activity is not salvation.  Neither is emotions or miracles salvation.  Jesus Christ alone saves.  Not all who profess faith actually possess faith.  Reading and obeying Scripture, and repenting of sin helps us to build daily upon the Rock of the Lord Jesus.  True believers obey the Lord.  Trials will come.  Temptations will come.  Judgment will come.  Only a life built upon Jesus Christ will endure.

Can I Be Good Enough?

Romans 3:21-28

In order to get passed on to the next grade in school you have to learn the material and pass the tests.  If you want to get good grades, you have to study.  To get picked for any sports team you have to practice in order to be good enough.  The same goes for being picked for the lead role in a play.  And if you want to get that prized promotion at work, you need to do well at your current position.  Going through life we see that one has to earn their way to get chosen, one has to be good enough.  One cannot make a lot of mistakes.  If you do, you will lose out.  In our Scripture for today, however, we see that no one is good enough on their own to receive the greatest of all things, that of a place in heaven, eternal life.  Try as we might, doing the best that we possibly can, we will fall woefully short.  So what can we do?  Is there any hope?  Let’s take a look at what God says in His Word.

Our Scripture today comes from St. Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome.  He spent the first 2 ½ chapters explaining that before God, everyone stands guilty of sin, of breaking His laws.  The Gentiles are guilty, the Jews are guilty, the whole world is guilty.  We are all sinners before God, and there is nothing we can do.  But as Paul continues in the middle of chapter 3, we see a dramatic shift.  We come to a “But now…..”  As Paul will explain in our Scripture passage, God has revealed His righteousness in a way that does not depend on our ability to try and do right, to try and impossibly earn our way, to be good enough to earn salvation.

As Paul begins to explain in our Scripture, God’s righteousness is revealed apart from the law (vs. 21).  The righteousness of God is the righteous status that God gives to all believers.  It is “apart from the law”, meaning that it is not earned, not merited, nor achieved by obeying God’s laws, which is impossible to do on our own.  Salvation has always been by grace through faith.

This righteousness comes to us through the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is available to everyone, however it is applied only to those who believe in Him and accept Him as Savior (vs. 22).  Salvation is offered to all people universally, but it is applied individually by faith. Faith is the sole instrument of receiving God’s righteousness.  This is something that many people take offense at, that God will accept anybody, literally anybody, who comes to faith in Jesus Christ.  Think of the most terrible, sinful, and vile person.  If that person turned to the Lord Jesus, and genuinely called upon Him for salvation, they would be saved and receive a place in heaven.  However, if someone whom the world might think is a “good person”, but they die having never accepted Jesus as their Savior, they will not see heaven.  Salvation is given to all who believe.

Paul continues by explaining that there are no “good” people, everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (vs. 23).  There is universal guilt, every person without exception continually falls short of God’s perfect standard.  To those who accept Jesus, they are freely justified (vs. 24).  Justification is a legal declaration by God that the sinner is righteous because Jesus Christ’s righteousness is credited to their account.  This is given to believers freely.  It is unearned favor purchased by His Blood.  To obtain His gift we must accept the truth that we have all sinned before God, which breaks our relationship with Him.  This break can be restored when we acknowledge our sin, repent of it, and turn by faith to Jesus, and accept His death on the Cross on our behalf.

Jesus’ death on the Cross satisfied God’s just wrath against the sins we all have committed (vs. 25). God demonstrated His righteousness by punishing sin in Jesus.  The Cross is not merely an example of love.  It is a substitutionary, wrath-bearing sacrifice.  Jesus’ sinless Blood blotted out our sins forever.  But for that Blood to be effective in our life, we must accept it by faith.

The Cross allows God to remain just, as He does not overlook sin, but also allows Him to be the Justifier, as He can declare sinners who accept Jesus as righteous (vs. 26).  This is the heart of the Gospel - God satisfies His own justice through Jesus Christ so He can save sinners without compromising His holiness.

Justification by faith eliminates all human pride (vs. 27-28).  No one can brag that their good works earned them a special spot in heaven.  Since salvation is by faith, no one can boast of anything.  Otherwise heaven would be filled with people going around saying how good they were, and that my good works were better than yours, and yours were better than the next person, and so on.  Paul concludes by saying salvation is by faith alone.  No sacraments, rituals, moral efforts, or religious works contribute to it.  It is the empty hand receiving Jesus.

