If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
All of God's promises and blessings in this word are made conditional on obedience, with walking in His statutes meaning living by them and following them, and keeping and doing His commandments meaning holding them and carrying them out in practice. It was given by Christ to Moses from the cloud as the condition set before Israel for becoming the most powerful people on earth. Meeting that condition brings rain in its season, increase of land and trees, harvests so full that threshing reaches to the vintage and the vintage to sowing time, bread to the full, safe dwelling and peace with rest and no fear, and above all His own presence and favor with His tabernacle among them and His walking among them to be their God. Refusal to hearken and do the commandments breaks the covenant and brings the opposite curses of terror, disease, vain sowing, unproductive land, defeat, oppression by enemies, and God walking contrary to them. Past faithfulness and profession cannot secure favor when obedience fails, as seen when the Jews claimed the blessings promised only to the obedient while suffering the curse for departure from God, so its lesson applies to God's people today with greater light bringing greater responsibility.
Condition and Covenant Setting
All of God's promises and blessings rest upon the condition of obedience on the part of His people. To walk in His statutes is to live by them and follow them, and to keep His commandments and do them is to keep them and carry them out in practice. These were the words Christ gave to Moses from the cloud, spoken from the pillar of cloud to Israel. Obedience was the condition on which Israel was to become the most powerful people on the earth.
Walking in the statutes means making no idols, and keeping His Sabbaths and reverencing His sanctuary. God will in no wise excuse sin in a people who have been enlightened, even if in their days of faithfulness and purity He loved them and gave them especial promises. Past faithfulness and special love do not secure His favor when obedience fails, and Israel could not claim the promises while living in rebellion.
Blessings and Curses Promised
Meeting the condition brings rain in its season, with the land yielding its increase and the trees of the field yielding their fruit. The harvests become so full that threshing reaches to the vintage and the vintage to the sowing time, giving bread to the full. Safe dwelling in the land is joined to this, with peace and rest and no fear.
Above all, obedience brings God's presence and favor, with His tabernacle set among them, His soul not abhorring them, and His walking among them to be their God and they His people. This includes removal of evil beasts, freedom from invasion by the sword, and victory so that enemies fall by the sword. By such walking in His statutes the people on earth bear witness to His goodness.
Refusal to hearken and do the commandments breaks the covenant and brings the opposite curses. These are terror and disease, vain sowing, loss of strength, and unproductive land. Defeat before enemies follows, with rule and oppression by those who hate them, and God walking contrary to them, whom in justice He must then treat as apostates.
Fulfillment and Present Duty
In the days of John the Jews were suffering and experiencing the fulfillment of the threatened curse for departure from God and iniquity, while still claiming the blessings promised only to the obedient and faithful. Jerusalem's people claimed to keep God's law, but their refusal to heed His warnings showed that they were breaking it. Past faithfulness and special promises did not excuse their later sin or secure favor when obedience failed, and Israel could not claim the promises while living in rebellion.
John's demand that profession be accompanied with good works enforced the same condition of obedience. Profession without good works brings condemnation, and unless fruit is borne the tree will be hewn down and cast into the fire.
The time of this prophecy is nearly accomplished, pointing to the soon coming of Him whose right it is to reign to receive the kingdom and sit upon His Father's throne. Its lesson applies to God's people today as well as to ancient Israel, with greater light bringing greater responsibility. The chapter is to be read carefully as plainly defining duty.
The warning applies to those who withhold their means from God's work, whom God may scatter through losses including wasted inheritance or failed crops. The call to heed instruction applies to fair treatment of every person and to bringing the management of God's work into line with His direction. It applies to cherishing brotherly love by helping a brother become able to support himself.
All of God's promises and blessings in this word are made conditional on obedience, with walking in His statutes meaning living by them and following them, and keeping and doing His commandments meaning holding them and carrying them out in practice. It was given by Christ to Moses from the cloud as the condition set before Israel for becoming the most powerful people on earth. Meeting that condition brings rain in its season, increase of land and trees, harvests so full that threshing reaches to the vintage and the vintage to sowing time, bread to the full, safe dwelling and peace with rest and no fear, and above all His own presence and favor with His tabernacle among them and His walking among them to be their God. Refusal to hearken and do the commandments breaks the covenant and brings the opposite curses of terror, disease, vain sowing, unproductive land, defeat, oppression by enemies, and God walking contrary to them. Past faithfulness and profession cannot secure favor when obedience fails, as seen when the Jews claimed the blessings promised only to the obedient while suffering the curse for departure from God, so its lesson applies to God's people today with greater light bringing greater responsibility.
Condition and Covenant Setting
All of God's promises and blessings rest upon the condition of obedience on the part of His people. To walk in His statutes is to live by them and follow them, and to keep His commandments and do them is to keep them and carry them out in practice. These were the words Christ gave to Moses from the cloud, spoken from the pillar of cloud to Israel. Obedience was the condition on which Israel was to become the most powerful people on the earth.
Walking in the statutes means making no idols, and keeping His Sabbaths and reverencing His sanctuary. God will in no wise excuse sin in a people who have been enlightened, even if in their days of faithfulness and purity He loved them and gave them especial promises. Past faithfulness and special love do not secure His favor when obedience fails, and Israel could not claim the promises while living in rebellion.
Blessings and Curses Promised
Meeting the condition brings rain in its season, with the land yielding its increase and the trees of the field yielding their fruit. The harvests become so full that threshing reaches to the vintage and the vintage to the sowing time, giving bread to the full. Safe dwelling in the land is joined to this, with peace and rest and no fear.
Above all, obedience brings God's presence and favor, with His tabernacle set among them, His soul not abhorring them, and His walking among them to be their God and they His people. This includes removal of evil beasts, freedom from invasion by the sword, and victory so that enemies fall by the sword. By such walking in His statutes the people on earth bear witness to His goodness.
Refusal to hearken and do the commandments breaks the covenant and brings the opposite curses. These are terror and disease, vain sowing, loss of strength, and unproductive land. Defeat before enemies follows, with rule and oppression by those who hate them, and God walking contrary to them, whom in justice He must then treat as apostates.
Fulfillment and Present Duty
In the days of John the Jews were suffering and experiencing the fulfillment of the threatened curse for departure from God and iniquity, while still claiming the blessings promised only to the obedient and faithful. Jerusalem's people claimed to keep God's law, but their refusal to heed His warnings showed that they were breaking it. Past faithfulness and special promises did not excuse their later sin or secure favor when obedience failed, and Israel could not claim the promises while living in rebellion.
John's demand that profession be accompanied with good works enforced the same condition of obedience. Profession without good works brings condemnation, and unless fruit is borne the tree will be hewn down and cast into the fire.
The time of this prophecy is nearly accomplished, pointing to the soon coming of Him whose right it is to reign to receive the kingdom and sit upon His Father's throne. Its lesson applies to God's people today as well as to ancient Israel, with greater light bringing greater responsibility. The chapter is to be read carefully as plainly defining duty.
The warning applies to those who withhold their means from God's work, whom God may scatter through losses including wasted inheritance or failed crops. The call to heed instruction applies to fair treatment of every person and to bringing the management of God's work into line with His direction. It applies to cherishing brotherly love by helping a brother become able to support himself.