Redemption - Part 3
Today let’s look at Deuteronomy 28 concerning the blessing and the curse. Let’s look in depth at this chapter of the Bible.
The first 14 verses are devoted to the blessing and the other 54 verses talk about the curse. Four times as much emphasis is put on the results of the curse as on the blessing. Why is that? What do you think the reason for that is? I believe it is that God knew that we would be tempted and pressured by our enemy satan to give in to the curse, to walk in the curse by default when the way got tough and when we were weary of fighting the good fight of faith. So God is spelling out in detail to us what the curse is. The blessing is a simple matter. Everything that God has, He has given to us now.
The Lord shows us that there is a key to the blessing and a key to the curse. In verse one of this chapter we read that if we diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord our God, if we observe and do His Word which He commands us, then the blessing will be ours to walk in. So there is the key: OBEDIENCE. In verse 15, we are told that if we do not obey the voice of the Lord our God, being watchful to do His Word which He commands us, then the curse comes upon us and overtakes us. Of course, that is the case because the curse is here on this earth and is a part of the world system which is under satan’s control.
Look at the blessing. My, my what a list. In fact, confess this for yourself today. Some of this confession is taken from the Amplified Bible.
I diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord my God.
I observe and do His Word which He commands me.
I am blessed in the city and blessed in the field.
The fruit of my body is blessed and fruit of my ground is blessed and the fruit of my cattle is blessed and the increase of my kine is blessed and the flocks of my sheep are blessed.
(What this verse is saying is that everything you do and have is blessed and multiplies.)
My basket and my store is blessed (bank and savings and investment accounts).
I am blessed when I come in and blessed when I go out.
The Lord causes my enemies who rise up against me to be smitten before my face; they shall come out against me one way, and flee before me seven ways.
The Lord shall command (Did you see that? He will COMMAND.) the blessing upon me in my storehouses and in all that I set my hand to do. He shall bless me in the land which He gives me.
The Lord shall establish me as a people holy (separated unto) to Himself as He has sworn to me, if I keep His Word and walk in His ways.
All the people of the earth shall see that I am called by the name of the Lord (Christ-ian---little Christ or little anointed one with His anointing) and shall have respect for of me.
And the Lord shall make me have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of my body, of my livestock, and of my ground, in the land which He swore to my fathers to give me.
The Lord shall open to me His good treasury, the heaven, to give the rain of my land in its season and to bless all the work of my hands; and I shall lend to many but I shall not borrow.
The Lord shall make me the head and not the tail; and I shall be above only, and I shall not be beneath.
What a list.
The curse goes on and on. We will list some of them and you can see the rest for yourself.
Everything that was blessed in the previous verses is cursed in these verses. There are all kinds of diseases listed with even verse 61 saying that every disease and every affliction not written in the Bible. It says your children shall serve others. It says you will be in poverty and want of all things. You will serve your enemies. And in the end you will be destroyed. This is what satan wants for every one of us. But God wants the opposite. That is proven in John 10:10. Jesus said that He has come that we might have life more abundantly and the thief satan comes to steal, kill and destroy.
In all these verses on the curse we see the words “God will.” That means that God has to stand by and allow the curse to work in you when you are not in obedience. He has given each one of us choice just like the first man and woman Adam and Eve. If we choose to obey God and His Word, His commands, we will live a long and prosperous life. If we choose to disobey, things will not go well with us.
Of course, as we have said before, it is a fight to obtain and maintain the blessing for our lives because we do have an enemy who does everything he possibly can to keep us down and take the fight out of us. Not any more. Jesus is the powerful One in us, the Greater One in us who is greater than he that is in the world. Remember that, the next time the enemy comes against you and says you are not going to get what God has for you. Stand up tall and say this: I am not going to get something I already have. My Lord will fight my battle for me. I already have the blessing of God operating in my life and for me and on my behalf. Get out of the way, satan, because I am coming through. That is the kind of determination each of us must have. Satan has lost already and the only power he has to operate in is what he borrows from us. Don’t let him borrow any more. Don’t give it to him. God’s power is for you as His child. Use it. Walk in it. It’s yours today.
