Our gifts show how much we appreciate God's kindness. We must always give God the credit for our health, riches, and well-being. As a general rule, if we obey the Lord it is better for us than if we willfully disobey. First, my people if my people the people are no longer merely the Jewish, ethnic people of God, but the blood-bought people of the Messiah united to him by faith. He was not pleased when the Israelites insisted on returning to their sinful practices. The book recounts the teachings and events of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. Similarly, God has already saved us from our worst enemy - slavery to sin. The imagery of having blessings run after us and overtake us with their joyful power is wonderous! The covenant God made with Israel contained three major features: Thelaw, thesacrifice, and thechoice. 3. According to Leviticus 11, an animal is clean if it parts the hoof and chews the cord, if it lacks both or even one, it is unclean, it can't be offered as sacrifice and shouldn't even be eaten. You are using an out of date browser. Stubbornness is characteristic of human nature, but that doesn't mean God likes it. This truth was very offensive to some jewish christians as it is now offensive to religious gentile christians. Second, we need to obey Gods commandments and keep His covenant. If we are no longer under the Sinai covenant, how do we apply the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28 to believers today? We have the same choice as God's followers. iii. And there are different ways to explain why that is, and one is to realize that in spiritual union with the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, Christians are the messianic people, the true Israel, the heirs of everything promised to the true Israel. When we think about the Old Testament, we often think of it as a book that contains a lot of laws and regulations. The short answer is, "No." This was Jesuspoint. A commercial airline pilot about to take a 747 loaded with passengers from New York to Los Angeles talks his crew through a much more elaborate preflight ritual. William Twisse on Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28, and the covenant of works. Deuteronomy 22 is entirely about instructions what to do and what not to do. We should never take advantage of people in need. The holiness and splendor of God The overall goal of the book of Leviticus is to show the level of holiness God exists in. No matter how much we give back to God, we should give it joyfully and thankfully. There is no greater privilege for humans than to know, love, obey, and serve our glorious covenant Lord. Israel was to fulfill the role of Adam by living as a kingdom of priests (Ex 19:5-6), to serve as Gods son and representative and thus display to this poor, fallen world what it means to be truly human. 28 "And if you will without fail listen to the voice of Jehovah your God by being careful to do all his commandments that I am commanding you today, Jehovah your God will certainly put you high above all other nations of the earth. Under the law of Moses the Gentiles can never be saved. (Stoning a murder is not necessary if you don't have stones nearby, you can hang him), A Model of Christian Charity --- by Gov. And the second curse is for those who break Gods covenant. Explore our latest content and live stream the radio program with our mobile apps. RCCG Sells A Bag Of Rice At N9k To Their Members In Abuja. June 9, 2015 by Karin. Posted Nov 28, 2016 by Michael L. Brown. In any case, God's Word is the one true standard against which all activities show be judged. Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. I find it necessary to tell you, @Goshen360, that I actually am aware that you are attacking an erroneous teaching in the Church. It was made between God and Moses and Israel. This exception does not apply to uncles (it is obviously impossible to apply to a Father's spouse because the Father by definition is not childless) because we have no basis for presuming the exception goes beyond what is expressly provided. Theres 40 years of wandering and the first generation dies away. Rather, if Christians repent, turn from their wicked ways, humble themselves, and pray to God, he will do a mighty work in and through the church however he please. . How do we try to avoid facing the truth of our status in spiritual obedience. Whether or not Beeke lists it as his number one choice as a commentary is irrelevant. Virtually every one of the Ten Commandments, save the Sabbath, is also expressed in some way or another in the New Testament as morally obligatory. Moses knew that he was about to die, so before he left the people he blessed them. Well, the fact is that many of the things mentioned in Deuteronomy 28 are still relevant to us today. There is no greater privilege for humans than to know, love, obey, and serve our glorious covenant Lord. Deuteronomy 28 listed blessings and curses for by being obedience or disobedience and says do this (obey) or do that (disobey) and God does this (bless) or that (curse) - that's the religion of the law of Moses. Moses led Israel through everything they needed to know to live successfully in Canaan. Deuteronomy 28 is a chapter in the Bible that describes the blessings and curses that will come to the people of Israel if they obey or disobey Gods commands. Moses reminded the Israelites that the same God who had rescued them from slavery in Egypt could help them defeat an enemy, no matter how strong their opponent was. Deuteronomy 22:5 and 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 (wearing a