But with this promise, he also gave a warning that we should remember. What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos / Body Piercings? It is the manual for life! Im not under the California statute, but I am under the Ohio statute. Sometimes we are faced with big problems or strong opposition. For the destroying of Amalek ( v. 17, etc. When things are going well in family, career, or any other area of life, we are tempted to become proud. There is no greater privilege for humans than to know, love, obey, and serve our glorious covenant Lord. Their crops will yield abundant harvests, their flocks and herds will increase, and they will be blessed with many children. Only God cannot be shaken when the earth seems to crumble beneath us. Moses led Israel through everything they needed to know to live successfully in Canaan. We are citizens of a new nation, a heavenly kingdom. We have the same choice as God's followers. Jesus didn't invent a new ethic of nonviolence. It was based on their obedience. This passage is a reminder that we need to put our faith in God and not in ourselves. Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Religion / Deuteronomy 28 Is Not For Christians; Ephesians 1:3 Is Our Key To Blessings (25923 Views), Scriptures Expounded: About Wet Dreams And Human Wastes - Deuteronomy 23:10-14 / Moses Wrote The Book Of Deuteronomy. These differences in hermeneutics lead to differences over which laws should apply today. Then he warned them about the extreme dangers associated with deviating from the plan. Faith in the finished work of the Cross of Christ is the Christian key to blessings in all aspects of life. The Bible is clear that God blesses those who obey Him and curse those who disobey Him. Jesus says, you dont have to worry about the rest of the commandments if you can fulfill these: Love your God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself. In our own lives, we are subject to the same reveal of God. Here is, I. He's the true king, who did not capitulate to the compromises of sin (contrast, for example, Solomon in 1 Kings 11 in light of Deut. See Other Shows. One can certainly see how people might find these . Their crops will fail, their flocks and herds will dwindle, and they will be cursed with few children. 1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice Let me see if I can simplify some very complex issues and provide a two-step process that enables Joe and the rest of us Christians to appropriate the Old Testament, especially the promises for our use as Christians in the 21st century. How to Apply Deuteronomy 6. 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. Our hearts are confident because of Gods Love, encouraged by the joy of His Loving Presence, gathered together by the enduring power of His Holy Spirit., Andif you faithfully obey the voice of the, If you diligently obey the voice of the LORD, That the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. The Mosaic Law contained some universal moral principles that apply today because they transcend the old law, but arent applied in the same way judicially. Well, in view of what Christ has done in the New Testament, we make at least two changes. The Israelites are told that if they obey the Lord and keep His commandments, they will be blessed in every way. We need to keep our hearts focused on God, so that we can obey His commands and enjoy His blessings (v. 43-45). We take the teaching of the New Testament how Jesus fulfilled the priesthood, how he fulfilled the sacrifice of that ram we make the necessary adjustments, and we enjoy this promise, which now says something like: All the more will we be forgiven for our sins if we embrace the provision, not of the Old Testament ram and the Old Testament priest, but of the work of Christ and the sacrifice of the high priest Jesus and the offering of his self. 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. In ch. And the second curse is for those who break Gods covenant. 2. In the ancient Near East it was customary for legal treaties to conclude with passages containing blessings upon those who observed the enactments, and curses upon those who did not. (Harrrison). Were on a mission to change that. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. Now, I think that means that in union with Christ, the Messiah, Christians become the heirs of all the promises in the Old Testament. Observe the justice of this curse. His blessings are poured out on us abundantly, and we enjoy His favour and protection. Here's a slightly different slant: of course it applies to us! Here is the first step: 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, All the promises of God find their Yes in him [Christ]. It is not an agreement God made with anyone else. Deuteronomy 28:1-2: What is this requiring? The Mosaic covenant is like a state law. By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. That means that some of the promises of the Old Testament are fulfilled differently now than they were then. The tail should not be dictating the direction of the dogthe head should do that. / RCCG Sells A Bag Of Rice At N9k To Their Members In Abuja, Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10). Theres 40 years of wandering and the first generation dies away. 3. We can read in the Bible how God has helped his people again and again with their problems. They hesitated and by staying outside of the land, they were not obeying God's instructions. Note also in Ephesians 2 Paul talks about the role of the law. This passage has significant implications for our spiritual lives today. The extent and power of this curse. There were debates between them about which law was the greatest commandment, so they asked Jesus. Israels being chosen did not secure their salvation. The same principles that applied to Israel's success in Canaan apply to us today. When we disobey, we can expect His curse. The "curse of the law" is not the curses found in Deuteronomy 28 that was specifically for the nation Israel in the Mosaic Covenant. Our behavior reveals what we truly believe in our hearts. Once again, this is something that we should all avoid. