Deuteronomy 28:1-68 + Luke 11:14-36 + Psalm 77:1-20 + Proverbs 12:18
~ Click here to read today’s Scripture on Bible Gateway ~
~ Listen to today’s Scripture with Tom Dooley’s terrific NLT 1996 readings at this link or The ESV Bible: OT + NT + Psalms + Proverbs ~
Old Testament – I love the blessings for obedience that open up our Deuteronomy chapter 28 readings today! I actually first heard these read at a wedding several years back. The best man in the wedding read these verses as a blessing to the bride & groom. Somehow I missed the “obedience” to God’s commands part of the blessing… Obedience is quite a word I think for Christians to consider. I’m not sure that it is a popular word for us sometimes. I do believe that we are called to obedience as followers of Jesus. Jesus himself was of course obedient – obedient even to death on a cross. Is there an area of your life where you feel God might be calling you to obedience? Will you obey? Below is a little obedience humor for you… 🙂
New Testament – Jesus’ teaching in Luke chapter 11 verse 23 is so important for us to understand – “Anyone who isn’t helping me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.” How does this verse speak to you? For me it convicts me. Yeah, maybe for some of my time I am helping Jesus and the Kingdom of God, but I think there is a lot of time where I am not working with Jesus. I am maybe indulging in some seemingly harmless trivial pursuits or material pleasures – but they aren’t really working with Jesus. And am I then, at those times, actually working against Jesus? I don’t know. I want to pray on this more. I do know that we are called to rest & relaxation in our lives – a time of Sabbath rest each week. We don’t have to be frantically seeking to “do” & serve Jesus 24 x 7. But, I do think it’s possible that we can live our lives more “intentionally” – meaning, examine the intent of why we do what we do. And ultimately, is what we are doing with our time helping and working with Jesus? Or is it not? I think being intentional with our time and how we are spending our lives is so important… because time flies as we all know.
Jesus’ teaching in Luke chapter 11 verse 36 is powerful for each of us to consider! “If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight is shining on you.” That second little clause there I think is key – with no dark corners. I’ll admit that I have traveled through life with some dark corners. And it is no way to go. The dark corners do affect the Light really shining in you and through you – and the dark corners I believe can affect your relationship with God. I pray that if you know you have a dark corner in your life, confess it to God and Jesus. Pray for forgiveness and repent! God will fill you with light – a light that will penetrate and remove those dark corners in your life. But, you’ve gotta confess them & repent of them with God… You know it’s worth it. To live a radiant life, as though a floodlight is shining on you is the only way to live!
Bible.org’s commentary on Luke chapter 11’s readings today titled “Evidence that Produced Various Verdicts” is at this link.
Psalms – Today in Psalm 77 verses 11 and 12 we read – “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” I think these verses get at one of the amazing things about each of us reading the One Year Bible this year – both the Old & New Testaments. We are reading perhaps for the first time – or maybe the 17th time – about God’s miracles of long ago. We are “remembering” God’s miracles for our spiritual ancestors, for ourselves, and for those around us in our lives today whom we will teach about God’s saving love. As you are reading through the One Year Bible this year, are you truly “remembering” God’s miracles of long ago? Are you meditating on all of His mighty works and considering His mighty deeds? Are you being transformed by this process? And will you now go forth and help others in your life “remember” and meditate on God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit’s miracles of long ago? Let us pray for “remembrance” today for ourselves and for others in our lives. If very modern day post-it notes will help you remember God’s miracles and will help you meditate on all of God’s works, then by all means please use as many post-it notes as you deem necessary! 🙂
Verse 11 of this Psalm brings up miracles. Has anyone read C.S. Lewis’s book Miracles? I have not yet, but hope to soon. Please post up a quick review in the Comments section below if you’ve read it? Thanks.
Proverbs – Proverbs chapter 12 verse 18 is such a strong reminder that the words that come out of our mouths can either build people up – and even heal them – or tear people down – “Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.” Are the words coming out of your mouth these days cutting people or are they healing people?