veil) make it clear that men and women are not to purposely cross-dress. All rights reserved. In the New Testament, God doesn't bless us because of what we do but because of our faith in Christ and His finished works. the covenant nation of God? And in such an area, the curses of Deuteronomy 28 are brought to bear upon us. It's a hermeneutical problem; an undue flattening out of the covenantal administration. In ch. The lawyer is interested in finding a way that he can work his own salvation out by himself. That the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth: Therefore, if Israel would obey the LORD, He wouldsetthemhigh above all nations of the earth, and the blessings would be so powerful that they wouldcome upon you and overtake you. The nation of Israel was obliged to obey the laws of their nation in order to reap Gods blessings or curses. JavaScript is disabled. I have been unable until now to address the issue of the relationship between the Old Covenant and the Christian. We often do not realize or understand that there is an unspoken opposite action for not obeying the treaties. Indeed, at the end of the chapter, it says people in other cultures practiced these things and they were judged for them. All rights reserved. We can trust Him to lead us and provide for us, and we can be confident that He has our best interests at heart. In this passage, Moses encouraged the people to make a real effort to consider their promise to God and to allow him to wash away their sins. It was given to those people in that state for that period of time. God also rewards obedience. Thank you for this brief but important rudiment of the simplicity of the gospel of Christ . Editorial: Reading Deuteronomy for Gods People Today. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Our behavior reveals what we truly believe in our hearts. 1. It is my prayer that the various articles and contributions in this issue of SBJT will lead us to a greater understanding of Deuteronomy and a renewed appreciation for our Lord Jesus Christ, the one whom the message of Deuteronomy ultimately points. Let us highlight each of these areas in turn. The passage also includes a promise from God that these curses will be removed if the Israelites obey Him. Here are some key points from the passage that we can apply to our lives: 1. No doubt, we have to apply carefully the old covenant to us in light of Christ, yet we must never forget that it is applicable to us as Scripture and thus we need to learn anew what God is teaching us today through this wonderful book. But Did He Also Write Chapter 34? 4 One of these is that they would be blessed in their cities ( v.3 ). The book of Psalms is the longest book in the Bible. They say it looks like were picking and choosing the Old Testament Law because were against homosexuality, but we dont follow these other details. It is not a curse causeless, or for some light cause. There are also laws and rules that are unique to a particular states situation. The Bible is clear that God blesses those who obey Him and curse those who disobey Him. Exegesis (including that done by older Reformed writers) that does not first take fully into account the historical situation between God and Israel before jumping directly to the application of theological paradigms shouldn't be seen as exemplary. We need to keep our hearts focused on God, so that we can obey His commands and enjoy His blessings (v. 43-45). Deuteronomy 28 listed blessings and curses for by being obedience or disobedience and says do this (obey) or do that (disobey) and God does this (bless) or that (curse) - that's the religion of the law of Moses. 4. There are blessings and curses in the Mosaic Covenant meant for Israel. The reasons of this law are, 1. Because of this identity crisis, our people have become very confused. How can we discern if warnings or promises directed towards Israel are applicable to other nations, the body of Christ in the global church, or even to ourselves as individuals? He can make plans and play things out so that certain things apply in some cases and dont apply later, though His purpose is constant and unchanging. What are the results of disobedience to the laws (commands in the old and new testament) of God? Yet, Deuteronomy 5:15 explains that the reason is because of God's redemptive act on Israel's behalf during the exodus experience rather than because God rested on the seventh day. Required fields are marked *. In fact, given sins entrance into the world, Israels role in the world was not only to be the nation by which Messiah would come and reverse the effects of sin and death (see Gen 3:15; 12:1-3); they were also called to live as Adam and the entire human race was supposed to liveas obedient sons (Ex 4:22-23) and servant kingsin relationship to the Lord and the entire creation. There were debates between them about which law was the greatest commandment, so they asked Jesus. This is because God is faithful to His promises. The idea behind thechoiceis that God was determined to reveal Himself to the world through Israel. He also requires us to be good caretakers of what we have been given. We need to obey Gods laws and statutes, so that we can experience His righteousness and peace (v. 30-32). They served their purpose for the carnal, physical nation of Israel, but they have been superseded by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ Who has opened a new way to God the Father, based on personal responsibility and . We still must live with the consequences of that sin, though. Anything we read from the Bible falls under 1 of these dispensations