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Link panels (synchronize references) Go to table of contents Now he addresses their children and commands obedience in them (Deut 4). [17] The promises of it, in like manner, show them God's approbation of obedience,and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof:[18]. No, God is loving and merciful, but he is also just so he doesn't permit evil to continue without being punished and corrected. We need to trust in God and His promises, even when things are tough (v. 25-29). It doesnt refer to America, because the church bought by the blood of Jesus is a pilgrim people drawn from all the lands, from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Here is an analogy: There is nothing in California law that applies to somebody living in Ohio. Finally, this passage reminds us of Gods faithfulness. Christians may rightly embrace the promises of the Old Testament made to Israel, because in union with the Messiah, Jesus, we are Israel, we are 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. We dont have the punishments proscribed in the law because that was for their judicial system in that nation. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 speaks to us of the need to put our trust in the Lord. 1 # Short Commentary & Lesson from Deuteronomy 1. The things that no longer apply to us are not repeated in the New Testament. 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. We are not obliged by everything in the Mosaic Law. Even though the old and new generation have received innumerable blessings from the Lord, their hearts are hard. The blessings include material abundance, victory in battle, and protection from enemies. Sometimes curiosity and the attempt to learn more about evil things can harm our spiritual growth if those evil things become too attractive to us. The book of Joshua tells how Israel settled in Canaan, the land God promised to give them. God had promised the Israelites that if they obeyed his laws and teaching, he would bless them with food, shelter, and land. God made it very clear to the Israelites that he did not want them to get mixed up in the false religious surrounding them. 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. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering. And here is the promise. It doesnt mean that. The book of Psalms is the longest book in the Bible. And, secondly, the reference to their land cleanse their land; heal their land does not apply to the land of the church, how much less the church in America, referring to the land of America. It's a hermeneutical problem; an undue flattening out of the covenantal administration. 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. God took them out of the land, He rescued them, and they were obligated to Him as their Sovereign. Some argue that all laws related to sexual conduct carry over to the New Testament, but Leviticus also prohibits sex during a woman's menstrual period (Leviticus 18:19), which most Christians do not regard as sinful. God is honored when we trust him to help us meet any situation. We are in a different state now. The Puritans is the shining example of what abrogation vs general equity means. 1. 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. In this chapter, Moses exhorted the nation withchoice. It should be an expression of intimacy between husband and wife within marriage. The first case ( Deuteronomy 22:13-19) is of a man who marries a woman and then falsely charges her with being a harlot (not being a virgin when he married her). Sometimes it should be recognized that exegetical and hermeneutical practice have made some good advances that have built upon the understanding of 16th/17th century methods. JavaScript is disabled. Idolatry-the worship of handmade statues or images - was everywhere in the land. Here is the way Paul puts it in Philippians 3:3. Moses let it be known that from this day on, the Israelites were God's people, so they needed to obey God's instructions. The Mosaic Law was limited to a time and nation, but morality was not. The ritual laws of sacrifice teach us that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22) and point us to Jesus on the cross. Heb 2:5-18; 7-10). 28 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 4. God restored the Israelites even though they continued to turn against him. If we obey God today, we can expect similar blessings in our lives. Fashion will change, and God does not prohibit that. King Solomon, for example, was very successful at first. It is important for us to understand that God's love for us never ends. 22 "You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. He deals with Christians now through a new plan, a new covenant. We have the commands against homosexuality in Corinthians and Romans, so it becomes clear that this is a universal and it is not just simply a provision of the Old Testament Law, while the punishment is limited to that old system and not applicable in the New Testament. The other part of the "first" use of the law is the enforcement mechanism that God builds into the