Worship Video: Today’s readings remind me of Josh Baldwin’s song “Evidence:”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgNIeTPXBq4
Do you see God’s Evidence in your life? Click here for Evidence!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that the words of your mouth bring healing to others. Pray that you never have reckless words that pierce others like a sword. Pray that your words are wise.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: Back to my Deuteronomy chapter 28 reflections on obedience – do you think about “obedience” very often when it comes to your relationship with God? Do you think obedience is a very popular concept amongst Christians today? Do you think there are blessings that come along with obedience? Have you experienced blessings in your life because of obedience? Conversely, do you think there are consequences to disobedience? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless,
Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 – I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
BLOG READERS HISTORICAL COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
(our Group Bible Study is below! : )
======= Ramona:
Deuteronomy 28:1-68
Jesus said in Matthew chapter 7, 14 but the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.
Reading this chapter one can see that in the total number of verses, 68 with 14 (20%) dedicated to blessings and the remaining verses, all fifty-six of them (80%) focusing on the curses that will come upon you and overtake you if you don’t obey. WOW!
You can see why God constantly reiterates the Laws and the blessings of obey or the consequences of disobeying. Failure to listen carefully and take heed takes an enormous toll on the law-breaker and the descendents.
Let him who has ears to hear let him hear!
Luke 11:14-36
24 “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, `I will return to the person I came from.’ 25 So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and clean. 26 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”
I’m not sure if my understanding and the application of that understanding is correct with this text but I see each and every person going through the Bible in a year with Mike as one who is filling their “home” with the Word of God so that the evil spirit that has been swept out of the house will not find it empty when it returns with his friends.
When we desire the Word of God more than our necessary food, I believe nothing but nothing can enter us that is not of God because there is no space for anything else to enter. Think “stuffed.”
Psalm 77:1-20
This Psalmist poured his heart out to God telling God what he thought, that he had been forgotten. But at each interlude or at each “selah” the writer takes time to reflect and then remembers what God has done in the past and states in the closing verse,
20 You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep,
with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.
This sets him up to raise the level of his expectation to receive from God.
So often we get caught up in the battlefield of living that we forget what God has done in the past. We forget that God doesn’t change and what He did then He will do now, for us. It is good to rehearse in our own hearing the things of God because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) This sort of ties into Deuteronomy 28.
Proverbs 12:18
I think this little Proverb must really be studied because this seems to say at first glance that if hurtful words are spoken they must be bad. The last word in the Proverb, in the NLT, is the word healing. Hmmm, I’ve been hospitalized, five times, two for childbirth, one to have an ovarian cyst removed, once for a bad spider bite that became infected almost to the bone, and once to have the procedure that Condoleezza Rice just had a couple of months ago.
Some of the procedures that had to be done to get to the problem were painful. When someone has open-heart surgery, they take a saw and cut through your chest, pull the back the bone they just cut through, and then work on your heart. The process to get to your heart can be more painful and more dangerous than what they have to do to your heart to fix it. In the hands of a skilled Physician the risk of surgery is decreased and the more the surgeon operates the more skillful he or she becomes. However, if the auto mechanic performs the operation, well, your dead.
I guess I’m saying that cutting remarks may not be so cutting if they are directed by the Holy Spirit to fix an underlying problem. There are words that have been spoken to me that caused great pain because the words spoken pointed to truth about myself that I didn’t want to deal with. Cutting to get to the truth always hurts.
All truth is confrontational, especially the truth about oneself. I think this Proverb is speaking about the motivation behind the words that are spoken into a person’s life and the life skills wisdom has given the speaker to bring healing with the use of their words.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
======= Kristie:
I haven’t read Miracles.
But I enjoyed the reading today.
Just to let anyone know, I did miss yesterdays’ reading. So I haven’t been completely on track. But I press on in God’s grace!!!
