Reading
SAA Notes
Blessing and cursing side by side is common in the Scriptures. It is the picture of Salvation and Judgment. It is the picture of Passover – God’s angel passed over the Israelites to fall upon the Egyptians. Verse 40+ takes us to John the Baptist’s message. It is good to return to God our Father in Heaven!
SJA Notes
* Dear God, You are only true and Your word is truth. Please teach us from Your word today.
“If you walk in my statutes …”
This reading takes us through a very black and white set of instructions (and consequences of obedience or disobedience) from the Lord.
IF <obedience> THEN <blessing> ELSE IF <disobedience> THEN <curse> END
We see this pattern, a clear logic statement, throughout God’s word.
In Deuteronomy ch 11 the Lord outlines this very clearly. We hear of Mount Gerizim (set for blessing) and Mount Ebal (set for cursing).
Then later in that book we see Moses and the priests acting out the instruction, like a play on a very large scale. Six tribes standing on Mount Gerizim, six on Mount Ebal. From Gerizim were blessings, from Ebal curses. You can imagine them as songs, dirges and thunderous shouts all in one, resounding across the valley.
Can we take hold of this today, this logic?
Jesus came to bring blessing to His people.
Jesus also came as a sword, as He tells us (Matthew 10, Luke 12),
“I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Jesus is the reality of blessing and curse together.
Because Jesus divides. He makes it clear that without Him there is only curse (Luke 13:28, Matt 13:42).
Jesus divides the line between blessing and curses, takes the arbitration away from our own fitful obedience and dominant disobedience, and He takes the wrath of judgement for our disobedience on Himself.
Jesus became a curse for us so that we could have blessing (Galatians 3:13-14).
Looking deeper, taking Leviticus as this wonderful painting of Jesus, foreshadowing His work, the binary instruction becomes:
IF <Jesus> THEN <blessing> ELSE <curse> END
* Dear Father in Heaven,
Please show us Jesus today.
Please forgive us Lord God, and draw us to You.
We would love You better today.
Amen.