Our Place of Safety

Psalm 31

When I was a child growing up in the 1960’s the children of the neighborhood would get together to play various outdoor games, such as “tag”, or other games which had a safety place, where if you ran to that, the opponent couldn’t get you out.  Sometimes boardgames have a space that is safe from getting taken out, as well.  With all of the dangers and trials of life, it would be nice to have a safety place, where our enemies, real or figurative, could not harm us.  Our psalm for today speaks of just such a place.  Let’s take a look so that when we want or need a safe place we know where to run to.

Psalm 31 was written by David, possibly when he was fleeing for his life from King Saul, or perhaps when his son Absalom staged a coup against him and he had to flee Jerusalem.  David knew where his safety was, and who to trust in the middle of severe distress, betrayal, slander, and danger.  Right in the opening lines we see that he proclaimed that God is his refuge and righteous deliverer.  This was not casual belief.  This is total reliance upon Yahweh for deliverance.  David cried out to the Lord, praying for deliverance, not because of anything good he had done to deserve it, but because of God’s righteousness (vs. 1).  He appealed to God’s character, not his own.

David called God his rock and his fortress (vs. 2-3).  The many large rocks and boulders in the wilderness were a safe place to hide behind. Ancient communities would build fortresses when they knew an enemy army was on the way, so the people could flee to that for safety.  One was protected from danger when hiding behind a large rock or within a fortress.  David knew that Yahweh was his safety place.  The enemy could not harm him when he was in God’s care.

We all have times in our life when we feel the enemy is pursuing us or our family.  We need a safe place to run to.  We may have real, literal enemies pursuing us, or it could be other serious problems, such as major health problems, financial problems, or other worries.  Like David did, we can turn to God.  We can commit ourselves completely into His hands (vs. 5).   The Lord Jesus is our Rock and Fortress, our place of safety when we are tired of running and hiding.  He offers relief for those who seek security in the strength of God’s presence.  Like David found, we too can be pulled out of the net that tries to trap us (vs. 4), and have our feet set in a wide place (vs. 8), a picture of safety and freedom.

The Bible doesn’t deny the reality of truly deep suffering.  David described himself as consumed with grief, weakened by sorrow, and surrounded by enemies (vs. 9-13).   As we read, David said he was a reproach among both his enemies and his neighbors, and repulsive to his acquaintances (vs. 11).  Everyone, it seemed, was against him.  Not only was he suffering physically and emotionally, he also was socially, as well.  People were plotting against his life (vs. 13).  This is something that was also echoed in the life of Jesus, during His last days (Matthew 27:1).

There are times in the middle of our trials, that we also experience betrayal, slander, and abandonment.  We may be misunderstood, are lonely, have lies told about us, and even be abandoned by those we thought were our friends.  David’s enemies foreshadow the world’s hostility towards God’s people.  Like David, and most importantly, also like the Lord Jesus, we can put our trust and hope in the Lord, who is our only true anchor.

The turning point of this psalm is when David proclaims his trust in the Lord (vs. 14).  He goes from looking at all the problems he is facing, and how his enemies are attacking, to renewed trust in Yahweh.  David knew that all power and authority are from God, and that He controls whatever happens in his own life (vs. 15).  God controls our circumstances, our lifespan, and our destiny, not ourselves.  Our life is not governed by chance but by God’s hand.  He permits suffering, He also provides comfort.  Deliverance is God’s prerogative, not man’s, and the wicked will ultimately be silenced and judged (vs. 17-18).  We don’t need to let our problems and troubles discourage us.  Our life is in Jesus’ hands.  Instead, focus on finishing each day in a way that will please Him.

David ended his psalm with triumphant praise (vs. 19-24).  He praised God for His goodness, which is laid up for those who fear Him.  David also praised Him for His protection, as believers are hidden in the secret place of His presence, a picture of spiritual security.  When he panicked and felt that God was not seeing him, he remembered the truth, that God still does hear his cry (vs. 22), just as He does for us.  We may have moments of doubt, but God remains faithful despite our weakness.

