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.
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