Leviticus 26:4
Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
God promises to send rain in its due and proper season so that the land produces its harvest and the trees of the field bear their fruit. The promise is given only to those who walk in His statutes and keep and do His commandments, making no idols, keeping His Sabbaths, and reverencing His sanctuary. With it stand many further blessings of faithfulness, from bread to the full and dwelling safely to peace in the land, victory over enemies, and His tabernacle set among them with Him walking among them as their God. Turning from His requirements brings the opposite, with the land and trees yielding nothing, strength spent in vain, and God set against those who set themselves against Him. The Jews in John's day suffered that curse for iniquity while still claiming the blessing without obedience, and the same warning with its promise stands for God's people today, for whom greater light brings greater responsibility.
Promise and Its Conditions
The promise was spoken by God from the pillar of cloud to Israel many years after the flood and pronounced through Moses, to make them the most powerful people on the earth if they obeyed His commandments, while justice would require treating refusal as apostasy. It was given as one of many great blessings pronounced upon the obedient, joined to overflowing harvests, bread to the full, safe dwelling in the land, peace with none making afraid, removal of evil beasts and the sword from the land, victory with enemies falling by the sword, and His tabernacle set among them with Him walking among them as their God and they as His people.
The promise is that God will give rain in due and proper season, with gentle rains supplying what the land needs, so that the land yields its increase and harvest and the trees of the field yield their fruit. Timely rain and agricultural abundance are thus blessings of obedience and part of His covenant with His people. If they disregarded His requirements He would act against them rather than bless them, and they could not claim the promise while living in disobedience.
The blessing comes only if the people walk in His statutes and keep and do His commandments, which includes making no idols, keeping His Sabbaths, and reverencing His sanctuary. Obedience on this earth bears witness to His goodness, and Jerusalem's failure to heed warnings and breaking of the law meant the promised blessing did not rest upon them. Material prosperity is always upon condition of obedience, so blessing and prosperity depend on obedience while disobedience brings punishment and withdrawal of prosperity. Even a people He had loved in days of faithfulness and purity and given special promises is in no way excused for sin when enlightened and turning from faithfulness.
Blessing, Warning, and Application
Timely rain with productive fields and fruitful orchards stands among many great covenant blessings of faithfulness, joined to overflowing harvests where threshing lasts to the vintage and vintage to the sowing, eating bread to the full, dwelling safely in the land, peace with none making afraid, removal of evil beasts and the sword from the land, victory with enemies falling by the sword, and above all His tabernacle set among them with Him walking among them as their God and they as His people. Obedience on this earth in receiving these gifts bears witness to His goodness. The blessings culminate not in plenty alone but in Him not abhorring them and abiding with them as their God.
Disregard of His requirements brings the opposite, curse instead of blessing, with the land failing to produce and trees yielding nothing, pride of power broken, sky like iron and ground like brass, strength spent in vain, and God acting against and turning against those who turn against Him. Blessing and prosperity depend on obedience, while disobedience brings punishment and withdrawal of prosperity. Sin is in no way excused in a people who have been enlightened, even when He loved them in days of faithfulness and purity and gave them special promises.
In John's day the Jews were suffering the threatened curse for departure and iniquity and being ruled by a people that hated them, yet claimed the blessings promised to the obedient and faithful without laying their condition to heart, afflicting their souls, and bearing fruit. They could not claim the promise of rain and increase while under that curse for departure. Jerusalem's failure to heed warnings and breaking of the law meant the promised blessing did not rest on them.
The warning applies to His people today as well as to ancient Israel, and greater light brings greater responsibility. The promise together with its warning to the disobedient stands as a prophecy whose time is nearly accomplished before He whose right it is to reign comes to receive the kingdom and sit upon the throne of His Father. Rain in its season is a blessing given by the Lord, with gentle rains supplying what the land needs, so receiving it is reason to thank Him while still looking forward to sunshine again.