The Psalm was helpful to me. To remember the way God lead his people through the Red Sea…it says “yet your footprints were unseen.” Everyone saw his mighty works, but no one saw Him as they were lead by their leaders Moses and Aaron. God was there in control of nature and His leaders and their enemies. It reminded me that I can take the same confidence the He is with me now through stormy times, leading me.
Kristie
======= Anka:
Disobedience:It made Lucifer turn from the most beautiful creature to the world’s ugliest(pictures of satan are often really hideous).I always wondered what it was about Jews that made people hate them,now I know it’s the consequence of disobedience.The cannibalism,the madness,the blindness and confusion of the mind…all results of disobedience.”Men will become lovers of themselves”,eating someone up just to make sure you don’t starve to death is the ugliest expression of an attempted self preservation(self love)I can think of.Yet we see it daily,people kill for money,position,pleasure.
I think I should really meditate on the curses of disobedience so when I want to disobey God,I can really know what consequences will follow.
“Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall”Many times I think of this verse in the light of christians..we disagree on so much and make a sermon out of it:we make an issue of paying tithes or not,drinking wine or not,gifts of the Spirit….and some times we get so ugly with each other it makes us wonder if we’re on the same team.I saw a team of young Americans yesterday who are in Romania to help in orphanages and they had this written on their sweat shirts:ONE GOD,ONE TEAM,ONE MISSION.I think we should all think about who we’re truly serving/worshipping/obeying…our whims or Christ..Lets set aside our differences cos they’ll always be there and be christians(followers of Christ)…
God bless you all
Anka
======= Ramona:
Anka,
A very interesting and observant statement, >> I always wondered what it was about Jews that made people hate them, now I know it’s the consequence of disobedience. >>. Yet there is another side to what you have observed, despite Israel’s disobedience this “curse” remains in effect for all those who come against Abraham and his descendents,
And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves]. [Gal. 3:8.] (Genesis 12:3 AMP),
Then reiterated to Jacob/Israel again,
Let peoples serve you and nations bow down to you; be master over your brothers, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Let everyone be cursed who curses you and favored with blessings who blesses you. (Genesis 27:29 AMP)
And then to the Nation of Israel, though Moses,
But if you will indeed listen to and obey His voice and all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. (Exodus 23:22 AMP)
All blessings to you,
Ramona
======= Anka:
Thanks Ramona,God bless you too:)
Anka
======= Becky:
This verse stood out to me as if neon lights:
“If you do not serve the Lord your God in joy and enthusiasm for the abundant blessings you have received, you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you.” Deut. 28:47
I think I’m complaining too much lately, and “enemies” can be people, Satan, enslavement to sin, etc.
RE C.S. Lewis’ book, “Miracles”
I’ve never had the chance to read that; however, I have recently read “The Cosmic Trilogy” and it’s wonderful. I highly recommend it.
Becky
======= Duane:
Today’s reading was pretty intense on the flipside of obedience. I read with some mourning knowing that parts of this curse are now found abundantly in every corner of the world now.
The blessing took so many fewer words to express than the curse and yet, I defy anyone to be discontent with a life such as the one blessed for obedience to God. It speaks to me on the way when you live obediently to the instructing of the Holy Spirit in your life, that living is not complicated. It is not some inane set of impossible rituals, but something you were created to do and do well.
I had a conversation with people last night who were the very example of what Christ spoke of with the people who are that radiant light. There is no corner in their lives not touched by the light of Christ and so they were an absolute joy just to sit and speak with over the absolute simplest of things in life that are made absolute joy by living a cornerless life.
It was convicting for me to remember that I may, in fact, live that life where everything is joy and everything is gain. Everything I survey is my inheritance, and everything that is cursed around me will fade away like a sneeze in the wind.
Duane
====== Erin:
I truly believe that obedience plays a key role in our relationship with God.
