OCTOBER 3RD, 2004
I.
God lays
down the conditions that must be met for being blessed in the new land (1-14).
A.
The word
“if” in verse one, places this verse as a the
condition that must be met for the verses that follow to take place.
B.
The people
must listen and obey God’s commands “diligently”. This diligent obedience will
result in the following blessings:
1.
Generally speaking, God’s blessings will “overtake thee.” (2)
2.
City
dwellers and “country folk” will be blessed (3).
3.
Reproduction
will be blessed (4).
4.
The reserves
(x-tras) will be blessed (5).
5.
The
beginning and ending of projects will be blessed (6-7).
6.
Your enemies
will be scattered (7).
7.
You will be
established (secured) (9).
8.
You will
have the attention of the world (10).
9.
You will be
a people of plenty (11).
10.
You will
have rain (12).
11.
You will be
debt-free (12).
12.
You will
make independent decisions rather than serving others (13).
C.
There must not
be a deviation away
from God’s plan.
II.
Disobedience
to God brings punishment, and this punishment may take many forms (15-34).
A.
Like God’s
blessings, God’s curses follow certain conditions:
1.
Generally speaking, God’s curses will overtake His disobedient
children (15).
2.
City dwellers and “country folk” will be cursed (16).
3.
The reserves (x-tras) will be cursed
(17).
4.
Reproduction will be cursed
(18).
5.
The beginning and the end of projects will be cursed (19).
6.
Everything you set out to do will become more difficult, and failure
will be quick (20).
7.
Swarms of insects will attack you
(21).
8.
Sickness and various types of of physical harm will come upon you (22).
9.
Drought and famine shall come
(23-24).
10.
You will be defeated by your enemies
(25).
11.
Your bodies will be left unburied
(26).
12.
You will be overtaken with diseases of the body (27-28).
13. No one will have pity on you (29).
14. Your marriages will fall apart (30).
15. Your houses will be lost (30).
16. Your labor will be lost, and the fruit of
your labor (30).
17. The means of your labor will be lost (31).
18. Your children will be lost (32).
19. Your enemies will own your
possessions (33).
20. You will lose your minds under your
losses (34).
B.
Notice that
there are many curses, and that God give more details about them than the
blessings.
1.
God knows
that we tend to generalize Hid blessings, and itemize His curses.
2.
God can get
our attention by taking away our blessings one by one.
Conclusion: Please read Deuteronomy 28:35-68 for
next Sunday.