Faithful Friday Faves: Deuteronomy

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

'Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!' - Deut. 5:29

I know, I know, that's probably not the first verse that pops into ANYbody's mind when Deuteronomy is mentioned, but...it spoke to me as I skimmed through and noticed how, over and over again, God instructs the people to obey His commands for their own sakes.

See, we have the idea that keeping God's commandments has something to do with salvation; it really doesn't. We are not capable of perfect living; salvation is a gift and totally not earnable. That's why they had the sacrificial system; sin cannot be erased by simply living better...it has to be cleansed. The blood of animal sacrifices covered it temporarily, but to cleanse it so people could live with God forever took a better sacrifice. I don't think that's because God required blood; I think that's because sin is a stain, and, like any other stain, has a specific solvent that will remove it.

The Bible is very clear that only blood can remove a sin stain. Blood that did not have the sin-stain itself.

But I digress.

What keeping the commandments meant was blessing - peace, safety, health and prosperity. This verse, to me, shows the intent of God's heart to bless His people. It is, in a single statement, a summary of one of the key themes of Deuteronomy: that God yearns for His people to be in the place of blessing.

But He cannot bless us if we are not in the right position to receive blessing. If we chose disobedience, we move out of the place where the blessing is.

I know, as a parent, there have been times I've had blessings planned for my kids. Blessings that, due to their personal choices, I could not bestow. Blessings that would do harm, not good, if they were given under those circumstances.

It breaks my heart every time it happens. Maybe that's why this verse jumped out at me so. God doesn't instruct us to obey Him so He can judge us when we don't...He instructs us to be obedient so He can bless us all the time.

So that it will go well with [us]and [our] children forever!