PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Deuteronomy 27-28
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.” (Deuteronomy 27:19)
In ch.27 God’s will is that all people be treated with justice and respect.
What happens if they pursue God’s way of justice and respect for all?
They will flourish and succeed; God will grace them with love, joy and peace.
What happens if they reject God’s way of justice and respect for all?
Then they will experience the injustice and disrespect they practiced.
The world around them does not care about justice and respect.
In that world, they will experience the horrible things described in ch.28.
In God’s world, even the foreigner deserves justice and respect.
Moses is not threatening the people with an unfair punishment.
He is saying that they will find what they seek, get what they give.
As Jesus followers we have been blessed by grace beyond our deserving.
But we are also warned about withholding justice and respect to others.
We will find what we seek, and get what we give… so freely give grace!
PRAYER
Lord, you have freely graced us. May we freely share your grace with ALL people, so that they can be blessed too.
A special commission: “you have now become the people of the Lord your God” – and then follows all the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. When I read them I thought of Nehemiah – he must of read this from the vantage point of being an exile serving the Babylonian king. It was clear and it had happened to his people. Israel had a special commission – and they blew it -so they were punished time and time again. Yet God never gave up – when his people repented He listened and restored. Is it the same today? I wonder about Israel today? Does their commission still apply?
But what I do know is the role has shifted to the followers of Jesus to be a blessing for all people! Help me HS to be faithful – to bless and not to condemn – to love and not hate especially those who do not know you Lord Jesus!
Do this and live. That’s what the Master says. Live and do this. Then you will be blessed.
However, all too often we do what seems good in our own eyes and do that which is not according to His Word. That striving is useless and our destruction.
God has blessed His people and they need to be a blessing to others. That’s God’s way. That’s living for Jesus.
Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His Name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.