And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.
God promises that if His people walk in His statutes and keep and do His commandments, He will set His dwelling among them and walk among them as their God while they are His people and He does not turn from them. This abiding presence is the highest blessing of obedience, bringing rain in season, fruitful harvests, bread to the full, peace, safety, protection and victory over enemies. Refusal to obey brings terror, disease, wasted labor, defeat and rule by enemies, for God withdraws His blessings and acts against the disobedient, and claiming the promise without obedient fruit leaves a people under the curse. The promise is fulfilled in those who surrender wholly to God and commune with Him, for through the Holy Spirit Christ dwells in the heart by faith and shapes the character into His likeness. He dwells only with those who separate from unbelief, uncleanness and idolatry and keep themselves holy, so that no union is blessed that is unequally yoked, and a Christian may marry only in the Lord.
Covenant Promise to Israel
The promise was spoken from the pillar of cloud on condition that they walk in His statutes and keep and do His commandments, that He would set His tabernacle among them and walk among them and be their God and they should be His people, and His soul should not abhor them. Dwelling and walking among them as their God to make them His people was the highest of all the blessings promised to obedient Israel.
The condition always required walking in His statutes and keeping and doing His commandments, making no idols, keeping His Sabbaths and reverencing His sanctuary. His commandments are their life, and the true Sabbath is the sign distinguishing those who serve God from those who do not. To deny that He is their God and they are His people is to turn from His commandments, and keeping this covenant relation is essential to receiving His blessings.
With that presence belonged rain in due season, fruitful land and trees and field, abundant harvests, bread to the full, safe dwelling, peace with none making them afraid, evil beasts rid from the land, no sword going through the land, and victory over enemies. These were provision, protection, fruitfulness, safety, peace and prosperity, making them the most powerful people on the earth, set on high above all nations. Refusal to obey brings the covenant curses of terror, consumption, burning ague, wasted sowing, defeat before enemies and rule by those who hate them, with God acting against them, withdrawing the blessings and dealing with them justly as apostates. The warning applies to God's people now as well as to ancient Israel, and greater light brings greater responsibility. God in no wise excuses sin in a people enlightened and loved and given especial promises when their works are evil.
The Jews in John's day proved the condition by claiming the promised favor while experiencing the threatened curses for departure from God and iniquity. Their rule by hostile nations and other troubles showed the curse of their departure from Him, yet they wrongly claimed the blessings without meeting their conditions. Without obedient fruit the promise does not belong to a people regardless of conduct, for it belonged to a covenant of obedience and did not excuse sin or guarantee continued favor when the people turned from God.
God's Presence in Believers
The promise to walk among His people and be their God and claim them as His people is fulfilled in those who surrender their whole lives to God and sustain their souls through secret communion with Him. The living God dwells in them as His temple, belonging to Him, through the Holy Spirit working within believers as they live in holiness. In that communion they contemplate His ideal for humanity and shape their characters accordingly.
That indwelling is realized as Christ dwells in the heart by faith. As people behold Christ and dwell on His goodness and love, their character is shaped into His likeness. So formed, they reflect His righteousness in daily life.
Keeping this covenant relation with God is essential for receiving His blessings, especially when His people are severely tested. To deny that He is their God and that they are His people is to turn from His commandments, which are their life. The true Sabbath is the sign distinguishing those who serve God from those who do not. That same belonging calls for cherishing brotherly love and helping a brother become able to support himself.
That presence requires holy, neat, orderly and clean homes and premises with sanitary conditions kept. Every offensive thing must be put out, clothes washed, and offensive things buried, lest He see an unclean thing and turn away. Believers have talents and abilities to grow into a lovely temple for the Lord, and He expects much more from them than untidiness and disorder that dishonor faith before others. Unless habits are changed and reformation is made, He will not increase their numbers.
God will walk with those who walk humbly with Him. The condition is humbling the soul before Him, being willing to be taught by Him, carrying forward His work in His way, wrestling with Him in prayer, and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Those who meet the condition go forth with a message from the Lord, with the light of truth shining from them as a burning lamp reaching to all parts of the world, and they see His salvation. They also cherish brotherly love by helping a brother become able to support himself.
Separation and Holy Marriage
The promise to walk among His people and to be their God while they are His people means that God dwells with those who separate from unbelief and uncleanness and live holy lives. He dwells among His people and establishes them as His people, and as the living God He dwells in believers as His temple, so they belong to Him and are to keep themselves holy and separate from idolatry and unrighteousness.
Heaven blesses only a union formed in obedience to Scripture and not unequally yoked with an unbeliever. A Christian, including a widow who is free to remarry, may marry only in the Lord.
Righteousness has no fellowship with unrighteousness, light has no communion with darkness, Christ has no concord with Belial, belief has no part with unbelief, and the temple of God has no agreement with idols. The command is to come out from among the ungodly and be separate and not touch the unclean thing. To the obedient comes the promise that the Lord will receive them and be a Father to them as His sons and daughters.
