Israel's future was not left to chance. Their destiny was
most certainly not going to be a product of randomness or a flip of a coin.
Yet, neither was their existence an illustration of fatalism. They had choices
to make. They had very real responsibilities and there were distinct options
that God laid out before them.
In the last chapter we read some of the threatened curses
that God used to warn the people in order to motivate them toward holiness and
goodness. In this very long chapter (68 verses) there are more curses listed
along with some great promises of blessing. Of course, these were very
particular arrangements that God made with Israel. Still, we can learn much
about God's methods and interests through this passage. It remains true today
that our behavior in relation to God's instructions and expectations does
indeed produce certain blessings - or problems... as the case may be
(Deuteronomy 28:63).
Among
other things, military, agricultural, financial and physical blessings were
offered to Israel for the taking. But, the most precious offering to them was
spiritual. Deuteronomy 28:9 introduces a concept that I will emphasize every
time I find it in our reading. That is the snowball principle. Good begets
good. In other words, the greatest blessing that obedience produces, is more
obedience. The heavier a snowball gets, the better it picks up more snow and
grows into a giant snowball. Even so, the more we follow after righteousness,
the more God will empower us to more righteousness. Likewise, wickedness
produces wickedness; ignorance begets more ignorance... i.e., the worst product
of sin is more sin (Deuteronomy 28:36).
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