A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:
God holds out blessing to His people on condition of obeying His commandments, with a curse as the opposite portion if they refuse and turn aside to other gods. Obeying means loving Him, walking in His ways and cleaving to Him, laying up His words in heart and soul, keeping them ever before the mind, and teaching them diligently to children in the home. In Israel the word proved true, for obedience brought life, prosperity in the land, victory over enemies, and rain and crops in season, while disobedience brought death, destruction, withheld rain, and loss of produce. The same condition reaches God's people in every age, marking those who stay loyal to His government, purifying the mind by obedience to truth and giving unshakable strength, while departure turns the law meant for blessing into a curse. The blessing is for present and future good and is entered by treasuring His words in the heart and putting them into daily practice, keeping the seventh day holy, guiding the household by His law and laboring for the conversion of children, and openly acknowledging His goodness when He favors His people.
Words and Israel's Setting
God sets before His people this day a blessing if they obey the commandments of the Lord their God which He commands that day, in contrast to a curse if they will not obey but turn aside to follow other gods. The blessing is conditional upon obedience, and disobedience with its curse stands set opposite as the chosen alternative. Obedience is the condition for receiving His blessing, while turning aside out of the commanded way to serve other gods brings the curse.
To obey means diligently keeping all His commandments as His expressed will, loving the Lord, walking in all His ways, and cleaving to Him. It means laying up His words in heart and soul, keeping them continually before them, teaching them diligently to children, and writing them upon house and gates, with multiplied days promised for such faithfulness. Remaining faithful rather than turning to other gods belongs to the covenant call, and God makes a decided difference between the obedient and the disobedient. Refusing obedience and going after other gods brings the curse, while transgression brings its sure result and obedience brings blessing.
The word belongs to Moses’ rehearsal of God’s words to Israel before entering Canaan, repeated to the generation preparing to cross the Jordan and take possession of the promised land. It stands among the important teachings and requirements of God’s expressed will that His people should remember and study. Those requirements were to be remembered and sung in the congregations. Obedience in that setting brought life and prosperity, while disobedience brought death.
At Shechem the priests proclaimed the blessing from Mount Gerizim, in contrast to the curse for disobedience, yet the people fell short of the ideal set before them. The word was verified in Israel’s history, for only two of the adults who left Egypt entered Canaan while the rest died in the wilderness. The same dividing line appeared when the men who followed Baal-peor were destroyed while those who cleaved to the Lord remained alive every one. For Israel obedience meant life, prosperity, flourishing in the land, and victory over enemies, while disobedience brought destruction. Love and obedience were linked with rain and crops in their proper seasons, and turning to other gods brought withheld rain and loss of the land’s produce.
Obedience Brings Present Blessing
The lesson set before Israel holds as truly for later hearers, for God's people now and in every age, for the command given that day still conditions blessing on obedience. The word was verified in Israel, where only two of the adults who left Egypt entered Canaan while the rest died in the wilderness, and God will vindicate His word in the same way today if leaders depart from His commandments. The covenant promise joined life and prosperity with flourishing in the promised land and victory over enemies, and the obedience required meant loving the Lord, walking in His ways, cleaving to Him, and refusing to turn aside to other gods. All therefore must guard against being led away from Him and His words, since disobedience brought destruction then and brings a curse for refusing obedience now.
The instruction in Deuteronomy chapters four to eleven reveals God's dealings with His people and means much to every soul carrying responsibility, including in sanitarium work. All the directions God has given, from the greatest to what may seem the least, are to be carefully observed with purified souls and consecrated loving service. The example in word and deportment is to honor sacred truth.
Obedience brings blessing and marks God's faithful people, who remain loyal to His government and will keep His commandments in His kingdom. Transgression brings its sure result, for the commandments are God's expressed will to be kept and taught, and the law that should be a blessing becomes a curse when people depart from God and fail to obey received light. The choice remains urgent to take a side, for obedience to truth purifies the mind. A person is truly blessed when God blesses and truly cursed when God curses, and the blessing rests on fearing God and working righteousness, cleansing the soul temple from defilement, and laying hold on eternal life. It is shown by works that have God's cause at heart and by laboring humbly, meekly and lowly in mind here or there or anywhere, and a soul thus connected with God has strength and fortitude nothing can shake, while a jealous, selfish, stubborn course only makes one weak.
The blessing is for present and future good and calls for treasuring God's words in the heart and putting them into daily practice. That practice includes keeping the seventh day holy rather than substituting another day. When God specially favors His people they are to acknowledge His goodness publicly, glorifying His name and testifying that His words are faithful and true.
In family life parents are to guide their households by God's law, teach it diligently to their children, lay up His words in heart and soul, keep them continually before them, and write them on house and gates. They are to bring their own lives into conformity to God's will and work for their children's conversion and put the heart in order. Doing God's word brings the promised blessing with multiplied days, while refusing to obey and turning aside brings a sure curse. This blessing and curse make obedience a present choice before a future day of reckoning.
Walking in the way of the Lord by refusing to allow selfish interests to control brings great blessing, with valuable experience and spiritual knowledge gained through obedience. Remaining in Battle Creek contrary to the will of the Lord forfeits His favor and loses that experience and knowledge, congesting the heart of the work. Such disobedience comes from hearts and minds not under the influence of the Holy Spirit, not realizing how much work there is to do, being asleep to warning long given but not heeded.
