The Other Side of the Coin Part Two

Something to think about

The Other Side of the Coin Part Two

1“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Deuteronomy 28:1-14  

The promises in Deuteronomy verses 28:1-14 are some of the most inspiring, exciting, motivating of the entire Bible.  But as with many of God's promises, there are conditions. First is "observe carefully all His commandments", second is "obey the voice of the Lord your God."  

Moses is speaking to the offspring of the liberated people of Israel.  They are about to enter the promised land.  He is giving them instructions on how to be blessed. Some of the pertinent facts to know is that there are 613 commands in Judaism.  I am not a scholar of Jewish law so I cannot attest about when these laws were given. I know that by this point they had been given the ten commandments. But to be blessed we understand the requirement is they obey the all the commandments. Secondly to be blessed you needed to  "obey the voice of the Lord your God." This second presupposes God will speak.   

How does that apply to us today? We Christians of all denominations accept the bible to be the inspired word of God.  Which means even though God allowed man to write it. At its essence and core, it is God who through His holy spirit directed and insured His will be conveyed.   

In John 1:1 John states everything that was created was created by Jesus. He literally puts Jesus at the beginning of creation and recognizes Him as being the cause of creation.  

 ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:9 (NKJV)  Jesus is saying if you see me you see God the father. Claiming He is one with God.

Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  Matthew 1:20 The Angel of God is telling Joseph, His wife is carrying the son of God. 

These scriptures and many more point to the deity of Jesus.  This is important because if we accept that Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are one. Then we understand that Jesus is the one who inspired the writer of Deuteronomy.

The Pharisees and Sadducees, asked Jesus, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” ³⁷ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-39 Jesus answered the question with an old testament law.
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, 2 with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 

We understand the one answering the question is the one that wrote the law.  And He answers it with the same law He had written thousands of years before. With this concise answer, He brings an end to legalism by stating "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” The one that wrote the law is now telling them how to fulfill the law. 

The promises of Deuteronomy are available to you. Because Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit in unison, as the Trinity have said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  He is saying if you do these two things you will not only fulfill the letter of the law but you will also fulfill the heart of it as well.  What he is saying is there is no sin in love. If we love as God loves we will not sin.

The promises of Deuteronomy 28:1-14 are available to anyone who will "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’