Erin
======= Jenny:
True genuine Christ followers know that it is impossible to please God without obedience
In 1 Samuel 15:22 it say:
“What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”
God doesnt want our sacrifice, He wants our love, our hearts, our obedience. He says: “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments!” (or, obey Me!) John 14:15
There is no way around it! sacrifice is relatively easy compared to obedience. I dont know much about Lent, but I know ppl sacrifice certain things, i think it’s Catholic ? No offense to ppl who practice it, I dont fully understand it, i know ppl give up meat and stuff. but from what I’ve seen for the most part, its worthless!! I hear coworkers or friends who participate in that, not believers, but during that time they give up pot, drinking and premarital sex. Are u kidding??? what on earth do they hope to gain by giving up some sinful practices for a while. so ridiculous to me…so no offense, but what I’ve seen of Lent, watever it is, leaves a bad taste in my mouth!
God doesnt want our worthless filthy rags! but He does want our obedience!
I love Psalm 77, I know that depression! Um, sorry, i dont understand ppl’s obsession with post-its..that picture is kinda creepy, haha.
Jenny
======= Lisa:
The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn-getting brighter until the full day(when we see Jesus) If your path is not getting brighter each day, it is time to have a little(or long) talk with Jesus!
Lisa
======= Skip:
Again…it’s been a while since I posted, but I’ve been in the blog daily. Thank you Mike.
The following versus from Deuteronomy stood out to me today.
Deuteronomy 28:36-37, 49-52, 64-67
36 “The LORD will exile you and your king to a nation unknown to you and your ancestors. There in exile you will worship gods of wood and stone! 37 You will become an object of horror, ridicule, and mockery among all the nations to which the LORD sends you.
49 “The LORD will bring a distant nation against you from the end of the earth, and it will swoop down on you like a vulture. It is a nation whose language you do not understand, 50 a fierce and heartless nation that shows no respect for the old and no pity for the young. 51 Its armies will devour your livestock and crops, and you will be destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine, olive oil, calves, or lambs, and you will starve to death. 52 They will attack your cities until all the fortified walls in your land—the walls you trusted to protect you—are knocked down. They will attack all the towns in the land the LORD your God has given you.
64 For the LORD will scatter you among all the nations from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship foreign gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods made of wood and stone! 65 There among those nations you will find no peace or place to rest. And the LORD will cause your heart to tremble, your eyesight to fail, and your soul to despair. 66 Your life will constantly hang in the balance. You will live night and day in fear, unsure if you will survive. 67 In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were night!’ And in the evening you will say, ‘If only it were morning!’ For you will be terrified by the awful horrors you see around you.
You are asking about obedience. I believe obedience is a key to being a child of God. We must obey His commandments and we must obey and follow His teachings.
I also believe that there are consequences to us not obeying. I do believe that God disciplines us when we are not following His word. While I was reading the above versus from Deuteronomy today I could not help but to think about how the Jewish people were cast out of Israel and scattered throughout the world where they were persecuted, mocked and killed. I kept thinking about the horrors the Jewish people faced against the Nazi’s. Were these versus part of prophesy that led to the persecution of the Jews? Were the persecutions some of the plaques that God brought against the Jewish people? Maybe I’m all wrong here, but I couldn’t help thinking about those terrible years during the Nazi reign while reading these versus.
Yours in Christ
Skip
======= Lori:
Yes, we are called to be obedient, and yes we know there are consequences for NOT being obedient. That being said, sometimes obedience comes with consequences too and I want to encourage you that if you are being obedient to God and His word and life is not perfect, you are not being punished. It is a lie from the enemy that will make you question if obeying God is worth the suffering you are going through. Let me assure you, it is. Take heart, be obedient, and press on!
Lori
======= Romayne:
You mention about the dark corners of our lives, but the point in that statement was what He said about how the eye is the lamp of our lives – it’s what we look at that taints our light, hence if we spend much of our day watching secular TV, soaps, and other such rubbish, it cuts into the light of your life. I never used to believe this to any degree, until I found myself often thinking over a plot in a soap to the point where I would end up thinking of nothing else for hours and even dreaming about it, or something in a film would play on my mind endlessly. It taught me that these things do go into our inner being in some way and Satan can use them to block out the light. Same with pornography obviously and other such media, and even just lustful looks at the opposite sex. All these things are of no value. When we “soak” ourselves in worship, scripture, and Christian films or media etc, we start to live more according to those values than the world’s, hence our light is increased and shines out of us to those around us. I have to confess tho, that I’m still trying to overcome the temptation of one soap in particular, which may not be the worst, but is of no value to my life either, but it’s tough :)).!!
