OUTRAGEOUS BLESSINGS
Part one of three devotions in God's New covenant of Grace series
Part one of three devotions in God's New covenant of Grace series
Deuteronomy
28: 3-13
Deuteronomy
28:1-2: “If you fully obey the Lord your
God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God
will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and
accompany you if you obey the Lord
your God.” (Emphasis mine).
Well,
since no one can follow all of God’s commands, no one qualifies to receive
these outrageous blessings. …But there was one Man…Jesus followed all of the
Fathers commands perfectly. So, faith in
Jesus is the way, the ONLY way to receive these blessings.
Chapter
27, verses twelve and thirteen in Deuteronomy divides Israel’s twelve tribes into
two groups of six. The Lord named two
mountains on which the tribes were to stand.
Mount Gerizim was designated for the priests (Levites) to speak
blessings where Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin tribes stood.
Mount
Ebal was where the priests were to say curses in a loud voice—to the tribes of Reuben,
Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali standing on the mountain.
This
exercise was a lesson in contrast for God’s people. The Levites said in a loud voice both the
blessings people would receive for obedience, AND curses received for
disobedience to God’s commands.
The
lesson was interactive. The people were
to say, “Amen!” after each curse was declared.
Check out the awful curses in Deuteronomy 27:13-26.
Would this lesson have gotten your attention?
Just
as modern time, no one can keep all of God’s commandments. But we have something the Old Testament
Hebrews didn’t have: Jesus Christ. Faith
in Jesus yields Believers blessing after blessing. Today.
Tomorrow. In this city, or there
in the country. Another blessing is waiting
for you right around the next corner.
Aren’t
you glad that we live in the time of God’s covenant of grace that Jesus brought
after His death and resurrection?
Take Home Nugget
And yet, we still wonder, Why does God bless me? I don’t deserve blessings! No, you don’t deserve them, but Jesus wants
you to claim them because of His grace.
I can keep many of God’s commandments—but
not all of them! Besides, James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the
whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
But
we are not under the law anymore! And
yet, while we’ve been redeemed from the law, we haven’t lost receiving
outrageous blessings under the law!
Complete the lesson below for Scriptural proof.
Holy Father, Thank You for blessing me for
good things that I don’t deserve. But
because I believe in Your Son Jesus, I abide in Him. And all Your promises are “Yes” to me because
of Him! Amen.
Adapted from “Jesus is Your
Qualification for God’s Blessings” from Joseph Prince. www.josephprinceministries@josephprince.org. October 11,
2015.
J.D. Griffith
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