God holds out blessing to His people on condition of obeying His commandments, with a curse as the opposite portion if they refuse and turn aside to other gods. Obeying means loving Him, walking in His ways and cleaving to Him, laying up His words in heart and soul, keeping them ever before the mind, and teaching them diligently to children in the home. In Israel the word proved true, for obedience brought life, prosperity in the land, victory over enemies, and rain and crops in season, while disobedience brought death, destruction, withheld rain, and loss of produce. The same condition reaches God's people in every age, marking those who stay loyal to His government, purifying the mind by obedience to truth and giving unshakable strength, while departure turns the law meant for blessing into a curse. The blessing is for present and future good and is entered by treasuring His words in the heart and putting them into daily practice, keeping the seventh day holy, guiding the household by His law and laboring for the conversion of children, and openly acknowledging His goodness when He favors His people.
Words and Israel's Setting
God sets before His people this day a blessing if they obey the commandments of the Lord their God which He commands that day, in contrast to a curse if they will not obey but turn aside to follow other gods. The blessing is conditional upon obedience, and disobedience with its curse stands set opposite as the chosen alternative. Obedience is the condition for receiving His blessing, while turning aside out of the commanded way to serve other gods brings the curse.
To obey means diligently keeping all His commandments as His expressed will, loving the Lord, walking in all His ways, and cleaving to Him. It means laying up His words in heart and soul, keeping them continually before them, teaching them diligently to children, and writing them upon house and gates, with multiplied days promised for such faithfulness. Remaining faithful rather than turning to other gods belongs to the covenant call, and God makes a decided difference between the obedient and the disobedient. Refusing obedience and going after other gods brings the curse, while transgression brings its sure result and obedience brings blessing.
The word belongs to Moses’ rehearsal of God’s words to Israel before entering Canaan, repeated to the generation preparing to cross the Jordan and take possession of the promised land. It stands among the important teachings and requirements of God’s expressed will that His people should remember and study. Those requirements were to be remembered and sung in the congregations. Obedience in that setting brought life and prosperity, while disobedience brought death.
At Shechem the priests proclaimed the blessing from Mount Gerizim, in contrast to the curse for disobedience, yet the people fell short of the ideal set before them. The word was verified in Israel’s history, for only two of the adults who left Egypt entered Canaan while the rest died in the wilderness. The same dividing line appeared when the men who followed Baal-peor were destroyed while those who cleaved to the Lord remained alive every one. For Israel obedience meant life, prosperity, flourishing in the land, and victory over enemies, while disobedience brought destruction. Love and obedience were linked with rain and crops in their proper seasons, and turning to other gods brought withheld rain and loss of the land’s produce.
Obedience Brings Present Blessing
The lesson set before Israel holds as truly for later hearers, for God's people now and in every age, for the command given that day still conditions blessing on obedience. The word was verified in Israel, where only two of the adults who left Egypt entered Canaan while the rest died in the wilderness, and God will vindicate His word in the same way today if leaders depart from His commandments. The covenant promise joined life and prosperity with flourishing in the promised land and victory over enemies, and the obedience required meant loving the Lord, walking in His ways, cleaving to Him, and refusing to turn aside to other gods. All therefore must guard against being led away from Him and His words, since disobedience brought destruction then and brings a curse for refusing obedience now.
The instruction in Deuteronomy chapters four to eleven reveals God's dealings with His people and means much to every soul carrying responsibility, including in sanitarium work. All the directions God has given, from the greatest to what may seem the least, are to be carefully observed with purified souls and consecrated loving service. The example in word and deportment is to honor sacred truth.
Obedience brings blessing and marks God's faithful people, who remain loyal to His government and will keep His commandments in His kingdom. Transgression brings its sure result, for the commandments are God's expressed will to be kept and taught, and the law that should be a blessing becomes a curse when people depart from God and fail to obey received light. The choice remains urgent to take a side, for obedience to truth purifies the mind. A person is truly blessed when God blesses and truly cursed when God curses, and the blessing rests on fearing God and working righteousness, cleansing the soul temple from defilement, and laying hold on eternal life. It is shown by works that have God's cause at heart and by laboring humbly, meekly and lowly in mind here or there or anywhere, and a soul thus connected with God has strength and fortitude nothing can shake, while a jealous, selfish, stubborn course only makes one weak.
The blessing is for present and future good and calls for treasuring God's words in the heart and putting them into daily practice. That practice includes keeping the seventh day holy rather than substituting another day. When God specially favors His people they are to acknowledge His goodness publicly, glorifying His name and testifying that His words are faithful and true.
In family life parents are to guide their households by God's law, teach it diligently to their children, lay up His words in heart and soul, keep them continually before them, and write them on house and gates. They are to bring their own lives into conformity to God's will and work for their children's conversion and put the heart in order. Doing God's word brings the promised blessing with multiplied days, while refusing to obey and turning aside brings a sure curse. This blessing and curse make obedience a present choice before a future day of reckoning.
Walking in the way of the Lord by refusing to allow selfish interests to control brings great blessing, with valuable experience and spiritual knowledge gained through obedience. Remaining in Battle Creek contrary to the will of the Lord forfeits His favor and loses that experience and knowledge, congesting the heart of the work. Such disobedience comes from hearts and minds not under the influence of the Holy Spirit, not realizing how much work there is to do, being asleep to warning long given but not heeded.