Read Deuteronomy 7:12-26 at Bible Gateway.
Previously: deuteronomy 6:4-7:11, because YHVH loves His people
Please review the teaching tools of scripture, especially the paragraph divisions. The paragraphs marked by an “s” at their close are weak paragraphs, which indicate a change of facet but not a change of theme or topic. The paragraphs marked by a “p” at their close are strong paragraphs, which indicate the completion of a theme or topic.
This is the second section explaining the first commandment, Worship YHVH only, which we discovered was THE commandment. (The first commandment is explained in Deu 6:4-11:25, and this is my summary of it.) This second section forms a single unit teaching a complete overarching theme or topic:
Deu 7:12-16 {s} Obedience to YHVH’s commandments = life and blessing for Israel
Deu 7:17-26 {p} Disobedience to YHVH = death and destruction for the nations
I think the overarching topic these two paragraphs are teaching, is in the form of comparison and contrast, another of the teaching tools of Scripture. And it is, obedience contrasted with disobedience; the worship of YHVH contrasted with the worship of the idols of the nations. In other words, obedience means life and blessing, but disobedience means death and destruction.
We have to remember that Deu 6:4-11:25 is explaining to us what Have no other gods before God and worship Him only, looks like. Put even more simply, it is explaining to us what Love God with all your heart, mind, and strength, looks like (Deu 6:5)! The first two sections, Deu 6:4-7:11, and Deu 7:12-26, both have obedience to God’s commandments as its overarching topics.
If we love God and worship Him alone, we will obey Him!
This is the plumb line for us to use, to check ourselves to see whether the love of God is truly in us and being expressed through us, or not: obedience to His commandments! How shocked I was to discover, years ago, that this is a New Testament doctrine!
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Joh 14:15
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” 1 Joh 5:2-3
If we do not obey God, then we are not worshiping Him alone, nor do we love Him as much as we say we do.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Mat 7:21-23
With what law is Jesus concerned that they are breaking? Is it the law of man, or of God? Surely it is the Law of God with which He is concerned, for “he who does the will of My Father in heaven,” is he who enters the kingdom of heaven! The Law of God is contained in the Torah of God, and is summarized by the Ten Commandments!
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 Joh 2:3-6
I will go further still. The doctrine that says that the Law of God has passed away, and is of no value to the believer; that the Law of God can now be transgressed freely, because of the grace bestowed on the believer in Jesus Christ, is a doctrine of devils! How many will be in shock at the Great White Throne of Judgment, who are prophesying, casting out demons, and doing many mighty miracles in the name of Jesus, when they are told that because Jesus never knew them, they are to depart from Him!
Is not the evidence in front of our face, that it is God’s own people who have strayed from Him — not the athiests, unbelievers, and unrighteous — because of the state of our nation, and the blessing that we used to enjoy from heaven, now gone? There is a way back to blessing and national restoration:
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chr 7:14
We must again heed the voice of the Lord, and the word of the Lord, rejecting the doctrine of devils that has invaded our churches, and again learn the Law of God, the Law of Love, which expresses His will, to do it!
Continued: deuteronomy 8:1-20, remembering YHVH to our benefit
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