law. Thank you for this brief but important rudiment of the simplicity of the gospel of Christ . Our obedience is looking unto Jesus, and faith in his completed works. Universal moral obligations from the Mosaic Law are repeated in the New Testament. ( Deu 28:1-2) Overtaken by blessing. Posted Nov 28, 2016 by Michael L. Brown. Deuteronomy 31:6. If their teachings and their lifestyles do not line up with God's word, stay far away from them! When Jesus is talking about loving your neighbor he is not advancing it as a separate ethic. Here are some key points from the passage that we can apply to our lives: 1. The following commentary by David Guzik is a lead to deeper understanding. General Equity would be a contradiction if you assume Abrogated as used by the divines means totally nullified in its entirety. It has been replaced for everyone, including Jews, by the new contract. These blessings are both spiritual and material, and they are promised to both individuals and the nation as a whole. These differences are evident in book iv chaper 20 pp. It is here supposed that, if a man be charged with a crime, the accuser and the accused ( Actor and Reus) should be brought face to face before the judges, that the controversy may be determined. 4 One of these is that they would be blessed in their cities ( v.3 ). As he says when kicking off his Sermon on the Mount, he didn't come to abolish the law but to show its fullest sense. I cannot justify myself, Greg Koukl, based on the demands of those simple commandments. One way to know that is to see how its worded. "Christians become the heirs of all the promises in the Old Testament through union with Christ." Here is the first step: 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, "All the promises of God find their Yes in him [Christ]. .this right here is the good news but also the 'offence of the cross', Galatians 5v11. iii. The astronauts flying a space shuttle mission endure days of preflight preparation. I have been unable until now to address the issue of the relationship between the Old Covenant and the Christian. 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. How men and women dress will change over time; otherwise, we would be wearing long outer garments without undergarments today. If we are slaves to sin we choose to go our own way; but when we become God's followers, he gives us the freedom, as well as the strength and courage, to follow God's way. Ohio has its own statutes. First, Deuteronomy beautifully describes the covenant relationship between God and his people. It begins when you "love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength" (6.5). Unfortunately, the Israelites broke their promise to God. This is something that we should all strive to do. 17:14-20 ). Upon condition that they observe and do all his commandments (and in order to obedience there is need of observation) and that they keep the commandments of God ( v. 9) and walk in his ways. 6. God gave instructions to parents that they must first understand and internalize His laws and ways and then teach them to their own children. The people are to keep the Sabbath in remembrance of their enslavement in Egypt. "Be strong and courageous. Everything from Exodus 20 through Deuteronomy. This is something that we should all avoid. L.Willows, Blessings on obedience, Commentary by David GuzikBlue Letter Bible / David Guzik Study Guide. Deuteronomy is the second time the law is given. Your email address will not be published. The important thing is that this is an agreement that God made with Israel. being referred to and other "gotcha" laws which might be mentioned fall into one of the first two bins and no longer apply to us today. 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. What are the results of disobedience to the laws (commands in the old and new testament) of God? It secured a salvation plan for the world, and whether they individually participated in it or not was another question. This chapter shows that God is just and faithful to His promises. It is God who gives us the ability to work and who blesses us with more than we need. No. God's laws and commands are practical - he knows what can cause us to start trusting ourselves instead of him. He wants us to turn back to him. It was hard to keep all the laws, so they decided, lets keep the most important one. The Israelites were given two choices: obey God's commands and live good lives, or disobey them and face death and disaster. The passage also includes a promise from God that these curses will be removed if the Israelites obey Him. I'd like to see where he does that anyway, since the work is no commentary in the true sense whatsoever, but rather a reprinting of Calvin's sermons with prefatory material added by a theonomist. Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan, which points out even your enemies are your neighbor. If Beeke actually lists it as his #1 commentary, as you claim, I'd have to say that's a pretty poor choice, since it technically is not a commentary. But, I would rather you not attack errors with errors, especially worse ones. We need to be obedient to Gods commands if we want to enjoy His blessings (v. 15-16). God never changes, so we can always depend on him. He reminds them of how the previous generation died in the wilderness because they had disobeyed the LORD and turned aside to other gods. 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? Here is another example. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? Israel was chosen for a purposeGenesis 12:13. It is easy to think that our hard work and ingenuity have gotten us where we are.
