God is more ready to bless than we are to be blessed. Deuteronomy 28.1-8
This Way to Blessing: Deuteronomy 28 (1)
Opening Prayer: Psalm 119.1-4
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
Psalm 119.1-4
(Ode to Joy: Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee)
Blessed are they whose way is blameless, all who walk within God’s Law,
who, His testimonies keeping, seek Him, filled with joy and awe.
These are they who, no wrong doing, ever walk within God’s ways.
Lord, Your precepts You command us; we would keep them all our days.
Today’s Text: Deuteronomy 28.1-8
Preparation
1. What is the key to realizing all these blessings?
2. How would live this way affect Israel’s relationship to the surrounding nations?
Meditation
If there is a peroration to the book of Deuteronomy, it’s chapter 28. Here, in breathtaking terms, Moses extends the many and varied blessings of God to His people. He promises they will be exalted above the nations and will abound in all the specifics of their daily lives. But they must “diligently obey” and “observe carefully” all the commandments and instructions of God’s Law (v. 1).
The blessings of God will “overtake” the people of Israel if they will obey Him in all things. The will “come upon” them, as if descending from heaven itself (v. 2). The word used in these verses for “blessed” is different from that which begins Psalm 119. There, “blessed” means something like “happy and content.” Here, “blessed” means “enjoying the favor and promises of God.” Clearly this “blessed” makes the Psalm 119 “blessed” to be our daily experience.
God’s promise of favor and blessing is comprehensive (vv. 3-6). Everything in their daily lives, all throughout the nation, in every city and village, will abound and be fruitful and know the Presence and favor of God. The blessings God intends were for every aspect of their lives. They would know the favor of God and be happy and content in everything they did, all day long.
In addition, God would guard them against enemies (v. 7), so that if they had to go to war, their enemies would be completely routed.
Blessings like these are “commanded” by God; that is, they come according to His Word (v. 8). The blessings of God are comprehensive; they reach to all of life. They can be stored up for future enjoyment. They fill all the land where God’s faithful people diligently obey and carefully observe all His commandments.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
In our fallen world, “come upon you” and “overtake you” have a somewhat negative connotation: “Don’t eat this, or that will come upon you.” “Stop this behavior, or that will come upon you.” “Be mindful that the tsunami does not overtake you!” And so on. But here, in God’s perfection, He is telling us that when we obey His commandments, we should “Look out! These blessings are going to come upon you and overtake you!” (Deut. 28.2) “…there shall be showers of blessing” (Ezek. 34.26). “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Eph. 1.3, 4). All these blessings. Physical, yes. Aplenty. But more importantly, spiritual. God’s blessings, when we obey Him, will come upon and overtake us in His love. Look out!
Reflection
1. What are some ways you have known the blessings of God coming upon you and overtaking you?
2. Why is it so easy for us to be distracted from the blessings of God to desire lesser things?
3. What would you say is the key to staying focused on the blessings of God, and desiring Him above all else?
God says that He would deal with them so bountifully that they should excel all other nations; for this is the meaning of the words, that they should be illustrious above all the rest of the world on account of the special blessings of God. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Deuteronomy 28.1-8
Let Your blessings abound to me today, O Lord, so that I can…
Closing Prayer: Psalm 119.5-8
In prayer, preview your day. Commit yourself to following God’s path, and call on Him to meet you with His blessings as you go.
Psalm 119.5-8
(Ode to Joy: Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee)
Let my ways steadfastly keep to all the statutes of Your Word.
Then shall I, no shame enduring, fix my eyes on You, O Lord!
With an upright heart I praise You, in Your rules will I abide.
I will keep Your statutes wholly; keep me ever by Your side.
T. M. and Susie Moore
Listen to our summary of last week’s study in Deuteronomy by clicking here. You can download all the studies in the series by clicking here.
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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All quotations from Church Fathers from Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy: Ancient Christian Commentary Series III, Joseph T. Lienhard, S. J. ed. in collaboration with Ronnie J. Rombs, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001). All quotations from John Calvin from John Calvin, Commentaries on The Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Order of A Harmony, Rev. Charles William Bingham M. A., tr. and ed. (Edinburgh: The Calvin Translation Society, 1863. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).