The first 14 verses are devoted to the blessing and the other 54 verses talk about the curse. Four times as much emphasis is put on the results of the curse as on the blessing. Why is that? What do you think the reason for that is? I believe it is that God knew that we would be tempted and pressured by our enemy satan to give in to the curse, to walk in the curse by default when the way got tough and when we were weary of fighting the good fight of faith. So God is spelling out in detail to us what the curse is. The blessing is a simple matter. Everything that God has, He has given to us now.
The Lord shows us that there is a key to the blessing and a key to the curse. In verse one of this chapter we read that if we diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord our God, if we observe and do His Word which He commands us, then the blessing will be ours to walk in. So there is the key: OBEDIENCE. In verse 15, we are told that if we do not obey the voice of the Lord our God, being watchful to do His Word which He commands us, then the curse comes upon us and overtakes us. Of course, that is the case because the curse is here on this earth and is a part of the world system which is under satan’s control.
Look at the blessing. My, my what a list. In fact, confess this for yourself today. Some of this confession is taken from the Amplified Bible.
I diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord my God.
I observe and do His Word which He commands me.
I am blessed in the city and blessed in the field.
The fruit of my body is blessed and fruit of my ground is blessed and the fruit of my cattle is blessed and the increase of my kine is blessed and the flocks of my sheep are blessed.
(What this verse is saying is that everything you do and have is blessed and multiplies.)
My basket and my store is blessed (bank and savings and investment accounts).
I am blessed when I come in and blessed when I go out.
The Lord causes my enemies who rise up against me to be smitten before my face; they shall come out against me one way, and flee before me seven ways.
The Lord shall command (Did you see that? He will COMMAND.) the blessing upon me in my storehouses and in all that I set my hand to do. He shall bless me in the land which He gives me.
The Lord shall establish me as a people holy (separated unto) to Himself as He has sworn to me, if I keep His Word and walk in His ways.
All the people of the earth shall see that I am called by the name of the Lord (Christ-ian---little Christ or little anointed one with His anointing) and shall have respect for of me.
And the Lord shall make me have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of my body, of my livestock, and of my ground, in the land which He swore to my fathers to give me.
The Lord shall open to me His good treasury, the heaven, to give the rain of my land in its season and to bless all the work of my hands; and I shall lend to many but I shall not borrow.
The Lord shall make me the head and not the tail; and I shall be above only, and I shall not be beneath.
What a list.
The curse goes on and on. We will list some of them and you can see the rest for yourself.
Everything that was blessed in the previous verses is cursed in these verses. There are all kinds of diseases listed with even verse 61 saying that every disease and every affliction not written in the Bible. It says your children shall serve others. It says you will be in poverty and want of all things. You will serve your enemies. And in the end you will be destroyed. This is what satan wants for every one of us. But God wants the opposite. That is proven in John 10:10. Jesus said that He has come that we might have life more abundantly and the thief satan comes to steal, kill and destroy.
In all these verses on the curse we see the words “God will.” That means that God has to stand by and allow the curse to work in you when you are not in obedience. He has given each one of us choice just like the first man and woman Adam and Eve. If we choose to obey God and His Word, His commands, we will live a long and prosperous life. If we choose to disobey, things will not go well with us.
Of course, as we have said before, it is a fight to obtain and maintain the blessing for our lives because we do have an enemy who does everything he possibly can to keep us down and take the fight out of us. Not any more. Jesus is the powerful One in us, the Greater One in us who is greater than he that is in the world. Remember that, the next time the enemy comes against you and says you are not going to get what God has for you. Stand up tall and say this: I am not going to get something I already have. My Lord will fight my battle for me. I already have the blessing of God operating in my life and for me and on my behalf. Get out of the way, satan, because I am coming through. That is the kind of determination each of us must have. Satan has lost already and the only power he has to operate in is what he borrows from us. Don’t let him borrow any more. Don’t give it to him. God’s power is for you as His child. Use it. Walk in it. It’s yours today.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 7:09 PM
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