and it should not be carried or used in another dispensation practically. But if we disobey, we will be cursed. For these celebrations, they were reminded to take a gift for God, according to what they had received from him. The list is severe, and includes everything from being cursed in the city to being cursed in the field. There are certainly principles in that passage that show that any nation who thumbs its nose at God and goes into idolatry will be judged. They hesitated and by staying outside of the land, they were not obeying God's instructions. Deuteronomy 28:1 English Standard Version Blessings for Obedience 28 "And qif you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you rhigh above all the nations of the earth. And I think if Joe takes these two steps and these two illustrations that I have given from Leviticus 5 and 2 Chronicles 7, he will be well on his way of appropriating the Old Testament for good Christian use. Deuteronomy is one long sermon given by Moses before his death. So, that is step one. The astronauts flying a space shuttle mission endure days of preflight preparation. (1-2) God humbled and tested Israel. Christians are the chosen in the sense that those who are in Christ, putting their trust in Him, are the ones that benefited from that plan of salvation God was working out through Israel. We get a lot of questions in the inbox about how to interpret the Old Testament as a Christian, trying to understand which promises apply to us and which ones dont. We are not obliged by everything in the Mosaic Law. God told Moses he was pleased when the Israelites obeyed him because they wanted to, not because they had to. He says, For we are the circumcision and he is talking to his Gentile audience there in Philippi we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. And what he means when he says, we are the circumcision, is: We Gentiles who are united to the Jewish Messiah Jesus are the true circumcised people, the true Israel of God. Deuteronomy is Christian Scripture. Deuteronomy 28:20 says, The LORD will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin. This means that if we live a life that is not pleasing to God, He will curse us with problems and confusion. No, God is loving and merciful, but he is also just so he doesn't permit evil to continue without being punished and corrected. When we disobey God, he will forgive us if we turn away from our sin and turn back to him. What does it mean to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19)? Just as one finds curses for disobedience in the Old Testament and Book of Mormon, Deuteronomy 28 contains a list of blessings that Israel would receive when they were obedient. Read more Explain verse Share Copy Show footnotes A A I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day Should they be guilty of such a sin, since they were so strongly and publicly cautioned against it; and even the heaven and the earth were called upon as witnesses of the law being set before them, which so expressly forbids it, ( Deuteronomy 30:19) that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto you go For example, love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself are in both the Old and New Testaments. Therefore, it is important for us to be obedient to God if we want to experience His blessings in our lives. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. First, Deuteronomy beautifully describes the covenant relationship between God and his people. In this chapter, Moses exhorted the nation withchoice. God granted Canaan to the Israelites and instructed them to take ownership of it. He shall be forgiven. So, forgiveness is offered through the offering of a ram, and nowadays now, since Jesus he has replaced the work of that priest and the offering of that ram. If you diligently obey the voice of the LORD: The word if looms large. For now, a single person can expect to receive an average of $197 a . He is author of. We dont have the punishments proscribed in the law because that was for their judicial system in that nation. [17] EZR 9:13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; 14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? 11 You shall remain outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. These xtian fellas keep shooting themselves in d leg..that is all I can say if you deeply understand the post.. Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. Second, Moses in Deuteronomy does not pull any punches regarding the deep problem of the human heart. 3. Here is another example. We need to be faithful to God and avoid idolatry (v. 20-24). For God to say to any people: I am your God and you are my people is the very reason and purpose for our existence as Gods image-bearers. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory." . We put our confidence in Him, so we are chosen regarding salvation. 2# Short Commentary & Lesson From Deuteronomy 5.28-30. Putting God first in our lives is the best preflight plan we can have. That was Gods year for their land, as . How does he expect me to respond?". "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:" It is first given in Exodus when Moses is at Mount Sinai. God never changes, so we can always depend on him. Israel was chosen for a purposeGenesis 12:13. It has been replaced for everyone, including Jews, by the new contract. The curses include sickness, defeat, and exile. No command is incumbent upon me in virtue of being part of the law. Unfortunately, the Israelites broke their promise to God. Moses let it be known that from this day on, the Israelites were God's people, so they needed to obey God's instructions. In Deuteronomy 28:1-13, God tells the Israelites that He would reward their obedience by giving them children, crops, livestock, and victory over their enemies, but He also tacks on fifty-four more verses describing the curses that would come upon the nation if they didn't obey Himincluding diseases, heat and drought, military defeat, boils, This request is one we should follow, too. Hes saying that this sums up the obligation of the Old Testament Law. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The following commentary by David Guzik is a lead to deeper understanding. First and foremost, we need to realize that the Old Testament is still relevant to us today. the name Deuteronomy means '2nd law' and is practical in application and is actually a review of the law before the Israelites enter 'the promised land'. God restored the Israelites even though they continued to turn against him. 1. 5, and now in ch. God did punish the people several times for their disobedience, but he always remained faithful to them. We need to be careful to not take Gods blessings for granted (v. 17-19). Our obedience is looking unto Jesus, and faith in his completed works. The message inherent in The Promise of God is that when we obey His command to put Him first (to set Him high, above all other things in our lives and treasure Him as our first cause, our Creator) then the blessings in our lives will become so powerful that they will overtake us. There was a unique relationship God had with the nation of Israel as part of the execution of that plan. Fine, but having skimmed the longish introduction where Jordan tries to make his case is already a strike against it for me. How men and women dress will change over time; otherwise, we would be wearing long outer garments without undergarments today. What values do you need to maintain in life to be truly successful? 2. God's laws and commands are practical - he knows what can cause us to start trusting ourselves instead of him. Prayer: 10 Minutes: If there is any situation in your life that needs prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to pray through you for that situation. Deuteronomy 4:26. These verses have spiritual implications for us as well. That includes the prefatory material and its interpretation of the sermons. He deals with Christians now through a new plan, a new covenant. Their crops will yield abundant harvests, their flocks and herds will increase, and they will be blessed with many children. It doesnt mean that. The LORD had Moses instruct the Israelites that every man must attend the three special, religious festivals every year. The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous. As members of the Church we find ourselves waiting and preparing to enter into the promise of the Kingdom of God. Deuteronomy is the second time the law is given. What does it mean that you are the head and not the tail in Deuteronomy 28:13? And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: a. The same principles that applied to Israel's success in Canaan apply to us today. Deuteronomy is like a preflight check-list for one of the most important adventures in biblical history. Does that mean we can go around murdering people because were not under the Mosaic Law? Blessings Will Run After Us Deuteronomy 28:1-2 commentary by David Guzik, notes with L.Willows, Blue Letter Bible / David Guzik Study Guide, Songs of The Dawn, a worship poem from L.Willows (Hope in God, Heart Prayer, Faith), Praying for People of Every Tribe, Tongue and Nation, from Precept Austin (Redemption, Pray without Ceasing), Faith; Rejoicing in Grace, from Martin Lloyd Jones (Overcome, Trusting God, True Courage), Repent Unto Life, by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Eternal Life in Christ, Divine Mercy of God, Resources). ii. As New Testament Christians in the New Covenant, which commands or moral principles are obligatory and would apply regardless of the covenants because they are universal morals that transcend the Mosaic Law? Second, it shows us the power of Gods curse. For the destroying of Amalek ( v. 17, etc. Reformed theology teaches that Deuteronomy 28, and its parallel in Leviticus 26 teach us the blessings and curses which may be expected in this life for people who will either obey or disobey. No. What does "I set before you life and death" mean in Deuteronomy 30:19? God is vitally concerned for Israel and for all peoples and their well-being. If we obey Gods laws, we will be blessed. It should be an expression of intimacy between husband and wife within marriage. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. They were Gods instruments to accomplish a plan of rescue for the world: God becoming man as a member of the Jewish race and dying on the cross for mans crimes against God. Leviticus 5:1516 says if anyone sins, he shall bring an offering, a ram as an offering. This passage is a reminder that we need to put our faith in God and not in ourselves. The question we have to ask ourselves as New Testament Christians in the New Covenant is, which commands or moral principles are obligatory and would apply regardless of the covenants, because they are universal morals that transcend the Mosaic Law? 6. However, there are some things stated in there that go beyond the law and are above the temporal role of the Mosaic Law. Nothing that is in the Mosaic Law applies to me as a Gentile in virtue of it being in the Mosaic Law. But Did He Also Write Chapter 34? Well, in view of what Christ has done in the New Testament, we make at least two changes.