David closed with an exhortation to be of good courage and hope in the Lord (vs. 24).  The world doesn’t offer much hope for those in despair, but God does.  If we surrender to Him in moments of despair like David did, He will provide what we need.  He wants to strengthen His children so that they can bear up under the weight of tough circumstances.  God gives hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless.  The hope that God gives is beyond the scope of human limitations because God is a good God.  Like in those childhood games with the neighbors, run to the Lord Jesus, and find in Him your place of safety.

Blessings or Curses

Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28

If you had to pick blessings in your life or curses, which would you choose?  You may think that is a very silly question, as everyone would pick blessings, wouldn’t they?  One would certainly think so.  God has given us in His Word the way one can ensure blessings in one’s life, and the way that one will incur curses.  Yet, all too often people are continually going the route of choosing curses, either unknowingly, not believing, or not caring what they are doing.  Let’s look into God’s Word and see what it says about receiving blessings or curses.

Today’s Scripture comes from the Book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament.  Deuteronomy contains Moses’ final sermon series to the nation of Israel right prior to their entering in and taking possession of the land that God had promised them, as far back as the days of their forefather Abraham.  The people had seen God’s mighty acts when they left Egypt and all throughout their years in the wilderness.  God promised that if they obeyed His Word, they would prosper in the new land.  However, God’s Word must be internalized and taught diligently to their children.  They would need to make a choice between being blessed or being cursed.  This is not just for the ancient Israelites several thousand years ago, it is also very applicable to believers today.  What God instructed them, He is also telling us today.

As our Scripture passage opens, God instructs the people, and us, that we need to keep His Word in our heart and soul (vs. 18).  We need to saturate our life with His Word.  We do this by incorporating and integrating the Bible into our life, letting it shape our affections, convictions, and decisions, and not just having mere outward conformity.  The Bible should be our inner compass.

Moses spoke of binding God’s Word on their hands, and as frontlets between their eyes.  Today some very Orthodox Jewish men will wear phylacteries on their foreheads.  They are little boxes that contain bits of the Torah, and are tied on their forehead with leather straps when they pray, as a literal following of this verse.  Jesus warned, though, of this becoming just an empty ritual (Matthew 23:5).  It is more important that God’s Word govern our thinking (“between your eyes”) and our actions (“on your hand”).  We must keep God’s Word constantly before us.

Next, God instructs us that we need to be teaching His Word and ways to our children (vs 19).  This is to be continual daily instructions, when we sit down, walk, at bedtime, and upon rising.  Parents should be the primary spiritual teachers, keeping a Scripture-centered home.  They are to train and raise their children, not the schools nor the culture.  This is a command of God, not just a suggestion, and will safeguard against generations shifting away from Him.  He also instructs us to write them upon our door posts and gates (vs. 20).  Today we can do this by having framed Bible verses in our homes.  I have several cross-stitched Bible verses on my walls.  This way our homes are publicly identified with God, and where Scripture is not hidden away.

The reason for this is so that we can obtain God’s blessings in our life (vs. 21).  This is not prosperity-gospel teaching, which is tied to God blessing you so long as you give to any number of prosperity preachers (so he can buy another personal jet for himself!).  This was a covenantal blessing for Israel, but also teaches us today that a society grounded in God’s Word will flourish.  However, one that rejects His Word will decay.

God now confronts us with a moral decision (vs. 26-28).  We have a choice between having His blessings in our life, or having His curse.   His blessing is not automatic, nor His curse arbitrary or haphazard.  God’s moral law is objective and binding.  It is impossible to be morally neutral.  Either one obeys God and receives blessings, or he disobeys and receives curses.

If we choose to obey God and the Bible, we will receive His favor, protection, provision, and stability (vs. 27).  This is consistent with the Biblical pattern found in Psalm 1, Joshua 1:8, and Proverbs 3:1-6.  If we choose to disobey the Bible, we will lose God’s protection, the nation will decline, we have spiritual darkness, and ultimately God’s judgment (vs. 28).  We cannot choose what we obey or not obey, either.  We can’t pick and choose, treating the Bible like a cafeteria, saying that we don’t like this, or that particular verse “is problematic in today’s world.”  God’s commands are not optional.  Sin has real consequences.

As we close, we see that in order to receive God’s blessings in our life, we need to store His Word in our heart, teach it to our family at home, and obey it in our daily life.  Obedience is the dividing line between blessing and curse.  God places before every person and every generation the same choice - blessing through obedience or curse through disobedience.