Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.
God promised Israel that He would love them, bless them and multiply them above all other peoples, making their families, fields, crops, herds and flocks fruitful so that no man or woman among them and none of their livestock would be barren. This blessing was conditional on diligently listening to His voice, loving Him, and keeping and doing His commandments, statutes and judgments. It rested on His faithful covenant mercy sworn to the fathers to a thousand generations, for He chose Israel because He loved them and kept His oath, not because they were many in number. The fruitfulness promised included taking away all sickness and the diseases of Egypt, leaving not one feeble person among their tribes, and giving health, vigor of mind, wisdom and skill to ennoble the obedient as a kingdom of priests and the greatest nation on earth. Their vigor, prosperity and success were to show the nations the power, glory and wisdom of living near God and living by heaven's principles to restore His moral image in man, and the same conditional promise sets the terms of all true prosperity and healing now, pointing to the abundant inheritance prepared for those who love God and keep His commandments as the final review draws near.
Promise and Its Conditions
To be blessed above all peoples meant to be loved, blessed and multiplied by God, with fruitfulness given to families, land, crops, herds, flocks and fields, so that there would be no barren man or woman among the people and no barrenness among cattle and livestock. The promise set Israel above other peoples in increase and productiveness, extending the blessing from the household to the ground that was tilled and the animals that were kept.
The gift was conditional on hearkening and diligently listening to His judgments and on keeping and doing His commandments, statutes and judgments, and on loving Him. Obedience would make them a holy people to Himself, and upon that hearkening to keep and do He would keep covenant and mercy toward them. That covenant mercy is the mercy of the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy to a thousand generations as sworn to the fathers. He chose Israel because He loved them and kept His oath to their fathers, not because they were numerous.
With the fruitfulness belonged removal of all sickness and disease and preservation from the diseases of Egypt that afflict other nations, so that there would be not one feeble person among the tribes. Health was joined to vigor of intellect, wisdom and skill, with God continuing as teacher to ennoble and elevate the obedient. In this way every facility was given for becoming the greatest nation on earth, a kingdom of priests and princes and a marvel of prosperity.
Witness and Present Application
Israel's obedience, vigor, prosperity and success were to display to the nations God's power, glory, majesty and greatness. Their life was to show the wisdom and greatness of living near God, what true righteousness looks like, and the benefits of living by heaven's principles. God would care for them as Physician of soul and body, giving health and prosperity, to help restore His moral image in humanity.
The promise was given through Moses to Israel in the wilderness, and it was directed to parents. If they educated their children by teaching God's commandments diligently at all times, He would act for them. That teaching was to go on when rising up and sitting down and when walking at home and abroad. Then He would bless their fields and their flocks and bring forth their children to serve and glorify Him.
The same conditional promise sets forth the conditions of all true prosperity. All of God's institutions must meet those conditions if they are to fulfill the purpose of their establishment.
The blessing points forward to the abundant inheritance prepared for those who love God and keep His commandments. The same words are to be read with profit now because the day of God's great final review is near. Then all must stand before the Judge of all the earth, in the time of investigation when every character will have been investigated and every case decided for eternity.
God's blessing is tied to obedience to His commandments, not to people's own standards of righteousness. Healing and freedom from barrenness and feebleness depend on obedience, including restriction of animal appetites, and Christ being healer does not remove that condition. Disregarding the conditions, being unmindful of God's words and following their own ways dishonors God and brings sickness, disease and plagues. Establishment in Canaan as a pure, happy and holy people was only on those terms.
God promised Israel that He would love them, bless them and multiply them above all other peoples, making their families, fields, crops, herds and flocks fruitful so that no man or woman among them and none of their livestock would be barren. This blessing was conditional on diligently listening to His voice, loving Him, and keeping and doing His commandments, statutes and judgments. It rested on His faithful covenant mercy sworn to the fathers to a thousand generations, for He chose Israel because He loved them and kept His oath, not because they were many in number. The fruitfulness promised included taking away all sickness and the diseases of Egypt, leaving not one feeble person among their tribes, and giving health, vigor of mind, wisdom and skill to ennoble the obedient as a kingdom of priests and the greatest nation on earth. Their vigor, prosperity and success were to show the nations the power, glory and wisdom of living near God and living by heaven's principles to restore His moral image in man, and the same conditional promise sets the terms of all true prosperity and healing now, pointing to the abundant inheritance prepared for those who love God and keep His commandments as the final review draws near.
Promise and Its Conditions
To be blessed above all peoples meant to be loved, blessed and multiplied by God, with fruitfulness given to families, land, crops, herds, flocks and fields, so that there would be no barren man or woman among the people and no barrenness among cattle and livestock. The promise set Israel above other peoples in increase and productiveness, extending the blessing from the household to the ground that was tilled and the animals that were kept.
The gift was conditional on hearkening and diligently listening to His judgments and on keeping and doing His commandments, statutes and judgments, and on loving Him. Obedience would make them a holy people to Himself, and upon that hearkening to keep and do He would keep covenant and mercy toward them. That covenant mercy is the mercy of the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy to a thousand generations as sworn to the fathers. He chose Israel because He loved them and kept His oath to their fathers, not because they were numerous.
With the fruitfulness belonged removal of all sickness and disease and preservation from the diseases of Egypt that afflict other nations, so that there would be not one feeble person among the tribes. Health was joined to vigor of intellect, wisdom and skill, with God continuing as teacher to ennoble and elevate the obedient. In this way every facility was given for becoming the greatest nation on earth, a kingdom of priests and princes and a marvel of prosperity.
Witness and Present Application
Israel's obedience, vigor, prosperity and success were to display to the nations God's power, glory, majesty and greatness. Their life was to show the wisdom and greatness of living near God, what true righteousness looks like, and the benefits of living by heaven's principles. God would care for them as Physician of soul and body, giving health and prosperity, to help restore His moral image in humanity.
The promise was given through Moses to Israel in the wilderness, and it was directed to parents. If they educated their children by teaching God's commandments diligently at all times, He would act for them. That teaching was to go on when rising up and sitting down and when walking at home and abroad. Then He would bless their fields and their flocks and bring forth their children to serve and glorify Him.
The same conditional promise sets forth the conditions of all true prosperity. All of God's institutions must meet those conditions if they are to fulfill the purpose of their establishment.
The blessing points forward to the abundant inheritance prepared for those who love God and keep His commandments. The same words are to be read with profit now because the day of God's great final review is near. Then all must stand before the Judge of all the earth, in the time of investigation when every character will have been investigated and every case decided for eternity.
God's blessing is tied to obedience to His commandments, not to people's own standards of righteousness. Healing and freedom from barrenness and feebleness depend on obedience, including restriction of animal appetites, and Christ being healer does not remove that condition. Disregarding the conditions, being unmindful of God's words and following their own ways dishonors God and brings sickness, disease and plagues. Establishment in Canaan as a pure, happy and holy people was only on those terms.