Romayne
======= Debra:
Yes it is tough, I know this all to well. But recently my internet was shut off for lack of paymen. However that is not the problem, I am now able to get print outs or save stuff on a disc to access on my pc at home, what have I been saving , bible verses and stories that work to uplift me and help me think about and focus( I hope) more on God and what he wants me to think about and read. Now that I have been without it I hardly miss it.
Debra
======= Terriann:
Today I saw many contrasts; obedience/disobedience, blessings/curses, the power of God vs. the power of satan, light/darkness, response to limited revelation vs. lack of response to great revelation. We have a choice before us every moment of the day. Like the psalmist I can choose to remember the wonderful miracles and blessings that God has done in the past, both in scripture and in my life, or I can focus on the circumstances that surround me. Like Peter looking at the waves instead of at Jesus, I always have a choice where I fix my gaze. From Proverbs I see that I also have a choice about what comes out of my mouth. Let it be healing and praise!
Terriann
======= Tosh:
I really believe the proverbs verse speaks to me. I’m learning about the power of the tongue and how the words that come out of my mouth effect others.
Proverbs 12:18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
I want my words to bring health and life
Tosh
======= Bobbie:
Deut. 28– This chapter is a well-known chapter of what will happen if you obey and disobey God.
Deut. 28:2-2. And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
– Blessings comes when you hearken to the voice of the Lord
Deut. 28:1515. 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:
– God is not kidding for what He said: Truly this will come after you blessings and courses it depends on how will you understand this chapter.
Bobbie
======= Mark:
Mike – Thank you so much for creating this blog. It really helps to get the perspective of other people as I read the Bible.
Ramona – Thank you for your unique insight and perspective. Your commentary is a wonderful complement to Mike’s writing.
Sincerely,
Mark
======= Sheila:
Mike, I am so glad I discovered your blog. This is my third time reading thru the Bible. I have been reading thru Chronologically and then logging on to Wendypope and read a similar commentary to yours, but since I really wanted to read OT, NT, Pslams and Proverbs each day, I made the switch from Chronological to this way of reading, so I am glad to have found you!!! (It was Wendy who taught me to search for “nuggets” in my readings as I NEVER knew how to read the Bible for myself. I thought it had to be preached and taught to me.) What a lie that was. : ) So thankful to search for those “nuggets” to meditate on and so happy to read thru your “nuggets” Mike and gain more perspective.
Blessings in Christ,
Sheila in Wisconsin
======= Cathy:
Mike and Romana,
This is the first time that I am truly read every day on the One Year Bible as well as comments. Thank you both so much for insights you brought to readers on this blog. It sincerely helps me understand God scriptures.
Thank you again and all the blessings.
Cathy
======= Joyce:
Mike and everyone,
Indeed “obedience” is not a popular idea in today’s world.
But thank you Mike for asking us to think about the blessings that come along with obedience.
One huge blessing for me is I could enjoy true peace and close fellowship with God.
Luke 11:24-26
What Ramona said is so encouraging:
‘I see each and every person going through the Bible in a year with Mike as one who is filling their “home” with the Word of God so that the evil spirit that has been swept out of the house will not find it empty when it returns with his friends.’
Wow – may it be true!
Sincerely,
Joyce
======= Jill:
I like. That word intentional. We have to be conscience of what is sin. How sin can take over. So if we recognize sin and ask God to help us withstand the devil. We can break down strongholds. We can’t do it on our own. Obedience goes with that. Obedience first to our Father then whatever he asks of us won’t be difficult. Total surrender to him. Blessings come after for following him and being obedient. God will reward those who earnestly seek him.
