If and will. An independent clause and a dependent clause that when used in conjunction form a conditional statement within the framework of a sentence. Let’s experiment. If you buy me some tacos, I will eat them. See, it’s pretty simple. In fact, we should really try out this experiment, buy me some tacos and let’s see what happens.
If you joined the 5MC yesterday, you partook in the study of God’s conditional versus unconditional covenants, titled "On One Condition." Well today He sets us up perfectly as we move into one of the most powerful conditional chapters in Deuteronomy and maybe the entire O.T. In fact, after a quick word count, I found the word “will” used over 40 times and the word “if” used at least 6 times depending on your Bible translation. The entire bulk of chapter 28 today is built upon conditional statements using these two words…if and will.
Today our world has created a concept of God that is loving, giving, forgiving and blesses richly…period. In our quest to seek a God that fits our chosen lifestyles and desires, we have created a God that is only “will” and no “if.” A God that is only capable of blindly giving regardless of our behavior or honor of Him. You see, God is a God of love, generosity, abundant blessings and forgiveness, but He has a big “if” before them. The world does not want to embrace or accept a conditional God that is capable of giving or withholding His blessings, but folks, study God’s Word and you’ll learn the truth about God Almighty.
The first quarter of our chapter today deals with God blessing His people, conditionally. He is clear what must be done by His people in order for them to secure His full and abundant blessings. And folks, it is no secret how to secure all of God’s blessings. God does not hide the way in hopes that we will not find it. It is not buried deep in theological mystery or big Bible words. He puts it right out in the open for us to clearly read and understand. After we do discover it though, the proverbial ball is in our court. God says if you do these things, I will bless you abundantly. The real question is…will you do what He says?
“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. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. 5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
7 The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. 8 The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9 The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. 11 The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.
12 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.” Deuteronomy 28:1-14
What an unbelievably passionate passage that is overflowing with promises directly from God to bless those that are obedient to His commands and His Words. If you follow God’s Words, then He will bless you, it's a promise from God. And, oh my, how His blessings flow in this passage. Every single aspect of the obedient follower’s life is blessed. Blessed honor on their life wherever they live or travel, blessings on their children, blessings upon their work, blessings upon their daily needs, protection from their enemies and bountiful provision for their future. Folks, it’s all here, a picture of a life that is living in the full abundance of God’s rich, gracious and powerful blessings. And how did this life secure these priceless blessings? They focused on the “if.”
But unfortunately, on the flip side of these rich blessings, we see the opposite in the last 75% of the chapter. We see a brutal picture of those that will not obey. The people that refused to acknowledge God and believe in His power, righteousness and Holiness. The people that thoroughly believed that their way was better. That they either had an easier way or their way was just more pleasing to their flesh. Whatever their personal reason was, they denied the Word of God and went their own way. And folks, God has an entirely different set of conditional statements for this group. And this is the group that has a hard time imagining their God would judge those that deny and refuse Him. But the world is full of these people today and just as God’s promises ring eternally true in His blessings for the obedient, they also ring eternally true in His curses for the disobedient.
“You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God. 63 Just as it pleased the Lord to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.” Deut 28:62-63
Today you sit right in the middle of God’s conditional statements. Will you abide in and obey God’s Word or like a sheep, go your own way. The decision is black and white, and the choice is all yours. I pray today that you will study the Words of Almighty God, obey them as He asks and claim the rich blessings that He has stored up for you. It’s the only way to the abundant life that Jesus has for us as we live this life here below.
“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15
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