A few weeks ago, one of our Pastors was speaking out of Deuteronomy, and I began exploring surrounding verses. I often do it just to get a better idea of the context of the topic, but sometimes I learn more from flipping through random passages than I do from the actual sermon topic.
All that to say, I don’t actually remember what the sermon was about a few weeks ago, but here’s what caught my eye that morning:
In Deuteronomy 28, Moses dictates a summary of what life will be like for the Israelites if they choose either to obey God, or to disobey God, since “You have now become the people of the Lord your God” (chapter 27 verse 9). It feels very much like reading through a contract (covenant, anyone?); I half expected to see a dotted line at the bottom where the Israelites would have signed their names and perhaps checked a box labeled “I have read and agree to the terms and conditions above.”
The first 14 verses are spectacular. If the Israelites obey God and follow His commands, they will live in prosperity all their lives, and be blessed wherever they go and in whatever they do.
The next 53 verses are a very detailed description of what will “overtake” God’s people if they choose to disobey Him. Not to make this a negative post, but the following verses are actually what stuck out to me the most, because they are so telling. I could check off all of the things below that I have experienced when I wasn’t upholding my covenant with God. It is all the more amazing to me that we so often choose these sorts of things rather than the abundant life that God offers.
“Among [all] nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!” – because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see. The LORD will send you back in ships to Egypt on a journey I said you should never make again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.” Deut. 28:65-68, NIV
