The Choice
The Choice
Dt 26-30
“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God.”
The choice seemed obvious. If the people obeyed God's commands, He would bless them beyond measure. They will enjoy prosperity and peace. However, if they reject God and disobey His commands, they will face His judgment and the curses that come with disobedience. The commands were not harsh but based on what was best. The commands of God are not difficult, but are the basis for a joyful life. However, in our sinfulness, when given the choice between obeying God or following our desires, we choose to do what we want. The curses described are not so much the act of judgment, but the natural result of sin. Sin is always destructive, and it always has negative consequences in our lives. In the folly of our foolishness, we always think that we know more than God and that our thoughts and choices are better.
When we read of the continual refusal of Israel to obey God’s commands, we quickly condemn them for their folly. Given the choice of blessing and cursing, they chose the curse. Yet we make the same choice. Instead of obeying God and following His word, we choose to pursue our own desires, failing to recognize that sin leads to death and judgment. Sin wreaks havoc in our lives, and it alienates us from God.
The invitation of the covenant was more than just an exhortation to obey God’s commands; it was an invitation to have a relationship with God. God offered the people more than just the blessings of prosperity; He offered them a personal relationship with Him. In 29:11-12, God promises, “That He may establish you today as His people and that He may be your God.” This is the same offer that God offers us. From the moment Adam and Eve chose to reject God’s command, our relationship with God has been broken. Not because God has rejected us, but because we have rejected Him. Because of sin, we cannot stand in the presence of a holy God. Therefore, we face the reality of His judgment. We are like the man who “hears the words of this curse yet still will boast saying, ‘I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart '” (29:19). God does not tolerate rebellion. In verse 20, God warns, “The Lord shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this bool will rest on him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven.” Even with this warning, Israel, like us, still chose sin. The grip of sin upon the soul was too great, and as a result, the Mosaic Covenant would fail, not because of God, but because of our sin.
In the face of our rebellion and the certainty of our judgment, God did not abandon Israel, nor does He abandon us. Christ came to not only free us from our bondage to sin, but also to free us from our judgment for sin. The Mosaic law failed because it could not change the heart. However, Christ can. Hebrews 8:7 states, “For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for the second.” Christ came to establish a new covenant, one that would bring both the freedom from sin’s judgment, but also the freedom from sin’s domination and control.
This brings us to the choice we must make. Will we walk in obedience to Christ and accept His salvation, or will we reject His offer and remain under the curse? Are we going to choose God’s way or our way? Even though we have received Christ's salvation, we must make the daily decision to obey God or pursue our own agenda. What will be your choice today?
Dt 26-30
“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God.”
The choice seemed obvious. If the people obeyed God's commands, He would bless them beyond measure. They will enjoy prosperity and peace. However, if they reject God and disobey His commands, they will face His judgment and the curses that come with disobedience. The commands were not harsh but based on what was best. The commands of God are not difficult, but are the basis for a joyful life. However, in our sinfulness, when given the choice between obeying God or following our desires, we choose to do what we want. The curses described are not so much the act of judgment, but the natural result of sin. Sin is always destructive, and it always has negative consequences in our lives. In the folly of our foolishness, we always think that we know more than God and that our thoughts and choices are better.
When we read of the continual refusal of Israel to obey God’s commands, we quickly condemn them for their folly. Given the choice of blessing and cursing, they chose the curse. Yet we make the same choice. Instead of obeying God and following His word, we choose to pursue our own desires, failing to recognize that sin leads to death and judgment. Sin wreaks havoc in our lives, and it alienates us from God.
The invitation of the covenant was more than just an exhortation to obey God’s commands; it was an invitation to have a relationship with God. God offered the people more than just the blessings of prosperity; He offered them a personal relationship with Him. In 29:11-12, God promises, “That He may establish you today as His people and that He may be your God.” This is the same offer that God offers us. From the moment Adam and Eve chose to reject God’s command, our relationship with God has been broken. Not because God has rejected us, but because we have rejected Him. Because of sin, we cannot stand in the presence of a holy God. Therefore, we face the reality of His judgment. We are like the man who “hears the words of this curse yet still will boast saying, ‘I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart '” (29:19). God does not tolerate rebellion. In verse 20, God warns, “The Lord shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this bool will rest on him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven.” Even with this warning, Israel, like us, still chose sin. The grip of sin upon the soul was too great, and as a result, the Mosaic Covenant would fail, not because of God, but because of our sin.
In the face of our rebellion and the certainty of our judgment, God did not abandon Israel, nor does He abandon us. Christ came to not only free us from our bondage to sin, but also to free us from our judgment for sin. The Mosaic law failed because it could not change the heart. However, Christ can. Hebrews 8:7 states, “For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for the second.” Christ came to establish a new covenant, one that would bring both the freedom from sin’s judgment, but also the freedom from sin’s domination and control.
This brings us to the choice we must make. Will we walk in obedience to Christ and accept His salvation, or will we reject His offer and remain under the curse? Are we going to choose God’s way or our way? Even though we have received Christ's salvation, we must make the daily decision to obey God or pursue our own agenda. What will be your choice today?
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