“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6 NLT
Jill
======= Robert:
Deuteronomy 28
Some bold writing here that really cuts to the worst of human condition and consequences of the curses of disobedience. This reading brought back some of my terrible memories from Grade 6. I brought my hamsters with a mom that just had some babies to school. The fellow students loved seeing them and handling them all day long. It was wonderful until 3 days in I arrived one morning to no more babies. Mom had eaten her young! Those verses from 53-57 describe the “suffering” this poor mom had to endure to the point of such distress that she would do something so dreadful. It was quite a lesson for our class but so sad. You may wonder how people could resort to such anguish and desolation but it gives us an example of the seriousness of what God is saying.
This reading is right in line with our reading tomorrow in Luke 11:37-54 where Jesus lays out the 6 Woes. It is also a great reflect on our sinful ways. It is important to know that we may be wrong even though Life is good. The Holy Spirit should convict us with signs and warnings and I believe Jesus is giving us truths here that may be hard to swallow (Pharisee). The reading of the Sigh of Jonah Luke 11: 29-32, is a good example because through out history God sent “signs” to show people the way to live. God sends these signs to protect us, not punish us. Remember, God sends his Son as a sigh!
Robert
======= Dee:
Obedience. That is a loaded word. To obey. So many people refuse to heed instructions and not obey God . I n Bible, there are many who tried to run away from God and not obey..Jonah..the prodigal Son, and many today..are running from the truth. I wish more did pursue Obedience but I don’t think it’s the case. But I pray I obey and refuse to compromise daily. Seek ye first the kingdom and all his righteousness will be added unto u. Hallelujah
Dee
======= Tammi:
There is a children’s song about obedience. “Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.” I think it teaches how important obedience really is. It’s not a calling; it’s a command. Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” I appreciate humor, but a cartoon of a little boy telling his puppy to obey is not quite the picture of necessity of this command. It’s vital to our walk and growth to obey. Fortunately, we are forgiven if we repent, because God is merciful.
In Christ,
Tammi
======= Margaret:
Really enjoying reading thru the Bible and reading the comments and so far keeping up and not getting left behind!
Margaret
======= Debbie:
Mike, you didn’t mention the curses which Ramona has pointed out are 80%!! The Jewish people have experienced them over and over sadly. Job too experienced the boils from the sole of his feet to the top of his head. God wants us to serve Him “joyfully and gladly” or else. It’s terrifying to be the Chosen.
Just to add. God’s laws were for the Israelites’ benefit and for them to treat others well and fairly. It wasn’t that onerous.
Debbie
======= Ramona:
Deuteronomy 28:1-68
The blessings that follow obedience is a “draw” to the nations, a means by which Israel proclaims the power and glory of God by no other means then following carefully after God. “You will be blessed …If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways…” Obedience is a means of beautification that draw men and women to the light that is Christ,
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John 12:32 KJV)
Yet, even though our obedience attracts a crown, a community, a nation and nations, we must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. If the New Testament reading (Luke 11:33-36), is juxtaposed against the part of Deuteronomy 28 dealing with the blessings, specifically verses nine and ten (“If you obey the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways, the LORD will establish you as his holy people as he solemnly promised to do. Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the LORD, and they will stand in awe of you.), can obedience be seen as the light that lights the lamp?
“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a hidden place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is diseased, your body is full of darkness. Therefore see to it that the light in you is not darkness. (Luke 11:33-35 NET.)
Could the light that is really darkness be us when we change the commands of God and put forth commands of man as though they were from God?
There is another passage in this chapter of Deuteronomy that really caught my attention for the first time and that was verses fifty-three through fifty-seven, the consequence of disobedience:
You will then eat your own offspring, the flesh of the sons and daughters the LORD your God has given you, because of the severity of the siege by which your enemies will constrict you. The man among you who is by nature tender and sensitive will turn against his brother, his beloved wife, and his remaining children. He will withhold from all of them his children’s flesh that he is eating (since there is nothing else left), because of the severity of the siege by which your enemy will constrict you in your villages. Likewise, the most tender and delicate of your women, who would never think of putting even the sole of her foot on the ground because of her daintiness, will turn against her beloved husband, her sons and daughters, and will secretly eat her afterbirth and her newborn children (since she has nothing else), because of the severity of the siege by which your enemy will constrict you in your villages. (Deuteronomy 28:53-57 NET.)
