God has two hands. With one hand he offers us his commandments, and in the other he holds the blessings he wishes us to have. Throughout the Word his intent is very clear, that the two are a pair, the commandment and the blessing.
From time to time, he gets more specific, clarifying that we have to do one to get the other. Deuteronomy 28:1-6 is one of these places.
In this passage, God says:
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.”
In God’s first hand, we have this clear instruction: “If you faithfully obey…do all his commandments…”
We can’t rephrase that to say “If you want to do as God commands…” or “If you feel the inclination to do what God suggests…” Rather, God’s Word tells us we must do his commandments, if we want him to open his other hand filled with blessings.
What we get in return is more than worth it, though. Let’s look at the seven blessings he has promised us in this passage.
Blessing #1:
God will set us “high above all the nations of the earth.” We will receive honor and recognition that God might be seen in our success, so that the world will wish to emulate our godly behavior.
Blessing #2:
He will bless us “in the city.” Our dealings with the gears of government will be well-oiled and smooth. We will have favor among those who gather in the houses of power.
Blessing #3:
His blessing will find us “in the field.” In the agrarian society of the time, the “field” was a person’s place of employment. He will give us favor in the workplace, and we will rise to the top of our field, finding success in all that we do.
Blessing #4:
He will keep his hand over our children, crops, and livestock. These are extensions of who we are, and through our obedience, they will prosper, also.
Blessing #5:
He will bless our “basket and…kneading bowl.” We will never lack for enough, from the food we need to our bank accounts. We will have excess and enough to share.
Blessing #6:
He will bless us as we “come in.” This is our home, the place we reside and return to each night. He will watch over our homes and families, and keep them under his care.
Blessing #7:
He will bless us as we “go out.” His hand is over us as we travel, whether for work or for pleasure. There is no place we can go that he is not with us.
God already holds these blessings out to us. His hand is open, and all we need to do is reach for them. We have to remember, however, that there is a condition. God expects us to reach for what is in his other hand, also. We must obey all his commands.
When we do what God asks, he follows through on what he promises.
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