God promises that if His people walk in His statutes and keep and do His commandments, He will set His dwelling among them and walk among them as their God while they are His people and He does not turn from them. This abiding presence is the highest blessing of obedience, bringing rain in season, fruitful harvests, bread to the full, peace, safety, protection and victory over enemies. Refusal to obey brings terror, disease, wasted labor, defeat and rule by enemies, for God withdraws His blessings and acts against the disobedient, and claiming the promise without obedient fruit leaves a people under the curse. The promise is fulfilled in those who surrender wholly to God and commune with Him, for through the Holy Spirit Christ dwells in the heart by faith and shapes the character into His likeness. He dwells only with those who separate from unbelief, uncleanness and idolatry and keep themselves holy, so that no union is blessed that is unequally yoked, and a Christian may marry only in the Lord.
Covenant Promise to Israel
The promise was spoken from the pillar of cloud on condition that they walk in His statutes and keep and do His commandments, that He would set His tabernacle among them and walk among them and be their God and they should be His people, and His soul should not abhor them. Dwelling and walking among them as their God to make them His people was the highest of all the blessings promised to obedient Israel.
The condition always required walking in His statutes and keeping and doing His commandments, making no idols, keeping His Sabbaths and reverencing His sanctuary. His commandments are their life, and the true Sabbath is the sign distinguishing those who serve God from those who do not. To deny that He is their God and they are His people is to turn from His commandments, and keeping this covenant relation is essential to receiving His blessings.
With that presence belonged rain in due season, fruitful land and trees and field, abundant harvests, bread to the full, safe dwelling, peace with none making them afraid, evil beasts rid from the land, no sword going through the land, and victory over enemies. These were provision, protection, fruitfulness, safety, peace and prosperity, making them the most powerful people on the earth, set on high above all nations. Refusal to obey brings the covenant curses of terror, consumption, burning ague, wasted sowing, defeat before enemies and rule by those who hate them, with God acting against them, withdrawing the blessings and dealing with them justly as apostates. The warning applies to God's people now as well as to ancient Israel, and greater light brings greater responsibility. God in no wise excuses sin in a people enlightened and loved and given especial promises when their works are evil.
The Jews in John's day proved the condition by claiming the promised favor while experiencing the threatened curses for departure from God and iniquity. Their rule by hostile nations and other troubles showed the curse of their departure from Him, yet they wrongly claimed the blessings without meeting their conditions. Without obedient fruit the promise does not belong to a people regardless of conduct, for it belonged to a covenant of obedience and did not excuse sin or guarantee continued favor when the people turned from God.
God's Presence in Believers
The promise to walk among His people and be their God and claim them as His people is fulfilled in those who surrender their whole lives to God and sustain their souls through secret communion with Him. The living God dwells in them as His temple, belonging to Him, through the Holy Spirit working within believers as they live in holiness. In that communion they contemplate His ideal for humanity and shape their characters accordingly.
That indwelling is realized as Christ dwells in the heart by faith. As people behold Christ and dwell on His goodness and love, their character is shaped into His likeness. So formed, they reflect His righteousness in daily life.
Keeping this covenant relation with God is essential for receiving His blessings, especially when His people are severely tested. To deny that He is their God and that they are His people is to turn from His commandments, which are their life. The true Sabbath is the sign distinguishing those who serve God from those who do not. That same belonging calls for cherishing brotherly love and helping a brother become able to support himself.
That presence requires holy, neat, orderly and clean homes and premises with sanitary conditions kept. Every offensive thing must be put out, clothes washed, and offensive things buried, lest He see an unclean thing and turn away. Believers have talents and abilities to grow into a lovely temple for the Lord, and He expects much more from them than untidiness and disorder that dishonor faith before others. Unless habits are changed and reformation is made, He will not increase their numbers.
God will walk with those who walk humbly with Him. The condition is humbling the soul before Him, being willing to be taught by Him, carrying forward His work in His way, wrestling with Him in prayer, and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Those who meet the condition go forth with a message from the Lord, with the light of truth shining from them as a burning lamp reaching to all parts of the world, and they see His salvation. They also cherish brotherly love by helping a brother become able to support himself.
Separation and Holy Marriage
The promise to walk among His people and to be their God while they are His people means that God dwells with those who separate from unbelief and uncleanness and live holy lives. He dwells among His people and establishes them as His people, and as the living God He dwells in believers as His temple, so they belong to Him and are to keep themselves holy and separate from idolatry and unrighteousness.
Heaven blesses only a union formed in obedience to Scripture and not unequally yoked with an unbeliever. A Christian, including a widow who is free to remarry, may marry only in the Lord.
Righteousness has no fellowship with unrighteousness, light has no communion with darkness, Christ has no concord with Belial, belief has no part with unbelief, and the temple of God has no agreement with idols. The command is to come out from among the ungodly and be separate and not touch the unclean thing. To the obedient comes the promise that the Lord will receive them and be a Father to them as His sons and daughters.