Though I believe this foretelling literally happened (Recorded in Kings/Chronicles), I also wonder what this really looks like figuratively. When parents make choices that have an effect on the children they give birth too, choices they make in an attempt to avert the consequences of their disobedience, the children are consumed. Are we sacrificing our children on the alters of our bad decisions. Abortion is the sacrificing of children on the alter of our “pleasure,” and is an attempt to avoid responsibility and accountability. Just some “stuff” for me to think about.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
======= John:
Deut 28 – this is about Israel
I forgot Deut. had prophecies in it.
We can look at the blessings and say, ‘how nice’, and then we look at the curses and say ‘aw come on’. The curses have to be symbolic, metaphor, some kind of lesson – God must be using Hyperbole here in Deut. 28.
Maybe, but lets look at some facts:
Israelites traveled forty years thru the Desert and grew to around 2,000,000 people.
Israel could not obey the Law. Often reverted back to worshiping idols, perverted the law with hypocrisy, and did not recognize the Messiah.
Today, after about 3,000+ years the total world Population of the Jews is around 13,000,000. What happened?
http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/concepts/demography/demtables.html#1
There were three conquerings by Assyria, Babylon and Rome. With diasporas (dispersals) in the cases of Assyria and Rome. Assyria conquered Israel and dispersed the ten tribes where only remnants remain today. Babylon captured Judah, but took the people back to Babylon from which they eventually returned. Rome totally destroyed the country and the Jewish people were dispersed world-wide.
Some will call it a result of disobeying the Law and coming under the “curse” of God. Others will say it is “bad luck”.
So what is outlined in Deut. 28? Most commentators believe Deut 28:32-37 refers to the Babylonian captivity. Deut 28:48-57 refers to Rome conquering/destroying the Jewish nation.
I am a little more familiar with Rome. Rome came from far away, their language and their mercenaries’ languages would be hard to understand, their army standards bore the symbol of an eagle, their strategy was to lay siege to each city in turn. Josephus, War of the Jews 6.3.4, describes a scene where Jerusalem fell into cannabilism during Titus’ siege. (Deut. mentions this over 1,3oo years before it happened.)
After that more curses and the world-wide dispersal – surely something no one would deny.So what about all the little details of horrible things that were to happen? I don’t know. Perhaps they are metaphors, perhaps they happened but nobody recorded them, or were lost wrtings.
What I do know:
The people existed, by the Old Testament and other Hebrew writings they turned from God periodically and violated the Law, and they were conquered three times and dispersed twice.
Anti-semitism exists. Not so bad in America, but bad in other parts of the World. People don’t so much come back to Israel, but some “flee” back for refuge.
Their population because of dispersal and some inter-marriage has not increased by as much as one would think.
I leave it up to the individual to decide was all this a result of God’s Curse from Deut 28, or just “bad luck”.
John
======= John:
Sign of Jonah and the Lamp
“Two things strike me about our Lord’s use of the Ninevites and the Queen of the South. The first is that both are Gentiles, and they, because of their belief, will condemn the unbelief of this generation of Israelites. The second is that both parties believed with much less evidence than that which this generation had seen.”
http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=1107
They heard correctly. Now Jesus addresses “sight”.
“…Jesus is saying that everyone who failed to interpret the evidence of this miracle as they should has done so because of a defect in their ability to “see” the truth, not because of any deficiency in the evidence.” – ibid.
In the lamp illustration those that have good eyes your whole body is full of light.
Depending on the translation of “good” – functioning, open or perhaps “good” in the sense that you are “turned to the Lord”.
When eyes are bad the translations can be closed, blind, or “evil” as in “turned away from the Lord”. Thus you would be full of darkness (sin).
v. 35 struck me
Make sure what you are filled with is lightness not darkness. Don’t be mistaken. Don’t be turned away from the Lord and think you have the illumination, when you really are in darkness. You can not truly receive the light unless you are “turned to the Lord”.
John
======= Anka:
John,
thanks for saving me the trouble to ask about the sign of Jonah and the lamp:) your post really clarified my questions.
Anka
======= Vance:
Deuteronomy 28 (NKJV)
12
The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
13
And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.
~~~
Obedience is VERY important. OBEDIENCE to God’s commands cannot save us for we cannot save ourselves through our good works.
And if we obey with mere human effort without depending on the Spirit, we probably are not TRULY obeying God. Why? Because God looks not only at the PHYSICAL ACT of obedience (though that is extremely important), but also the motive. Are living to honor, love, and worship God?… or are we living only to build up ourselves?
~~~
God’s blessings in THE BLESSINGS OF ABRAHAM cover EVERY AREA OF LIFE, and God does want us to FULLY experience the FULLNESS of our salvation.
Romans 5 (NKJV)
17
For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
Sin and the curse came into the world, and all men are under the curse, because Adam opened the door for the curse by his disobedience, laziness, and stepping outside proper bounds.
Through the ABUNDANT PROVISION of GRACE and RIGHTEOUSNESS in the Lord Jesus — we ARE ABLE TO REIGN IN LIFE.
Jesus comes to bring the BLESSINGS OF ABRAHAM to us as we yield to, and daily trust in Him.
Galatians 3 (NKJV)
13
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),
14
that THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM
might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
26
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
29
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
~~~
THANK GOD we are made righteous ONLY through faith in Christ. THANK GOD that no matter what illness, persecution, or problem is against us… WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH CHRIST WHO LOVED US!
It all comes down to BEGINNING a personal relationship with God WHEN WE REPENT AND RECEIVE CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD…
and when we MAINTAIN a STRONG, PERSONAL, AND VITAL relationship with God through Jesus through PRAYER AND OBEDIENCE.
Matthew 4
4
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out from the mouth of God.”
Obedience does NOT save us. HOWEVER, it will enable us to enter into the FULLNESS of God’s blessing for us as we love and worship Him.
Otherwise, even Christians will suffer for disobedience.
Romans 8 (Amplified)
13
For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever.
Vance
======= Vance:
GRACE IN DEUTERONOMY 28
Deuteronomy 28 (NKJV)
9
“The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.
As I re-read this, it occurred to me that this verse was saying, in effect, that IN OUR ACT OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD, we are to GIVE OURSELVES TO HIM.
Obedience is to be AN ACT OF WORSHIP AND SURRENDER to the Lord.
“The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments…”
or
“… AS you keep the commandments…”
This seems corroborated by this verse in Deuteronomy 28 (NKJV):
14
So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, TO GO AFTER OTHER GODS TO SERVE THEM.
~~~
If obeying the Father is an act of worship and surrender, then DIS-obeying the Father is an act of worship and surrender to false gods.
~~~
THIS RELATES WELL TO what the Lord Jesus said:
Luke 11 (NKJV)
23
He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
24
“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25
And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. 26
Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
~~~
JUST OBEYING BECAUSE IT IS THE “MORAL” OR “RIGHT” THING to do without being FILLED with the Spirit of Jesus and His Word will leave humans open to demonic, lie-based control.
WE NEED THAT PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Am I practicing the Presence of God? Am I continually living dependent upon and in the Presence of Jesus?
1.
All to Jesus I surrender;
all to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust him, in His presence daily live.
Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all,
all to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
2.
All to Jesus I surrender;
humbly at His feet I bow,
worldly pleasures all forsaken; take me, Jesus, take me now.
(Refrain)
3.
All to Jesus I surrender;
make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
fill me with Thy love and power; truly know that Thou art mine.
(Refrain)
Vance
